如實知見 knowing and seeing the truth

《命運》

問 ：今生貧窮、多病的果報，跟過去世有關嗎？如果有，是不是宿命論，還是常見？

帕奧禪師答：對於這件事，你必須分辨人道生活與天道、地獄道生活的差異。天道與地獄道，稱為業果生活地，意即該道的眾生，透過業力的果報而得到其生活。人道，則稱為精進果生活地，意即人道的眾生，透過精進的結果，而得到其生活。

由於過去世業力的緣故，天道與地獄道的眾生，不需要付出任何的努力，自然就能得到快樂或痛苦的生活。人道的眾生則不同，他們的生活，不僅與過去世的業力有關，也受到今世的努力與智慧影響。因此，業力、努力與智慧，是決定人生幸福的三個因素。

就以你所提到的貧富問題為例，如果一個人有發財的善業成熟，並且付出足夠的努力與運用智慧，他就能夠變成大富翁，並且享用自己的財富。

然而，如果一個人只是有發財的善業成熟，但是不付出努力，也不運用智慧，那麼即使得到了大量的財富，他也無法保有其財富，終究會失去而變得貧窮落魄。

生在佛陀時代的大富長者子，就是一個很好的例子，他與妻子都各得到多達八億元的遺產，然而，後來他們失去了所有的財富，而變成了乞丐。

除此之外，儘管他有足夠的善業力，能支持他在那一世就證得阿羅漢果，但由於他不付出努力與運用智慧，來修行佛法，所以他一直到死亡，都還只是一個可憐的凡夫。

如果一個人，沒有致富的善業力成熟，但是付出努力與運用智慧，去努力賺錢，他無法變成大富翁。然而，他仍能享有某種程度的舒適生活。由此可見，在人間，人們的努力與智慧，比過過世的業力更為重要。

有一個關於三條魚的故事，能夠給我們更清楚的了解：從前，有個漁夫在恆河捉到了三條魚。在這三條魚當中，一條相信努力，一條相信業力，另一條相信智慧。

相信努力的那條魚，認為自己單靠努力，就能夠逃脫，因此它一再地奮力跳躍，企圖掙脫漁網。漁夫被它激怒了，就用划船的槳狠狠地打它，把它打死了。

相信業力的那條魚，認為自己若有逃脫厄運的善業，該業力會自動地產生果報。因此，它就靜靜地躺在甲板上，等待好運自動來臨，一點也不想付出任何努力。

第三條魚相信智慧，它認為自己能採取理智的行動而逃脫，因此，它一直觀察周圍的情況，留意適合採取行動的時機。

漁夫將船劃向岸邊，當船接近岸邊時，他一腳跨上岸，另一腳還留在船上。那時，他無意中讓漁網，打開了一道縫隙，那條相信智慧的魚，把握住這稍縱即逝的良機，迅速地從那道縫隙中，跳出漁網，落入水中，並且立刻遊回恒河去。

由這個故事的啟示，我們可以了解到，智慧是這三個因素當中最重要的。

至於生病，有四項可能的因素，即業力、心理、時節(火界)與食物。因此，並非所有疾病都由業力造成。

佛教是分辨道理的，教導人有因才有果，沒有因就沒有果。如此的因果正見，既不是宿命論，也不是常見。

如果你相信自己的命運，已經完全注定，無法改變，那麼你就是宿命論者。根據佛陀的教導，當一個業力成熟，而且即將結成果報時，那業力的果報，是決定的、無法改變的；但是，當一個業力尚未成熟時，它的果報，是尚未決定的、是可以改變的。

大目犍連尊者，就是一個明顯的例子：在他般涅槃之前，他在過去世的某一生中，企圖殺害父母的惡業成熟了，因此，他被痛打到全身的每一塊骨頭都粉碎。即使他已經證得阿羅漢果，仍然無法改變這種惡報。

然而，由於他已經斷盡一切煩惱，所以除了當生已經成熟的那些業力之外，其他所有的業力，都不能產生出果報。般涅槃之後，他就解脫了生死輪迴，這已經改變了命運。

如果你相信，你的前世和今世是同一個人，意即同樣的那個人，從前世，投生到今世來；或者，你相信有一個靈魂，從一世投生到另一世，那麼你就是有常見。

根據佛陀的教導，沒有靈魂或自我存在。你的前世，只是由剎那生滅的名色法構成；你的今世，也是由剎那生滅的名色法構成，它們是不同的，沒有一個不變的「你」或「人」存在。

然而，有情透過離世累積的業力，產生今世的有情五蘊，它們之間有因果關係，而不是完全不相關的。因此，佛教既不是宿命論，也不是常見。

"Destiny"

Question: Is the result of poverty and illness in this life related to past lives? If so, is it fate or something else?

