Sutra of the Forty-Two Chapters 四十二章经
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
《四十二章经》
Preface:
When the World Honored One had attained the Way, he thought, "To leave desire behind and to gain calmness and tranquillity is supreme." He abided in deep meditative concentration and subdued every demon and externalist.
于鹿野苑中，转四谛法轮，度憍陈如等五人，而证道果。
In the Deer Park he turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths and took across Ajnata-kaundinya and the other four disciples, who all realized the fruition of the Way.
复有比丘，所说诸疑，求佛进止。世尊教敕，一一开悟。合掌敬诺，而顺尊敕。
Then the Bhikshus expressed their doubts and asked the Buddha how to resolve them. The World Honored One taught and exhorted them, until one by one they awakened and gained enlightenment. After that, they each put their palms together, respectfully gave their assent, and followed the Buddha's instructions.
第一章：出家证果 The First Section: Leaving Home and Becoming an Arhat
佛言：「辞亲出家，识心达本，解无为法，名曰沙门。常行二百五十戒，进止清净，为四真道行，成阿罗汉。阿罗汉者，能飞行变化，旷劫寿命，住动天地。次为阿那含。阿那含者，寿终灵神上十九天，证阿罗汉。次为斯陀含。斯陀含者，一上一还，即得阿罗汉。次为须陀洹。须陀洹者，七死七生，便证阿罗汉。爱欲断者，如四肢断，不复用之。」
The Buddha said, "People who take leave of their families and go forth from the householder's life, who know their mind and penetrate to its origin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma are called Shramanas. They constantly observe the 250 precepts, and they value purity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths, they can become Arhats."
This is the first section of the Sutra in Forty-two Sections. It says that a Shramana can become an Arhat.
第二章：断欲绝求 The Second Section: Eliminating Desire and Ending Seeking
佛言：「出家沙门者，断欲去爱，识自心源。达佛深理，悟无为法。內无所得，外无所求。心不系道，亦不结业。无念无作，非修非证。不历诸位，而自崇最，名之为道。」
The Buddha said, "Those who have left the home-life and become Shramanas cut off desire, renounce love, and recognize the source of their minds. They penetrate the Buddha's profound principles and awaken to the unconditioned Dharma. Internally they have nothing to attain, and externally they seek nothing. They are not mentally bound to the Way, nor are they tied to karma. They are free of thought and action; they neither cultivate nor attain certification; they do not pass through the various stages, and yet they are highly revered. This is the meaning of the Way."
第三章：割爱去贪 The Third Section: Severing Love and Renouncing Greed
佛言：「剃除须发，而为沙门。受道法者，去世资财，乞求取足。日中一食，树下一宿，慎勿再矣。使人愚蔽者，爱与欲也。」
The Buddha said, "Shaving their hair and beards, they become Shramanas who accept the Dharmas of the Way. They renounce worldly wealth and riches. In receiving alms, they accept only what's enough. They take only one meal a day at noon, pass the night beneath trees, and are careful not to seek more than that. Craving and desire are what cause people to be stupid and dull."
第四章：善恶并明 The Fourth Section: Clarifying Good and Evil
佛言：「众生以十事为善，亦以十事为恶。何等为十？身三、口四、意三。身三者，杀盗淫。口四者，两舌、恶口、妄言、绮语。意三者，嫉恚痴。如是十事，不顺圣道，名十恶行。是恶若止，名十善行耳。」
The Buddha said, "Living beings may perform Ten Good Deeds or Ten Evil Deeds. What are the ten? Three are done with the body, four are done with the mouth, and three are done with the mind. The three done with the body are killing, stealing, and lust. The four done with the mouth are duplicity, harsh speech, lies, and frivolous speech. The three done with the mind are jealousy, hatred, and stupidity. Thus these ten are not in accord with the Way of Sages and are called the Ten Evil Deeds. To put a stop to these evils is to perform the Ten Good Deeds."
第五章：转重令轻 The Fifth Section: Reducing the Severity of Offenses
佛言：「人有众过，而不自悔，顿息其心，罪来赴身，如水归海，渐成深广。若人有过，自解知非，改恶行善，罪自消灭，如病得汗，渐有痊损耳。」
The Buddha said, "If a person has many offenses and does not repent of them, but cuts off all thought of repentance, the offenses will engulf him, just as water returning to the sea will gradually become deeper and wider. If a person has offenses and, realizing they are wrong, reforms and does good, the offenses will dissolve by themselves, just as a sick person who begins to perspire will gradually be cured."
