關聖帝君覺世真經-- The Sage Therach Guan's true Scripture to Awaken the world: Two English translations

關聖帝君覺世真經

The Sage Therach Guan's true Scripture to Awaken the world. 

Guan Sheng Di Jun world Awakening Prayer 

A true scripture to awaken the world, by the Holy Imperial Prince Kwan-Foo-Tsze

[pic is From the Staatsbiblotek Berlin's Copy of the 關帝明聖真經]

This text is one of a particular example of what are called in Chinese 善書: meritorious books. This text is attributed to Lord Guan, a Chinese general who is venerated as a god. 

The text  is in two parts; the first, which is an introduction and is in prose. The second is in verse-- sentences of three of four characters each. This latter section contains an uncompromising moral code-- do not lie, steal, cheat, or you and your descendants will be destroyed!

❖

This present edition contains three texts: They are the Original Chinese, and two english translations. 

The Chinese text I have got from this site:http://www.boder.idv.tw/ks.htm of which an archive link is: https://web.archive.org/web/20201029085841/http://www.boder.idv.tw/ks.htm 

The older english translation is by Robert Morrison. You can see it here https://books.google.com/books?id=s8JLo8o1Tz0C&pg=PA146#v=onepage&q&f=false

He included it in  Part 3 of his celebrated Chinese-English dictionary. As might be expected from a person of his era, he called it a "Pious fraud" -- that is, he did not believe it was actually written by Lord Guan. However, what Morrison evidently did not object to, was the ethical system contained within. He chose to include it inside his dictionary as a sample of Chinese Ethical beliefs. Morrison's translation is fairly accurate, but is unfortunately incomplete: He only translated the verse section.

The second translation featured is by Andrew Gudgel. It can be found on its original website here:https://web.archive.org/web/20150502063646/http://guanshengdijun.com/GuanShengDiJunWorldAwakeningPrayer.html
And in a copy by a fellow blogger here https://heathenchinese.wordpress.com/guan-sheng-di-jun-prayers/

It is best to leave it to Gudgel to explain how he came to this book:  

"Someone had set out a stack of prayer booklets as a deed of merit, hoping that passersby would take them. Out of curiosity, I took home a booklet. Out of curiosity, I began to translate the prayers. After reading the testimonials, I became afraid to not finish translating them. I leave them here on this electronic street corner for anyone to take. " - Andrew Gudgel

Gudgel's translation differs from Morrison's. He translates the complete text, but does so in a more concise, proassic manner. His online edition reproduces several miracle tales surrounding the scripture--  what he calls "testimonials" a common thing for Chinese scriptures.  However, as I cannot  locate the Chinese originals of these miracle tales, I will not be featuring them here. 

❖

One particular piece of trouble comes the fact of variant texts. Like most Chinese books, there are many small differences between editions of the same text -- sentences added, omitted or rearranged, otherwise different characters used. 

With the  Morrison text, detecting variants with the online is easy enough, because he printed the Chinese text alongside it. With Gudgel's text, this is a more difficult task, as no chinese text is included. 

Judging from the translation, though, Gudgel evidently used a text that was slightly different from both the Morrison and Online ones. The differences get particularly large about section 21-22 of the Verse section. Here it seems Gudgel and Morrison were using sources that had slight variations in the order of the lines. In turn, how many of the variants in Gudgel are simply Gudgel's translation choices, I know not. 

I have set Gudgel's translation in common type, and Morrison's translation in italic. 

❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

Part 1: the Prose section. 

帝君曰。人生在世。貴盡忠孝節義等事。方於人道無愧。可立身於天地之間。

[The Noble Lord said :]

G: "Man lives in the world. If he values loyalty, filial piety, honesty, and righteousness above all else, he will not fail in life. 

若不盡忠孝節義等事。身雖在世。其心己死。是謂偷生。

G: However, if he doesn't value loyalty, filial piety, honesty, and righteousness, although his body is alive, his heart is already dead.  This is called stealing life.

凡人心即神。神即心。無愧心。無愧神。若是欺心。便是欺神。

G: Man's heart knows the gods and the gods know man's heart. If a man is not ashamed of himself, neither are the gods. If you lie to yourself, you cheat the gods.

故君子三畏四知。以慎其獨。勿謂暗室可欺。屋漏可愧。

G: Therefore the good man is cautious and wise, and is careful in his actions when alone. He doesn't believe that he could do evil that others couldn't see, for if he were seen doing evil, he would have regrets. 

一動一靜。神明鑒察。十目十手。理所必至。況報應昭昭。不爽毫髮。

G: The gods see every move a man makes, as if ten eyes were watching and ten hands pointing at him. He should always do his best, for it is clear that one reaps what he sows. Make not the slightest error. 

