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在我们学佛的过程中，有不少的行者，开始发心、行持，也勇猛精进。但是，往往在遇到很多的具体问题时，在学佛的道路上，产生了不少的困惑。如果我们不从困惑中解脱出来，那么我们这一世的修行，就很难得到善始善终的结果。 |
Having begun to generate the mind and practice as well as valiantly progress, many practicers generated a lot of perplexities when encountering concrete problems on the way of learning from Buddha. If not getting free of the perplexities, our practice in this life can hardly start well and end well. |
第一个问题，信愿是学佛的基础。我们学佛要怎样才能达到目的，怎样才能成就？首先，我们的信愿要建立在正确的基础上，那么，第一个首要问题，就是我们佛弟子如何正确认识因果？ |
The first issue is that the belief and wish are the bases for learning from Buddha. How can we achieve the goal of learning from Buddha, the Buddha-hood? Firstly, our belief and wish must be established on the right base. Well then, the principal question for us disciples of Buddha is that how to correctly cognize the cause and effect? |
如果说，我们学佛的人，修行的人，身为一个佛弟子，我们连因果都还没有正确的认识，或者是不相信因果。那么，我可以肯定的讲，这种修行是不圆满的，是没有结果的。为什么呢？因为不信因果的人，就谈不上修行。换一句话说，他所做的一切事情，都是不择手段的，不考虑后果的。哪怕他就是在做好事，在行善，他也是抱着一种自我目的行善，这种修行是没有功德的，没有结果的。所以作为修行的人，作为一个佛弟子，无论是在家居士，还是出家人，首先要建立在知因识果这个基础上，这是非常重要的认识基础。 所以，我们修行的人，对待因果这个问题，要如何去认识呢？如他发了一点善心，也有恭敬心，也有成绩，但是他没有明白因果的关系，那么他的这种修行，会有什么结果呢？他的烦恼依旧，痛苦不能解决，生、老 、病、死苦，求不得苦，爱别离苦、怨嗔恚苦、五蕴炽盛苦这八苦依旧。为什么会有苦呢？苦是从哪里来的？为什么同样来到这个世间上，每一个人，他都有他自己不同的命运和结果呢?因为每一个人来到这个世间上，都有他自己的缘份和业报。释迦牟尼佛，入道也是从知因识果上入手的，比如他首先发现了生、老、病、死是每一个人都摆脱不了的规律，还有世间上的种种烦恼和痛苦，循环的让我们去经历，去承受，而且摆脱不了。所以，我们学佛的人，首先就要学会如何去认识因果关系和因果的发展规律，这是摆在我们面前的首要问题。 |
As disciples of Buddha, if we even don’t have a right cognition on the cause and effect, nor believe in the cause and effect, well then, I can affirmatively say that, such practice is imperfect and fruitless. Why? Because one not believing in the cause and effect cannot be counted as a practicer. That is to say, he did all things by hook or crook, without regarding to the consequence; even if when doing good, he also held a selfish purpose. Such kind of practice is fruitless, having no merits or virtues. So, as a practicer and disciple of Buddha, no matter you are a upasaka staying at home or a monk having left home, you must practice on the base of knowing the cause and effect. That is a very important base of cognition. For our practicers, how to cognize the issue of treating the cause and effect? For example, though he generated some mercy and respect as well as some achievements, he was not clear about the relationship between cause and effect, then what result would he get from such kind of practice? He would still have those vexations and couldn’t solve his pains. The eight distresses that the sufferings of birth, age, sickness, death, unattained aims, parting with what he loved, meeting with what he hated, and all the ills of the five skandhas, would be unaltered. Why there are sufferings? Where are they from? Why each person has his own different fate and result though we came to the same world? Because each person came to this world with his own karma. The Buddha Sakyamuni entered into the way also starting with the cognition of cause and result. For example, he firstly discovered that nobody could break away from the laws of birth, age, sickness and death; and that we were forced to repeatedly experience and suffer various kinds of vexations and pains in the world and could never get rid of them. So, For our people of learning from Buddha, the all-important issue is to learn how to cognize the relationship between cause and result and the developing law of cause and result. |
谈到因果问题，最现实的是，我们每一个人的觉受和现状，都是由于累生累劫所造的业力而产生的，不是从天上掉下来的。那么既然是从自己的业力上产生的，我们就要从消除业力这方面去着手解决。我们要如何去摆脱现在这种痛苦和烦恼呢？首先就是不要去种因，结下业缘，播下业种。所以，我们在学佛的过程中，每时每刻都不要忘记因和果的这种关系。 |