第六章：忍恶无瞋 The Sixth Section: Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding Hatred
佛言：「恶人闻善，故来挠乱者，汝自禁息，当无瞋责。彼来恶者，而自恶之。」
The Buddha said, "When an evil person hears about your goodness and intentionally comes to cause trouble, you should restrain yourself and not become angry or blame him. Then the one who has come to do evil will do evil to himself."
解：此第六章申明善能胜恶，而恶不能破善也。上文劝人止恶行善，改过迁善。恐有愚者，畏彼恶人挠乱，遂不敢行，故诫以慎勿瞋责恶人。以恶乃在彼，于我无涉故也。如明镜中现于丑容，彼容自丑，镜何丑哉？倘一生瞋责，则反揽彼之恶，成我之恶矣。
第七章：恶还本身 The Seventh Section: Evil Returns to the Doer
佛言：「有人闻吾守道，行大仁慈，故致骂佛。佛默不对。骂止，问曰：『子以礼从人，其人不纳，礼归子乎？』对曰：『归矣。』佛言：『今子骂我，我今不纳，子自持祸，归子身矣。犹响应声，影之随形，终无免离，慎勿为恶。』」
The Buddha said, "There was a person who, upon hearing that I observe the Way and practice great humane kindness, intentionally came to berate me. I was silent and did not reply. When he finished abusing me, I asked, If you are courteous to people and they do not accept your courtesy, the courtesy returns to you, does it not?'
"It does,' he replied. I said, Now you are scolding me, but I do not receive it, so the misfortune returns to you and must remain with you. It is as inevitable as an echo that follows a sound, or as a shadow that follows a form. In the end you cannot avoid it. Therefore, be careful not to do evil.' "
解：此第七章，即上章彼来者而自恶之之明证也。今人闻骂，鲜不发瞋。大似领谢帖子，正中骂者之计耳。思之思之。或问：「佛既大慈。何不令骂者无祸耶？」答曰：「佛岂欲令其得祸？无奈彼人自招祸患。今诫以慎勿为恶。即是除其祸源。慈悲甚矣。」
第八章：尘唾自污 The Eighth Section: Abusing Others Defiles Oneself
佛言：「恶人害贤者，犹仰天而唾。唾不至天，还从己堕。逆风扬尘，尘不至彼，还坌己身。贤不可毀，祸必灭己。」
The Buddha said, "An evil person who harms a sage is like one who raises his head and spits at heaven. Instead of reaching heaven, the spittle falls back on him. It is the same with someone who throws dust against the wind. Instead of going somewhere else, the dust returns to defile his own body. The sage cannot be harmed. Misdeeds will inevitably destroy the doer."
解：此第八章，深诫恶人令勿害贤。而兼以勗贤人也。人若果贤，则如天亦如上风。岂受唾尘？倘可受毁，便非贤矣。
第九章：返本会道 The Ninth Section: By Returning to the Source, You Find the Way
佛言：「博闻爱道，道必难会。守志奉道，其道甚大。」
The Buddha said, "Deep learning and a love of the Way make the Way difficult to attain. When you guard your mind and revere the Way, the Way is truly great!"
第十章：喜施获福 The Tenth Section: Joyful Charity Brings Blessings
佛言：「睹人施道，助之欢喜，得福甚大。」沙门问曰：「此福尽乎？」佛言：「譬如一炬之火，数千百人，各以炬来分取，熟食除冥，此炬如故，福亦如之。」
The Buddha said, "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aid him joyfully, and you will obtain vast and great blessings."
A Shramana asked, "Is there an end to those blessings?"
The Buddha said, "Consider the flame of a single torch. Though hundreds and thousands of people come to light their own torches from it so that they can cook their food and ward off darkness, the first torch remains the same. Blessings, too, are like this."
