Ten Evil Deeds

十恶：

There are ten demeritorious deeds from which Buddhists are advised to keep away. These deeds are rooted in greed, hatred and delusion, and will bring suffering to others but especially to oneself in this life and later lives. When a person understands the Law of Kamma and realizes that bad deeds bring bad results, he will then practise Right Understanding and avoid performing these actions.

There are three bodily actions which are kammically unwholesome. They are: (1)Killing of living beings,(2)Stealing, and (3)Unlawful sexual intercourse. These bodily deeds correspond to the first three of the Five Precepts for people to follow.

佛陀指示我们远离十种恶行。这十种恶行扎根于贪、嗔、痴，它们严重影响了我们的生活，甚至来生。当我们了解「业力」这种学说时，就应当了解造成恶业的就是这十种恶行。

我们的「身」行，能创造三种恶行：

一、杀害生命。

二、偷盗。

三、邪淫(不正当的性行为)。

The effects of killing to the performer of the deed are brevity of life, ill-health, constant grief due to the separation from the loved, and living in constant fear. The bad consequences of stealing are poverty, misery, disappointment, and a dependent livelihood. The bad consequences of sexual misconduct are having many enemies, always being hated, and union with undesirable wives and husbands.

Four verbal actions are kammically unwholesome, and they are as follows: (1)Lying, (2)Slander and tale-bearing, (3)harsh speech, and (4)Frivolous and meaningless talk. Except for lying, the other unwholesome deeds performed by speech may be viewed as extensions of the Fourth Precept.

对治这三种恶行，就是持守五戒中的前三戒：不杀生、不偷盗、不邪淫。杀生剥夺了一切众生平等的生命，导致无法生起慈悲心。偷盗助长了贪欲。邪淫败坏社会伦理关系。

我们的「语」行，创造四种恶行：

一、妄语。

二、绮语。

三、恶口。

四、两舌。

The bad consequences of lying to the one who performs the deed are being subject to abusive speech and vilification, untrustworthiness, and physical unpleasantness. The bad effect of slandering is losing one's friends without any sufficient cause. The results of harsh speech are being detested by others and having a harsh voice. The inevitable effects of frivolous talk are defective bodily organs and speech which no one believes. 

The three other demeritorious deeds are performed by the mind, and they are as follows: (1)Covetousness, or eagerly desirous especially of things belonging to others, (2)Ill-will, and (3)Wrong view. These three deeds correspond to the three evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. The non-observance of the Fifth Precept of abstention from intoxicants can not only lead to the performance of these three demeritorious mental actions after the mind is intoxicated, but also the other demeritorious deeds performed by body and speech.

对治这四种恶行，必须持四种语戒：不妄语、不绮语、不恶口、不两舌。 妄语、绮语造成我们的真性晦黯，无法认清真实。恶口助长了嗔恚心。两舌造成人 与人之间或社会风气败坏。

我们的「意」行，创造三种恶行：

一、贪欲。

二、嗔恚。

三、愚痴。

这三种恶行是一切恶行的根本。我们持守五戒，主要的就是要对治这三种恶根。有效的压抑「意」的种种恶行，也就是有效的压抑了「身」与「语」的种种恶行。我们的欲望永远得不到满足，恶行为我们带来丑陋、病痛、和令人讨厌的来世。邪见令我们生起不良的欲望、导致愚痴和没有智慧，并受到病魔的纠缠和被人批评。

The undesirable result of covetousness is the non-fulfillment of one's wishes. The consequences of ill-ill are ugliness, manifold diseases, and having a detestable nature. Finally, the consequences of false view are having gross desires, lack of wisdom, being of dull wit, having chronic diseases and blameworthy ideas.

A person should always perform good actions and restrain himself from doing evil actions. If, however, a person has performed an evil action, it is necessary for him to realize where he has done wrong and make an effort not to repeat the mistake. This is the true meaning of repentance, and in this way only will a person progress along the noble path to salvation.

一个人要永远的实现善行和回避恶行。当一个人有意或无意间做了恶行，他应该清楚的知道他做了什么，他应该马上反省，对自己的恶行做出补救或忏悔，同时努力的使自己不再重蹈覆辙。一个人要获得圣道的生活和自我解脱，唯一的办法就是实现善行。

Praying for forgiveness is meaningless if, after the prayer is made, a person repeats the veil action again and again. Who is there to 'wash away a person's sins' except he himself? This has to begin with realization, the wonderful cleansing agent. First, he realizes the nature of his deed and the extent of the harm incurred. Next, he realizes that this deed is unwholesome, learns from it, and makes the resolution not to repeat it. Then, he performs many good deeds to the affected party as well as to others, as much as possible. In this way, he overcomes the effect of bad deed with a shower of good deeds.

为赎罪而祈祷，是没有意义的。当祷告过后，他又我行我素的从事恶行。什么人能替你洗清罪孽？除了你自己，什么人也办不到，唯有通过自我的证悟。首先他必须了解自己所做的恶行，造成的伤害有多大，其次，他必须清楚的了解，自己所做的是恶行，尽力的以自己的善行来补救，并从中学习，不再重犯。这样一来，他就可以以善行来克服和减轻恶行所造成的果报了。

No wrong does, according to Buddhism, is beyond redemption or rehabilitation, especially with realization and Right Effort. To be seduced into believing that a person can 'wash away' his bad deeds through some other 'miraculous' way is not only a mere superstition, but worse, it is also not useful particularly to the spiritual development of the person himself. It will only cause him to continue to remain ignorant and morally complacent. This misplaced belief can, in fact, do a person much more harm than the effects of the wrong deed he feared so much.

在佛教里没有所谓「永远的罪人」，尤其是那些觉悟和精进于佛法的人。一个人如果被误导，从而相信可以通过「神奇的力量」来消除「罪孽」，这是一种迷信。更糟糕的是，这种迷信不但无助于心灵的发展，同时还使道德沦丧。这种错误的信仰，给人带来的伤害，远远超越他所害怕的「罪孽」带给他的恶果。