明因果　了因果

Thoroughly Understanding Cause and Effect

出世圣人修行为「了因果」；一般凡夫就「造因果」。

Sages cultivate in order to fathom the process of cause and effect.

Ordinary people continue to create causes and undergo effects.

《华严经》上说：

The Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra says:

了知众生种种异，

悉是想行所分别；

于此观察悉明了，

而不坏于诸法性。

智者了知诸佛法，

以如是行而回向；

哀愍一切诸众生，

令于实法正思惟。

They fully realize that the various differences

among beings

Arise entirely from distinctions in their

thinking and activities.

Contemplating thus, they perceive with clarity

The nature of all dharmas without harming it.

The wise ones fathom the Dharma of

 all Buddhas.

They dedicate the merit from their practice of it,

Empathizing with all beings,

And thus enabling them to properly contemplate

dharmas as they actually are.

众生起惑、造业、受报，种什么因，就结什么果，这是自然的道理。譬如种佛因，就结佛的果；种菩萨因，就结菩萨的果；种缘觉因，就结缘觉的果；种声闻因，就结声闻的果，这是四圣道。

Beings become deluded, create karma, and undergo retribution. They plant causes and then reap the corresponding results. This is a natural principle. If they plant the causes for being Buddhas, they reap the result of Buddhahood. If they plant the causes for being Bodhisattvas, they reap the result of Bodhisattvahood. If they plant the causes for being Ones Enlightened by Conditions, they become Ones Enlightened by Conditions. If they plant the causes for being Hearers, they become Hearers. Those are the Four Sagely Realms.

还有六凡道，就是三善道──天、人、修罗；三恶道──畜生、饿鬼、地狱。总之，种三善道的因，就结三善道的果；种三恶道的因，就结三恶道的果。这种因果的道理是丝毫不爽，千真万确的，绝无迷信的色彩！

The Six Common Realms are the Three Good Realms of gods, humans, and asuras, and the Three Evil Realms of animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings. In general, if one plants the causes for the Three Good Realms, one is reborn in these realms. The same applies to the Three Evil Realms. The principle of cause and effect is never off by the least bit. It is not a supersition.

愚痴的人不知道因果的厉害，随便错因果，甚至不相信因果，拨无因果；有智慧的人知道因果报应的厉害，就怕错因果，无论做什么事情，都三思而后行。出世圣人修行为「了因果」，一般凡夫就「造因果」，没有罪过，他要造出罪过。造出罪过，自己还不承认是罪过，反而认为理所当然，没有任何惭愧之心，这是罪上加罪，不可饶恕。

Not knowing the seriousness of cause and effect, deluded people casually make mistakes in cause and effect or even deny the law of cause and effect. Wise people, knowing that the law of cause and effect relentlessly metes out the deserved retribution, dare not make mistakes in cause and effect. They always consider carefully before doing any-thing. Sages cultivate in order to understand the process of cause and effect. Ordinary people continue to create causes and undergo effects. Originally their offenses did not exist until they committed them. Once they have committed them, they refuse to acknowledge them as offenses, insisting they have done nothing wrong. Being devoid of shame and conscience compounds their offenses beyond the point of forgiveness.

众生有种种的异别，包括善恶的种子，都是各有不同，各造各的业，各受各的报。这些都是在色受想行识五蕴法中，所分别而成就的。若能在种种业果报应之中，观察明白，就能了知一切法性，而又不破坏它。

Beings are different in various ways, including the good and bad seeds they possess. Each being creates its karma and undergoes its individual retribution. This process evolves from distinctions that occur in the five skandhas of form, feeling, thinking, activities, and consciousness. If one can contem-plate and appreciate the various karmic retributions, one will fathom the nature of all dharmas without destroying it.

有智慧的人，明白、了解诸佛所说的法，修菩萨行，把所聚集的善根，为众生回向。为什么为众生回向？因为哀愍一切众生。菩萨看众生太愚痴了，所做的事都是颠颠倒倒，怎么样教化，也不明白。

Wise people clearly understand all the Dharmas spoken by the Buddhas. Out of pity for beings, they cultivate the Bodhisattva conduct and dedicate all their accumulated good roots to them. Bodhisattvas see beings doing foolish things and so try to teach them, but beings are very deluded and do not understand.

教他「舍己为人，舍末求本，拥护正法，令正法住世。」他不相信。所以众生是可怜愍者。劝他「诸恶莫作，众善奉行。」对于真实法，应该往对的来做。怎样是不对？应该反省一下，仔细想一想，不是只想一次，要时时想，自己是不是错了因果？自己是不是对佛教没有尽应尽的责任和义务，反而造出种种罪过呢？要这样时时刻刻回光返照，反省又反省，检讨又检讨，这才算是真正的佛教徒。

Bodhisattvas teach beings to make sacrifices for the sake of others, to renounce the superficial aspects and seek the root of the matter, and to support and protect the Proper Dharma so that it will long abide in the world. But beings lack faith. That’s why they are to be pitied. They should be exhorted to refrain from all evil and to practice all good. We should try to practice in accord with the true Dharma, constantly reflecting and asking ourselves: "Have ave we made mistakes in cause and effect? Instead of fulfilling our responsibilities within Buddhism, have we created all kinds of offenses?" We should constantly look within and examine ourselves again and again. Only then can we be considered genuine Buddhists.