第十一章：施饭转胜 The Eleventh Section: The Increase in Merit Gained by Bestowing Food
佛言：「饭恶人百，不如饭一善人。饭善人千，不如饭一持五戒者。饭五戒者万，不如饭一须陀洹。饭百万须陀洹，不如饭一斯陀含。饭千万斯陀含，不如饭一阿那含。饭一亿阿那含，不如饭一阿罗汉。饭十亿阿罗汉，不如饭一辟支佛。饭百亿辟支佛，不如饭一三世诸佛。饭千亿三世诸佛，不如饭一无念无住无修无证之者。」
The Buddha said, "Giving food to a hundred bad people is not as good as giving food to a single good person. Giving food to a thousand good people is not as good as giving food to one person who holds the Five Precepts. Giving food to ten thousand people who hold the Five Precepts is not as good as giving food to a single Srotaapanna. Giving food to a million Srotaapannas is not as good as giving food to a single Sakridagamin. Giving food to ten million Sakridagamins is not as good as giving food to a single Anagamin. Giving food to a hundred million Anagamins is not as good as giving food to a single Arhat. Giving food to one billion Arhats is not as good as giving food to a single Pratyekabuddha. Giving food to ten billion Pratyekabuddhas is not as good as giving food to a Buddha of the three periods of time. Giving food to a hundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of time is not as good as giving food to a single person who is without thoughts, without dwelling, without cultivation, and without accomplishment."
第十二章：举难勤修 The Twelfth Section: A List of Difficulties and an Exhortation to Cultivate
佛言：「人有二十难。贫穷布施难。 豪贵学道难。 弃命必死难。得覩佛经难。生值佛世难。忍色忍欲难。见好不求难。被辱不瞋难。有势不临难。触事无心难。广学博究难。除灭我慢难。不轻未学难。 心行平等难。不说是非难。 会善知识难。见性学道难。随化度人难。覩境不动难。善解方便难。」
The Buddha said, "People encounter twenty different kinds of difficulties: It is difficult to give when one is poor. It is difficult to study the Way when one has wealth and status. It is difficult to abandon life and face the certainty of death. It is difficult to encounter the Buddhist sutras. It is difficult to be born at the time of a Buddha. It is difficult to be patient with lust and desire. It is difficult to see fine things and not seek them. It is difficult to be insulted and not become angry. It is difficult to have power and not abuse it. It is difficult to come in contact with things and have no thought of them. It is difficult to be vastly learned and well-read. It is difficult to get rid of pride. It is difficult not to slight those who have not yet studied. It is difficult to practice equanimity of mind. It is difficult not to gossip. It is difficult to meet a Good and Wise Advisor. It is difficult to see one's own nature and study the Way. It is difficult to teach and save people according to their potentials. It is difficult to see a state and not be moved by it. It is difficult to have a good understanding of skill-in-means."
第十三章：问道宿命 The Thirteenth Section: Questions about the Way and Past Lives
沙门问佛：「以何因緣，得知宿命，会其至道？」佛言：「净心守志，可会至道。譬如磨鏡，垢去明存。断欲无求，当得宿命。」
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "By what causes and conditions can I know my past lives and understand the ultimate Way?"
The Buddha said, "By purifying your mind and preserving your resolve, you can understand the ultimate Way. Just as when you polish a mirror, the dust vanishes and brightness remains, so too, if you cut off desire and do not seek, you then can know past lives."
第十四章：请问善大 The Fourteenth Section: Asking about Goodness and Greatness
沙门问佛：「何者为善？何者最大？」佛言：「行道守真者善，志与道合者大。」
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is goodness? What is the foremost greatness?" The Buddha said, "To practice the Way and uphold the truth is goodness. To unite your will with the Way is greatness."
第十五章：请问力明 The Fifteenth Section: Asking about Strength and Brilliance
沙门问佛：「何者多力？何者最明？」佛言：「忍辱多力，不怀恶故，兼加安健。忍者无恶，必为人尊。心垢灭尽，净无瑕秽，是为最明。未有天地，逮于今日，十方所有，无有不见，无有不知，无有不闻，得一切智，可谓明矣。」
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is the greatest strength? What is the utmost brilliance?"
The Buddha said, "Patience under insult is the greatest strength, because people who are patient do not harbor hatred, and they gradually grow more peaceful and strong. Patient people, since they are not evil, will surely gain the respect of others.
"When the mind's defilements are gone completely, so that it is pure and untainted, that is the utmost brilliance. When there is nothing, from before the formation of the heavens and the earth until now, in any of the ten directions that you do not see, know, or hear; when you have attained omniscience, that may be called brilliance."
