01 雖見身如怨,然應保護身,具戒久存活,能作大福德。
[索]雖然見身猶如怨仇是眾苦之源,然而也應加以保護,因為此身如果具足律儀長久存活,依靠它能作廣大的福德資糧。
問曰:如果應當保護身體,那是否應從衣食住行等各種受用上極力愛護呢?
02 人苦從身生,安樂由他起,身是眾苦器,汝何重此身。
[索]人的眾多痛苦皆是從身體而生,而安樂是以其他外緣生起,所以身體是眾苦之器,你為何要貪重此身呢?
問曰:苦雖然是從身體上生起,但是依靠衣食醫藥資具等眾多受用方便,可以使身體生起安樂,以此也就不應畏懼小苦。
03 若人所生樂,不能大於苦,如是極大苦,寧猶思惟小。
[索]若人們從任何受用所生的安樂感受,也不能比痛苦感受大;那麼如是極大的苦受,怎麼還能認為它很小呢?
問曰:雖然苦受很多,但是快樂感受還是有的,因而努力追逐安樂,難道不應該嗎?
04 世人皆趨樂,樂者實難得,故於此眾生,眾苦如隨逐。
[索]世人皆尋求安樂,然而安樂實際上非常難得,而且此求樂之行反會成為苦因,所以于逐樂眾生,眾多痛苦如同影子一樣隨逐不舍。
問曰:雖然痛苦會如影隨形般隨時不離,但是只要努力,安樂也能獲得,故應極力追求安樂。
05 如欲能得苦,樂豈能如欲,汝何重希者,多者何不畏。
[索]痛苦不需劬勞而隨意可得,但安樂豈能如欲而得,你為何只重視稀有難得的安樂,而對極多的痛苦不生畏懼呢?
問曰:身樂雖少,然而得到安樂時,也是很舒服的,所以應想辦法使身體得到安樂。
06 已得安樂身,反成眾苦器,重身與重怨,二者實相同。
[索]已經得到少許安樂享受之身,反而會變成聚集眾多痛苦的苦器,因此愛重身體與愛重怨敵,二者實屬完全相同。
問曰:如果恒時以安樂受用資具等因,加重對身體的愛護,難道不能使它恒久享受安樂,由苦器變為樂體嗎?
07 身雖久享樂,不能成樂體,謂他勝本性,此定不應理。
[索]身體即使長久享受安樂,也不能變成樂體,如果說外界他緣所生之樂能勝伏苦的本性,這是決定不應理的。
問曰:怎麼沒有恆久的樂體呢?在世間,不是可以現見那些具大福德的王公貴族終身在享受安樂嗎?所以身體不應是苦的本性。
08 勝者為意苦,劣者從身生,即由此二苦,日日壞世間。
[索]世間勝者為種種憂懼心念而生苦受,而下劣者會從身體生起苦受;就是由此二種苦受,恒時不斷地在損惱著世間有情。
問曰:雖然勝劣各有意苦、身苦,但是如果有大樂,這些痛苦即會被壓伏,所以,不一定要對痛苦生畏懼吧。
09 樂由分別生,分別隨苦轉,是故除苦外,更無大力者。
[索]安樂由分別計執生起,可是分別計執隨順痛苦而轉,所以除了痛苦以外,世間再也沒有具更大力量的法。
問曰:樂雖然難得,但它於身無有抵觸損惱,所以它是身的本性;苦雖然多,但它與自身有抵觸損惱,所以苦如身中客人,遲早都要離開的,以此不應畏苦。
10 如如時漸進,如是苦漸增,故樂於此身,現見屬客性。
[索]時間如是如是地漸漸增進,就象這樣,人們的痛苦也隨著年齡而漸漸增長,所以安樂於此身中,可以現見它是屬於暫時的客性而非常住的主性。
問曰:雖然身的本性為苦,但是可以用種種安樂因緣對治,所以對身苦不應憂慮。
11 苦因緣眾多,眾病及外事,不見於人類,有爾許樂因。
[索]身苦的因緣非常多,可現見有內緣的眾多疾病及外緣的傷害法,但是不能見到人類有少許安樂因緣。
問曰:如果沒有樂,就不應有樂的增長,但是在享受美好生活時,可以現見安樂有增長,由此而知,自相的樂是存在的。
12 如樂正增長,現見即迴轉,不見苦增長,有如是迴轉。
[索]如果安樂正在增長,可以現見它立即回轉為苦;可是不會見到痛苦增長時,有如是回轉為樂的情況。
問曰:苦樂應該是一樣吧,因為苦樂皆依因緣而生,而且現實中,既有恆時生苦的因,也應有恆時生樂的因。
13 安樂俱因緣,現見可迴轉,眾苦俱因緣,終無迴轉者。
[索]安樂的俱有因緣,現見可回轉為苦緣,眾苦的俱有因緣,卻始終無有回轉為樂緣的。
問曰:就象某某人一樣,他現在各方面都如意,生活很快樂,這樣的安樂怎麼不是真正的樂呢?