Pak Auk Sayadaw's Answer: Regarding this matter, you must distinguish between human existence and the lives in heavenly realms or hell. Heavenly and hellish existences are considered "lives of karmic results," meaning beings in those realms receive their lives through the results of their karma. Human existence, on the other hand, is termed "lives of diligent results," meaning that beings in the human realm derive their lives from their efforts and diligence.

Due to the karmic forces from past lives, beings in heavenly and hellish realms do not need to exert any effort; they naturally receive joyful or painful lives. Human beings are different; their lives are influenced not only by karmic forces from past lives but also by their efforts and wisdom in this life. Therefore, karma, effort, and wisdom are the three factors that determine happiness in life.

Taking the issue of wealth as an example: if a person has good karma for wealth that is maturing and puts in sufficient effort and wisdom, they can become very wealthy and enjoy their riches.

However, if a person has matured good karma for wealth but does not make an effort or use wisdom, even if they receive a large fortune, they will not be able to maintain it and will eventually lose it, becoming impoverished.

A prime example is a wealthy elder during the Buddha's time, who inherited up to 800 million from his wife. However, they later lost all their wealth and became beggars.

Moreover, even though he had enough good karma to attain Arahantship in that life, due to not putting in effort and wisdom to practice the Dharma, he remained a pitiable ordinary person until death.

If a person does not have matured good karma for wealth but puts in effort and uses wisdom to earn money, they may not become a millionaire. However, they can still enjoy a certain level of comfortable living. This shows that in the human realm, effort and wisdom are more important than past karmic forces.

There is a story about three fish that illustrates this clearly: once, a fisherman caught three fish in the Ganges. Among them, one believed in effort, one believed in karma, and the other believed in wisdom.

The fish that believed in effort thought it could escape solely by trying hard, so it kept jumping to break free from the net. The fisherman, angered by its struggle, hit it with a paddle, killing it.

The fish that believed in karma thought that if it had good karma for escaping misfortune, that karma would automatically yield results. So, it lay still on the deck, waiting for good fortune to come without putting in any effort.

The third fish believed in wisdom. It thought it could take rational action to escape, so it observed the surroundings and waited for the right moment to act.

As the fisherman rowed toward the shore, he stepped onto the shore with one foot while the other remained on the boat. At that moment, he inadvertently opened a gap in the net, and the wise fish seized this fleeting opportunity, quickly jumping through the gap and returning to the water.

From this story, we can understand that wisdom is the most important of the three factors.

Regarding illness, there are four possible factors: karma, psychology, season (environment), and food. Therefore, not all illnesses are caused by karma.

Buddhism teaches us to discern the truth: there is a cause for every effect; without a cause, there is no effect. This understanding of cause and effect is neither fatalism nor eternalism.

If you believe that your destiny is entirely predetermined and unchangeable, then you are a fatalist. According to the Buddha's teachings, when a karma matures and is about to yield results, that result is determined and unchangeable; however, when a karma has not yet matured, its results are undecided and can be changed.

Venerable Mahamogallana is a clear example: before his parinirvana, a bad karma from a past life in which he attempted to kill his parents matured, leading him to suffer immense physical pain. Even though he had attained Arhatship, he could not change this karmic result.

However, because he had completely eradicated all defilements, aside from the matured karmas from that life, all other karmas could not produce results. After parinirbanna, he was liberated from the cycle of birth and death, which changed his destiny.

If you believe that your past and present lives are the same person, meaning the same individual reborn, or that there is a soul that transitions from one life to another, then you have an eternalist view.

According to the Buddha's teachings, there is no soul or self that exists. Your past life is composed of momentary arising and passing away of phenomena, just as your present life is also made up of momentary phenomena; they are different, and there is no unchanging "you" or "person" that exists.

However, sentient beings accumulate karma through their lives, which produces the five aggregates in this life. There is a causal relationship between them, rather than being completely unrelated. Thus, Buddhism is neither fatalism nor eternalism.