解：此第十五章，明忍辱力大。灭垢明远也，忍有三种。一耐怨害忍，亦名生忍。二安受苦忍，亦名法忍。三谛察法忍，亦名第一义忍。今即约耐怨害而入第一义也。余文易知。
第十六章：舍爱得道 The Sixteenth Section: Casting Aside Love and Attaining the Way
佛言：「人怀爱欲不见道者。譬如澄水，致手搅之，众人共临，无有睹其影者。人以爱欲交錯，心中浊兴，故不见道。汝等沙门，当舍爱欲。爱欲垢尽，道可见矣。」
The Buddha said, "People who cherish love and desire do not see the Way. Just as when you stir clear water with your hand, those who stand beside it cannot see their reflections, so, too, people who are entangled in love and desire have turbidity in their minds, and therefore they cannot see the Way. You Shramanas should cast aside love and desire. When the stains of love and desire disappear, you will be able to see the Way."
第十七章：明来暗谢 The Seventeenth Section: When Light Arrives, Darkness Departs
佛言：「夫见道者，譬如持炬入冥室中，其冥即灭，而明独存。学道见谛，无明即灭，而明常存矣。」
The Buddha said, "Those who see the Way are like someone holding a torch who enters a dark room, dispelling the darkness so that only light remains. When you study the Way and see the truth, ignorance vanishes and light remains forever."
第十八章：念等本空 The Eighteenth Section: Thoughts and So Forth Are Basically Empty
佛言：「吾法念无念念，行无行行，言无言言，修无修修。会者近尔，迷者远乎。言语道断，非物所拘，差之毫厘，失之须臾。」
The Buddha said, "My Dharma is the mindfulness that is both mindfulness and non-mindfulness. It is the practice that is both practice and non-practice. It is words that are words and non-words, and cultivation that is cultivation and non-cultivation. Those who understand are near to it; those who are confused are far away, indeed. It is not accessible by the path of language. It is not hindered by physical objects. If you are off by a hairsbreadth, you will lose it in an instant."
第十九章：假真并观 The Nineteenth Section: Contemplating Both the False and the True
佛言：「观天地，念非常。观世界，念非常。观灵觉，即菩提。如是知识，得道疾矣。」
The Buddha said, "Contemplate heaven and earth, and be mindful of their impermanence. Contemplate the world, and be mindful of its impermanence. Contem-plate the efficacious, enlightened nature: it is the Bodhi nature. With this awareness, one quickly attains the Way."
第二十章：推我本空 The Twentieth Section: Realize that the Self Is Truly Empty
佛言：「当念身中四大，各自有名，都无我者。我既都无，其如幻耳。」
The Buddha said, "You should be mindful of the four elements within the body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since they are not the self, they are like an illusion."
第二十一章：名声丧本 The Twenty-First Section: Fame Destroys Life's Roots
佛言：「人随情欲，求于声名，声名显著，身已故矣。贪世常名，而不学道，枉功劳形。譬如烧香，虽人闻香，香之尽矣，危身之火，而在其后。」
The Buddha said, "There are people who follow emotion and desire and seek to be famous. By the time their reputation is established, they are already dead. Those who are greedy for worldly fame and do not study the Way simply waste their effort and wear themselves out. By way of analogy, although burning incense gives off fragrance, when it has burned down, the remaining embers bring the danger of a fire that can burn one up."
第二十二章：财色招苦 The Twenty-Second Section: Wealth and Sex Cause Suffering
佛言：「财色于人，人之不舍，譬如刀刃有蜜，不足一餐之美。小儿舔之，则有割舌之患。」
The Buddha said, "People are unable to renounce wealth and sex. They are just like a child who cannot resist honey on the blade of a knife. Even though the amount is not even enough for a single meal's serving, he will lick it and risk cutting his tongue in the process."