淫為萬惡首。孝為百行原。

G: Lust is the beginning of all kinds of evils. Filial piety is the origin of all good deeds.

但有逆理於心有愧者。勿謂有利而行之。

 G: They do not say out loud "This benefits me only." yet secretly they do only what benefits themselves.

凡有合理於心無愧者。勿謂無利而不行。

G: Those who do what is right have no regrets. They do not say out loud "This is to help others." and then neglect to do what benefits others. 

若負吾教。請試吾刀。

G: If you would follow my teachings, then try to carry my sword. This is my sword --

߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷߷

1a 敬天地。禮神明。

M: Venerate Heaven and Earth; Perform the rites to the gods

G: Respect Heaven and Earth, sacrifice to the gods

1b奉祖先。孝父母。

M: Worship your ancestors; be dutiful to your parents 

G: Respect your elders, be filial to your parents, 

2a 守王法。重師尊。

M; Keep the king's laws, Revere your teachers and superiors

G; obey the law, listen to your teachers, 

2b愛兄弟。信朋友。

M; Love your brothers, and be true* to your friends

G; love your brothers, be honest with your friends,

* Also can be read "trust"

Gudgel's translation has this additional sentence

2C: put the souls of your ancestors at peace,

3a) 睦宗族。和鄉鄰。

M/ Live in harmony with your kindred, agree with the village neighbours

G [...]  be kind to your neighbors,

3b別夫婦。教子孫。

M/ Let husband and wife mind their separate duties, and teach their children & grandchildren

 G/ understand the proper relations between husband and wife, educate your children and grandchildren,

4a) 時行方便。廣積陰功。

M/ Always practise what is expedient for others; accumulate many secret deeds of charity

 G/ [always be willing to lend money], amass merit through anonymous good deeds,

4b 救難濟急。恤孤憐貧。

M/ Rescue those in trouble; assist those who are hard pressed; pity the fatherless and [be] compassionate to the poor 

G/ Help those in difficulty, have pity on the orphaned and the poor, 

5a) 創修廟宇。印造經文。

M/ Found and repair temples; print and make moral and religious books.

G/ Repair temples, print religious books, 

5b 捨藥施茶。戒殺放生。

M/ Supply medicine, give tea, avoid killing animals, and liberate them to live.

G/ donate medicines, do not kill, release captive animals, 

6a) 造橋修路。矜孤拔困。

Make bridges, repair roads; pity the widow, rescue the oppressed;

 repair bridges and roads, help widows in distress,

6b重栗惜福。排難解釋。

Value grain; use plenty sparingly*; remove people's difficulties, settle their strifes 

be frugal, relieve other's difficulties,

* Can also be translated "Treasure your surplus"- E.W. 

7a捐資成美。垂訓教人。

Contribute your property to effect good designs; give instructions and teach men

do what is worthy and beautiful, teach others what is good, 

7b 冤仇解釋。斗秤公平。

Make peace between enemies; have just measures and balances*

dispel injustice, use honest weights and measures, 

*i.e. they should be fair and accurate  

8a親近有德。遠避凶人。

M/Approach near to the virtuous; keep far off from bad men;

G/ make friends with the virtuous, avoid the wicked,

8b 隱惡揚善。利物救民。*

M/ Conceal men's vices, and publish their virtues; do what is advantageous to creatures, and save the Common people.

F/ fight evil, uphold good, 

* The online text from which I gathered this has a variant  line, namely 利物利人: "Do what is advantages to beings and people"-- E.W. 

9a 回心向道。改過自新。

M/ Turn the mind to right principles; reform errors and renovate yourself.

G/ help the people, make your heart follow the proper path, 

9b滿腔仁慈。惡念不存。

M/ Be filled with benevolence and kindness; retain no vicious thoughts 

G/ Make yourself anew, fill yourself with kindness, have no evil thoughts,

10a一切善事。信心奉行。

M/ Let every virtuous deed be heartily believed, and reverently practised

G/ do good works, and have a honest heart.

10b人雖不見﹐神已早聞。

M/ Although man sees it not, the gods have already heard it 

G/ Although other men may not see you do these things, the gods will quickly hear of it. 

11a加福增壽。添子益孫。

M/ Happiness will be increased, long life added, sons born and grandsons obtained

G/ They will increase your wealth, add years to your life, help your children and grandchildren,

11b 災消病減。禍患不侵。

M/ Judgments* will be dissipated, sickness diminished, calamities will not assail;

G/. stop misfortune and disease, and prevent you from suffering disasters. 

* A better translation would for 災消 would be "Disasters would dissolve"-- E.W.

