用黄纸一条。朱砂新笔。昼对太阳。夜对灯光。衣冠正揖。虔诚默诵。神 三通。 曰
监生之神。卫生之灵。脱骨成胎。化骨成形。骨速开。骨速开。勿伤母命。勿损子胎。敬
请九老仙子君。日月光明普照生。吾奉太上老君。急急如律令 。
\r催生 符\p02-g39a1.bmp\r
虚空世界。原自清宁。一切众生。皆具佛性。自迷真逐妄。背觉合尘。故无端起贪嗔痴。
造杀盗淫。致世界成一大劫网。而一切众生。轮转其中。莫之能出。可不哀哉。造劫之
因。虽非一端。而其最大而最多者。莫过于杀生。昔愿云禅师偈云。千百年来碗里羹。
怨深如海恨难平。欲知世上刀兵劫。但听屠门半夜声。可知屠门哀号之声。一日不
息。则世上刀兵之劫。一日不能免。静言思之。宁不危惧。夫人知爱命。物亦贪生。今试
易地以思。使剖腹刺心之酷。加乎我身。我苦何如。使刀砧汤镬之惨。加乎我身。我痛
又何如。人有父母兄弟夫妇子女之爱。物亦有雌雄卵雏之类。杀彼子女。充己口腹。
其悲痛孤苦又何如。夫人与人处。睚 尚且必报。物虽无言。知觉与人何异。每见一
大都市。宰杀水陆飞走众生。以充口腹者。日以千百万计。惊痛愤恨。郁成厉气。积之
久久。大干天和饥馑疾疫刀兵等劫。由此起矣。此因果报复一定之理。苦于世人相
沿成习。不觉不知耳。(王洋帆曰。昔贼匪蜂起。死亡枕藉。李秀才培德。谒二仙观林道长。问
生灵何辜。遭此大劫。道长叹曰。世人残忍成风。宰杀孽重。积之久久。大干天和。故天降此饥馑
继以刀兵。收录民众。以填物命耳。又严绍庭曰。明季有王居士。谒小洞天尊者。叩云。举世
盗贼纵横。干戈扰攘。亿万生灵。遭此大劫。愿吾师垂金臂救之。尊者云。惟有戒杀放生可免耳
。以上两段。见好生救劫编。)是以弭劫莫先于戒杀。莫要于护生。尤莫善于茹素。此素食同缘
社所由起也。(以上言饥馑刀兵等劫。皆由世人宰杀孽重所致。欲弭劫运。莫要于多结同志。戒
杀吃素。以期各保生机。共挽天心。)。佛言。食肉之人。断大慈种。我观众生。轮回六道。迭
为父母。六亲眷属。更相啖肉。无非亲者。常生害心。增长苦业。流转生死。不得出离。不食肉
者。即是无量功德之聚。若一切人不食肉者。亦无有人杀害众生。此楞伽经之言。佛家奉为金科
玉律者也(以上引楞伽经。明佛家戒杀断肉食之旨。)或曰。戒杀。断肉食。佛制也。儒家圣人。
则无此语。则应之曰。孔子之经。莫大于易。其言曰。各正性命。保合太和。又曰。天地之大德
曰生。又曰古之聪明睿知神武而不杀者夫。子思作中庸。以述祖德曰。万物并育而不相害。孟子
私淑其学曰。君子亲亲而仁民。仁民而爱物。又曰杀一不辜。虽得天下不为也。夫有罪当
杀。牛羊鸡豚之属何辜。圣人不忍杀一不辜而得天下。岂为区区口腹忍杀无辜乎。
(见其生不忍见其死。闻其声不忍食其肉。此孟子方便说法耳。即不见其生。亦不忍见其死也。
即不闻其声。亦不忍食其肉也。)迄汉代大儒。厥有仲
舒。着春秋繁露。以明孔子之教。则曰。质于爱民以下。至于鸟兽昆虫莫不爱。不爱奚
足谓仁。儒家圣贤垂训。其戒杀不章章乎。大戴记有云。食肉者勇敢而悍。食谷者智
慧而巧。夫悍者。杀之端也。乱之源也。智能者。仁之迪也。治之本也。故肉食之民。每好
杀而难化。谷食之众。常和平而易亲。征诸中外。理无或爽。吾圣人既判其美恶之殊。
由于肉食谷食之分。则必以肉食为宜断也明矣。朱子注孟子。七十者可以食肉。曰
未七十者不得食也。(七十曰老而传。盖以家事传诸子。七十可以食肉者。古圣贤随顺孝
子事亲供奉甘旨之诚。重在存养老之礼。与告朔不去饩羊。爱礼之意略同。非谓年至七十。
必定食肉。始能养生也。○印光法师曰。此世间圣人所立之权法。自佛教东来。畅明三世因果
六道轮回之事理。而且历代史书多有人畜转变之事。固宜特开眼界。愍念生灵,毋徒固守权法
以致亲与自己杀业滋蔓而不息也。)
如是则食肉者鲜矣。又以咬得菜根。百事可做。为国小终篇。其望人茹素。不隐然言外乎。由是
观之。戒杀断肉食。于儒家何疑。(以上所引儒圣之言。原非专为戒杀断肉食而发。第于性命曰各正。太
和曰保合。万物曰并育。圣人之心。天地之心也。人于万物中。若无故杀害一微细生命。即于各正保合并
育之旨有伤。而况其大焉者乎。又况日日杀之害之乎。恣口腹之欲。戕水陆之生。违背天理。莫此为