第二十三章：妻子甚狱 The Twenty-Third Section: A Family Is Worse than a Prison
佛言：「人系于妻子舍宅，甚于牢狱。牢狱有散释之期，妻子无远离之念。情爱于色，豈惮驱驰？虽有虎口之患，心存甘伏。投泥自溺，故曰凡夫。透得此门，出尘罗汉。」
The Buddha said, "People are bound to their families and homes to such an extent that these are worse than a prison. Eventually one is released from prison, but people never think of leaving their families. Don't they fear the control that emotion, love, and sex have over them? Although they are in a tiger's jaws, their hearts are blissfully oblivious. Because they throw themselves into a swamp and drown, they are known as ordinary people. Pass through the gateway! Get out of the defilement and become an Arhat!"
第二十四章：色欲障道 The Twenty-Fourth Section: Sexual Desire Obstructs the Way
佛言：「爱欲莫甚于色。色之为欲，其大无外。賴有一矣。若使二同，普天之人，无能为道者矣。」
The Buddha said, "Of all longings and desires, there is none as strong as lust. Craving for lust has no equal. Fortunately, it is one of a kind. If there were something else like it, no one in the entire world would be able to cultivate the Way."
第二十五章：欲火烧身 The Twenty-Fifth Section: The Fire of Desire Burns
佛言：「爱欲之人，犹如执炬，逆风而行，必有烧手之患。」
The Buddha said, "A person with love and desire is like one who carries a torch while walking against the wind: he is certain to burn his hand."
第二十六章：天魔娆佛 The Twenty-Sixth Section: Demons from the Heavens Try to Tempt the Buddha
天神献玉女于佛，欲坏佛意。佛言：「革囊众秽，尔来何为？去。吾不用。」天神愈敬，因问道意。佛为解说，即得须陀洹果。
The heaven spirit offered beautiful maidens to the Buddha, hoping to destroy his resolve. The Buddha said, "What have you skin-bags full of filth come here for? Go away, I've got no use for you."
Then the heaven spirit became very respectful and asked about the meaning of the Way. The Buddha explained it for him, and he immediately attained the fruition of Srotaapanna.
第二十七章：无著得道 The Twenty-Seventh Section: One Attains the Way after Letting Go of Attachments
佛言：「夫为道者，犹木在水，寻流而行。不触两岸，不为人取，不为鬼神所遮，不为洄流所住，亦不腐败。吾保此木，決定入海。学道之人，不为情欲所惑，不为众邪所娆，精进无为。吾保此人，必得道矣。」
The Buddha said, "A person who follows the Way is like a floating piece of wood that courses along with the current. If it does not touch either shore; if people do not pluck it out; if ghosts and spirits do not intercept it; if it is not trapped in whirlpools; and if it does not rot, I guarantee that the piece of wood will reach the sea. If students of the Way are not deluded by emotion and desire, and if they are not caught up in the many crooked views, but are vigorous in their cultivation of the unconditioned, I guarantee that they will certainly attain the Way."
第二十八章：意马莫纵 The Twenty-Eighth Section: Don't Indulge the Wild Mind
佛言：「慎勿信汝意，汝意不可信。慎勿与色会，色会即祸生。得阿罗汉已，乃可信汝意。」
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to believe your own mind; your mind is not to be believed. Be careful not to get involved with sex; involvement with sex leads to disaster. After you have attained Arhatship, you can believe your own mind."
第二十九章：正观敌色 The Twenty-Ninth Section: Proper Contemplation Counteracts Sexual Desire佛言：「慎勿视女色，亦莫共言语。若与语者，正心思念：我为沙门，处于浊世，当如莲花，不为泥汙。想其老者如母，长者如姊，少者如妹，稚者如子。生度脫心，息灭恶念。」
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to look at women, and do not talk with them. If you must speak with them, be properly mindful and think, am a Shramana living in a turbid world. I should be like the lotus flower, which is not stained by the mud.' Think of elderly women as your mothers, of those who are older than you as your elder sisters, of those who are younger as your younger sisters, and of very young girls as your daughters. Bring forth thoughts to rescue them, and put an end to bad thoughts."
第三十章：欲火远离 The Thirtieth Section: Stay Far Away from the Fire of Desire
佛言：「夫为道者，如被干草，火来须避。道人见欲，必当远之。」
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like dry grass: it is essential to keep it away from an oncoming fire. People who cultivate the Way look upon desire as something they must stay far away from."
