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人道和合，功罪相間；
德升孽降，豈有他焉！
阿修羅道是這樣危險，那麼人道呢？人道也有善，也有惡，所以說「人道和合，功罪相間；德升孽降，豈有他焉！」人，性情很溫和的，和誰都能合得來，所以說「人道和合」。
來做人，也不是完全善，也不是完全惡。完全善就升到天上去了，完全惡又去做畜生、做餓鬼、墮地獄了。所以啊！又有一點功，又有一點罪，或者功多過少，或者功少過多。功多罪少的，就生在富貴的家庭；功少罪多的，就生在貧困的家庭。在這裏邊，千差萬別，這種差別性是很多的。
所以說「功罪相間」：有一點功，又有一點過；不是純陰，也不是純陽。純陰的，就是會變鬼去，不會做人了；純陽的，就升天了，不會做人了。所以我們做人，就又可以上天，又可以墮地獄。
「德升孽降」：你做善功德，就向上升一升；你若造罪孽過，就向下降一降。所以說德升，你造德行，就向上升；你造罪業，就向下降。
「豈有他焉」：其他人不會教你墮地獄，不會教你去做餓鬼，不會教你去變畜生，都是你自己造的。所謂「自作自受」，自己做，自己就去受去。這是人道。
畜生好貪，多而無厭；
將黑作白，是非莫辨。
前邊所講的七個法界，都是好一點的法界，可以試一試，到那兒去作一作戲去。唯獨現在這三個法界，這不可以嘗試的，不可以去試試看的。你試試看，恐怕就跑不出來了。「一失人身，萬劫不復」，你把這個人身失去了，一萬個大劫恐怕也再得不著人身，所以這是很危險的。不可以好像作戲那麼樣去作一作這個戲。雖然有人說：「好像作戲似的。」但是他還沒有認識這個作戲怎樣做法，他這種無明的見解是見不清楚的，他還認識不清楚。
畜生不是一類的畜生，畜生也有百千萬億，種類不同：有飛的畜生；有走的畜生；有水裏頭的畜生；有旱陸的畜生；有虛空的畜生。你看這個畜生。單單那飛的畜生，就有百千萬億種不同類的樣子，這飛的眾生有這麼多。那麼走的畜生呢？也不少。小的，老鼠是很小的畜生；大的，這大笨象是大的畜生。鹿、熊、馬、牛，都是很大的畜生。在陸地上的畜生，也有百千萬億種。在水裏的畜生，有水狗、水牛、水馬；海裏頭的豬，也有百千萬億種。
我們人恐怕沒有法子完全都知道；就研究物理、化學的，研究生物學的，動物學的這一些個人，無論你是個博士，是個什麼士，是個專家，都沒有法子完全知道的。你知道一千種，那一千一百種的，你就不知道了。你知道一千一百種，一千二百種那個，你又不知道了。
那麼你說你完全知道。你怎麼就知道，比你知道的，再沒有更多的呢？這你又不知道了。所以沒有法子完全知道。就這個畜生的種類，我們人就沒有法子知道。爬的畜生，好像就單單蟲類，你都不知道有多少種類。所以這個世間上，你看是不是重重無盡呢？是不是無盡重重呢？
這一些個畜生，都是從什麼地方變的畜生呢？只是從一個字變的畜生－－貪。「畜生好貪」：好貪，就是無論什麼，都是多多益善，少少不行。所以說「多而無厭」：因為牠多而不厭，所以「將黑作白」：黑的，牠也不知道是黑的。牠說：「哦！這是白的。」將黑作白，這就表示牠沒有理性了。沒有理性，就是貪多；無論什麼都貪多，甚至於狗屎，牠也貪多。像那狗吃糞，牠愈吃愈多一點，牠就最好了。那麼邋遢的東西，人一看：「哦！那怎麼吃法呢？」牠就愈吃，愈覺得愈香愈甘美，就是這樣子，多而無厭。將黑作白，不好的，牠也認為好，什麼牠都貪多。甚至於有病，牠也貪多一點病。一個病牠嫌不夠，要兩個病。吃藥牠要吃多一點，這都是貪多。
「是非莫辨」：牠也不知道對，也不知道是不對，是非都不辨了，不清楚了，這就是沒有理性了。怎麼搞的牠沒有個理性呢？就因為有個「貪」字。有這一個貪字，就糊塗了，就無明蓋覆了；無明把牠蓋住了，什麼牠也不知道。
所以我們人不要貪，不要說：「出家人不貪財？愈多愈好。」你貪多就有危險。貪多，就容易變畜生，我告訴你。說是：「那我們出家人不會墮落的。」不會墮落？你若不依照佛的戒律去修行，墮落更快一點。所以古來人有那麼一句話，說：「地獄門前僧道多。」都在那等著要到地獄去。那個貪心的老道，貪心的和尚，都在地獄門前等著，說：「快點教我墮地獄囉！快點教我先進去囉！進去很好玩的，在裏邊！」他覺得那個地方是很好玩的地方，所以他要去。去到那兒，就知道不是很好玩的地方。
待續 |
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Verse:
The way of men is harmony,
With merit and error interspersed.
