太上感应篇英文版.docx

1、太上感应篇英文版Tractate of the Most High Oneon Actions and Consequences Tractate of the Most High Oneon Actions and Consequences Tractate of the Most High Oneon Actions and Consequences 太上感应篇Tishng Gnyng PinChapter Links(Chapter divisions have been inserted by me. The original text is continuous.)I.The Wor

2、kings of Good and Evil II.How To Be Good III.What Happens To Good People IV.The Crimes of the Wicked (longest section) V.The Fate of the Wicked VI.Hope for Those Who Repent Introduction & ExplanationUnquestionably the most important literary genre for the vast majority of Chinese in later dynasties

3、was the morality tract. Such works were generically called good books (shnsh 善书).These works were full of everything from claims about cosmic justice to hackneyed proverbs and tales of the fell fate of those who ignored them, from lamentations over the perpetually rambunctious young to injunctions a

4、gainst the drowning of unwanted infants, from potted biographies of moral exemplars to jingles about being kind to the senile.Very few were productions of significant literary merit, and the whole genre tended to be scorned by the literati (as it is today). Many were written by mediums in trance thr

5、ough the use of one or another kind of ouija board (planchette), a practice which continues to the present. (See Jordan & Overmyer 1986, Overmyer 1976.) And such works were (and are) printed in millions and millions of copies from small presses all over China for distribution for free, usually from

6、the take one tables of popular temples. The cost was borne as an act of religious merit not just by the wealthy, but sometimes by people of quite modest means. Many added introductions or annotations, often arguing for great religious merit to be had by frequent reading or chanting of the text.Among

7、 such works, none has ever rivaled the Tractate of the Most High One on Actions and Consequences or Tishng Gnyng Pin 太上感应篇. Paul Carus, in his introduction to a 1906 translation of the work that he prepared in cooperation with Teitaro Suzuki, opined that, Its editions exceed even those of the Bible

8、and Shakespeare (p. 3). In the introduction to his own translation in 1918, James Webster remarks that the Tractate, is perhaps the most celebrated tract in the annals of literature. A book that has been scattered broadcast among a people numbering hundreds of millions, and tha5 for several centurie

9、s, must be almost without parallel. the widespread circulation of the text has made many of its pithy phrases part of the common talk of the people, and one cannot listen long to any conversation, even on the most mundane affairs of daily and domestic life, without hearing some expressions the origi

10、n of which is to be found in the famous little book. (Pp. 1-2)The Tractate probably originated in planchette-writing sessions, for it has the hackneyed phrases and choppy flow that characterize many such works, as well as the seemingly endless and repetitive list of those human deficiencies that str

11、ike amateur moralists around the world as so especially fascinating. The Most High One referred to in the title is none other than Loz 老子, the legendary founder of Daoism, whose spirit remains to this day a frequent visitor in spirit writing sances.The Tractate has been associated with the work of a

12、 IVth-century Daoist named G Hng 洪, who called himself the Master Embracing Simplicity (Bop z 抱朴子), but the work is quite certainly not from his hand. Later scholars have suggested it may date from as late as the Mng 明 dynasty (1368-1644, period 20) or as early as the Sng 宋 dynasty(960-1279, period

13、15). Whatever its origin, by the time of European contact in the XIXth century, the Tractate had sufficient prominence to inspire French and English translations in 1816, 1828, 1830, 1835, and 1884, in addition to the early XXth-century ones mentioned above (Webster, pp. 10-11). If its ubiquity has

14、faded somewhat today, together with the good books literature more broadly, it nevertheless remains one of the most common religious tracts in China. And quotations and paraphrases from it may still be heard in spoken language, just as they were a century and more ago.The translation offered here, w

15、hile informed by previous ones, is my own and has been been prepared for use in my classes. I have included the full Chinese text in both characters and romanization for the benefit of the majority of my students who are also studying Chinese and who may therefore be curious about the original text.

16、Other instructors should feel free to use the text in any way they please. No further permission is necessary. Works cited above:CARUS, Paul & Teitaro SUZUKI 1906 Tai-shang kan-ying pien:Treatise of the exalted one on response and retribution. La Salle IL: Open Court Publishing. JORDAN, David K. & D

17、aniel L. Overmyer 1986 The flying phoenix: aspects of Chinese sectarianism in Taiwan. Princeton, NJ: Princeton U. Press. OVERMYER, Daniel L. 1976 Folk Buddhist religion: dissenting sects in late traditional China. Cambridge MA: Harvard U. Press. WEBSTER, James 1918 The kan ying pien: book of rewards

18、 and punishments. Shanghai: Presbyterian Mission Press. The picture shows a XIXth-century tract printing shop. (reproduced from Carus 1906, p. 133) Chapter I: The Workings of Good and EvilThe most high one says: 太上曰： 太上曰： Tishng yu: “Disasters and blessings have no entry gates of their own; they are

19、 summoned by people. 祸福无门，惟人自召； 禍福無門，惟人自召； “Huf w mn, wi rn z zho; The effects of good and evil are like shadows following their forms.” 善恶之报，如影随形。 善惡之報，如影隨形。 shn zh bo, r yng su xng.” And so heaven and earth have spirits who record crimes, 是以天地有司过之神， 是以天地有司過之神， Shy tind yu sgu zh shn, and in propor