11c 人物咸寧。吉星照臨。

M/ Man and animals will enjoy repose; and felicitous stars shed their auspicious influences

G/ Your life will be peaceful and lucky stars will shine on you.

12a 若存惡心。不行善事。

M/ If a man cherish a wicked heart, and do no not practise virtue 

G/ However, if your heart is full of evil and you do not do good things,

12b 淫人妻女。破人婚姻。

M/ Debauch men's wives and daughters; and mar people's marriages 

G/ Lust after other people's wives and daughters,break up their marriages, 

13a 壞人名節。嫉人技能。

Ruin men's reputations, envy people's talents 

[destroy their purity] ruin their skills, 

13b 謀人財產。唆人訟爭*。

Plot against people's property, and stir up strifes **

 scheme for their wealth, instigate lawsuits, 

* The online edn. has 唆人爭訟; the last two characters reversed. This does not change the general sense. 

**The characters translated as "Strifes" 訟爭 are more properly read "Lawsuits and contentions"

14a 損人利己。肥家潤身。

M/ Injure people to benefit himself; fatten his house and enrich his person

G/ harm others in order to benefit yourself,

14b 恨天怨地。罵雨呵晴。*

M/ Hate heaven and repine at earth; rail at rain and curse the sunshine 

G/. rail against Heaven and Earth, 

* The online text has 罵雨呵風, 'rail at the rain and curse the wind' 

15a 謗聖毀賢。滅像欺神。

M/ Slander sages and vilify worthies, ; destroy  idols* and insult the gods 

G/  slander the wise and virtuous,destroy statues of the gods,

15b 宰殺牛犬。污穢字紙。

M/ Slay and kill cows and dogs; defile and cast away lettered paper**

*Idols = Images of gods

** Lettered paper = paper with writing on it. The respectful way  disposing such paper was to collect it in a special bin, and burn it (usually in a dedicated furnace at a temple) and cast the ashes into a river.

Gudgel's translation has this additional sentence

15C "cheat the gods, wantonly kill living things, destroy good books," 

16a) 恃勢辱*善。倚富欺貧。

M/ Presume on power and insult the virtuous,

G/ rely on force, slander the good,

* Online has 凌, a synonym 

16b) 離人骨肉。間人兄弟。

Separate men's bones and flesh [kindred], and set at variance brothers 

Use wealth to oppress the poor, separate people from their relatives and brother from brother, 

17a) 不信正道。姦盜邪淫。

M/ Disbelieve right principles; fornicate, rob, be depraved and lewd

G/ not believe in the true path, lust, steal, go whoring,

17b 好尚奢詐。不重勤儉。

M/ Ambitious, extravagant and deceitful; and despise economy and diligence

G/ [swindle others,] act extravagantly,

18) 輕棄五穀。不報有恩。

Wasteful of grain; ungrateful for favors 

waste grain, are ungrateful,

18b) 瞞心昧己。大斗小秤。

M/ Deceiving himself, having large measures and little scales (unequal weights) 

G/ go against your conscience, use crooked weights and measures

19)假立邪教。引誘愚人。

M/ Establish false and heterodox sects, draw away and deceive the people

G/ set up false teachings, lead on the simpleminded,

詭說升天。歛財行淫。

M/ Make pretences and talk of ascending to heaven*; and collect property to spend it on dissipation

G/ falsely say that someone has died, extort goods,

* Gudgel translates this as "Falsely saying someone has died". Whilst this is a possible sense , given the context it is unlikely. Ascending to heaven is the traditional sign of attaining immortality and becoming a transcendent. Falsely claiming you have discovered the secret of immortality is more in theme with this trio of religious frauds-- E.W. 

20a) 明瞞暗騙。花言巧脣*

M/ In the light impose on men, and in the dark cheat; use flowery talk and specious lips.

G/  cheat others, talk obliquely,

* The online text has 橫言曲語。"Lying words and sinuous speech" 

20b 白日咒詛。背地謀害。

M/ in open day utter curses, and behind backs plot assault.
G: Curse people in broad daylight,scheme to hurt others behind their backs,

21a 不存天理。不順人心。

M/ Not preserve heavenly principles, not obey the human heart;

G/ Not follow Heaven's way, not make others happy, 

21b 引人作惡。不信報應。*

M/ Lead men to commit wicked acts; and disbelieve a future retribution.

