鬼的种类很多，一般人皆以为鬼是狰狞可怖，青面獠牙，其实这不一定。有时鬼能化做人身，乍看之下，以为是个人，其实是鬼。若你是开了五眼的人，鬼就不能欺骗你了。鬼又能变畜生，诸如马牛羊犬、鱼类、小白兔等。为什么能变呢？因为他有神通。或者变为蚂蚁、蚊虫、苍蝇、雀鸟、蜜蜂等。譬如：春天时百花盛开，你不要以为鬼一定是看不见的，你天天与他打照面，还不认识哩！所谓“对面不识观世音”，也可以说：“对面不识鬼！”

There are many kinds of ghosts. [Chinese] people usually picture ghosts as grotesque beings with green faces and long fangs, but this is not necessarily the case. Sometimes ghosts take on human form. You may think they are people, but they are actually ghosts. If you have opened the Five Eyes, ghosts won’t be able to deceive you. Using their spiritual powers, ghosts can also transform into animals, such as pigs, cows, sheep, dogs, fish, and rabbits. They may also change into small creatures such as ants, mosquitoes, flies, sparrows, and bees. When flowers bloom in the spring, for instance, many of the bees gathering pollen are actually ghosts manifesting as bees. There are real bees as well as phony ones. The real bees are undergoing their retribution as bees in accord with their karma, while the phony ones are ghosts in transformation who go around collecting pollen and drinking nectar from the flowers. Don’t assume that all ghosts are invisible. You face them every day; you just don’t recognize them. This is like “facing Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and not recognizing him.” You meet ghosts without recognizing them.

现在有人说：“法师，你这样讲，我真地不敢相信！”唉！你不相信就罢了，何必说“不敢相信”呢？我也没有勉强你去信，只是说说道理，好教你提高警觉，不要天天撞鬼还懵然不知。有人说：“哎哟！法师，你这么一说，简直把我吓坏了，晚上也不敢睡觉了。”那就干脆不要睡觉，修般舟三昧好了。

Someone is saying, “Dharma Master, I don’t believe what you’re saying.” That’s okay. I don’t demand that you believe it. I’m just letting you know the principle so you won’t encounter ghosts every day without being aware of it. Someone else is thinking, “Dharma Master, I’m so scared by what you said that I won’t be able to sleep at night!” Well, if you can’t sleep, you can cultivate the “Standing Buddha” Samadhi [developed through not sitting or lying down for ninety days and constantly reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name.]

我若是说真话，你们一定不相信的，所以就少说真话；那么，是不是说假话呢？不是的，假话更不要说。少说真话，假话连一点也不要说。真话说多了，人也是不相信的。

If I tell you the truth, you certainly won’t believe me. That’s why I hardly ever speak the truth. But that doesn’t mean I lie, because lying is not permissible. We shouldn’t say too many true words, but we should never say false words. If we speak too many truths, people won’t believe us.

再者，妖魔鬼怪也会变种种动物。大家是否记得一九七六年，我们初搬到万佛圣城，当时有居士买来一群乌龟放生。其中一只乌龟翻了过来，四脚朝天。当时某居士也在场，他就看见一位身穿绿衣服的人，向他求救命。他到处去观察，发现原来就是那只乌龟翻了过来。你看！那只乌龟也有灵性，所以懂得找这居士求救命。这么多年来，谁也没有注意这件事情。但从这件事就应当知道，一切众生，各有其眷属，这是物以类聚，气机相引，依类显形的道理。

Demons and spirits can also change into various kinds of animals. When we first moved to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in 1976, a layman brought a bunch of turtles to be set free. One of the turtles was overturned and had its legs sticking up in the air. The layman Feng , who was there at the time, saw a person wearing green come to ask him for help. When he went around to check it out, he came upon the turtle on its back. So, you see, turtles also have a spiritual nature; that’s why that turtle went to him for help. No one paid any attention to this matter for many years. This incident shows that all living beings gather with their own kind.

