第五条原则：明辨伪经，念佛最善
[5] The Fifth Principle: Clearly Differentiate From Forged ‘Sūtras’, With Mindfulness Of Buddha Being The Best
念佛之人，不可效愚人做还寿生、寄库等佛事。以还寿生不出佛经，系后人伪造。
Of persons mindful of the Buddha, they must not imitate foolish persons by doing returning of lifespan’s living debts, sending of treasuries and other false ‘Buddhist’ practices for the deceased. With returning of lifespan’s living debts, not coming from Buddhist sūtras, they are connected to later generations’ people, who forged these teachings.
寄库是愿死后做鬼，预先置办做鬼的用度。既有愿做鬼的心，便难往生。
Doing sending of treasuries is wishing to, after death, become ghosts, in advance buying that for becoming ghosts, its ‘expenses’. Since having the mind with the wish to become ghosts, they are then difficult to be reborn in Pure Land.
如其未作，则勿作。如其已作，当禀明于佛：「弟子某，唯求往生，前所作寄库之冥资，通以赈济孤魂」，方可不为往生之障。
If these are yet to be done, thus do not do them. If these were already done, there should be reporting to explain to the Buddha, ‘Disciple so-and-so, only seek to be reborn in Pure Land, with that before done, of the netherworld’s money for sending of treasuries, all for relieving and aiding lonely spirits’, if they can be helped, then can that done not be as obstacles for rebirth in Pure Land.
凡《寿生》、《血盆》、《太阳》、《太阴》、《眼光》、《灶王》、《胎骨》、《分珠》、《妙沙》等经，皆是妄人伪造，切不可念。
All such as Lifespan’s Living Debts, Blood Basin, Great Yáng, Great Yīn, Eyes’ Light, Stove King, Skeletal Bones, Dividing Of Beads, Wonderful Sands and other so-called ‘sūtras’, all were by ignorant and presumptuous persons forged, and must not be recited.
愚人不知念大乘经（即《阿弥陀经》、《无量寿经》、《观无量寿佛经》、《心经》、《金刚》、《药师》、《法华》、《楞严》、《华严》、《普贤行愿品》等经），偏信此种瞎造之伪经，必须要还寿生、破地狱、破血湖方可安心。有明理人，为说是伪，亦不肯信。
Foolish persons do not know about reciting the Great Vehicle’s sūtras (which are the Amitā[bha] Sūtra, Immeasurable Life Sūtra, Sūtra On Contemplation Of Immeasurable Life Buddha, Heart Sūtra, Vajra Sūtra, Medicine Master Sūtra, Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sūtra, Śūraṅgama Sūtra, Flower Adornment Sūtra, Universal Virtue Bodhisattva’s Practices And Vows’ Chapter and other sūtras), one-sidedly believing in these kinds of blindly created forged scriptures, thinking there must be returning of lifespan’s living debts, breaking of hell, and breaking of blood lake, then able to have peace of mind. When people who understand reason, for them say these are forged, they are also not willing to believe thus.
须知做佛事，唯念佛功德最大。当以还寿生、破地狱、破血湖之钱，请有正念之僧念佛，则利益大矣。
It must be known that when doing Buddhist practices for the deceased, only recitation of the Buddha’s name has meritorious virtues that are the greatest. There should be, with the money for returning of lifespan’s living debts, breaking of hell, and breaking of blood lake, used for inviting monastics who have right mindfulness to recite the Buddha’s name, thus having benefits that are great.
净土宗十三祖印光大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng
《一函遍复》
(One Letter As A Common Reply)