Referring to the issue of cause and result, the most practical is that, we everybody’s sufferings and current situations were all produced by the karma power of all past lives, instead of falling from the sky. Since they were produced by our own karma power, we shall set out to solve them by eliminating the karma power. How can we get rid of the present pains and vexations? The first is not to plant the cause, that to produce karma-cause or plant karma-seed. So, in the course of learning from Buddha, we shall never forget at any moment such relationship between the cause and result. |
今年有一个弟子给我说，我这次授了比丘戒，我该怎么修行呢？我就给他讲，这个非常简单，如果知道你已经授了比丘戒了，那么只要你每时每刻都记住，你是一个比丘，无论干任何一件事情，都想到你是一个比丘，那么你就知道你该做什么？现在在座的有不少居士是授了菩萨戒的，有受了五戒的，也有皈了依没授戒的。同样，如果你每时每刻，不管你做什么事情，都想到你是授了菩萨戒的菩萨，那么你就知道你该做什么，不该做什么。如果你能想到这点，而且照着你该做的去做，不失你这菩萨的根本，我可以肯定的讲，你这一生就能成就。如果你是受了五戒的居士，你经常能想到你是授了五戒的菩萨，按照戒律去行持，这一生也能成就。如果忘记了你是一个菩萨，忘记了你是一个比丘，忘记了你是一个居士，一味的去追求现象，每天去攀缘，读了多少经，念了多少咒。我可以这样讲，你就算把大藏经全部背得，而且都能讲得满天云彩，它与你都没有关系。因为，这些是过去佛、菩萨和祖师大德，他们总结出来的经验。是要我们运用它来修行，指导自己的行为的。如果我们没有把它摆到自己的修行当中去，具体地按照这种方法习修，那么你知道得再多，都跟你没有关系。正如我们现在很多的修行人，常挂在嘴上讲，这样我也明白了，那样我也悟了。你知道了，你明了心，见了性。但，我不客气的讲，你知道了又如何呢？你明白了又如何呢？哪怕你知道你累生累劫的来历，如果你不去对治，不去具足你的功德，知道并不等于得道。悟了嘛，即觉悟，也就好像是你在糊涂的时候，迷惑的时候，醒悟过来，知道了真相。哦！原来是这样的。如果你不去修行，不去具足你的功德，了你的道行。那么，你还是原来那样，没有改变。即使你知道过去，你就必须去认真修行，具体的去改变它，这才算是得道了果。才能开发我们智慧，明白自己的真实状况和自己的来因。就说明你现在的好事，是你以前种的因，你现在不好的境遇，也是你以前种的因。所以我们现在学佛的时候，都要围绕着知因识果这方面去修行。最紧要的是，如果不从知因识果上去修行。哪怕你每一年磕十万个长头，念十万遍大悲咒，念十万遍百字真言，还诵十万遍心经，只能是具足你的功德。关键是我们在修行的时候，知道了因果，我们修行的方向才会明确，要知道因果，因是从何而来？将来得什么果？明白它的事实真相，那么我们修行，才能够摆好自己的位置，端正自己的态度。因为我们对世间的一切真相明白了，人生的真谛明白了，而且也知道自己的过去和现在是为什么？那么，你才能明白自己现在的价值是什么？比如现在社会上所说的，“摆好自己的位置，实现自己的价值。”自己的什么价值呢？那就是了你的智慧觉照，成就你的本愿。如果你知道这些烦恼和痛苦，是业力所生，因缘相聚，而挣扎在轮回当中。那么，我们学佛的第一个要求是什么呢？就是要生起出离心，怎样才能生起出离心？我刚才说了，只有在知因识果这种基础上，才能真正生起出离心。如果连因果都不知道，你说你生起了出离心，那是欺人之谈，根本不可能。如果我们修行人，知道烦恼痛苦的症结所在，又不生起出离心，我们所做的一切事情，都是不具体的，也是不实在的。如果，我们出家人没有生起出离心的修行，我们所做的一切，只能是得善因善果。如果我们是没有生起出离心的菩萨，也就是说居士菩萨，我们的修行，可以说，还在世间八法以内，你还是世间法。谈到这个因果关系，我们的相当一部分人，会在这里产生怀疑，为什么呢？因为，以我们现在的这种智慧，还不能够明白世间真相，我们现在对所处事情的根源和发生的原因，只能看到现象。还是在跟着感觉走，跟着感觉走所认识的事物，本身就是一种假象，这个我们要把它弄清楚。有好多修行人，力气也下得大，又诚实，又费了很多工夫，往往会有很多障碍，因此，我们一定要明白知因识果的意义所在。 |
This year, a disciple asked me: “This time I accepted the commandments for monk; how shall I practice?” I told him, “That is very simple. If only remembering at every moment that you are a monk, and thinking of that when doing anything, then you’ll know what to do.” There are many upasakas present, of whom some have received the commandments for Bodhisattva, some have received the five commandments, and some have been converted yet haven’t received the commandments. Also, no matter when doing anything at any time, if remembering that you are Bodhisattva that have received the commandments for Bodhisattva, well then you will know what you shall do and shall not do. If you can think of that point and keep doing what you shall do without losing your fundamentality as Bodhisattva, I can confirmatively say that, you can achieve the Buddha-hood in this life. If you are a upasaka that have received the five commandments, always think of that you are a Bodhisattva that have received the five commandments, and practice according to the commandments, you can also achieve the Buddha-hood in this life. If you forget you are a Bodhisattva, a monk or a upasaka, but blindly pursue phenomena, lay hold of biases, read many sutras or recite many mantras, I can say that, even if you can recite the whole Tripitaka and explain it as splendidly as colorful clouds all over the sky, it will have nothing to do with you. Because, it was summed up as experiences by the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, founders and most virtuous before, who wanted us to apply it into our own practice and guide our own behaviors. If you do not apply it into your own practice and concretely practice according to it, it will have nothing to do with you no matter you know how much. It is just like that, many of