---
title: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論 · 慈悲緣苦眾生論"
description: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論是明末高僧智旭的著作。明末佛教面臨內部僵化與外部挑戰，智旭大師立足天台宗，主張禪教律淨融合，回應時代弊病。該書匯集其書信、註疏與開示，系統闡述性相融通、淨土為歸的佛學思想，強調解行並進與實踐修行。作為中國佛教史上承先啟後的巨著，它深刻影響了後世漢傳佛教的發展，尤其對淨土宗的推廣貢獻卓著，被尊為淨土宗第九祖的智旭，其思想透過此論成為明清佛教的重要指南。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgn46hxh0o8ek1046t27j64l"
---

### 慈悲緣苦眾生論

> Treatise on Compassion and Suffering Beings

自佛性之理不明，同體之誼斯晦。但知好善惡惡，罔知與樂拔苦，異類傍生，藐若草芥，囹圄罪苦，視作當然。誰知蠢蠢含生，知覺無別，貿貿惡黨，人類是齊，迷性靈而有意招愆，已為可憫，因夙障而無端罹網，尤屬堪哀。乃有目睹悽惶，耳聆哀叫，不惟漠不關懷，方且快稱應爾。嗚呼！悲名拔苦，捨此輩以何緣？慈名與樂，向善趣而奚益。《戒本經》云「菩薩於惡人所，起慈悲心，深於善人。」良有以也。未探斯旨，藉口懲非，自恃暫居福報，邪慢盈懷。慶他劇受苦輪，羅剎無異。豈有稍悟常住慈心，而無同體切膚之痛者邪？或曰：慈悲與拔，乃果上之功能；慚愧勸懲，實因中之妙行。故尊崇賢善，名之為慚；輕拒暴惡，名之為愧。慚愧自嚴，方能斷惡修善；慈悲利物，乃是接世度生。何得初心，藉口大聖？噫！誤矣。夫慈悲慚愧，同稱善心，因中乃可同修，果上方能同滿。若如子論，則菩薩不修四無量心，佛果不名具足慚愧。失既非細，罪乃瀰天。詎知慈悲慚愧，恰恰相成？有慚愧者，方有慈悲；無慈悲者，即無慚愧。蓋由了達心佛眾生，三無差別，觀佛即心，是生慚愧；觀生即佛，是起慈悲。尊崇本有賢善之性，隨願與一切眾生性德之樂，輕拒迷真暴惡之習，隨願拔一切眾生性德之苦。有一分慚愧，方有一分慈悲，有十分慈悲，方為十分慚愧。汝今見此同稟血氣，同抱靈覺之流，背自真心，枉受困苦，不思拯拔，反起傲心，不惟無慈悲，正屬無慚愧耳。儻悟明心性，確知生佛體同，見此未來諸佛，枉墮三塗八難，便當惕目傷心，胼手胝足，如饑食渴飲，欲罷不能，何忍視作泛常，反以救援為迂務邪？只恐前生之善報有限，他世之苦果無窮，既永隔於圓悲，諸佛亦難授手。今日所以笑傲苦倫者，他日復為苦倫所笑傲也。悲夫。

> Since the principle of the Buddha-nature is not understood, the reality of our shared identity with all beings remains obscured. People know only to love good and hate evil, but they do not know to share joy and remove suffering. They regard other species as insignificant as grass and weeds, and see the suffering of those in prisons and hells as simply deserved. Who realizes that every sentient being, however dull, possesses perception without distinction? That unruly mobs of evildoers are, at their core, the same as humanity? Having lost their spiritual nature and intentionally committed offenses, they are already pitiable. But to suffer calamity without cause, due to past karmic obstructions, is even more worthy of compassion. Yet there are those who, upon witnessing misery and hearing cries of anguish, not only remain indifferent but actually take pleasure in thinking, "It serves them right." Alas! Compassion, which means to rescue from suffering—if not toward such beings, toward whom should it be directed? Kindness, which means to bestow joy—if not practiced here, what benefit is there in tending to the virtuous? The \*Sila Sutra\* says, "A bodhisattva generates a mind of compassion and kindness toward evil people more deeply than toward good people." This is truly well-founded. Those who have not explored this principle, using punishment as an excuse, rely on their temporary blessings and fill their hearts with arrogance. They rejoice in others enduring the bitter wheel of suffering, acting no differently from demons. How could anyone who has even slightly awakened to the constant, compassionate mind not feel a pain as immediate as their own flesh? Some might argue: "Compassion and the giving of joy and relief are the functions of enlightenment; shame and the admonishment of vice are the virtuous practices of the causal stage. Thus, revering the worthy is called 'conscience'; rejecting the violent and evil is called 'shame.' By adorning oneself with conscience and shame, one can cease evil and cultivate goodness. Compassion and kindness, which benefit others, are the means of interacting with the world and liberating beings. How can a beginner on the path use the great sage as an excuse?" Ah! This is a mistake. Conscience, shame, compassion, and kindness are all called virtuous minds. They can be cultivated together on the causal stage, and only then can they be perfected together at the stage of enlightenment. If what you say were true, then bodhisattvas would not cultivate the four immeasurable states of mind, and the Buddha-fruit would not be said to be complete with conscience and shame. The error is not minor; the fault reaches the heavens. Do you not know that compassion and shame are precisely complementary? Only one who has conscience and shame can have compassion. One who lacks compassion simply lacks conscience and shame. This is because, by understanding that mind, Buddha, and sentient beings are three without distinction, one sees the Buddha as the mind, which gives rise to shame; and sees sentient beings as the Buddha, which gives rise to compassion. One reveres the inherent, virtuous nature, and vows to share with all beings the joy of their innate virtuous nature. One rejects the deluded, violent habits that obscure the truth, and vows to remove from all beings the suffering of their innate virtuous nature. A measure of shame gives rise to a measure of compassion; and with full compassion, one is fully conscientious and shameful. Now you see these beings, all endowed with the same blood and spirit, all possessing the same spiritual awareness, who have turned against their true mind and suffer hardship in vain, yet instead of thinking to save them, you raise an arrogant mind. You not only lack compassion, but you are precisely lacking in conscience and shame. If you could awaken to the mind-nature, and know with certainty that beings and the Buddha share the same essence, seeing these future Buddhas fallen into the three lower realms and eight difficulties, your eyes would be startled, your heart would ache. You would rush to their aid as naturally as eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty, unable to stop. How could you bear to view it all as ordinary, and even consider rescue a foolish task? Beware: your good fortune in this life is limited, while your future suffering is endless. Once you are forever cut off from perfect compassion, even the Buddhas will be unable to extend their hand to you. Those who now laugh and scorn the suffering will, in future lives, be laughed at and scorned by the suffering themselves. How tragic!