大家现在细心研究〈楞严咒〉，才知道鬼也有千差万别，形形式式，他们都是感果受报，随类而现。〈楞严咒〉里很多是鬼神王的名字，其中有夜叉鬼(捷疾鬼)、罗剎鬼（可畏鬼）、守魂鬼、守尸鬼、毗舍阇（噉精气鬼）、鸠盘茶（瓮形鬼，又谓魇魅鬼）、大身鬼、颠鬼、臭鬼、富单那（恶臭鬼）、热鬼、寒鬼、影鬼、音乐鬼、食产鬼、食胎鬼、食脂鬼、食灯鬼、食五谷鬼等，其变化是无穷无尽，无量无边。

In studying the Shurangama Mantra, we have learned that there are all sorts of ghosts in every conceivable form. Their appearances depend on the retribution they are undergoing. Many of the phrases in the Shurangama Mantra are the names of kings of ghosts and spirits, such as yakshas (speedy ghosts), rakshasas (fearsome ghosts), soul-guarding ghosts, corpse-guarding ghosts, pisachas (essence-eating ghosts), kumbhandas (paralysis ghosts), large-bodied ghosts, insane ghosts, stinky ghosts, putanas (foul-smelling ghosts), heat ghosts, chilly ghosts, shadowy ghosts, musical ghosts, flower-eating ghosts, fetus-eating ghosts, grease-eating ghosts, lamplight-eating ghosts, grain-eating ghosts, and so on. Their transformations are infinite and inexhaustible.

未曾听〈楞严咒〉之前，还不知有那么多鬼；听了之后，才知道鬼有那么多种！当然啦，鬼比人多。人造罪业，便堕到鬼道而不能自拔。佛在世时，某次抓了一把土，问弟子说：“你说我手里的土多，还是大地土多？”弟子说：“当然是大地土多，世尊手上的土是很少的。”

Before hearing the Shurangama Mantra explained, we didn’t know there were so many ghosts. Ghosts are even more numerous than people. When people create offenses, they fall into the realm of ghosts and cannot escape by themselves. When the Buddha was in the world, he once picked up a handful of dirt and asked his disciples, “Is there more dirt in my hand or on the ground?”

“Of course there’s much more dirt on the ground,” said the disciples. “There’s very little dirt in the World Honored One’s hand.”

佛乃说：“得人身者，如掌中土；失人身者，如大地土。”把人身失掉者，如大地土那么多。那么丢了人身，去做什么呢？当然是去做鬼啦！这还要问吗？所以，鬼是比人多，就算用计算机也算不过来，除非用“神脑”；神脑，又叫“天脑”。

“The number of beings who have attained a human body can be compared to the dirt in my hand,” said the Buddha, “while those who have lost their human form are as numerous as the particles of dirt on the ground.” What do most people become after they lose their human form? Ghosts, of course! And so there are more ghosts than people. You could never calculate their number, even with the help of a computerunless you used the spiritual or celestial computer.

有人说：“你什么时候发明这个‘天脑’？”这不是我发明的，你不相信，尽管去天上看看好了，它是自自然然存在的。这个天脑也不需要人管理，不用去按键盘，你想知道什么，一作意它自然就能算出来，且毫不短少差错。你心想什么，它会立刻知道，因为它玄妙通灵，故称为“神”。可是鬼的数目，恐怕用神脑也数不过来，因为太多了。刚刚一算，它就增加了千百亿；一秒钟后，又复增加千百亿，故没有法子能算得准确。因为鬼也是忽然而天，忽然而地，无有定法的。

“Since when did you invent a ‘celestial computer’?” you ask.

