10月2日

勸世歌
佚名

回頭好，回頭好，世事將來一筆掃。
紅塵堆裡任他忙，我心清靜無煩惱。
終日貪，何日了，只恨家中財帛少。
分明傀儡線提牽，線斷之時身跌倒。
無常到，沒大小，不用金銀不用寶。
不分富貴與王侯，年年多少埋荒草。
看看紅日落西山，不覺雞鳴天又曉。
急回頭，莫說早，小小孩童易得老。
財高北斗富千箱，孽障隨身何時了？
勸世人，回頭好，持齋念佛隨身寶。
看來名利一場空，不如修心念佛好。

──選自《佛教叢書》

October 2

Admonitions For All
Anonymous
English translation: Miao Guang

Turn around, turn around,
Let all troubles cancel out.
So what if this busy life never stops,
Just stay peaceful and quietly go about.
How will this endless craving ever stop?
However much money, you will never be on top.
Clearly like a puppet tied to strings,
You will fall upon the moment when they snap.

When impermanence strikes, no one is exempt,
Even gold, silvers or gems will not help.
It matters not how rich or noble one can be;
Year after year, many end up buried in grass.
Having just seen the red sun setting in the West,
Suddenly the cockcrow is already telling you to wake up.
The sooner the better, it is never too early to turn around,
Even young children will get old in no time.

So if you have a thousand boxes of gold piled to the roof,
You are still bound by karma waiting to manifest.
I urge all, better it is to turn around;
Value being a vegetarian and chant the Buddha's name.
All the fame and gain will eventually fade,
One may as well cultivate and just chant the Buddha’s name.

── from Fojiao Congshu (Essential Guide to Buddhism)