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1975年8月23日星期六下午
昨天我教你們那個咒——嗡嘛呢叭彌吽，有的人又打妄想了。打什麼妄想呢？「喔！不知道我是不是法師身上一個虱子，或者蟲子或者什麼，在四百年或三百年以前聽見法師念了咒，我現在作了人又皈依三寶了。會不會是這麼回事？」自己打這個妄想。這個問題，我也不答覆你。或者小果芳是因為她願意吃candy（糖），大約我唸那個咒就變成candy了。
今天我還要給你們講一講阿彌陀佛。這個佛，不是一位佛、二位佛、三位佛，佛是有恆河沙數那麼多佛。這恆河沙數佛，他住在十方。什麼叫十方呢？就是東南西北，這四方；有東南、西南、東北、西北這四維，就八方了。再加上上、下，這合起來就是十方了。這十方，每一方都有恆河沙數那麼多的佛。這個佛，就是眾生成的佛；有多少眾生，就有多少佛。
那麼眾生你數得過來數不過來？數不過來，沒有法子數得過來。就單單人類，整個世界有多少人類，你不知道。你知道這個國家有多少人類，你不知道那個國家；那個國家你知道了，那麼全世界所有的國家人類，你不一定能知道它的數目是多少，一定沒有正確的數目。你怎麼樣用科學用電腦去算，也算不過來的，這是單單人類。
那麼就算人類你能算過來了，這個蚊蟲有多少，你會不會算過來？一個國家蚊蟲有多少，你算不過來。所有世界的國家蚊蟲有多少，你算不過來。這個蚊蟲你也算不過來，螞蟻你也算不過來，這個蜜蜂你也算不過來，這所有的蟲子，甚至於這個雀鳥，所有一切一切眾生，你沒有法子算得過來。那麼佛呢，也是一樣的，也是有這麼多。有一個眾生就有一位佛，那一位佛就要度這一個眾生。所以說十方三世佛。什麼叫三世呢？就是過去世、現在世、未來世。前幾天我不是說有的人不相信有過去生，有現在生，有未來生，尤其有錢的人？有錢的人，他不相信有來生，所以就盡量享受，以為他生意做得賺錢了，以為他這個生命很有價值了。其實不然。
「今生富貴為何因？前生齋僧濟貧人。」今生為什麼富貴呢？因為前生做過布施，捨一得萬報－－布施一文，布施一個 penny，今生得到萬倍那麼多的利息，這叫捨一得萬報。
那麼「今生貧賤是何因？」今生窮，為什麼呢？「前生不肯濟貧人。」那麼今生為什麼沒有錢，就因為前生有錢的時候不肯布施。為什麼不願意布施呢？就因為怕沒有了。我這個錢要是布施給旁人，我自己沒有了，這是太笨了，太愚癡了；有錢為什麼要布施給人呢？所以他不布施。拿著一個penny，他也攢著，攢著這個penny，把這個penny攢化成水他也不放手，就這么樣子慳貪。他寧可叫它變成水，這個銅攢成水了，所以他怕窮；怕窮，今生窮了；什麼也沒有了。所以今生貧賤是何因？前生不肯濟貧人。
「今生端正容貌好」：今生相貌長得非常圓滿，非常端正，人人見著都恭敬這個人，愛這個人，不討厭。無論什麼人見著都會生一種愛敬的心。為什麼呢？這「香花點燈供佛前」；你在佛前上香，或者供花，或者點燈，所以今生相貌就圓滿了。佛也都一樣，一切一切都有因都有果的。
不論你是印第安人也好，美國人也好，中國人也好，日本人也好，印度人也好，暹羅、緬甸人也好，這都是互相會搬家的。好像你住在這一個房子裡頭，住一住就要搬家了。人的生命和這個道理是一樣的，一點都不出奇。在這個世界上，善一夥，惡一群，什麼人他就找什麼人。信佛的人就和信佛的人在一起；信鬼的人就和信鬼的人在一起；信魔的人就和信魔的人在一起；讀書的人就和讀書的人在一起；做官的人就和做官的人在一起；那麼做生意的人就和做生意的人在一起；做工的人就和做工的人在一起；種人參的人和種人參的人在一起，所以就叫善一夥，惡一群，什麼人找什麼人。
待續
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Saturday, August 23,1975 (afternoon)
Yesterday, I taught you the mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum," and some people had these idle thoughts, "Perhaps I was one of the bugs on that Dharma Master's body three or four hundred years ago. Since he recited the mantra, I've now become a human being and taken refuge with the Triple Jewel. Could that be the case?" That's their false thought. Well, I'm not going to answer that question. Maybe Little Guo Fang was such a bug. She likes to eat candy and when I recited the mantra it probably kept turning things into candy.