20、tion to the severity of their crimes, they shorten human lives appropriately. 依人所犯轻重，以夺人算。 依人所犯輕重，以奪人算。 y rn su fn qngzhng, y du rn sun. Because of this not only may a persons life be cut short, but he also becomes poor or destitute, his calamities are many; 算减则贫耗，多逢忧患。 算減則貧耗，多逢憂患。 Sun jin z pn ho,

21、du fng yuhun; People all hate him; punishments and disasters follow him 人皆恶之，刑祸随之。 人皆惡之，刑禍隨之。 Rn ji zh, xng hu su zh, Good fortune avoids him while evil stars persecute him. 吉庆避之，恶星灾之。 吉慶避之，惡星灾之。 Jqng b zh, xng zi zh; And when his span of years is complete, he dies. 算尽则死。 算盡則死。 Sun jn z s. And then

22、there are also the gods of the three towers and the north star, residing above the heads of ordinary people., 又有三台北斗神君，在人头上。 又有三台北斗神君，在人頭上。 Yu yu Snti Bidu shn jn, zi rntu shng. They too record peoples crimes and evil actions, and shorten the years of life in the sentence 录人罪恶，夺其纪算。 錄人罪惡，奪其紀算。 L rn

23、zu, du q j sun. And there are the three corpse spirits, residing in the human body. 又有三尸神，在人身中。 又有三尸神，在人身中。 Yu yu Snshshn, zi rnshn zhng. On each Kngshn day in the cycle of 60 days, they ascend to heaven to report peoples crimes and failings. 每到庚申日，辄上诣天，言人罪过。 每到庚申日，輒上詣天，言人罪過。 Mi do Gng Shn r, zh shn

24、g y tin co, yn rn zugu. On the last day of the month the Stove God also does this. 月晦之日，灶神亦然。 月晦之日，竈神亦然。 Yuhu zh r, zo shn y rn. For ordinary people offenses cut off a j (12 years) if great, while small offenses cut off a sun (100 days). 凡人有过，大则夺纪，小则夺算。 凡人有過，大則奪紀，小則奪算。 Fnrn yugu, d z du j, xio z du

25、sun. Offenses great and small arise from countless matters, 其过大小，有数百事， 其過大小，有數百事， Q gu dxio, yu sh bi sh, and those seeking immortality must avoid them. 欲求长生者，先须避之。 欲求長生者，先須避之。 yqi chngshng zh, xin Chapter II: How To Be GoodFollow the right path, and retreat from the wrong one. 是道则进，非道则退。 是道則進，非道則退。

26、 Sh do z jn, fi do z tu. Do not follow evil paths, nor sin in secret. 不履邪径，不欺暗室。 不履邪徑，不欺暗室。 B l xi jng, b q nsh. Accumulate merit, show a compassionate heart in all things. 积德累功，慈心于物。 積德累功，慈心於物。 J d li gng, c xn y w. Be loyal, filial, friendly, and brotherly; by correcting yourself, transform others

27、. 忠孝友悌，正己化人。 忠孝友悌，正己化人。 Zhng xio yu t; zhng j hurn. Pity orphans and be compassionate to widows, respect the elderly and be kind to the young. 矜孤恤寡，敬老怀幼。 矜孤恤寡，敬老懷幼。 Jn g x gu, jng lo hui yu. Do not even injure insects, grasses, and trees. 昆虫草木，犹不可伤。 昆蟲草木，猶不可傷。 Knchng com, yu b k shng. Be saddened by

28、 other peoples misfortunes and delight by their good fortune. 宜悯人之凶，乐人之善。 宜憫人之兇，樂人之善。 Y mn rn zh xing, l rn zh shn. Help those in need and rescue those in danger. 济人之急，救人之危。 濟人之急，救人之危。 J rn zh j, ji rn zh wi. Regard the gains of others as though they were your own. 见人之得，如己之得。 見人之得，如己之得。 Jin rn zh d,

29、 r j zh d. And regard the failings of others as your own failings. 见人之失，如己之失。 見人之失，如己之失。 Jin rn zh sh, r j zh sh. Do not expose other peoples weaknesses, nor boast of your own strengths. 不彰人短，不炫己长。 不彰人短，不炫己長。 B zhng rn dun, b xun j chng. Condemn evil and promote virtue, renounce much and accept litt

30、le. 遏恶扬善，推多取少。 遏惡揚善，推多取少。 yng shn, tu du q sho. Suffer humiliation without resentment, receive benefits as though startled. 受辱不怨，受宠若惊。 受辱不怨，受寵若驚。 Shu r b yun, shu chng ru jng. Extend help, but do not request compensation, help others without later regrets. 施恩不求报，与人不追悔。 施恩不求報，與人不追悔。 Sh n b qi bo, y r

31、n b zhuhu. Tractate of the Most High Oneon Actions and Consequences Chapter III: What Happens To Good PeopleWhen a person is known as virtuous, people all praise him. 所谓善人，人皆敬之。 所謂善人，人皆敬之。 Suwi shn rn, rn ji jng zh, Heavens Way protects him, happiness and wealth follow him, 天道佑之，福禄随之， 天道佑之，福祿隨之， Tin