由是眾生。別作別造。於世界中。入同分地。妄想發生。非本來有。
由於前邊這種種的情形，「由是眾生」：這所有的眾生，「別作別造」：他特別個別做的，個別自己造的罪業，自己去受去。「於世界中」：於，就是在；在這個世界裡邊。「入同分地」：每一種人造一種地獄的罪業，他就入同分地獄。同分就是一樣的，這一類的，就入這一樣的地獄；那一類的，入那一種的地獄。「妄想發生」：這一些個罪，是由無明、顛倒造成的；這一些個地獄，也是由妄想所發生的。「非本來有」：這都不是本來有的；本來是清淨，是無染的，什麼都沒有，就是因為一念，只因一著錯，輸了滿盤棋。所謂差之絲毫，謬之千里；差一點，那邊就相差很多了。
復次阿難。是諸眾生。非破律儀。犯菩薩戒。毀佛涅槃。諸餘雜業。歷劫燒然。後還罪畢。受諸鬼形。
復次，因為前邊所講十習因、六交報的意思還沒有完全說完。所以，釋迦牟尼佛，就「復次阿難」，我再給你講一講這個道理給你聽聽。「是諸眾生」：哪個眾生呢？就是造罪業這些個眾生。「非破律儀」：非就是誹謗；破，就是破壞。他就說，你佛教就是佛教，不用這些個戒律嘛！我們人，應該自由的嘛。尤其在美國這個民主國家，樣樣都是自由的，佛教也不應該有這個戒律了。把佛的戒律，一筆就給抹煞了，說不要戒律了。你受戒、不受戒都可以作出家人。所以這就叫非破律儀。也不需要持戒律，也不需要守這個三千威儀、八萬細行，都不需要的。
「犯菩薩戒」：這菩薩十重四十八輕戒，他根本就不守；不守這個十重四十八輕戒，就犯這個菩薩十重四十八輕戒。「毀佛涅槃」：他又毀謗佛這個涅槃的道理，說這也不對的。那麼究竟這個人，他是個什麼人呢？就是造罪的人。
「諸餘雜業」：其餘的還有很多很多的雜業，這個雜的業障。「歷劫燒然」：在他造這種罪業，經過很長遠的時間；燒然，好像火這麼燃燒似的。「後還罪畢」：等以後他這個罪沒有了，不在地獄裡頭受這一些苦報了。畢了，就是他這個罪業受完了。「受諸鬼形」：罪業受完了，可受完了，他又托生來做鬼了。
所以你說，我們信佛教的人，自己稱自己是個佛教徒，不信鬼。你看楞嚴經上這說，這個鬼，有很多種的鬼，不是一種鬼。這個楞嚴咒上－－我告訴你們，也是多數說的鬼。好像那「囉闍婆夜，主囉跋夜。」那都是鬼。你為什麼那麼念那個咒？因為這個鬼王的名字，你一念，他那個部下，那一些個小鬼，就都不敢做壞事。所以這個咒，都是鬼神的名字。受諸鬼形，什麼鬼呢？現在舉出來十種鬼，也是因為造那個十習因的業，所以現在罪業完了又變做鬼。變鬼不是單單一種鬼，這有很多種鬼，有百千萬種鬼，不過現在就舉出來十種來做代表。
若於本因。貪物為罪。是人罪畢。遇物成形。名為怪鬼。
「若於本因」：本因，在他本來那個因地上。「貪物為罪」：在本來因地，貪戀一物。什麼物呢？這個物，也就是一種物欲。物欲最大的欲，就是這種淫欲。所以若在這個本因，為貪物而造的罪。「是人罪畢」：這個人墮地獄，完了之後；完了之後，怎麼樣啊？「遇物成形」：遇著一切的物質而成形。什麼物呢？什麼物他都可以寄到這個物上而成形。「名為怪鬼」：這個名字就叫怪鬼。
貪色為罪。是人罪畢。遇風成形。名為魃兒。
「貪色」：色，就是屬於一種淫業，貪這個淫業。在中國人說，淫屬於風流，言其男女這種的淫業。男的歡喜這個事情也叫風流；女人貪這種事情也叫風流。所以毛澤東也做一首詩就說：「數風流人物還看今朝」，他也自命風流，將來也會作這個魃鬼。
這個魃鬼怎麼樣子呢？這個魃鬼，他到什麼地方，什麼地方就不下雨，這叫旱魃為虐。你要是遇著沒有雨下的地方，把這莊田都旱死了，那個地方就有這個魃鬼；有魃鬼的地方就不下雨。這是真的啊！所以你聽楞嚴經，你就把這個物理——世界上什麼事情，都明了；你要不聽過楞嚴經，你就什麼地方鬧旱，你也不知道那是什麼道理。原來是旱魃為虐，這旱魃就是這個魃鬼；為虐就是作怪。
「貪色為罪，是人罪畢，遇風成形，名為魃鬼。」：他貪風流，所以一見風，他就成一個形；成這個形，叫什麼呢？叫魃鬼，就是旱魃。這種鬼到什麼地方，哪地方就沒有雨下的。你看他本事大不大？
待續
貪瞋癡三毒，比鴉片煙，比酗酒，比最毒的砒霜都厲害。因為這些毒，是毒人有形的東西，譬如毒人身體；而貪瞋癡這三毒，是毒我們每一個人的法身慧命，所以這是最障道的。
上人法語 |
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Sutra:
Because of that, beings who do certain things create certain karma, and so in this world they enter collective hells, which arise from false thinking and which originally are not there at all.
