..續本文上一頁r," which they thought should begin with being cautious when one is alone. Zeng Zi [a disciple of Confucius] said that when a person is alone, he should act as prudently as if there were ten eyes watching him and ten hands pointing at him. This describes the unique character of a superior person who maintains right thoughts and is proper at all times.

　　君子爲什麼能做到這樣呢？因爲他沒有妄起我法二執；我法二執，就是衆惡的根本。那我法二執又是什麼？說穿了，其實就是意念不誠而已；意念不誠，也就是有個自私心和名利心。人如沒有自私心，哪裏會産生我執？若沒有名利心，更有何法執可言？就因爲生出這二種根本的執著，于是乎各種勾心鬥角的是非爭端都跟著衍發了！所以才說，我法二執是衆惡的根本。

　　Why is a superior person able to be like this

　　 Because he doesn”t have the two attachments to self and dharmas. The attachments to self and dharn1as are the root of all evil. What are these two attachments

　　 Actually, they are just a result of a lack of sincerity .When one is insincere, one is selfish and seeks after fame and profit. If a person is unselfish, how could he have the attachment to self

　　 If he doesn”t seek fame and profit, what attachment to dharmas could there be

　　 Because of these two fundamental attachments, all manner of fighting, scheming, gossip, and arguments arise. That”s why these two attachments to self and dharmas are the source of all evil.

　　一個人的意念誠不誠，往往流露于舉手投足之際。在人前，他或者警覺性高，還會加以掩飾；獨處時，就難免松懈而漏了底，明眼人當然看得出來。所以《大學》上才說﹕「誠于中，形于外，故君子必慎其獨也。」

　　The degree of a person”s sincerity can be seen in his ordinary gestures. In front of others, he may be very alert and cover up his true thoughts, but when alone he is likely to relax and let his real self show through. Of course an intelligent person can see through his phoniness. Thus the Great Learning says, "When there is sincerity within, it manifests in one”s external appearance; hence the superior person must be cautious when he is alone."

　　那麼，君子又爲什麼要做到這樣呢？《大學》上說﹕「富潤屋，德潤身，心廣體胖。」想想看﹕人生在世，富貴壽考，都只如海上浮漚，長久幾何？不少生前金玉滿堂，卻諸善莫作，衆惡奉行的人，死後不但遺臭萬年，甚至痛失人身，永劫沈淪地獄、餓鬼、畜生叁惡道；反之，以道德嚴身，諸惡莫作，衆善奉行者，生前是坦坦蕩蕩，身後也流芳百世，更有超升叁界、永享極樂的。各位都是聰明的，與其享一時之樂，而身後累世挨罵受苦，何不趁此生嚴持戒律，早修無上道呢？

　　Why does the superior person want to be like this

　　 TheGreat Learning says, "Riches enhance the household, while virtue enhances one”s self, so that one has a broad mind and a healthy body." Think about it: All the riches, honor, and longevity that we enjoy in this world are like mere bubbles in the sea--how long do they last

　　 There are many people who are incredibly rich, but who do no good deeds whatsoever and only indulge in all manner of evil. After they die, not only does their notoriety live on, but they may lose their human body and fall into the three evil paths of the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals forever. Conversely, those who conduct themselves ethically, avoiding all evil and practicing many good deeds, enjoy a smooth and carefree life, leave behind a good name, and are able to transcend the Triple Realm and enjoy eternal happiness. All of you are intelligent people. Compared to the prospect of enjoying momentary pleasure and then enduring scoldings and sufferings for many lifetimes afterwards, wouldn”t it be better to seriously uphold the precepts in this very life and quickly cultivate the unsurpassed Path

　　明朝的大將軍戚繼光還沒做官時，跟一位朋友進京應試。到了京城，肚子餓了，兩人就在路邊攤子吃飯。吃完，賣飯的不小心，一個銅錢滾落到地上；那位朋友趕緊用腳把銅錢踩住，等賣飯的不注意時，再把錢撿起。他自以爲神不知鬼不覺，沒想到被一位散步的過路人瞧見了，而那人正是此次考試的監考官。到了考試那天，那位朋友交卷時，監考官就把他的名字暗地記下；結果戚繼光考取，他卻落了榜。按理，他的文章比戚繼光好，應該考取；可是那位監考官卻說﹕「賣飯的一個銅錢他都想要，如果讓他作了官，他還能不貪汙嗎？」由此看來，人怎能不誠乎其中，而慎乎其獨呢？

　　In the Ming Dynasty, there was a great general named Jiguang Qi. Before he became an official, he went with a friend to the capital to take the civil examination. When they reached the capital they felt rather hungry, so they stopped by a roadside stand to get something to eat. After they had finished their meal, the food vendor accidentally dropped a coin on the ground. Qi” s friend quickly stepped on the coin and then picked it up when the vendor wasn”t looking. He thought no one, not even the ghosts, would know what he”d done, but actually his act had been observed by a passerby who happened to be the examination proctor. On the day of the examination, when Qi”s friend handed in his paper, the proctor silently noted his name. Later it turned out that Jiguang Qi passed the exam, while his friend did not. Actually, Qi” s friend should have passed, for his essay was better than Jiguang Qi”s. But the proctor had said, "He even wanted that food vendor”s one little coin. If we allow him to become an official, how could he not be corrupt”？" Hearing this story, how can we not maintain an inner attitude of sincerity and not be cautious whenever we are alone

《弟子規淺釋 Standards for Students 第四章﹕謹 Chapter Four: LEARNING TO BE CAREFUL - 6》全文閱讀結束。