Nor is this all. Licentious people are left without a settled home and cannot sustain their daily livelihood. They can only take refuge in cold deserted temples and huddle within crumbling kilns, suffering endless hardship. Are these not the karmic fruits of licentious deeds in past lives?
Reduced to utter destitution, what avenue is left for the sinner to repent?
Utter destitution means sinking into extreme poverty. “Unable to live on” means having no means to sustain life. Repentance means confessing one’s sins and atoning for one’s transgressions. Having reached such a plight, one bears retribution for one’s own past deeds or ancestral karmic legacy. One wishes to reform yet cannot — where is there room for repentance?
You who grow up in the Central Realm must not behave like barbarian peoples.
“You” refers to you all. The Central Realm stands for China, while barbarian peoples denote groups ignorant of morality and ethics. Since you are born and raised in the Central Realm, do not act like peoples of uncivilized lands who know nothing of ritual and righteousness.
Why not take these as a mirror, return to simpleness and restore trueness?!
A mirror serves as a warning example. Simpleness is native simplicity. Trueness is the genuine upright Way. Why do you not take these wretched fates as your warning mirror, turn back to native simplicity and abide by the true Way?
This scripture is like medicinal stones, and ought likewise to be held as the measuring line.
Medicinal stones refer to substances that cure illness. A measuring line is the craftsman’s tool for gauging straightness. This statement teaches that every line within the Scripture on Abstaining from Licentiousness is a profound maxim, which can cure people of the mental malady of lechery, just like an upright measuring line.
Every word of this scripture is a gem. How can it be set high on a shelf and neglected?!