I didn’t invent it; it has always existed. If you don’t believe it, go to the heavens and see for yourself. The heavenly computer doesn’t need people to type commands into it to tell it what to do. All you have to do is think about what you would like to know, and the celestial computer will calculate the answer without the slightest mistake. It knows immediately what is on your mind. I call it ’spiritual’ because it’s so mysteriously efficacious. However, given the incredible number of ghosts, probably even the heavenly computer wouldn’t be able to calculate their number accurately. One second after it calculated an answer, the ghost population would already have increased by hundreds of billions. What’s more, ghosts are always unpredictably moving from the heavens to the earth and back. It’s impossible to get an accurate count of them.

鬼也有鬼的眷属和朋友，他若是知道什么地方有东西吃，便请朋友一起去吃。譬如有一种吃花鬼，能化做蜜蜂或蝴蝶，到处去吃花蕊、喝花露。

Ghosts also have their ghost retinues and ghost friends. If a ghost knows where food can be found, it will invite some friends to go with him. For instance, there are flower-eating ghosts that transform into bees or butterflies and go around eating pollen and drinking nectar.

饿鬼所感的果报，是常被火焚，无有暂歇。它身体里面也有火，外面也有火，内外都有火，内外烈焰交煎，痛苦难言。为什么有这样的果报？因为做人的时候，脾气很大，所以死后变成鬼也不舒服，昼夜炽燃，永无了期，想躲也躲不开。可是若吃一点花蜜、花露，能略减其热恼，纵使能获得一秒钟之清凉，已经求之不得了。故善恶因果，如影随形，昭昭不爽。

Hungry ghosts undergo the retribution of constantly being scorched by fire. Both the inside and the outside of their bodies are on fire. They are fried incessantly by internal and external fires, suffering unspeakable pain. As retribution for having had terrible tempers as people, they are burned day and night as ghosts, with no hope of respite or escape. However, if they get a little bit of nectar to eat, it will slightly relieve their burning agony. They are grateful for even one second of coolness! And so we can see that the consequences of good and evil follow us as unfailingly as a shadow follows its form. We had better be careful!

There is another variety of ghost that eats only fruit. All living beings need food to survive, and there are four ways in which beings can eat.

食有下列四种：

The Four Types of Eating

（一）分段食：有情众生，凡有血气、形相者，皆是分段食。分，就是你有你一分，我有我一分。段，就是一段一段，或一顿一顿。好像早上吃、中午吃、晚上吃，而中间留一段时间不吃，故为“段”。人及畜生，都是分段食。

1. Eating in portions. All sentient living beings－those possessed of blood, breath, and material form－eat in portions, that is in distinct segments of time. For example, we eat breakfast in the morning, lunch at noon, and dinner in the evening. We don’t eat in the intervals between meals. Human beings and animals all eat in portions.

（二）触食：接触一下，就能得食。鬼是触食。

2. Eating by contact. These beings, which include ghosts, get full just by touching the food.

（三）思食：只要想一想，便饱了。天人是思食。

3. Eating by thought. Heavenly beings get full just by thinking about food.

（四）识食：连想也不用想了，就是在第八识内，有吃东西的机能。四空天是识食。

4. Eating by consciousness. These beings don’t even have to think about food. The function of eating takes place in the eighth consciousness. Beings in the Heavens of the Four Stations of Emptiness eat in this way.

畜生都有牠的同类，就拿鸟来说，同类的则和平共处；不是同类的，若想到牠家里做客人，是不可以的，一定会打架的。记得在万佛圣城万圣林里，那些白鹤有时与老鹰打架，去年一只白鹤被打伤了，或者是从窝里摔下来而受伤了。小果陀往昔曾与牠做朋友。

Animals all stay with their own kind. Birds of the same species live together in flocks, and those of other species aren’t allowed to join as guests. If outsiders come, fighting occurs. You may have seen the white cranes fighting with the eagles in the Forest of Ten Thousand Sages at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Last year, one of the white cranes was injured from fighting, or perhaps it fell from its nest. One of my young disciples, Guo Tuo, had been a friend with this crane in past lives.