甚。此圣人所深惧也。兹特搜集经训。以阐明戒杀
断肉食。儒佛圣人。其心不二。在明眼学人观之。自能了解于方便立说。劝诱苦心。按之所引圣
经本旨。亦正圆明无碍。而不必以牵合经文为疑耳。)
或又谓人人都戒杀。物类不将充满世间乎。吾得引纪慎斋家训。以正告之曰。世人不食虎豹。
未见虎豹充满人间。山村内尽有一村不食蛙鳅者。彼地蛙鳅亦不见独多。况按之
因果正理。畜生一道。实因夙生杀业受报而来。若世界人人戒杀。将直无此畜生恶
道矣。何虑之为。(以上释物类充满世间之疑。)或又曰。饮食所以养生。吃素有碍卫生。奈何
。则曰。无锡丁仲祜先生。所着素食主义一书。已详论之矣。第一章言肉食之害。素食之益。至
为明切。肉食含有疫毒。诚不免有碍卫生。素食天然真味。营养分。以植物为最富。不
似肉食。渣滓多而消化难。是素食不但无碍卫生。乃深合乎卫生也。仲祜精中西医学。其言可信。
何不取其书而详玩之。(以上释吃素有碍卫生之疑。)总之。戒杀茹素。可以弭劫。可以
养心。可以惜福。可以延年。无悖儒佛两家圣人之旨。而又适合乎养生。人亦何乐而
不戒杀茹素乎。(以上总结前五段。)南海印光法师。宏扬净土。常常以戒杀放生。吃素念佛。八
字教人。其所撰金陵法云寺放生池疏曰。近来天灾人祸。频频降作。忧世之士。以为
此等业果。皆由杀起。倘能知物不可杀。则断无杀人之理。又曰。放生原为戒杀。而戒
杀须从吃素始。倘人各戒杀。人各吃素。则家习慈善。人敦礼义。俗美风淳。时和年丰。
何至有刀兵劫起。彼此相戕之事乎。上年在愚园内道院说法。谓劝人吃素。较之劝
人放生。功用尤大。此为不放之普放。盖吃素为实行放生之事。放生乃为感发人吃
素之方便。若不吃素。则所杀无算。所放其有几何哉。一时闻者。靡不感动兴起。此又
素食同缘社最初之缘起也(以上述印光法师语。与开章愿云禅师偈相应。愿云禅师偈。
是说造劫之病。印光法师语。是说免劫之药。)深
望海内各界善士。减少肉食。相率提倡息杀行慈之道。共趋于素食一途。以迓天麻
而弭劫运。功德实为无量无边。第有一至简要之言。谨贡于当代仁人君子之前。莫
谓一人发心。戒杀吃素。保全有限。何补众生。须知天下者。人与人之所积而成也。扩
而充之。推类而广之。其作始也简。其将毕也钜。其种因则小。其收果则大。况圣慈加
被。天道好生。此中更有不可思议之力存焉。是在勉强行之。勿自馁而已矣。社中同
人。不胜企祝。(以上普劝世人)南京素食同缘社。
转录南京魏梅荪居士原着
Use a strip of yellow paper. A new brush with cinnabar ink. Face the sun during the day. Face the lamplight at night. Dress properly and bow respectfully. Recite silently with sincere devotion. Chant the divine incantation three times. Say:
Spirit of Jian Sheng (Official of Life Registration). Spirit of Wei Sheng (Guardian of Health). Shed bones to form the fetus. Transform bones to shape the body. Bones open quickly. Bones open quickly. Do not harm the mother's life. Do not damage the child's womb. Respectfully
invite the Nine Old Fairy Lords. Sun and moon light shine universally on birth. I obey the command of Taishang Laojun (Supreme Venerable Lord). Act swiftly as prescribed by law.