第三十一章：心寂欲除 The Thirty-First Section: When the Mind Is Still, Desire Is Dispelled
佛言：「有人患淫不止，欲自除阴。佛谓之曰：『若断其阴，不如断心。心如功曹，功曹若止，从者都息。邪心不止，断阴何益？』佛为说偈：『 欲生于汝意，意以思想生。二心各寂静，非色亦非行。』佛言：『此偈是迦叶佛说。』」
The Buddha said, "There was once someone who was plagued by ceaseless sexual desire and wished to castrate himself. The Buddha said to him, 'To cut off your sexual organ would not be as good as to cut off your mind. Your mind is like a supervisor: if the supervisor stops, his employees will also quit. If the deviant mind is not stopped, what good does it do to cut off the organ?'"
The Buddha spoke a verse for him:
Desire is born from your intentions.
Intentions are born from thoughts.
When both aspects of the mind are still,
There is neither form nor activity.
The Buddha said, "This verse was spoken by the Buddha Kashyapa."
第三十二章：我空怖灭 The Thirty-Second Section: Emptying out the Self Quells Fear
佛言：「人从爱欲生忧，从忧生怖。若离与愛，何忧何怖？」
The Buddha said, "People worry because of love and desire. That worry then leads to fear. If you transcend love, what worries will there be? What will be left to fear?"
第三十三章：智明破魔 The Thirty-Third Section: Wisdom and Clarity Defeat the Demons
佛言：「夫为道者，譬如一人与万人战。挂铠出门，意或怯弱：或半路而退，或格斗而死，或得胜而还。沙门学道，应当坚持其心，精进勇锐，不畏前境，破灭众魔，而得道果。」
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like a soldier who goes into battle alone against ten thousand enemies. He dons his armor and goes out the gate. He may prove to be a coward; he may get halfway to the battlefield and retreat; he may be killed in combat; or he may return victorious.
"Shramanas who study the Way must make their minds resolute and be vigorous, courageous, and valiant. Not fearing what lies ahead, they should defeat the hordes of demons and obtain the fruition of the Way."
第三十四章：处中得道 The Thirty-Fourth Section: By Staying in the Middle, One Attains the Way
沙门夜诵迦叶佛遗教经，其声悲紧，思悔欲退。佛问之曰：「汝昔在家，曾为何业？」对曰：「爱弹琴。」佛言：「弦缓如何？」对曰：「不鸣矣。」「弦急如何？」对曰：「声绝矣。」「急缓得中如何？」对曰：「诸音普矣。」佛言：「沙门学道亦然，心若调适，道可得矣。于道若暴，暴即身疲。其身若疲，意即生脑。意若生脑，行即退矣。其行既退，罪必加矣。但清净安乐，道不失矣。」
Buddha Kashyapa. The sound of his voice was mournful as he reflected remorsefully on his wish to retreat in cultivation. The Buddha asked him, "In the past when you were a householder, what did you do?"
He replied, "I was fond of playing the lute."
The Buddha said, "What happened when the strings were slack?"
He replied, "They didn't sound."
"What happened when they were too tight?"
He replied, "The sounds were cut short."
"What happened when they were tuned just right between slack and tight?"
He replied, "The sounds car-ried."
The Buddha said, "It is the same with a Shrama-na who studies the Way.
If his mind is harmonious, he can attain the Way. If he is impetuous about the Way, his impetuousness will tire out his body; and if his body is tired, his mind will become afflicted. If his mind becomes afflicted, then he will retreat from his practice. If he retreats from his practice, his offenses will certainly increase. You need only be pure, peaceful, and happy, and you will not lose the Way."
第三十五章：垢净明存 The Thirty-Fifth Section: When One Is Purified of Defilements, the Brilliance Remains
佛言：「如人锻铁，去滓成器，器即精好。学道之人，去心垢染，行即清净矣。」
The Buddha said, "People smelt metal by burning the dross out of it in order to make high quality implements. It is the same with people who study the Way: first they must get rid of the defilements in their minds; then their practice becomes pure.
第三十六章：展转获胜 The Thirty-Sixth Section: The Sequence that Leads to Success
佛言：「人离恶道，得为人难。既得为人，去女即男难。既得为男，六根完具难。六根既具，生中国难。既生中国，值佛世难。既值佛世，遇道者难。既得遇道，兴信心难。既兴信心，发菩提心难。既发菩提心，无修无证难。」
The Buddha said, "It is difficult for one to leave the evil destinies and become a human being.