果陀前生也许曾为鹤，但他听过一些佛经，故今生转为人，这也不一定的。他见到这个鹤朋友在受难，于心不忍，便把牠送到医院去救治。可是群医束手，爱莫能助，结果又把牠送回树下。虽然大白鹤挺身保护，但也终于被老鹰擒去了。由此可知，一切众生，是各从其类，各有其眷属的。

Maybe Guo Tuo used to be a crane in his past lives, but heard some Sutras and got to be born as a human in this life. It’s not for sure. He couldn’t bear to see his crane friend suffering, so he took it to the hospital. But the doctors couldn’t do anything to treat it, so he took it back and put it beneath the tree. Although the big crane tried to protect it, in the end it was caught by the eagle. From this we know that all living beings like to stay with their own kind and have their own retinues.

言归正传，众生都是依食而住。譬如吃水果，刚从树上摘下来的水果，它是两个的。好像一个苹果，它不单是一个，在苹果上面，还有另一个苹果。有人说：“我为什么没有看见呢？”你若看见了，便会偷吃啦！这两个苹果，其中一个是影子，又可称为苹果的“性”。同样，每个人不单是一个人，他还有一个灵性随身。可是人的灵性是藏在人的身体内，而不外露；这个灵性若是跑出来，就会被妖魔鬼怪吃掉。

Coming back to the topic, all living beings need food to live. Take the fruits we eat for example. When they are freshly plucked from the tree, they are actually “double.” An apple is not just one apple; superimposed on it is another apple. Someone says, “How come I don’t see it?” Well, if you saw it you would eat it! Of the two apples, one is a shadow, or you might call it the “nature” of the apple. By the same token, every person is not just one person. He or she has a spiritual nature that goes along with the body. However, a person’s spiritual nature is hidden inside of the body and doesn’t show up on the outside. If this spiritual nature came out, it would be eaten up by ghosts and demons.

无论是什么种类变成的人，其背后仍然留着那个影子，又叫鬼魂（人有三魂七魄）。譬如前生为马，这个人背后就有一个马的影子；前生为骡，乃至牛羊鸡犬豕，背后都仍然留着那个影子。开了五眼的人，一看便知道了，“啊！原来这个人前生是只狗！”但并不是人人都能开五眼，因为恐怕他把别人前生的问题都揭穿了，所谓“天机不可泄漏”也！

Whatever kind of being one has transformed from, the shadow of that being still trails one. This shadow is also called “ghost soul” (people have three souls and seven spiritual faculties). For instance, if someone was a horse in his previous life, there will be the shadow of a horse following him. Had he been a mule, ox, sheep, chicken, dog, or pig in his previous life, the corresponding shadow would also remain behind him. People who have opened the five eyes can tell at a glance: “Oh! So this person was a dog in his previous life!” However, not everyone is able to open the five eyes, or else they might reveal all the problems of other people’s previous lives. It is said, “Heavenly secrets cannot be divulged!”

水果并非动物，它无血气，但也是生物。有生命者就有“性”。把水果拿来祭鬼神，鬼神就吃了那水果的性，鬼不是拿着水果咬一口，才是吃，他只要往前触一触，吸去水果的性，就是吃了。所以拜过鬼神的水果，你再吃它，就觉得没有水果的味道。

Fruits are not animals, for they lack blood and energy. But they are living things as well. Anything with a life has a nature. When fruit is offered to the ghosts and spirits, the ghosts and spirits eat the nature of the fruit. Ghosts don’t have to bite the fruit to eat it. They simply touch the fruit and absorb its nature, and that’s how they eat. Therefore, the fruit that has been offered to the ghosts and spirits doesn’t have much flavor left.