\rCai Sheng Fu (Expediting Birth Talisman)\p02-g39a1.bmp\r
The void world. Originally was clear and peaceful. All sentient beings. Possess Buddha-nature (Foxing, 佛性). Due to losing true nature and chasing delusions. Turning away from enlightenment to merge with dust. Thus without cause, greed, anger, and ignorance arise.
Committing killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Causing the world to become a great net of kalpas (Jie Wang, 劫网). And all sentient beings. Rotate within it. None can exit. Is this not sorrowful? The causes creating kalpas.
Although not singular. The greatest and most numerous is undoubtedly killing living beings. In the past, Chan Master Yuan Yun's verse said. Bowls of soup for thousands of years.
Resentment deep as the sea, hatred hard to calm. To know the sword-and-spear kalpas of the world. Just listen to the sounds in slaughterhouses at midnight. It can be known that the wailing sounds in slaughterhouses. If they do not cease for one day. Then the sword-and-spear kalpas of the world. Cannot be avoided for one day. Thinking quietly. Is it not dangerous and fearful? Humans know to love their lives. Animals also crave survival. Now try
thinking by putting oneself in another's place. If the cruel act of cutting open the belly and piercing the heart. Were inflicted upon my body. How would my suffering be? If the misery of knives, chopping blocks, boiling water, and cauldrons. Were inflicted upon my body. How would my pain be? Humans have love for parents, brothers, spouses, and children. Animals also have pairs of males and females, eggs, and chicks. Killing their offspring. To fill one's own mouth and stomach.
How sorrowful and lonely would their grief be? When humans interact with each other. Even a slight grievance like a glare must be avenged. Although animals cannot speak. Their perception is no different from humans'. Often seeing a
large metropolis. Slaughtering water and land, flying and walking sentient beings. To fill mouths and stomachs. Counted by millions daily. Shock, pain, anger, and hatred. Condense into fierce qi (Li Qi, 厉气). Accumulating
over time. Severely interfering with Heavenly Harmony (Tian He, 天和). Kalpas of famine, plague, and war. Arise from this. This is the fixed principle of cause and effect retribution. It is bitter that people follow
customs blindly. Unaware and unknowing. (Wang Yangfan said. In the past, bandits rose like swarms. Deaths piled up like cushions. Scholar Li Peide. Visited Daoist Master Lin at Erxian Temple. Asked why living beings were innocent. Suffering this great kalpa. Master Lin sighed and said. People are accustomed to cruelty. Heavy karma from slaughtering. Accumulating over time. Severely interfering with Heavenly Harmony. Thus Heaven sends this famine. Followed by war. Collecting people. To fill the lives of animals. Yan Shaoting also said. In the late Ming Dynasty, Layman Wang. Visited Xiaodong Tianzun (Heavenly Worthy of Xiaodong). Kneeling and asking. Bandits roam everywhere across the world. Weapons disturb and harass. Hundreds of millions of living beings. Suffer this great kalpa. Wish our Master extend golden arms to save them. The Venerable One said. Only abstaining from killing and releasing life can avoid it.
