-
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
佛说四十二章经
后汉摩腾、竺法兰共译
Translated from Chinese into English by
the Buddhist Text Translation Society,
Dharma Realm Buddhist University, City
of Ten Thousand Buddhas
世尊成道已，作是思惟：离欲寂静，是最为胜。住大禅定，降诸魔道。于鹿野苑中，
转四谛法轮，度憍陈如等五人而证道果。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。
Section 1
Leaving Home and Becoming an
Arhat
出家证果
The
Buddha said,
householder 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.
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。
Section 2
Eliminating Desire and
Ending Seeking
断欲绝求
The Buddha said,
desire,
renounce love, and recognize the source of their
minds. They penetrate the
Buddha
profound principles and awaken to the
unconditioned Dharma. Internally they
have no things 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.
佛言：出家沙门者，断欲去爱，识
自心源，达佛深理，悟无为法。内无所得，
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。
Section 3
Severing Love and Renouncing
Greed
割爱去贪
The
Buddha said,
the Dharmas of the Way.
They renounce worldly wealth and riches. In
receiving alms,
they accept only what
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.
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。
Section 4
Clarifying Good and
Evil
善恶并明
The
Buddha said,
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.
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。
Section 5
Reducing the Severity of
Offenses
转重令轻
The Buddha said,
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.
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。
Section 6
Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding
Hatred
忍恶无嗔
The
Buddha said,
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.
佛言：恶人闻善，故来扰乱者，汝自禁息，当无嗔责，彼来恶
者而自恶之。
Section 7
Evil Returns to the
Doer
恶还本身
The
Buddha said,
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? '
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。
Section 8
Abusing Others Defiles
Oneself
尘唾自污
The
Buddha said,
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.
< br>佛言：恶人害贤者，犹仰天而唾，唾不至天，还从已堕；逆风扬尘，尘不
至彼，还
坌己身。贤不可悔，祸必灭己。
Section 9
By Returning to the Source,
You Find the Way
返本会道
The Buddha said,
attain.
When you guard your mind and revere the Way, the
Way is truly great!
佛言：博闻爱道，道必难会；守志奉道，其道甚大。
Section 10
Joyful Charity Brings
Blessings
喜施获福
The
Buddha said,
and you will obtain vast
and great blessings.
A
Shramana asked, s there an end to those blessings?
The Buddha said,
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.
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。
Section 11
The
Increase in Merit Gained by Bestowing
Food
施饭转胜
The
Buddha said,
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 Sakri dagamins is not as good as
giving food to a single Anagamin.
Giving food to a hundred million Anaga mins 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.
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。
Section 12
A
List of Difficulties and an Exhortation to
Cultivate
举难劝修
The
Buddha said,
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 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.
佛言：人有二十难。
贫穷布施难，豪贵学道难，弃命必死难，得睹佛经难，
生值佛世难，
忍色忍欲难，
见好不求难，
被辱不嗔难，
< br>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
，睹境不动难，善解方便难。
Section 13
Questions about the Way and
Past Lives
问道宿命
A
Shramana asked the Buddha,
and
understand the ultimate Way?
The Buddha said,
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.
沙门问佛
：以何因缘，得知宿命，会其至道？佛言：净心守志，可会至道。
譬如磨镜，垢去明存；
断欲无求，当得宿命。
Section 14
Asking about Goodness and
Greatness
请问善大
A
Shramana asked the Buddha,
The Buddha
said, o
practice the Way and
uphold the truth is goodness. To unite your will
with the Way is
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。
Section 15
Asking about Strength and
Brilliance
请问力明
A
Shramana asked the Buddha,
brilliance?
The Buddha said,
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. Then
the
mind 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.
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！
Section 16
Casting Aside Love and Attaining the
Way
舍爱得道
The Buddha said,
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.
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
欲交错，心中浊兴，故不见道。汝等沙门，当舍爱欲。爱欲垢尽，
道可见矣！
Section 17
When Light Arrives, Darkness
Departs
明来暗榭
The
Buddha said,
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.
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！<
/p>
Section 18
Thoughts and So Forth Are Basically
Empty
念等本空
The
Buddha said, y 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.
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。
Section 19
Contemplating Both the False and the
True
假真并观
The
Buddha said,
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.
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！
Section 20
Realize that the Self Is Truly
Empty
推我本空
The
Buddha said,
Though each has a name,
none of them is the self. Since they are not the
self, they are
like an illusion.
佛言：当念身中四大，各有自名，
都无我者。我既都无，其如幻耳！
Section 21
Fame Destroys Life
Roots
名声丧本
The
Buddha said,
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.
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，香之烬矣！危身之火，而在其后。
Section 22
Wealth and Sex Cause
Suffering
财色招苦
The
Buddha said,
child who cannot resist
honey on the blade of a knife. Even though the
amount is not
even enough for a single
meal serving , he will lick it and risk cutting
his tongue in
the process.
佛言：财色于人，人之不舍。譬如刀刃有蜜，不足一餐之美；
小儿舐之，
则有割舌之患。