了凡四训

《了凡四训》，是大明帝国袁了凡（1533年—1606年），字坤仪，写给儿子的家训，是中国一本善书。

成书缘起

袁了凡是一个书生，名为袁黄，在考科举之前认识了云南孔姓占卜师，孔先生帮他算出三场秀才名次，童生考试第十四名、府学考试七十一名，提学考试第九名，取得生员资格。次年赴考，三场的结果都正确，让袁黄吓得半死。后孔先生又说，袁黄的功名将止于贡生，官至四川的一个县令，五十三岁时寿终正寝，无子。袁黄接受孔先生之建议，放弃医学，继续科举。因此认为宿命不容改变。且孔先生说他将于53岁寿终，无子嗣，袁认为天命不可违，于是淡然处之。37岁时遇见云谷禅师，透过云谷禅师教导积德行善并且传授准提咒，训练清净心与慈悲心，解说命运如何掌握在自身，宿命可以改变，于是自号了凡。从此积极为善助人，改过迁善，修正观念，不仅未于53岁寿终，且生下一个儿子，并于69岁那年写下《了凡四训》，最终寿命至74岁。《了凡四训》正是袁了凡要给儿子的家训。

四篇主题

了凡四训全册划分为四篇，包括以下：

第一篇 立命之学 - 说明人的命运是可靠自己创造，而不是被命数所束缚。

第二篇 改过之法 - 从小的过失及时改过，那自然便不会犯下大的过错。

第三篇 积善之方 - 多做善事帮助别人，善事积多了，命运自然也有所改变。

第四篇 谦德之效 - 与人相处，待人要谦虚，从中学习，自然便有进步。

影视作品

电影《了凡四训》由中国大陆演员达式常、丁嘉丽所主演，根据明代袁了凡的真实传奇故事改编，宣传中华传统文化与佛教思想。

亦有拍成电视剧《了凡的故事》，全剧共23集，由净空法师出资指导，游本昌居士主拍，净宗学会发行。

Liao-Fan's Four Lessons (Chinese: 了凡四訓) is a book written by Yuan Liaofan (Chinese: 袁了凡; 1533–1606), was a Chinese official during the Ming Dynasty, born in present-day Wujiang County, Jiangsu Province. Yuan wrote the book to teach his son, Yuan Tian-Chi. The principal idea behind these lessons is that destiny can be changed through proper cultivation of kindness and humility. Thus, one should not be bound by fate, but by one's own actions.

Yuan Liaofan was told by a Kong a Taoist monk, that he would only live to the age of 53 and would have no son. At first, he disregarded this monk's words as farcical nonsense, but as Kong's other predictions began to occur with great accuracy, he then proactively made an effort to rewrite his fate. In relating his own life experiences, Yuan, at the age of 69, through his efforts was able to change his destiny and therefore wrote and taught these four lessons to his son that through fate was never meant to be.

The first lesson shows how to create destiny. The second lesson explains the ways to reform. The third reveals the ways to cultivate kindness and the fourth discloses the benefits of the virtue of humility.

This book is still in circulation today, after more than 400 years, and is studied as a foundational text in learning both Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism.

Excerpts

3 conditions for reform:

One must have a sense of shame - conscience.

One must be cautious and conscientious of one's own intention and conduct at all time, as well as having a solemn respect of the Divine and the Universal rules/Golden rules.

One must have determination and courage to rectify one's mistakes.

3 methods to reform:

Changing through action

Changing through reasoning

Changing from the heart

10 ways to cultivate kindness:

Supporting the practice of kindness

Harboring love and respect

Helping others succeed

Persuading others to practice kindness

Helping those in desperate need

Developing public projects for the greater benefit of the people

Giving through donation

Protecting the proper teaching

Respecting our elders

Loving and cherishing all living beings