Chapter on Serenity 静虑品

妒高竞相等，
傲卑赞复骄，
逆耳更生瞋，
处俗怎得益？

Jealous of superiors, they vie with equals,
Proud to those below, they strut when praised.
Say something untowards, they seethe with rage;
What good was ever had from childish folk?

忠告则生瞋，
反劝离诸善；
若不从彼语，
瞋怒堕恶趣。

A beneficial word and they resent it,
While all they do is turn me from the good.
And if to what they say I close my ears,
Their anger burns, the cause of lower states.

#6
未遇则不喜，不能入等至；
纵见不知足，如昔因爱苦。

#7
若贪诸有情，则障实性慧，
亦毁厌离心，终遭愁叹苦。

#8
若心专念彼，此生将虚度；
无常众亲友，亦坏真常法。

#9
行为同凡愚，必堕三恶趣；
心欲赴圣境，何需近凡愚？

#10
刹那成密友，须臾复结仇，
喜处亦生瞋，凡夫取悦难！

刹那成密友，
须臾复结仇，
喜处亦生瞋，
凡夫取悦难！

One moment friends,
The next, they’re bitter enemies.
Even pleasant things arouse their discontent;
Worldly people – hard it is to please them!

行为同凡愚，
必堕三恶趣；
心欲赴圣境，
何需近凡愚？

For if I act like those who are like children,
Sure it is that I shall fall to lower states.
So why keep company with infants
And go with them in ways so far from virtue?

若心专念彼，
此生将虚度；
无常众亲友，
亦坏真常法。

My thoughts are all for them
And by degrees my life is frittered by.
My family and friends all fade and pass, for whom
The Doctrine is destroyed that leads to indestructibility.

若贪诸有情，
则障实性慧，
亦毁厌离心，
终遭愁叹苦。

If I long and crave for other beings,
A veil is cast upon the perfect truth.
Wholesome disillusion melts away,
And finally there comes the sting of pain.

未遇则不喜，
不能入等至；
纵见不知足，
如昔因爱苦。

And thus their minds will have no joy
And therefore will not rest in equanimity.
But even if they taste it, they are not content –
An as before, the pain of longing stays.

#1
发起精进已，意当住禅定；
心意涣散者，危陷惑牙间。

#2
身心若远离，散乱即不生；
故应舍世间，尽弃诸俗虑。

#3
贪亲爱利等，则难舍世间；
故当尽弃彼，随智修观行。

#4
有止诸胜观，能灭诸烦恼。
知已先求止，止由离贪成。

#5
自身本无常，犹贪无常人，
纵历百千生，不见所爱人。

自身本无常，
犹贪无常人，
纵历百千生，
不见所爱人。

Beings, brief, ephemeral,
Who fiercely cling to what is also passing,
Will catch no glimpse of happiness
For many thousands of their future lives.