On virtuous deeds you rise; offenses make you fall.
It has nothing to do with anyone else at all.
Commentary:
The realm of asuras is dangerous, but what about the realm of people? There are both good and evil people. The way of men is harmony. People are harmonious beings who are capable of getting along with anyone.
However, those who become human beings are neither completely good nor completely bad. Beings who are completely good are reborn in the heavens, while those who are thoroughly bad become animals or hungry ghosts or fall into the hells. People have both merit and offenses. When a person’s merit is greater than his offenses, he will be born into a rich and distinguished family, but one with small merit and heavy offenses will be born into a poor family. Between these extremes are a thousand differences and a myriad distinctions. Therefore, the verse says: With merit and error interspersed. They have some merit, and they also have some offenses; they are neither extremely yin nor extremely yang. Beings with a preponderance of yin become ghosts. Those who are mostly yang become gods; they don’t become humans.
Human beings can ascend to the heavens or fall into the hells. If you do good deeds, you ascend; if you commit offenses, you fall. So the verse says: On virtuous deeds you rise; offenses make you fall.
It has nothing to do with anyone else at all. Other people cannot tell you to fall into the hells, make you a ghost, or cause you to become an animal. It is entirely up to you. What you create you must endure. You must suffer the consequences of your own actions.
Verse:
Eager animals feed on greed,
Never sated by a lot.
They take what’s black as white
And can’t distinguish wrong from right.
Commentary:
The seven Dharma Realms discussed above are the better ones. If you wish, you can enter them to try them out—put on a play—but you shouldn’t play around with the remaining three Dharma Realms. If you try these out, you may not be able to escape. It is said that once you lose your human form, ten thousand eons may pass before that form can be obtained again. It’s very dangerous; you shouldn’t treat it as mere play-acting. One of my disciples compared it to putting on a play, but he doesn’t really understand what’s going on.
There are billions of animals, an infinite variety—flying, crawling, swimming, or walking—in the sky, on land, and in the water. The species of birds and flying animals alone number in the millions, and land animals are not a few, either. There are millions of land animals ranging from small rodents through cows, horses, deer, and bears to the mighty elephant. In the water are seals, water buffalo, sea horses, manatees, and a myriad variety of swimming creatures.
We could never thoroughly study and understand all these animals. Even Ph.D.’s in the areas of zoology, biology, and related fields who do extensive and continuous research have no way to know all the animal species in the world. If they know a thousand, they don’t know eleven hundred. If they know eleven hundred, they don’t know twelve hundred.
Although someone might claim to know them all, how can he be certain that someone doesn’t know more than he does? It’s impossible to be sure. We have no way to completely know all the species of animals. Even the number of different kinds of insects would be hard to determine. When examined like that, wouldn’t you say that the world is multilayered and infinite, infinite and multilayered?
Beings become animals as the result of one thing: greed. Eager animals feed on greed. For them, no matter what it is, the more the better. A little won’t do. They are insatiably greedy; they never get tired of more.
Since they are never sated by a lot, they can’t tell that black is black. They say, “Oh, it’s white!” They take what’s black as white. Because they are greedy for everything, they have no conceptions we consider reasonable—even to the point that they are greedy to eat excrement. The more excrement a dog eats, the better it likes it. People wonder how it can eat such filth, but the dog finds it more savory with every mouthful. That’s how they are—never sated by a lot! That’s an example of taking black as white: They delight in something that is basically unpleasant. Greed can extend even to the desire for more sickness. One sickness is not enough; they want two. They also want to take more medicine.
And they can’t distinguish wrong from right. Animals are not clear about right and wrong, because they lack the ability to reason. How did they get that way? Simply through greed. They become muddled, and ignorance envelops them so that they become totally oblivious to anything rational.
Take heed, and don’t be greedy. People who have left the home-life should not be greedy for money, but some say “the more the better!” Such greed puts you in grave danger, and it is easy to become an animal as a result.
“People who have left the home-life can’t fall,” you may say.
If they don’t cultivate according to the Buddha’s precepts, they will fall even faster. The ancients had a saying, “Many of those standing at the gates of the hells are Sanghans and Taoists.” All the old Taoists and Buddhist monks who were greedy are waiting at the doors of hell saying, “Quick! Send me to the hells. Hurry up and let me come in!” Once in, it’s a lot of fun inside. They think the hells will provide good entertainment, so they go there. But once they arrive they realize it is not a game.
To be continued |