The above two passages. Are seen in Hao Sheng Jiu Jie Bian (Compilation of Saving Lives and Rescuing from Kalpas).) Therefore, to eliminate kalpas, nothing is more urgent than abstaining from killing. Nothing is more important than protecting life. Especially nothing is better than vegetarianism. This is the reason for the establishment of the Vegetarian Same-Source Society (Su Shi Tong Yuan She, 素食同缘社). (The above states that famines, wars, and other kalpas. Are all caused by the heavy karma of people slaughtering. To eliminate kalpas, nothing is more important than uniting with comrades. Abstaining from killing and eating vegetarian food. Hoping to preserve vitality individually. Together restoring Heavenly Heart.) The Buddha says. Those who eat meat. Cut off the seed of Great Compassion (Da Ci Zhong, 大慈种). I observe sentient beings. Reincarnating in the Six Realms (Liu Dao, 六道). Successively becoming parents. Six relations and relatives. Eating each other's flesh. None are not kin. Constantly generating harmful minds. Increasing karmic burdens. Flowing through birth and death. Unable to escape. Not eating meat. Is an accumulation of immeasurable merit. If all people did not eat meat. There would be no one killing sentient beings. These are words from the Lankavatara Sutra (Leng Qie Jing, 楞伽经). Regarded by Buddhism as golden rules and jade laws (The above cites the Lankavatara Sutra. Clarifying Buddhism's intention to abstain from killing and cut off meat-eating.) Some say. Abstaining from killing. Cutting off meat-eating. Are Buddhist precepts. Confucian sages. Have no such words. To which the response is: Confucius's classics. None is greater than the I Ching (Book of Changes, 易). It says. Each rectifies their nature and destiny. Preserving and combining Great Harmony (Tai He, 太和). It also says. The great virtue of Heaven and Earth is Life (Sheng, 生). It also says. Ancient wise, intelligent, divine, and martial rulers who did not kill. Zi Si wrote the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhong Yong, 中庸). To narrate ancestral virtues saying. All things grow together without harming each other. Mencius inherited his learning saying. The gentleman loves his relatives and benevolently treats the people. Benevolently treating the people and loving all things. It also says. Killing one innocent person. Even if gaining the world, one would not do it. For those guilty, killing is appropriate. But what crime have cattle, sheep, chickens, and pigs committed? Sages could not bear to kill one innocent person to gain the world. Could they bear to kill innocents merely for the sake of taste buds?
(Seeing them alive, one cannot bear to see them die. Hearing their cries, one cannot bear to eat their flesh. This is Mencius's expedient teaching. Even if not seeing them alive, one still cannot bear to see them die. Even if not hearing their cries, one still cannot bear to eat their flesh.) Until the Han Dynasty, great scholars. Such as Dong Zhongshu. Wrote Luxu New Book (Chunqiu Fanlu, 春秋繁露). To clarify Confucius's teachings. Said. Fundamentally based on loving people. Extending to birds, beasts, insects, and worms, none are not loved. If not loved, how can it be called Ren (Benevolence, 仁)? Confucian sages' teachings. Their warning against killing is not obvious? Da Dai Li Ji (Record of Rites by Dai the Elder, 大戴记) says. Those who eat meat are brave and fierce. Those who eat grains are wise and skillful. Fierce people. Are the beginning of killing. The source of chaos. Wise people. Are the guide to Ren. The foundation of governance. Therefore, meat-eaters. Often love killing and are hard to transform. Grain-eaters. Are often peaceful and easy to approach. Verified in China and abroad. The principle is flawless. Our sages having distinguished the difference between good and evil. Due to the distinction between meat and grain diets. Then it is clear that meat should certainly be abandoned. Zhu Xi's commentary on Mencius. "Those seventy years old may eat meat." Says.
Those under seventy cannot eat. (Seventy is called old and transmitting. Generally passing family affairs to sons. Those seventy years old may eat meat. Ancient sages followed filial piety. Serving delicious food to parents. Emphasizing the ritual of respecting the elderly. Similar to not removing the live sheep for the monthly sacrifice. Loving the ritual's meaning. Not implying that reaching seventy. Necessitates eating meat. To maintain health. ○ Master Yinguang said. This is the provisional method established by worldly sages. Since Buddhism came East. Clearly explaining the principles of Three Lifetimes' Cause and Effect. And the Six Realms of Reincarnation. Moreover, historical records of many dynasties contain cases of human-animal transformation. One should definitely broaden horizons. Pity living beings. Do not merely stick to provisional methods. Leading to personal and collective karma spreading endlessly.)
In this way, meat-eaters will be few. Also, "One who can bite vegetable roots. Can do anything." Concludes the book. Its hope for people to eat vegetarian food. Is implicitly beyond words. From this perspective. Abstaining from killing and cutting off meat-eating. What doubt is there for Confucianism? (The above cited words of Confucian sages. Were originally not specifically for abstaining from killing and cutting off meat-eating. But regarding nature and destiny as each rectified. Great Harmony as preserved. All things growing together. The sage's heart. Is the heart of Heaven and Earth. Among all things, if a person unnecessarily kills even a tiny life. It harms the principle of each rectifying, preserving, and growing together. How much more so for larger ones? How much more so for killing and harming daily? Indulging desires of the mouth and stomach. Destroying water and land creatures. Violating Heavenly Principle. Nothing is worse than this. This is what sages deeply fear. Here specifically collecting scriptural teachings. To clarify abstaining from killing and cutting off meat-eating. Confucian and Buddhist sages. Their hearts are not two. To enlightened students. Naturally understanding the expedient teachings. The painstaking effort of persuasion. According to the original intent of sacred scriptures. Also perfectly bright and unobstructed. Without needing to doubt forcing connections with scriptures.)
