About 勸善經
257 · about 1 min
The Sutra on Encouraging Goodness is an ancient Chinese Buddhist scripture whose specific author is no longer known. It is traditionally believed to have been composed under a pseudonym by a monk or lay practitioner during the Tang Dynasty. Emerging during the medieval period when Buddhism flourished, the sutra aims to popularize the concepts of good and evil and their corresponding karmic consequences among the common people through simple and accessible language. Its core content revolves around exhorting people to cease evil deeds and cultivate virtuous actions, emphasizing the importance of avoiding the causes of evil and cultivating the fruits of goodness. It also provides specific guidelines for virtuous conduct and methods for accumulating merit. As a significant text in the popularization of Buddhism, although it is not included in the orthodox Buddhist canon, it has exerted a profound influence in folk beliefs. It reflects the fusion of Buddhist ethics with traditional Chinese thought on encouraging goodness and serves as a key text for studying the practice of folk Buddhism.