我的故乡东北山上，有一种大熊，牠吃东西也不用嚼，就是整个儿吞下去。山上长了一种梨子，叫铁弹梨，十分坚硬，但熊也不用嚼，一咕噜就把那梨咽下去。更妙的是，通便时也是整个出来，其形状如同未吞下去是一样的，毫不毁烂。但是水果已经没有味道了。因为它一旦经过熊身体内的化学工厂（消化系统），精华已被吸去，所以只留其形，而不留其性了。从这一点便能明白佛、鬼神吃水果的情形。供过佛的水果，也不能放长久，很快便会坏烂。就像人一样，在生时他的灵魂不走；一旦死后，灵魂离体，尸骨便很快腐烂；已被吸去生性的水果，也是很快就腐烂了。

In the mountains around my hometown in Manchuria, there is a kind of big bear. When it eats, it doesn’t chew, but just swallows the food. There’s a type of pear that grows in the mountains called iron pellet pear, because it’s very hard. The bear simply gulps it down without chewing, and the funny thing is, the pear comes out whole in the bear’s excrement, looking exactly the same as before it was swallowed. Although it is intact, it has lost its flavor, because when it passed through the chemical factory (i.e. digestive system), its essence was absorbed. Only the shape remains, not its nature. This can help us understand how the Buddhas, ghosts, and spirits eat fruit. Fruit that has been offered to the Buddhas cannot be kept very long, for it spoils quickly. The same is true of people; when they are alive, their souls stay with them. Once they die, their souls leave and their bodies decay rapidly. Fruit that has lost its essence rots quickly.

在四种食中，鬼只需要嗅一嗅、触一触，就当吃过了。不像我们人，要咬它一口，又要咽下去，是很麻烦的。有人问：“你怎会知道这种情形呢？”那是因为我从前做过鬼，我还记得嘛！鬼是触食，天人是思食，四空处天是识食。

As to the four types of eating, ghosts only need to sniff or touch the food and they will have eaten. They are not like us people who have to go through the trouble of biting, chewing, and swallowing our food. Someone is wondering, “How come you know so much about these things?” I used to be a ghost, and I still remember. Ghosts eat by touching, heavenly beings eat by thinking, and beings in the Heavens of the Four Stations of Emptiness eat by consciousness.

种种鬼神的业报，都是由其因缘所感，如是因，如是报，所谓“起惑、造业、受报。”是故当知，为善福随，作恶祸追，如响应声，受苦感乐，乃自造缘，岂他人所授？各位不愿做鬼，就不要造做鬼的业。

The various karmic retributions of ghosts and spirits have their causes and conditions. Every cause has its result. This is the process of “being deluded, creating karma, and undergoing retribution.” We should know that blessings will follow upon good deeds and calamities will follow upon evil deeds, just as the echo follows the sound. Whether we experience suffering or pleasure, it’s all our own doing and no one else’s. If you don’t want to become a ghost, then don’t create the karma of ghosts.

今天只讲讲我往昔做过鬼的一小片段。诸位假若不厌其烦，将来我会告诉大家，往昔我怎样做过蚂蚁，怎样做过蚊虫、地狱和畜生等，都会和盘托出。

Today I’ll tell you something that happened in one of my previous lives when I was a ghost. If you are still interested, then in the future I can tell you about when I used to be an ant, a mosquito, a hell-being, an animal, and so on. I won’t hold back anything.

一切鬼神王，都具有大威德，能斩妖除害，制诸外道，他们用折伏法，降伏一切旁门左道、魑魅魍魉、牛鬼蛇神。凡是邪知邪见、邪术邪法的害群之马，他都能调伏，他能生善灭恶，折邪破魔。

All kings of ghosts and spirits have great awesome virtue. They can slay demons, eradicate disasters, and subdue externalists. They use Dharmas of Subduing to subdue all deviant cults, ghosts, and spirits. They can subdue any being that has deviant knowledge and views, or practices deviant crafts and methods. They can inspire virtue, get rid of vice, overcome evil, and destroy demons. Evil demons are like unruly people.