Today I will continue speaking about Amitabha Buddha. It's not the case that there's just one Buddha or two Buddhas. In fact, there are as many Buddhas as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, and they dwell in the ten directions. What are the ten directions? They are: north, east, south, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest—that's eight directions. Then add the zenith and the nadir and you have ten directions. In each of the ten directions there are Buddhas in number like the sands in the Ganges. The Buddha is a living being who has become enlightened. As many living beings as there are, there are that many Buddhas. Can you count the number of living beings that currently exist? There's no way to count them. You can't even reckon the exact number of human beings. You might figure out the number of people in one country, but you don't necessarily know the population of all the countries in the world. There's no way to come up with an accurate figure, no matter what scientific methods you use, including computers! Even if you could count the human population, could you count the mosquitoes? How many are there in one country? How many are there in the whole world? You can't count the mosquitoes; you can't count the ants; you can't count the bees. All the insects, the birds, and all other living creatures are also uncountable. And the Buddhas are also like that. There are so many you could never count them. For every living being, there is a Buddha, and that Buddha will take that living being across. Thus, we talk about the Buddhas of the three periods of time throughout the ten directions. The three periods of time are: the past, the present, and the future. A few days ago I mentioned that some people do not believe in past, present, and future lives, especially rich people. They don't believe at all in future lives. They just enjoy themselves, thinking that if they can make a fortune in their business, they are "getting the most out of life." But they are wrong.
Why is one wealthy in one's present life?
It's because in the past one made offerings to the Sangha and aided the poor.
Why are you wealthy and honored in this life? It's because you practiced charity in past lives. It's said, "Renounce one, and gain ten thousand in return." If you gave away a penny in a past life, in this life you get it back ten thousand times as interest.
Why is one poor in one's present life?
It's because in the past one refused to aid the poor.
In past lives, when you had money, you didn't give, and so now you are poor. You were afraid if you gave away your money that you wouldn't have any for yourself. "I'll be stone broke. Why should I give my money away? That's too stupid." You held on to every single cent, squeezing it so tightly that it melted in your hand. You would rather have it melt than let go of it. That's how stingy you were. Those so terribly afraid of being poor, in their next life are, in fact, poor.
Why is one handsome in one's present life?
It's because in the past one offered incense, flowers, and lamps to the Buddha.
Suppose a person is extremely attractive. Everyone who meets him respects him and is fond of him. In general, no one dislikes him. Why is this? It's because that person made offerings of incense and flowers, and lit lamps before the Buddhas in past lives.
Everything is a matter of cause and effect. So it doesn't matter whether in your past lives you were an American Indian, American, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Burmese, or Sri Lankan—at some time or another you changed your residence. You may live in one "house" for a while, but eventually you will have to pack up and move. The principle of cause and effect works in human life in the same way. There's nothing strange about it at all. In the world:
The good flock together, and the evil run in packs;
People seek out their own kind.
Buddhists associate with Buddhists. Those who believe in ghosts gather with those who believe in ghosts. Those who have faith in demons stay with those who have faith in demons. Students associate with students. Politicians associate with politicians, businessmen with businessmen, laborers with laborers, ginseng growers with ginseng growers, (this was added during translation) So that's what is meant by, "The good flock together, and the evil run in packs; people seek out their own kind."
To be continued
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