Another might say. If everyone abstains from killing. Will animal species not fill the world? I will cite Ji Shen Zhai's Family Instructions. To correct this saying. People do not eat tigers and leopards. Yet tigers and leopards have not filled the human world. In mountain villages, there is a village where no one eats frogs and loaches. Yet frogs and loaches in that place are not uniquely numerous. Furthermore, according to
the correct principle of cause and effect. The path of畜生 (畜生道, Animal Realm). Indeed comes due to past-life killing karma receiving retribution. If everyone in the world abstains from killing. Directly, this animal evil path will cease. Why worry about it? (The above explains the doubt of animal species filling the world.) Another says. Diet is for nourishing life. Vegetarianism hinders hygiene. What to do? Respond: Mr. Ding Zhonghu from Wuxi. Authored the book Vegetarianism. Has discussed it in detail. Chapter One discusses the harms of meat-eating. The benefits of vegetarianism. Very clearly and precisely. Meat contains epidemic toxins. Indeed inevitably hinders hygiene. Vegetarian food has natural true flavor. Nutritional components. Plants are richest. Unlike meat. With much residue and difficult digestion. Thus vegetarianism not only does not hinder hygiene. But deeply conforms to hygiene. Zhonghu excelled in Chinese and Western medicine. His words are credible. Why not take his book and study it carefully? (The above explains the doubt that vegetarianism hinders hygiene.) In short. Abstaining from killing and eating vegetarian food. Can eliminate kalpas. Can nourish the mind. Can cherish fortune. Can prolong life. Does not violate the intentions of Confucian and Buddhist sages. And fits nourishing life well. Why would anyone not joyfully
abstain from killing and eat vegetarian food? (The above summarizes the previous five paragraphs.) Master Yinguang of Nanhai. Propagated Pure Land (Jing Tu, 净土). Often taught people with eight characters: Abstain from killing, release life. Eat vegetarian, chant Buddha's name. His essay "Prologue to the Fish-Releasing Pond of Fayun Temple, Jinling" says. Recently, natural disasters and human calamities. Frequently descend. Scholars worried about the world. Believe these karmic results. All arise from killing. If one knows animals cannot be killed. Then absolutely no reason to kill humans. He also said. Releasing life is originally for abstaining from killing. And abstaining from killing must start with eating vegetarian. If everyone abstains from killing. Everyone eats vegetarian. Then families practice charity. People uphold propriety and righteousness. Customs beautiful and pure. Times harmonious and years abundant. How could there be sword-and-spear kalpas arising. Mutual slaughter events? Last year, speaking Dharma at the Daoist Court in Yu Garden. Stated that advising people to eat vegetarian. Has greater merit than advising people to release life. This is universal releasing without actual releasing. Because eating vegetarian is the practical act of releasing life. Releasing life is the expedient means to inspire people to eat vegetarian. If not eating vegetarian. Then countless are killed. How many are released? Those who heard at the time. Were all moved and inspired. This is the initial origin of the Vegetarian Same-Source Society (The above describes Master Yinguang's words. Corresponding to Yuan Yun Chan Master's verse at the opening. Yuan Yun Chan Master's verse. Discusses the disease of creating kalpas. Master Yinguang's words. Discuss the medicine of avoiding kalpas.) Deeply
hope virtuous men from all sectors within the seas. Reduce meat consumption. Jointly promote the path of ceasing killing and practicing compassion. Converge towards the path of vegetarianism. To welcome heavenly peace
and eliminate kalpas. Merit is truly boundless. However, there is one extremely concise statement. Respectfully offered before contemporary benevolent gentlemen. Do not say. One person's aspiration. Abstaining from killing and eating vegetarian. Preservation is limited. How does it help sentient beings? Know that the world. Is accumulated by interactions between people. Expand
and fill it. Extend by analogy and broaden it. Its beginning is simple. Its completion is grand. Its cause planted is small. Its fruit harvested is large. Moreover, with Sage Compassion's protection. Heavenly Way loves life. There is more inconceivable power existing within. This lies in striving to practice it. Do not lose heart. Members of the society. Cannot but eagerly wish. (The above universally advises the world) Nanjing Vegetarian Same-Source Society.
Transcribed from the original work of Layman Wei Meisun of Nanjing