..续本文上一页This is enough to show that all of us in the world have virtue, because who doesn”t have a mind

　　 Even crazy people have minds. The only person without a mind is a corpse. Any and every human being who breathes in and out has virtue, the only difference being whether or not that virtue is pure. As the Buddha said to his followers,

　　cetanaham bhikkhave kammam vadami:

　　The intention, monks, is what I maintain to be the action.

　　An evil intention blemishes virtue. A good intention helps keep it pure. This ends the discussion of the fourth topic.

　　5. The fifth question — "What is needed for virtue to be maintained

　　" — can be answered as follows: Virtue here means purity of virtue. For purity to be firm and lasting depends on the support of causal factors, just as a new-born child depends on the support of its parents to survive and grow. If its parents feed it plenty of food, it will escape from the dangers of malnutrition and grow to be healthy and strong; if they underfeed it, it”ll become thin and frail. In the same way, for virtue to be maintained depends on our being mindful and alert: These two qualities are the guardians of purity. At the same time, we have to nourish virtue and give it food. If it isn”t fed, it”ll wither away and die. Even if it has mindfulness and alertness watching over it, it can never grow plump, just as a child who has parents but isn”t fed is sure to waste and wither away. For virtue to grow strong requires food, and the food of virtue is:

　　a. metta — good will, love for oneself and all others, hoping that all living beings will be happy;

　　b. karuna — compassion for oneself and others, hoping that we will all escape from suffering;

　　c. mudita — appreciation, ungrudging delight in the goodness of all living beings;

　　d. upekkha — equanimity, letting go in those cases where we should remain indifferent, being unruffled — neither pleased nor upset — where we are no longer able to be of help, as when an executioner is beheading a criminal who has broken the law.

　　These four Sublime Attitudes are the food of virtue.

　　Mindfulness is the father,

　　alertness, the mother,

　　And the "immeasurables" are the food.

　　Whoever can do this will have virtues that are fat and strong. In other words, when good will, compassion, appreciation, and equanimity are expressed in thought, word, and deed, then virtue will be firm and lasting and will head straight toward nibbana. This translates as fat virtues, plump virtues, rich virtues, the virtues taught by the Buddha Gotama. Whoever can”t do this will end up with poor virtues, sickly virtues, orphaned virtues, withered-and-wasting-away virtues.

　　To have virtue is to have character,

　　To have character is to have wealth,

　　To have wealth is to be happy;

　　The happiness of virtue is something supreme.

　　Virtue is an adornment that can be worn by people of every variety. Young and old alike are attractive when wearing it, for no matter who wears it, it never looks incongruous or out-of-place, unlike external ornaments. External ornaments look good only in the right circumstances, but virtue can be worn at all times. Whoever can maintain virtue will escape from danger and animosity in this life and the next. For this reason, people of discernment are careful to safeguard their virtue. People without discernment go looking for chains: golden chains for snaring their wrists, ankles, necks, and earlobes. Even if they watch after them carefully and wear them only on the right occasions, they still can”t escape from harm — as when a thief rips off the chains, tearing their ears, scraping the skin from their arms and legs. Consider, then, just how much good comes from external adornment.

　　As for virtue, when it encircles our thoughts, encircles our words, and encircles our deeds, who can destroy it, what thief can steal it, what fires can burn it away

　　 After we die, we”ll enjoy ourselves in heaven, as guaranteed by the verse,

　　silena sugatim yanti silena bhogasampada

　　silena nibbutim yanti

　　The attainment of heaven, wealth and nibbana all depend on virtue.

　　silam loke anuttaram

　　Virtue is unexcelled in the world.

　　candanadinam gandhanam sila-gandho anuttaro

　　Among all scents, such as sandalwood, the scent of virtue is supreme.

　　silo rahado akuddamo

　　Virtue is like a limpid pool.

　　sukham yava jara silam

　　Virtue brings happiness to the end of old age.

　　silam yava jara sadhu

　　Virtue is good to the end of old age.

　　Thus all who aspire to goodness that is limpid and pure should be diligent in nourishing their virtues to the full with the four Sublime Attitudes. Having done this, whoever then aspires to the middle part of the Path — concentration — will attain quick results.

　　This ends the discussion of the fifth topic.

《The Craft of the Heart - The Service for the Lunar Sabbath》全文阅读结束。