恶魔就像那些不讲理的人，凡是蛮不讲理、乖戾跋扈的人，都是恶魔转世。你对他再好，他也不觉得你好；乃至你把血肉也牺牲了给他，他还是不知足、不感恩，贪得无餍。为什么这样呢？此乃是历劫的恶习熏陶， 根深蒂固，冥顽不改所形成的劣性。

People who are unruly and unreasonable are the reincarnations of evil demons. No matter how well you treat them, they don’t appreciate it. Even if you sacrifice your own blood and flesh for them, they are ungrateful and insatiable. Why? Because they have been steeped in bad habits for many eons. Their habits are deeply and firmly rooted, and their bad characters are formed from being stubborn and unwilling to change.

〈楞严咒〉里的鬼神王，各率领其眷属，诸如天兵、天将、天曹、金刚力士等等。他们皆守护十方，拥卫行人，绍隆道场。

前面说这么多种类的鬼神及其眷属，当知所有众生，各有其“鬼魂”，狗有狗的鬼魂，猫有猫的鬼魂，大众生、小众生，都有其鬼魂。虽然人常说怕鬼，其实人和鬼根本没有分开；鬼在阴间，人在阳界，但阴阳本是一体，无分轩轾，没有界限的。鬼是贪瞋痴重，比较起来，人是戒定慧多一点。所以鬼成为一股阴气，而人及畜生，则禀气而成形。

The kings of ghosts and spirits in the Shurangama Mantra lead their respective retinues which include heavenly generals and soldiers, heavenly officials, and vajra spirits. All of them guard the ten directions, protect cultivators and help Way-places to thrive. We mentioned many different kinds of ghosts and spirits, and their respective retinues. All living beings have their own "souls". Dogs have dog souls; cats have cat souls. Large beings and small beings all have their souls. Although people are afraid of ghosts, there isn’t any real separation between people and ghosts. Ghosts live in the yin realm, while people live in yang realm. However, yin and yang are basically one entity. There’s no difference and no line of demarcation. Ghosts have heavy greed, anger, and delusion. In comparison, people have more precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. Therefore, ghosts are masses of yin energy, while the energy of people and animals allows them to assume physical forms.

为什么人及畜生有形相呢？因为有种种执着，故钻进五蕴的樊笼，而逃不出色、受、想、行、识的范围。这个五蕴网把我们自性遮障，有如乌云蔽日。其实，阴阳本是一体，而今被五蕴之云层所分开而已。人被五蕴阵所困，鬼也被五蕴稠林所缠，故在业海浮沉，生生死死，死死生生，生时为人，死时变鬼。但若能修行，就不需要做鬼；修行成功了，可以成佛，成菩萨，或证阿罗汉果。

Why do they have physical forms? They have all kinds of attachments, so they crawl into the cage of five skandhas and can’t escape from the realms of form, feeling, thinking, formations, and consciousness. The net of the five skandhas covers up our own nature, just as dark clouds cover up the sun. Yin and yang are basically one substance, separated only by the “clouds” of the five skandhas. People are trapped by the array of the five skandhas, and ghosts are also entangled by the dense forest of the five skandhas, so they bob up and down in the sea of karma, being born and dying over and over again. They are born human, but at death they turn into ghosts. However, with cultivation they need not become ghosts. If they are successful in cultivation, they can become Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, or attain the fruition of Arhatship.

若能持五戒，修十善，便能生天为神。五戒是不杀生、不偷盗、不邪淫、不妄语、不饮酒。不杀生，是慈悲；不偷盗，是道义；不邪淫，是正人君子；不妄语，是忠信；不饮酒，就不会狂乱。杀生者，来生得宿殃短命报；偷盗者，得贫穷苦楚报；邪淫者，得雀鸽鸳鸯报。

If one upholds Five Precepts and cultivates the Ten Good Deeds, one can be reborn in the heavens and become a god. The Five Precepts are no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no taking of intoxicants. Not killing is compassion. Not stealing is righteousness. One who doesn’t commit sexual misconduct is a person of propriety. One who never lies is trustworthy. One who abstains from intoxicants will not be crazy and confused. People who kill receive the retribution of having a shortened life and suffering many misfortunes in their next life. People who steal receive the retribution of a life of poverty and hardship. People who commit sexual misconduct may be reborn as sparrows or pigeons.

