佛法是怎么認(rèn)識(shí)因果的？（雙語(yǔ)開(kāi)示）

　　我們都知道佛教講因果，現(xiàn)實(shí)中也講因果，馬克思主義哲學(xué)也講因果論，那么佛法是怎么認(rèn)識(shí)因果的呢？佛教的因果是圍繞生命規(guī)律來(lái)說(shuō)的，是對(duì)一切生命現(xiàn)象，及生命規(guī)律的解釋。具有對(duì)我們的心理、語(yǔ)言及其它各種生命行為的指導(dǎo)價(jià)值。

　　It is common knowledge that Buddhismregards the law of cause and effect as the basic law of this world, which isalso the common belief of the ordinary people. Even Marxist philosophy stresseson the law of cause and effect. What are the differences? How does Buddhismexplain the law of cause and effect?

　　In Buddha’s teachings, the law ofcause and effect is also called Karma, which is based on the law of life, andis the ultimate explanation about the phenomena of life and the law of life.Consequently, it offers significant guidance for the mentality, speech andbehavior of all sentient beings.    

　　談到因果，我們首先要知道什么是果，其實(shí)所謂果就是我們每一當(dāng)下所受。眼睛見(jiàn)到什么，耳朵聽(tīng)到什么，鼻子嗅到什么，舌頭感受到了什么味道，身體感受到什么，甚至也包括心理的感受，都是受。也可以說(shuō)是自己的現(xiàn)狀就是果�；蛘哂矛F(xiàn)代的詞匯說(shuō)，果就是你當(dāng)下所處的平臺(tái)。這就是果。

　　Talking about Karma, we need to clarifythe two concepts: the cause of karma and the effect of karma.

　　First of all, what is the effectof karma, or the fruit of karma? The effect of karma actually refers to our experiencesat every instant---what we see, hear, smell, taste, and how we feel physicallyand mentally. In other words, the different present situations we are facing orthe platform we are staying are the different effects of karma from ourprevious deeds.

　　那么什么是因呢？就是你面對(duì)這些感受的反應(yīng)，首先是心理反應(yīng)，然后是語(yǔ)言和行為。這就會(huì)影響未來(lái)自己的果報(bào)了，就是造因了。也可以說(shuō)，我們面對(duì)自己當(dāng)前所處的平臺(tái)，有了什么反應(yīng)，想了什么，說(shuō)了什么，做了什么，這就造因了，就潛移默化地塑造著未來(lái)的平臺(tái)�，F(xiàn)在的因就將招致或改變著未來(lái)的果報(bào)。也就是我們時(shí)刻站在當(dāng)前的平臺(tái)上，時(shí)刻造作各種因，又時(shí)刻受著各種果。

　　On theother hand, the cause of karma, or the seed of karma, is our responses to theabove experiences, most importantly our psychological responses, followed byour corresponding speeches or behaviors. Our diversified responses plantdifferent seeds of Karma, affecting our future effect of karma. In other words,our different responses to our physical and mental experiences, including whatwe speak, what we do, we think about, and how we feel, unconsciously create ourfuture situations. The present cause will definitely change the future effect.Standing on the current platform, we are constantly creating causes, and at thesame time, enduring the corresponding effects from the previous causes we havecreated.。

　　每一個(gè)生命就是這樣不斷受果，不斷造因，因果循環(huán)往復(fù)不斷。造因受果，因不同，果不同。同樣的心理面對(duì)不同的平臺(tái)，必然會(huì)產(chǎn)生不同的心靈造作，也就是造不同的因；那么，不同的心理，同樣的平臺(tái)，也必然會(huì)發(fā)生不同的反應(yīng)，也就造作不同的因；同一個(gè)人不同時(shí)空，不同情緒，面對(duì)相同的環(huán)境平臺(tái)，也會(huì)發(fā)生不同的反應(yīng)，造不同的因。所以，我們看到世界上絕沒(méi)有兩個(gè)完全相同的事物。

　　Everylife is constantly recycling in karma, creating causes and enduring theeffects. Different causes lead to different effects. Whether we are standing onthe same or different platforms, our psychological responses are always different.What’s more, whenfacing different time and situations, even the same person will have differentfeelings and responses. All these different responses create diversified causes.As a result, we can never see two lives that are exactly the same.

　　所以人們說(shuō)在我們這個(gè)世界，差異是絕對(duì)的，就是這個(gè)道理。對(duì)于我們每一個(gè)人來(lái)說(shuō)長(zhǎng)相不同，每時(shí)每刻的果報(bào)也不同。同樣的孩子，有的人出生就有尊嚴(yán)在，有地位；有的人一生下來(lái)就被扔到垃圾箱、下水道里了。這兩孩子的果報(bào)差異太大了吧？為什么會(huì)這樣呢？這是前世的因今世感受果報(bào)。但果報(bào)不一定是前世的因，現(xiàn)世造因就可以感受果報(bào)的。因?yàn)槿艘怀錾�就有思維，就有想法，就想表達(dá)，就有行為，造因就開(kāi)始了。至于這些因什么時(shí)候感招出果報(bào)，那要看不同時(shí)間及不同空間所造因的強(qiáng)弱多少，還有其它善惡諸因等等諸多因素所影響和所決定。

　　This is why diversity is absolutein this world. Each individual has a different appearance and a differentkarma. One was born with dignity, wealth, and tender love while another wasdiscarded into the dustbin or sewer as soon as he was born. What leads to suchdifferences? It’s all due to the previous causes one has created, including thecauses from the previous life or that of this life. We were born with differentmodes of thinking which lead to different ideas and different behaviors, thusforming the different causes of karma. The time for the causes of karma tobecome effectual depends on such factors as whether the causes of karma we havecreated is weak or strong, positive or negative.