14 汝正死時去,現去及當去,正死說為樂,畢竟不應理。
[索]你前刹那壞滅的正死時已逝去,現在之正死時正在逝去,未來之正死時也將逝去,將這些正死說為安樂,畢竟是不合道理的。
問曰:諸有情在一期生命中,有不斷的意樂滿足,這些快樂難道不是存在於自身嗎?
15 諸有情常有,饑渴等逼迫,逼迫說為樂,畢竟不應理。
[索]諸有情眾生恒常有饑渴等逼迫損惱,將苦因逼迫說成安樂,畢竟是不合道理的。
問曰:雖然有饑渴等逼迫,但是有時身體調和,會生起很舒適的樂感,這難道不是安樂嗎?
16 無能諸大種,和合說名生,相違說為樂,畢竟不應理。
[索]單獨的大種無有能力構成身體,只有各大種全部和合一起,才可名為身體的生起,而將各自性質相違的大種聚合體說為安樂,畢竟是不合道理的。
問曰:雖然四大相違使身體有痛苦,但是在生起寒冷等痛苦時,人們不是可以通過對治而消除這些痛苦,使自己獲得安樂嗎?
17 寒冷等對治,非能常時有,正壞說為樂,畢竟不應理。
[索]寒冷等痛苦的對治方便,不是能夠恒常都有的,所以將正在受著損害的痛苦說名為安樂,畢竟是不合道理的。
問曰:世間經常有人說:“某某起居一向很安樂,日子過得跟天人一樣。”由此而觀,難道不是存在著安樂嗎?
18 無勞而享受,地上都非有,說作業為樂,畢竟不應理。
[索]無有身心勞作而享受起居安逸者,在整個大地上都不會有;而將正在勞損身心的作業說為安樂,畢竟是不合道理的。
問曰:人們雖然有勞作之苦,但是依然願意忍受,因為依這些勞苦可以換來利樂。如果不存在安樂,那人們為何甘心受勞累呢?由此而知安樂一定是存在的。
19 自於此後世,常應防罪惡,有惡趣云樂,畢竟不應理。
[索]自身對此生與後世,應該經常謹慎防護三門造罪業,將有惡趣苦果之事業說為安樂,畢竟是不合道理的。
問曰:安樂怎麼會沒有呢?比如人們在長途跋涉而倍覺勞累之際,如果改為乘騎象馬,那時會有很大的安樂生起,以此現量可知乘騎等受用有真實的安樂。
20 諸人於乘等,安樂非恆常,若初無發起,彼後何增長。
[索]諸人從乘騎等受用中生起的安樂,並不是恒常的,如果最初沒有這些苦因的發起,後來怎麼會有痛苦的增長呢?
問曰:用種種方便對治痛苦,不是可以息滅苦受而得到安樂嗎?
21 如有於金器,嘔吐生歡喜,如是於治苦,有妄思為樂。
[索]如同有人因為向金器裏嘔吐而生起歡喜;同樣於對治痛苦,有人迷妄地認為是快樂。
問曰:樂是真實有的,比如挑重擔者,從一肩換至另一肩時,即有樂受生起,若純苦無樂,他就不會象這樣換來換去了。
22 初起滅已生,苦起亦何樂,故思能仁說,生滅皆是苦。
[索]由新生起的法滅除已生的痛苦,也只是另一種苦的生起,又有什麼安樂可言呢?是故應思維能仁所說的教言:生滅皆是痛苦。
問曰:雖然苦是存在的,但它難道不可以被強大樂受障蔽而不現行嗎?