小鸟们都是好高骛远，此乃是前生专做私奸的行为，破坏道德，才有这种业报示现。我常对你们说，但仍然有人不注意，所以我不厌其烦地再重复一遍：不要杀生！一切众生自无始劫以来，皆为我的父母、亲友、眷属。前生的父母造了罪孽，今生可能堕为猪、马、牛、羊，假如你恣情宰杀畜生，就等于间接弒害你的父母。

Birds like to go off into wild flights of fancy. This is the manifestation of the karmic retribution of people who committed adultery and injured their virtue in their previous lives. I always teach you about this, but some people still don’t pay attention. So, I’m taking the trouble to repeat it once again: Don’t kill! All living beings from countless eons in the past have been my parents, friends, and relatives. My parents from previous lives committed offenses and thus fell and were reborn as pigs, horses, cows, and sheep. If you kill animals at will, you are just indirectly killing your parents.

偷盗：所谓“己所不欲，勿施于人。”你不愿意人偷窃或抢夺你的财物，那么你首先就不要偷他人的财物。

Stealing: It’s said, “Don’t do to others what you don’t wish to have done to yourself.” If you don’t desire to have your wealth robbed or stolen, then first of all you shouldn’t steal others’ property.

邪淫：在因果律上，犯邪淫者最严重，其惩罚尤为凌厉。尤其夫妇间，若彼此离了婚，又再去结婚，根据因果律，临命终时，身体会被截割成两份。因为生时曾有两边的关系，故死后业报呈现，有一把大锯，把人从头顶锯到脚尖。生前曾经邪淫多少次，死后就割开多少份，生前曾结婚一百次，死后便分开一百份，乃至每人分得一点点。那么分开有什么不好呢？分得零零碎碎，再想把灵性聚到一起，就不容易了，千百亿劫恐怕也不能复得人身。这时性化灵残，与草木同朽，变成无情的植物。本性分散了，便不容易做众生，纵使能做众生，譬如一个人身，能化为八万四千蚊虫，但若要把那八万四千蚊虫重聚在一块，则不容易。蚊虫多数重新做蚊虫，头出头没，生死轮回，总不知道背尘合觉，舍迷归正的，所谓“一失人身，万劫不复。”诸位若能深明其义，可不惧哉！

Sexual misconduct: In terms of causes and effects, sexual misconduct is the most serious offense. Its punishment is the most severe. If a married couple gets divorced and each one remarries, then according to the law of cause and effect, their bodies will be cut in half after they die. This is because when they were alive, they had two relationships. So after they die, their karmic retribution manifests. A huge saw slices people in half from head to toe. Their bodies are sawed into as many pieces as the number of offenses they committed. If they were married a hundred times, they are sawed into a hundred pieces, so each of their former partners can have a tiny share of them. What’s so bad about being divided into pieces? If the soul becomes fragmented like that, it’s very difficult to make it whole again. Probably those people won’t regain a human body again for billions of eons. When their nature is split and their souls are incomplete, they become dull and insentient, like plants. When their inherent nature is scattered, it’s hard to become a sentient being again. Even if they became a sentient being, they might be a mosquito. But one human body can transform into 84,000 mosquitoes, and it’s not easy to get all those mosquitoes back into one being. Most of the time, mosquitoes are reborn as mosquitoes. So they bob up and down in the cycle of birth and death, not understanding how to turn away from the dust and unite with enlightenment, or how to renounce confusion and return to the proper. It’s said, “Once the human body is lost, it cannot be regained in ten thousand eons.” If you truly understand this principle, how could you not be afraid?

一九八一年二月五日开示