　　有人說(shuō)我們也常�？吹接腥俗隽撕檬聟s沒(méi)看見(jiàn)有好報(bào)，命運(yùn)還不如某些做壞事的人。其實(shí)這是對(duì)因果的誤解。做好事必有好報(bào)，但什么時(shí)候報(bào)，要有成熟的機(jī)緣；再者，做幾次好事不等于一生都在做好事了，更不等于往昔世都一直在做好事。現(xiàn)在所做好事的因也許明天才能成熟才能感果，但過(guò)去的惡果已經(jīng)成熟了，你不能不讓人家出現(xiàn)吧？因果規(guī)律不是這么看的。人的因果就好比種地，每個(gè)人都有一塊地，各自種自己的種子，種子不同，用心不同，收獲就必然不同，所以世上人是美丑、貧富、高低、貴賤、三六九等各有不同。

　　Some people say, “I can’t see thepositive karma of kind deeds, because kind people don’t always live as happily,luckily or wealthily as those who do evils.”

　　This is a misunderstanding ofkarma. Positive causes of karma will definitely lead to positive effects, butit needs time and chances for the karma to become ripe and effectual. What’smore, several good deeds don’t mean one has been doing good deeds all thislife, not to say all his lives from beginningless time. The present positivekarma may become ripe and effectual tomorrow, but the past karma has ripen, howcan we stop it from becoming effectual?

　　Karma, the law of cause andeffect, is just like farmers planting drops. Each farmer plants different seedswith different cares, thoughts and expectations. As a result, he will enjoydifferent harvests. This is exactly the reason for all the different states oflives, beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, respectful or humble, etc.。     

　　這也好比每個(gè)人一個(gè)籃子，里面裝了很多不同的小球，我們每時(shí)每刻的心理行為就像在往籃子里裝不同的小球，有好的也有壞的，籃子下面有個(gè)小孔，隨時(shí)從孔里往外掉球，你上面不停的裝，小孔不停的漏，你裝的好球多，漏的好球就必然多；裝的全是好球，將來(lái)籃子里的壞球都漏光了，也就只有好球了。但不一定你裝一個(gè)好球就一定會(huì)漏出一個(gè)好球啊。

　　Here isgood example to explain karma: each of us has a basket with a hole at thebottom. We keep filling the basket with different balls, good or bad. At thesame time, these balls keep dropping out from the hole at the bottom. Theresult is that the more good balls are put in, the more good balls will bedropped out. Vise Versa. The balls we put in are the causes of karma we createand the balls dropped out are the effects of karma we shall endure.

　　所以，講因果最好是和老年人講，比較容易懂，因?yàn)槔夏耆嗽谑郎匣畹臅r(shí)間長(zhǎng)，一個(gè)人無(wú)論是否聰明，是否機(jī)敏，如果是很有包容力，吃虧上當(dāng)也不計(jì)較，但這種人五年、十年，甚至二十年，你再看，他會(huì)變得厚重、可敬、值得信賴(lài)，這是長(zhǎng)期善心所凝結(jié)出來(lái)的生命的氣息；相反如果一個(gè)人每天想的是損人利己，挑逗是非，甚至做一些傷天害理的事，你看他五年、十年，乃至二十年，他會(huì)被眾人疏遠(yuǎn)，甚至藐視，變得潦倒坎坷，甚至不能善終。

　　It’s easier for senior people tounderstand karma, because they have lived longer in this world and can see moreclearly how the law of cause and effect functions. A man with a tolerant andkind heart, who seldom minds of being cheated or taken advantage of, willbecome respectable and reliable in one or two decades of years. This is theresult of long-term kindness and tolerance. On the contrary, a selfish andnarrow-minded man with only negative thoughts and deeds will be alienated anddespised of in the long run, and even suffer a miserable life and death eventually. 

　　其實(shí)，我們?cè)诎l(fā)出善心的一霎那，善報(bào)就已經(jīng)開(kāi)始了，這時(shí)你會(huì)感覺(jué)心里舒服、坦蕩、光明，活得充實(shí)，做事也會(huì)順利許多。因?yàn)檫@時(shí)你已經(jīng)開(kāi)始變得可敬了，也自然會(huì)得到眾人的擁戴，并得到善神的護(hù)佑。所以，三界之內(nèi)，輪回路上，因果相續(xù)，絲毫不差。種善因得善果，種惡因得惡果，不是不報(bào)，時(shí)候未到。行善積德必有后福，大善之人必有大福，積善之家必有余慶。而菩薩就會(huì)以無(wú)所得之心，萬(wàn)緣放下，無(wú)我利他，最終成就無(wú)上佛道。

　　The truth is that at the momentwe develop kindness in our heart, we begin to enjoy the positive effect ofkarma. We shall feel comfortable, fulfilled, honorable and broad-minded. As aresult, things we do and people we face will all become more favorable,therefore we can achieve success more easily and smoothly. We shall berespected and supported by more people, and be protected and blessed by kindgods.

　　To draw a conclusion, karmicretribution is functioning all the time and in all our life forms, withoutfailure. Positive causes lead to positive effects, and negative seeds will bearbitter fruits. No karma is escapable when it ripens. Just as the Englishproverb goes, “One good turn deserves another”。 Doing enough good things willdefinitely benefits one’s family and oneself.

　　Bodhisattvas, however, willcultivate their selflessness with the wisdom of Prajna, and try to benefit allsentient beings, eventually achieving the ultimate Buddhahood.

原標(biāo)題：如何認(rèn)識(shí)因果（久晃法師雙語(yǔ)開(kāi)示系列）

文章轉(zhuǎn)自微信公眾號(hào)：久晃講般若