our present practicers often say openly that you have understood this, or have wakened to that. Though you may have understood the heart and seen the nature, but I would like to ask impolitely: “Say you understood, what then? Say you wakened, what then?” Even if you know all your history of past lives, if you don’t treat it rightly and accomplish your merits and virtues, your cognition will not be equal to the attainment of the truth. Wakening to the truth, namely the consciousness, is just like your coming to senses from delusions and knowing the truth: “Oh! It turned out to be this!” If you do not go to practice, accomplish your merits and virtues and fulfill your wish of Bodhi, well then, you’ll be what as before, without any better changes. Even if you’ve known your past, you must earnestly practice and concretely change it; only by that can you attain the truth, get the fruit, open up wisdom, understand your real situations and reasons. That means your present good lucks are caused by your deeds before, and so are your present bad lucks. So, we must practice surrounding the aspect that knowing the cause and cognizing the effect. The most important is that, if you don’t practice on the base of knowing the cause and cognizing the effect, even if every year you kowtow 100,000 times, recite the Mantras of Great Mercy 100,000 times, repeat the True Word of One Hundred Characters 100,000 times, and read the Heart Sutra 100,000 times, you’ll only collect the blessed-reward. The key is that, our practice direction will be clear only when we’ve known the cause and effect. To put us in the right positions and correct our attitudes, we must know the cause and effect, that where comes from the cause and what fruit will be attained in the future, as well as understand its truth and fact. Because only after we understand all facts in the world, and the true meanings of life, as well as the reason for our past and present, can we understand what are our present values? As what is said in the society: “put yourself in the right position and realize your own value.” What is your own value? That is to accomplish your wisdom and enlightenment, and to fulfill your original wishes. Having known these vexations and pains are caused by the karma power, which forces us to struggle in samsara, the first requirement for us learning from Buddha is to generate the mind of renunciation. How can you generate the mind of renunciation? I just said, only on the basis of knowing the cause and effect, could you really generate the mind of renunciation. It is a doublespeak and completely impossible that you’ve generated the mind of renunciation, without even knowing the cause and effect. If our practicers do not generate the mind of renunciation though having known the sticking point of vexations and pains, then all things done by us are unspecific and unrealistic. If we monks practice without generating the mind of renunciation, everything we do will only get good reward. If we are Bodhisattvas that upasakas without generating the mind of renunciation, our practice are still within the realm of the eight laws of the temporal world. When talking about this relationship between the cause and result, many of us may cast doubt. Why? Because with our current wisdom, we cannot yet understand the world’s facts, the springheads and causes for nowadays situations, but can only see the phenomena and just follow the feelings. Cognized through following the feelings, things themselves are feints. We must make clear of that. Otherwise, many practicers always have a lot of handicaps though earnestly progressing in practice. Therefore, we must be clear about the meaning of understanding the cause and effect. |
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