G/ refuse to believe in karma, entice others to do evil, 

* The  online edition reverses the order of  these sentences, so 不信報應.引人作惡

21c 不修片善。*
And do not even a bit of good yourself -- 

(This sentence is present in the online edition, but not in Morrison. The translation is Gudgel's. Morrison has an equivalent sentence in 22a -- "不修善行") 

 21D  Those who do such things will have reason to regret it.*

*Gudgel's translation has this additional sentence, but I cannot find a parallel to it in the Morrison or Chinese texts: 

22a)行諸惡事。 不修善行。

M/ Perpetrate every vice, and cultivate no virtue
[no equivalent can be found in Gudgel] 

22b)官司口舌。水火盜賊。

M/ Such a man will be accused to the government; water and fire and robbers will assail him 

G/ [...]* They will suffer fire, flood, and bandits.

* Gudgel does not translate the first half of this passage, possibly because he is using a variant text. 

***

The online edition, however, has a slightly different order of section 22 I have altered Morrison's translation to fit it:  

22AA)行諸惡事。官司口舌。

And perpetrates all vices; [then] such a man will be accused by the government

22BB) 水火盜賊。惡毒瘟疫。

Water, fire, brigands and robbers will assail him; evil poisons will plague him 

***

23a)惡毒瘟疫。生敗產蠹。*

M/ Desperate poison, distemper and plague shall be his lot; he shall beget profligates and fools;

G/ They will suffer plague, give birth to idiots, 

*The online edition omits the second half of this sentence 

23b) 殺身亡家。男盜女淫。

M: Himself shall be murdered and his family ruined; his sons robbers, and daughters whores.
G: be destroyed themselves, and have their family line extinguished.

24a）近報在身。遠報子孫。

M: The nearer retribution shall fall on himself; the more distant retribution shall fall on his children and grandchildren;

G: Retribution will fall upon them, their sons, and their grandsons. 

24b) 神明鑒察。毫髮不紊。

M/ The gods look down and examine; and err not an hair's breadth.

G/ The gods see everything and don't miss things even as tiny as a hair.

25a) 善惡兩途。禍福攸分。

M/ Virtue and vice are the two roads which separate misery and happiness;
  G/ Good and evil are two paths. Disaster and fortune are separate things.

25b) 行善福報。作惡禍臨。

M/ The practise of virtue brings a happy recompense; on the perpetration of vice, misery falls.

G/  If you do good, you will have good fortune; if you do evil you will suffer misfortune. 

26a) 我作斯語。願人奉行。

M/ I have made this discourse, wishing men to recieve and practise it;

G: I tell you this to encourage you to act

26b) 言雖淺近。大益身心。

M/ The language, though shallow and near, will greatly benefit body and mind.
G: Although my words are simple, they are of great benefit 

27a)戲侮吾言。斬首分形。

M/ Those who mock my words, shall be decapitated, and cut to pieces;

G: Those who make fun of my words will be destroyed

27b) 有能持誦。消凶聚慶。

M: For those who adhere to them & recite them, evil shall be dispersed and blessings accumulated.

G. If you recite this prayer, evil will vanish and joy abound

28a) 求子得子。求壽得壽。

M: He* who desires children, will have males; He* who desires long life, shall attain to many years.

G:  Pray for a son and you will be given a son. Pray for a long life and you will have one.

* the Chinese original is ungendered; a better translation would be "Those who desire" &c.

28b) 富貴功名。皆能有成。

M: The desire for riches, and honours, and fame shall all be accomplished. 

G. Wealth, rank, accomplishment, and fame can all be obtained.

29a) 凡有所求。如意而獲。

M: Whatever is prayed for, shall be obtained according to the heart's wish

G:  Whatever you pray for you will receive. 

29b) 萬禍雪消。千祥雲集。

M: Ten thousand calamities shall melt like snow; and blessings rush in like a troop. 
G: Disasters will melt like snow and blessings gather like clouds. 

<Present only in the online edition, and translated by Gudgel> 

30AA)  諸如此福。惟善可致。

G: If you wish to obtain these blessings, they can only be obtained by doing good.

30a) 吾本無私。惟佑善人。

M: My words are not selfish, but for the aid of the virtuous

 G: I am hiding nothing from you. I only answer the prayers of good men.

30b) 眾善奉行。毋怠毋昬。*

M: Let all men respectfully practise then. Be not careless! Be not darkened!
G: Accumulate merit and do good deeds. Do not delay and lose your will to do good." *

*The online edition has this instead: 毋怠厥志" Be not careless, or lose your resolve!". This is evidently the source of Gudgel's alternate phrasing 

關聖帝君覺世經全文終

Here ends the Sacred Scripture of the Sage Thearch Guan to awaken the world 

　

註：讀誦時 "吾" 及 "我" 字應讀作 "帝" 字 

Note; [ found in Chinese source] 

 When reciting this scripture,  replace the words "My" and "I" with the words "The Emperor", or "The emperor's" .