人在世界上，什么奇奇怪怪的事情都有，为什么？因为当初种奇怪的因，所以现在结奇怪的果。你若不种这种因，就不会结这种果。我们若明白因果的道理，就要“诸恶莫作，众善奉行”。世界上的人与因果是分不开的，但是人人都看不见因，只看见果。当果报到来的时候，就手忙脚乱不知如何是好，这都是当初种因时不知小心，等到受奇奇怪怪的果报时，才觉得莫名奇妙。
There are all kinds of peculiar matters in this world. Because peculiar causes were planted before, now peculiar results appear. If we hadn't planted a certain cause, there wouldn't be a corresponding effect. If we understood the principle of cause and effect, we wouldn't do any evil deeds, but would only do good. People in this world cannot avoid cause and effect, yet no one can see the causes; we only see the effects, the results. When retribution comes, we panic and don't know what to do, but it's all because we weren't careful at the time the causes were planted. We wait until we receive all kinds of strange retributions and are then confounded by them.
现在大家研究《楞严经》上的〈四种清净明诲〉，这段经文把人杂乱古怪的因果，全都说得清清楚楚。你若明白因果，就要“诸恶莫作，众善奉行。”不要天天尽想利益自己，应该想怎么去利益他人，但是也不必在口头上说：“我常利益人啊！我修庙、造塔、布施、济贫…。”这不是讲的，而是要真正去实行。以“助人为快乐之本”为自己的天职，那么这个世界自自然然就会好起来了。
In the Shurangama Sutra, which we are studying now, the section on the Four Rules of Purity explains very clearly about various kinds of strange, confusing causes and effects. If you want to understand cause and effect, then you should “do no evil, but do only good. ” Don't spend your days thinking about how to benefit yourself. Instead, think about how to be of benefit to others. You don't need to announce, “I often benefit other people. I build temples and stupas, and I give to the poor. ” This isn't something to talk about; you have to actually do it. Consider helping people to be the source of your happiness and your personal duty. Then this world will naturally become wholesome.
一九八三年四月三十日中午开示
于万佛圣城
A talk given at noon on April 30, 1983,
at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
