Page 42 - 加拿大佛教会湛山精舍杂志季刊第74期

法脈摭實
D HARMA COLLECTION

conditions and therefore rebirth has to change accord- we read about a chicken served to a young man; it had
ingly. the same features as his father in his previous life. No
one can be sure of the kind of relationship that real-
When we consider how diversified are the inclina- ly exists between ourselves and the creature killed to
tions of the countless sentient beings, changing as feed us. It could be someone very close to us in our
they move through the six realms on the wheel of previous life. When we enjoy eating the flesh of other
existence going back in time as far as we can im- beings in the company of our friends and family in
agine, we can appreciate the enormity of difilements the present we do not give any thought to how much
and the resultant suffering. Innumerable texts hand- suffering preceded that moment. Conversely, we are
ed down from antiquity testify to people’s incessant enjoying ourselves in the present and yet, as evidence
preoccupation with wealth, power, beauty, and honor indicates we will be the flesh consumed by others in
as the concerns central to their existence. We may our future existence. When observed with heavenly
disbelieve the unofficial histories, but the following eyes the situation appears truly tragic. The reasons
excerpts are from trusted Chinese annals: Po Kun used to justify taking of another being’s life are irrel-
turned into a bear and Ju I became a dog according evant. Wherever dying is involved, there is always
to the Book of Han. Yang Hu was the son of Lee in suffering, more so when force or violence is applied.
his previous life as can be seen in the Book of Ch’in, The resulting negative energy leaves an imprint in the
while Emperor Liang Yuan Ti was in his previous life form of ill will waiting to manifest itself at some fu-
a monk with tiny eyes. A girl of Liu was Lee Shu in ture occasion with retribution following in its train.
her previous life and Liu Hang was Niu Seng Ju. Fan
Tsu You was Teng Yu, Kuo Hsiang Cheng was Lee The eight kinds of consciousness jointly form what is
Tai Pai as disclosed by the chronicle of Sung. Hsia known as “the field”. The field is a feature common
Yuan Chi was Chu Yuan according to Huan Ming to all. Whoever considers taking the life of another
Records. The above evidence can be verified since perfumes the field via the Alaya consciousness which
it is incorporated in the official annals as indicated. in turn releases the karmic seeds on the wheel of ex-
istence. In every birth and every death causes and
The wheel of existence is kept in motion by cause and conditions converge and give rise to retribution in a
effect and the preceding discussion was an attempt to never ending cycle. Consider for instance the chron-
explain this Teaching and disclose its implications. icle of Tso Chiu Ming in the Chou Dynasty: The son
It will further our understanding if we spend a little of a ranking official P’eng Sheng appeared in a dream
time considering the heaviest karma in the world, i.e., as a pig-farm owner and a guide to calamity and re-
taking life or killing living beings. Most people are venge. Chao T’ung and Chao K’uo were transformed
able to see their present lives, never considering they into servants by Chin K’uo ghost for letting Chin
have had innumerable previous existences. Neither K’uo die. Chinese history is replete with officials ex-
do they wonder what forms of life will be theirs in ecuted by their emperors in matters of honor; they are
their further lives. Since all living beings are very still waiting for their chance to avenge themselves.
closely related through previous existences, how can The picture turns from bad to worse when we consid-
anyone take the lives of other beings and eat their er the massive killings of innocents on a daily basis.
flesh? The consequences are bound to be felt; what a pity
so many people produce heavy karma during their
The Kuang Ren’s record reports that he knew of a life-span. Taking other beings’ lives begins with a
mutton that was the ghost of his wife deceased several birthday celebration when a child is one month old
years past, and in the sutra of comparison of dharmas and continues from one festive occasion to the next.

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