諸佛世尊如來菩薩尊者名稱歌曲序
Preface to the Songs of the Names of Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, Tathagatas, Bodhisattvas, and Revered Ones
諸佛世尊如來菩薩尊者弘發誓願。濟度群生。凡發善心稱讚諸佛世尊如來菩薩尊者名號者即得種種善報。輕薄侮慢不敬不信者。即得種種惡報。善惡之機。若影之隨形。響之應聲。不爽錙銖。所謂為善者忠於君上。孝於父母。敬天地。奉祖宗。尊三寶。敬神明。遵王法。謹言行。愛惜物命。廣行陰隲。如是。則生享富貴。歿升天堂。受諸快樂。所謂為惡者。不忠於君。不孝於親。不敬天地。不奉祖宗。不尊三寶。不敬神明。不遵王法。不謹言行。殘害物命。不積陰隲。如是。則生遭重譴。死墮地獄。受諸苦報。嘗觀諸佛世尊如來菩薩尊者千經萬典。開導誘掖。作無量方便。勸人為善。幽明果報。明有徵應。間取佛經所載諸佛世尊如來菩薩尊者名號。編成歌曲歡喜讚諷。功德弘深。因以鋟梓。流通廣傳。善男子。善女人。能潔淨一心。至誠頂禮。依腔奉誦。即感人天證果。佛祖鑒臨。生則衣食豐足。壽年延永。罪業消釋。死則不墮九幽。脫離諸苦。延及先世皆得超度。凡有所求。吉祥如意。此無它。盖由人心一念之善昭著感格。故其效驗之大有如此者。凡人平居終日不事檢束。放泆侈肆。惡言穢語。淫辭邪曲。觸汙天地。褻慢神明。皆足以招致罪戾。苟能改悔。洗心滌慮。將此讚揚。念念不忘。即得消災滅罪。增長福德。有不可量。於戲。善惡之報。皆由己作。故曰為善福隨。為惡禍追。又曰修一念善。遠階覺道。起一念惡。長淪苦海。又曰欲知前世因。今生受者是。欲知後世因。今生作者是。此皆勸人為善去惡。誠金玉之格言也。雖然。世之能勸人為善者。往往皆獲福應。況人之躬行於善終始不懈。則獲福其可量哉。昔竇禹鈞修德行善累積陰隲。其後名掛天曹。克臻壽考。子孫榮顯。流慶無窮。陳寔居鄉平心率物。化盜為善。由是一邑蒙化。無復盜竊。其後壽祉繁夥。子孫榮貴。並著高名。福澤綿永。延及後世。若此者昭著簡冊。不可殫舉。今略述此以冠于編首。普勸善緣。使人人同歸於善。以造夫佛地。以登夫仁壽之域。以樂夫太平之治。其懋之哉。其敬之哉。
All Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, Tathagatas, Bodhisattvas, and Venerable Ones made great vows to save all living beings. Whoever sincerely resolves to praise the names of all Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, Tathagatas, Bodhisattvas, and Venerable Ones will receive all kinds of good rewards. Those who are flippant, disrespectful, irreverent, and faithless will receive all kinds of bad rewards. The workings of good and evil are like a shadow following its form, like an echo answering a sound—not the slightest bit off.
Those who do good are loyal to their rulers, filial to their parents, respectful of Heaven and Earth, reverent to their ancestors, honoring of the Three Jewels, respectful of the gods, law-abiding, careful in speech and conduct, cherishing all living things, and generous in secret deeds. In this way, they enjoy wealth and honor in life, and ascend to heaven after death, receiving all kinds of happiness.
Those who do evil are disloyal to their rulers, unfilial to their parents, disrespectful of Heaven and Earth, irreverent to their ancestors, dishonoring of the Three Jewels, disrespectful of the gods, law-breaking, careless in speech and conduct, cruel to living things, and stingy in secret deeds. In this way, they face severe punishment in life and fall into hell after death, receiving all kinds of suffering.
I have observed that all Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, Tathagatas, Bodhisattvas, and Venerable Ones, through thousands of scriptures and ten thousand teachings, guide and encourage with countless skillful means, urging people to do good. The rewards of good and evil, in this life and the next, have clear evidence. From time to time I have taken the names of all Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, Tathagatas, Bodhisattvas, and Venerable Ones recorded in the Buddhist scriptures and compiled them into songs for joyful praise and recitation. The merit is vast and deep. Therefore I have had them carved and printed for wide circulation.
Good men and good women who can purify their minds with single focus, bow in utmost sincerity, and recite according to the melody will move both humans and gods to witness their attainment. The Buddhas and Patriarchs will observe them. In life, their clothing and food will be abundant, their lifespan extended, and their karmic offenses dissolved. In death, they will not fall into the nine dark realms but escape all suffering. This extends even to their ancestors, who will all be delivered. Whatever they seek will be auspicious and as they wish.
This is nothing else but the manifestation and resonance of a single thought of goodness in the human heart. That is why the results are so great. Ordinary people who go through their days without any self-restraint, indulging in excess and extravagance, speaking evil and foul words, engaging in lewd and crooked speech, offending Heaven and Earth, and disrespecting the gods—all of this is enough to invite karmic punishment. But if they can repent, cleanse their minds, and keep this praise in their thoughts without forgetting, they will immediately dissolve disasters, erase offenses, and increase merit and virtue beyond measure.
Alas! The rewards of good and evil are all made by oneself. Therefore it is said: "For the good, blessings follow; for the evil, calamity pursues." It is also said: "Cultivate a single thought of good, and you ascend far toward the path of awakening. Arouse a single thought of evil, and you sink long in the sea of suffering." It is also said: "To know the causes of your past life, look at what you receive in this life. To know the causes of your future life, look at what you do in this life." All of this encourages people to do good and avoid evil—truly golden words of wisdom.
Even so, those in the world who can encourage others to do good often receive blessings in return. How much more so for those who practice goodness themselves, unwavering from beginning to end—their blessings cannot be measured!
In the past, Dou Yujun cultivated virtue and did good, accumulating secret merits. Later his name was recorded in the heavenly registers. He attained a long life, and his descendants prospered and flourished, with blessings flowing endlessly. Chen Shi lived in his village with a balanced mind and treated all things with equity. He reformed a thief into a good person, and because of this the whole town was transformed and there was no more theft. Later his lifespan and blessings were abundant, his descendants were honored and noble, and they all achieved high reputations. Their blessings flowed on unendingly, extending to later generations. Examples like these are clearly recorded in the annals and cannot be fully enumerated. I have briefly recounted these here to place at the beginning of this compilation, universally encouraging good connections, so that everyone may together return to goodness, create their own Buddha-land, enter the realm of benevolence and longevity, and enjoy the joy of peaceful governance. Strive for it! Revere it!
永樂十五年四月十七日
The seventeenth day of the fourth month in the fifteenth year of Yongle.