丙五、念众生恩
C5: Mindfulness Of Sentient Beings’ Kindness
念众生恩
[5] Mindfulness Of Sentient Beings’ Kindness
云何念众生恩？谓我与众生从旷劫来，世世生生互为父母，彼此有恩。
Why be mindful of sentient beings’ kindness? Speaking of myself with sentient beings, from distant kalpas since, in life after life, we have mutually been one another’s fathers and mothers, having kindness to one another.
今虽隔世昏迷，互不相识，以理推之，宁无报效？
Now, although with separation of lives confused, not recognising one another, with reason deducing this, how can there not be repaying of their kindness?
今之披毛带角，安知非昔为其子乎？今之蠕动蜎飞，安知不曾为我父乎？
Now that they wear fur and carry horns, how can we know they are not in the past as our children? Now that they are wriggling larvae and flying insects, how can we know they are not previously my fathers?
每见幼离父母，长而容貌都忘；何况宿世亲缘，今则张王宁记？
Often seen are those young leaving their fathers and mothers, who grow up and their countenances are all forgotten. Moreover, of past lives’ blood relatives now, then as Zhāngs or Wángs, how can this be remembered?
彼其号呼于地狱之下，宛转于饿鬼之中，苦痛谁知？饥虚安诉？
Of their anguished wailing in the hells below, tossing and turning among hungry ghosts, of their suffering and pain, who will know? Of their hunger and emptiness, to whom can they tell this?
我虽不见不闻，彼必求拯求济。非经不能陈此事，非佛不能道此言，彼邪见人何足以知此？
I, although not seeing and not hearing them, they must be seeking rescue and seeking aid. If not with the sūtras, we are not able to state these matters. If not for the Buddha, we are not able to say these words. Of those persons with evil views, how can they know enough about this?
是故菩萨观于蝼蚁，皆是过去父母、未来诸佛，常思利益，念报其恩。
Therefore, Bodhisattvas contemplate mole crickets and ants, to all be their past fathers and mothers, and all future Buddhas. They constantly contemplate benefitting them, to be mindful of repaying their kindness.
是为发菩提心第五因缘也。
This is for giving rise to the Bodhi Mind, the fifth cause and condition.
净土宗十一祖省庵大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 11th Patriarch Great Master Xǐng’ān
《劝发菩提心文》
Essay On Exhortation To Give Rise To The Bodhi Mind
待续 To be continued…
全文
Complete Text:
《劝发菩提心文》
Essay On Exhortation To Give Rise To The Bodhi Mind
https://purelanders.com/quan