"Even if one does become a human being, it is still difficult to become a man rather than a woman.
"Even if one does become a man, it is still difficult to have the six sense organs complete and perfect.
"Even if the six sense organs are complete and perfect, it is still difficult for one to be born in a central country.
"Even if one is born in a central country, it is still difficult to be born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world.
"Even if one is born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world, it is still difficult to encounter the Way.
"Even if one does encounter the Way, it is still difficult to bring forth faith.
"Even if one brings forth faith, it is still difficult to resolve one's mind on Bodhi.
"Even if one does resolve one's mind on Bodhi, it is still difficult to be beyond cultivation and attainment."
第三十七章：念戒近道 The Thirty-Seventh Section: Staying Mindful of Moral Precepts Brings Us Close to the Way
佛言：「佛子离吾数千里，忆念吾戒，必得道果。在吾左右，虽常见吾，不顺吾戒，终不得道。」
The Buddha said, "My disciples may be several thousand miles away from me, but if they remember my moral precepts, they will certainly attain the fruition of the Way.
"If those who are by my side do not follow my moral precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they will not attain the Way."
第三十八章：生即有灭 The Thirty-Eighth Section: Birth Leads to Death
佛问沙门：「人命在几间？」对曰：「数日间。」佛言：「子未知道。」复问一沙门：「人命在几间？」对曰：「饭食间。」佛言：「子未知道。」复问一沙门：「人命在几间？」对曰：「呼吸间。」佛言：「善哉，子知道矣。」
The Buddha asked a Shramana, "How long is the human life span?" He replied, "A few days." The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way."
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span?" The reply was, "The space of a meal." The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way."
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span?" He replied, "The length of a single breath." The Buddha said, "Excellent. You have understood the Way."
第三十九章：教诲无差 The Thirty-Ninth Section: The Buddha's Instructions Are Not Biased
佛言：「学佛道者，佛所言说，皆应信顺。譬如食蜜，中边皆甜，吾经亦尔。」
The Buddha said, "Students of the Buddha's Way should believe in and accord with everything that the Buddha teaches. When you eat honey, it is sweet on the surface and sweet in the center; it is the same with my sutras."
第四十章：行道在心 The Fortieth Section: The Way Is Practiced in the Mind
佛言：「沙门行道，无如磨牛，身虽行道，心道不行。心道若行，何用行道？」
The Buddha said, "A Shramana who practices the Way should not be like an ox turning a millstone. Such a one walks the Way with his body, but his mind is not on the Way. If the mind is concentrated on the Way, what further need is there to practice?"
第四十一章：直心出欲 The Forty-First Section: A Straight Mind Gets Rid of Desire
佛言：「夫为道者，如牛负重，行深泥中，疲极不敢左右顾视，出离淤泥，乃可苏息。沙门当观情欲，甚于淤泥。直心念道，可免苦矣。」
The Buddha said, "One who practices the Way is like an ox pulling a heavy load through deep mud. The ox is so extremely exhausted that it dares not glance to the left or right. Only when it gets out of the mud can it rest. The Shramana should regard emotion and desire as being worse than deep mud; and with an undeviating mind, he should be mindful of the Way. Then he can avoid suffering."
第四十二章：达世知幻 The Forty-Second Section: Understanding that the World Is Illusory
佛言：「吾视王侯之位，如过隙尘。视金玉之宝，如瓦砾。视纨素之服，如敝帛。视大千界，如一诃子。视阿耨池水，如涂足油。视方便门，如化宝聚。视无上乘，如梦金帛。视佛道，如眼前华。视禅定，如须弥柱。视涅槃，如晝夕寤。视倒正，如六龙舞。视平等，如一真地。视兴化，如四时木。」
The Buddha said, "I look upon royalty and high positions as upon the dust that floats through a crack. I look upon treasures of gold and jade as upon broken tiles. I look upon fine silk clothing as upon cheap cotton. I look upon a great thousand-world universe as upon a small nut kernel. I look upon the waters of the Anavatapta Lake as upon oil used to anoint the feet."
You can download the ENGLISH and ENGLISH together with CHINESE pdf of the Sutra here (translated by the Chung Tai Translation Committee).
You can also read the transcript of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua’s lectures on the Sutra here.