23 異生不見苦,云被樂所覆,然能障蔽苦,其樂都非有。
[索]異生凡夫不能明察痛苦,說是可以被樂受遮覆;然而能夠障蔽痛苦的樂受,在異生位中是沒有的。
問曰:如果身的本性是苦,那如同太陽本來是熱一般,人皆共知,佛陀又有何必要說呢?
24 當告異生說,汝苦不離染,如來決定說,癡中最下者。
[索]應當告訴異生說:你們的身體本性是苦,如果不離貪著染汙,如來決定會說這種愚癡是最下劣的無明煩惱。
問曰:身體雖然無常,但無常不一定就是痛苦吧,所以說安樂一定會是有的,這有何不合理呢?
25 無常定有損,有損則非樂,故說凡無常,一切皆是苦。
[索]無常法一定有壞滅損害,有壞滅損害則非真正的安樂,所以說凡屬無常的一切法,皆是痛苦。
The Four Hundred Verses ---Translated by Ruth Sonam
26. Although the body is seen like a foe,
Nevertheless it should be protected.
By long sustaining a disciplined one
Great merit is created.
27. When human suffering is produced
By the body, and pleasure by other [factors],
Why are you devoted to
This hull, a container of suffering?
28. When humans do not have
As much pleasure as pain,
Should so much pain
Be considered negligible?
29. Ordinary people are bent on pleasure;
Those who have pleasure are hard to find.
Thus it is as if transitory
Beings are pursued by suffering.
30. Suffering is found at will,
But what pleasure is there at will?
Why do you value the rare
But do not fear the plentiful?
31. A comfortable body
Is a container of suffering.
Thus valuing the body and
Valuing a foe both seem alike.
32. The body, however long one spends,
Will not in itself become pleasurable.
To say its nature can be overruled
By other factors is improper.
33. The high have mental suffering;
For the common it comes from the body.
Day by day, both kinds of suffering
Overwhelm people in the world.
34. Pleasure is governed by thoughts;
Thoughts are governed by pain.
Thus there is nothing anywhere
More powerful than pain.35. With the passage of time
Pain increases.
Pleasure, therefore, seems as if
Alien to this body.
36. There seem to be many causes
Of suffering, like sickness and others,
But humans do not seem to have
As many causes of pleasure.
37. With the intensification of pleasure
Its opposite is seen to occur.
With the intensification of pain
There will not likewise be its opposite.
38. With the conditions for pleasure
Its opposite is seen.
With the conditions for pain
There is not its opposite.
39. When you have spent, are spending
And will spend time dying,
It is not at all proper to call
The process of dying pleasurable.
40. When beings with bodies are constantly
Afflicted by hunger and so forth,
It is not at all proper to call
Being afflicted pleasurable.
41. Though powerless, the combining of
All the elements produces [the body];
Thus it is not at all proper to call
What is incompatible pleasurable.
42. When there is never that
Which will relieve cold and so forth,
It is not at all proper to call
Being destroyed pleasurable.
43. When on earth no action is
Done without exertion,
It is not at all proper to call
Performing actions pleasurable.
544. In this [life] and in others, always
One should guard against ill deeds.
Calling them pleasurable is not at all
Proper when there are bad transmigrations
45. There is never any pleasure
For humans in riding and so forth.
How can that which at the start
Does not begin, in the end increase?
46. Thinking the alleviation
Of pain is pleasure
Is like someone who feels delight
Vomiting into a gold pot.
47. By beginning it stops the produced --
How can pain that begins be pleasure?
It seems the Subduer therefore said
Both birth and cessation are suffering.
48. If common beings do not see suffering
Because pleasure disguises it,
Why is there no pleasure
Which obscures suffering?
49. Common beings must be told, "You are not
Free from attachment to suffering."
Certainly Tathagatas therefore have said
This is the worst confusion of all.
50. The impermanent is definitely harmed.
What is harmed is not pleasurable.
Therefore all that is impermanent
Is said to be suffering.