Commentary:
Because of that, meaning all the different situations described above, beings who do certain things create certain karma. Whatever things they do individually, they receive that individual karma which they must undergo. And so in this world they enter collective hells. Whatever kind of karmic offenses each person creates, he will enter a collective hell, which means all beings there are of a certain category. This category of beings enters this hell, and that category of beings enters another hell. These hells and these offenses are created by ignorance and arise from false thinking and originally are not there at all. Those are not something that exist on their own. Basically there is purity and no defilement. It's a case of one wrong move losing the entire game of chess. Being off by an inch in the beginning, one misses the mark by a thousand miles in the end.
Sutra:
And then, Ananda, after the beings who have slandered and destroyed rules of moral conduct, violated the Bodhisattva precepts, slandered the Buddha's Nirvana, and created various other kinds of karma, pass through many eons of being burned in the inferno, they finally finish paying for their offenses and are reborn as ghosts.
Commentary:
And then, because the explanation of the ten habitual causes and six interactive retributions is still not finished, Shakyamuni Buddha continues to discuss the principles with Ananda. After the beings who had karmic offenses because they had slandered and destroyed rules of moral conduct...They said things like, "Your Buddhism doesn't need to have these precepts and rules. People should be free, especially in a democratic country like America where everyone stresses freedom. Buddhism should not adhere to precepts and rules either." They try to wipe out the Buddha's precepts with one stroke of their pen. They advocate doing away with the precepts; they advocate that people can be left-home whether they receive precepts or not. They say there is no need to hold precepts or to practice the 3000 modes of deportment and 80,000 subtle aspects of behavior. None of those should be required. Those beings violated the Bodhisattva precepts. They did not guard the Ten Major and Forty-eight Minor Bodhisattva Precepts that they had received. They violated them. They slandered the Buddha's Nirvana. They derided the principle of the Buddha's Nirvana. They said it was also wrong. The offenders said things like that, and created various other kinds of karma—many, many kinds of karmic obstacles. Those who commit offenses such as these pass through many eon of being burned in the inferno. They finally finish paying for their offenses. When those offenses are paid for and gone and they have finished undergoing those bitter retributions in the hells, they are reborn as ghosts. Those offenses are paid for, but then they must take on the form of ghosts.
Those who profess to be Buddhists but who do not believe in the existence of ghosts should note how many different kinds of ghosts are described in the Shurangama Sutra. In fact, I'll tell you one thing: The Shurangama Mantra for the most part consists of references to ghosts. For example, the lines "LA SHE PO YE, JU LA BO YE" are the names of ghosts. When we recite the mantra which mentions the names of the ghost kings, then the lesser ghosts under them dare not do bad things. Thus the mantra contains the names of ghosts and spirits.
What kinds of ghosts are the beings discussed here reborn as? Now ten categories of ghosts are listed. These follow from the karma created by committing the ten habitual causes. When the karmic offenses from those causes are finished, then one becomes a ghost. There is not just one kind of ghosts, there are hundreds of thousands of kinds. But here ten representative categories are mentioned.
Sutra:
If greed for material objects was the original cause that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters material objects, and he is called a strange ghost.
Commentary:
If greed for material objects was the original cause on his causal ground that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters material objects.
What kind of objects was he greedy for? The greatest desire is the desire for sex. If he sought such things when he was on the causal ground, and if he committed crimes while doing so, then he has to fall into the hells. After his term in hell is finished, he takes shape when he encounters material objects. What kind of objects? Any kind; whatever kind it is, he can attach himself to it and take his from it. He's called a strange ghost.
Sutra:
If it was greed for lust that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters the wind, and he is called a drought-ghost.
Commentary:
If it was greed for lust that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters the wind. In China, someone who is lustful is said to be greedy for "the wind and the current." People who are like this end up as drought-ghosts. What are drought-ghosts like? Wherever they go, it doesn't rain, and this is due to the "tricks of desert and of drought-ghosts." If you encounter a place where the rain does not fall, where the sprouts in the fields dry up and die, you know now that such a place is inhabited by a drought-ghost. This is true! By listening to the Shurangama Sutra, you can unravel all the mysteries of the world. All the questions of physical science are clarified in this Sutra. If you hadn't heard this Sutra, you wouldn't understand the reason behind droughts and deserts. Basically, these are due to the tricks of the drought-ghost.
This kind of person was greedy for "the wind and the current," and so now when his ghost encounters the wind it takes its shape and is called a drought ghost. He causes drought wherever he goes. Pretty talented, huh?
To be continued
The three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion are more lethal than opium, alcohol, and arsenic, because those substances poison one's body, while greed, anger, and delusion poison our Dharma body and wisdom life. Thus, they are the greatest obstructions to cultivating the Way.
The Venerable Master
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