Causual complexity vs Truth of
Buddha dharma
《印光大师文钞》（复周颂尧居士书）中提到一位吃素念佛已二十余年,
老太太遭遇车祸惨死的故事
Patriarch Venerable Master Ying
Kuang's letter answering a laity's doubt, named 周颂尧居士 about an old
lady who died from traffic accident. This lady has been a
vegetarian and Buddha remembrance practice for about 20
years.
This
piece of advice from Patriarch Venerable Master Yin Kuang is
enlightening and beneficial in the context of blissful and serene
living, as well as the necessity to understand the causual
complexity for a smooth journey along the path towards inherent
nature of enlightenment. In view of my shallow practice and wisdom
in Buddha teachings, the translation is not perfectly in tune with
Patriarch Venerable Master Yin Kuang's perfect and rightful
perception stated in the letter. It is merely a translation of this
letter and it requires further elaboration. Pls consult
practitioners with deep insight on sages teachings of
love.
http://www.dizang.org/wj/yg2/036.htm
（民国二十年 - 1920）（附原函 - The original version of
letter seeking enlightenment by 周颂尧居士）
今有一疑问，请求老法师慈悲开示。弟子吃素念佛，已经多年。因为信佛之人，为十方三世诸佛之所护念，天龙八部，大力神王，常随拥护。往世恶业，亦渐消灭，纵有怨对，不能为害。此乃佛经所说，决非虚语。讵于三月间，接到上海舍亲处来一讣闻，系一极信佛之张太太，吃素已二十余年，常到居士林听经。逢人必劝念佛吃素，心极慈悲行善。不料一日，送素菜与某师兄，在马路上行走，为汽车轧死。后为巡捕房收去，至三日后，其家子孙晓得，始去领归安殓。余闻悉之下，心中非常惊惶，至今疑惑不解。且佛会中人闻之，亦均不安。故特上书，恳求老法师开导，指示所以然之故。何以临终如是之苦，究竟可能往生西方否。说个明白，可使大家安心念佛，不胜感德之至。
Honorable Venerable Master, I have a doubt that
required your enlightenment advice.
As a Buddha's disciple, I have been observing
vegetarian and Buddha remembrance practice for many years.
According to Buddha/sages teachings, the practitioners would be
blessed by Buddhas of the past, present and future, blessed by the
spirits of the nether world and those powerful heavenly beings. In
addition, past evil karma, would gradually eradicated, even if
there are animosity, it will be protected from good will. The
aforementioned was firmly in accordance with the teachings stated
in Sutra,and is certainly not falsity or false-tell. However, in
the month of March 1920, an obituary letter from ShangHai has
shaken our understanding on causual effect. It was pertaining to an
old lady - Mdm Teo who was cultivating Buddha remembrance and
observed vegetarian for more than 20 years. She was also often
present at the Buddhist Lodge attending Dharma Lecture. This old
lady was always urging others to practice Buddha remembrance and to
observe vegetarian. She was very compassionate in doing good deeds.
Unfortunately, one day, while on her walking journey delivering
vegetarian meal to a fellow practitioner, she was knocked down by a
car and died. Thereafter, her dead body was in the custody of
police for three days, before her children and grandchildren knew
it and transported it back to perform burying in peace. After
reading this unfortunate episode in the context of Buddhism
teachings, I personally felt extremely astonished and worried. Up
till now, my doubt on causaul effects in this regards has still not
been clarified. Even those practitioners in the Buddhism community
also had developed similar doubt. Henceforth, I wrote this letter,
pleading for Venerable Master's compassionate clarification and
guidance, on the rationale behind her unfortunate encounter in her
final breath, and whether she was rebirth in Amitabha Pureland,and
also to let all practitioners understand and be peace of mind on
the path in Buddhism. My utmost respect and thankful for the
unsurpassed compassionate enlightenment advice.
接手书，知阁下于佛法道理，尚未真明。吾人从无始以来，所作恶业，无量无边。华严经云，假使恶业有体相者，十方虚空不能容受。须知人之修持，果真诚无伪，便能转业。转重报后报，为现报轻报。凡夫肉眼，只能见当时之吉凶事实，不能知过去与未来之因果何如。此老太太，多年精修，一朝惨死，或者由此苦报，便可消灭所造三途恶道之报，而得生善道。或在生有真信愿，亦可往生西方。但吾人既无他心道眼，不敢臆断，谓决定往生，与决定不往生也。
From your letter, it revealed that you were not
really clear about the truth of Buddha Dharma. I personally
(Venerable Master Ying Kuang), since neither from the beginning,
has conceived evil karmic seeds that are beyond calculator.
Elaborated in the Flower Adornment Sutra - if evil karmic seeds
have its form,the atmosphere in the 10 directions (north, south,
east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, top and
bottom) and across atmoshperes of all the universes, are not able
to accommodate them. You ought to understand that the sincere
cultivation of the Absolute one, would be able to transform karma.
It would transform heavy karmic into lighter one; future
retributions into present retributions. The naked eyes of sentient
beings only can experience the truth of good & bad phenomenons
at that given moment. They are unable to realize the episodes of
past & future karmic development. This old lady has been
cultivating good deeds for many years, although she may have
experienced this unfortunate accident, it eliminated her bad
causual effects of the past lives, that supposed to be atoned
in the 3 bad realms, and rebirth in the 3 good realms. If she has
true faith and vow towards Amitabha Land of Ultimate Bliss, she was
able to rebirth in the Western Paradise. However, my enlightenment
mind were not opened yet (他心道眼 [Psychic Power with regards to the
mind] is one of the
inherent Six Psychic Power == 六神通 (http://fodian.goodweb.cn/dict_read5.asp?ID=332))
Therefore, I cannot firmly state that she has already rebirth or
not rebirth in Pureland.
其可决定者，为善必有善报，作恶必有恶报。为善而得恶报，乃宿世之恶业果报，非现在之善业果报也。汝等诸人，见此老人，得此果报，心中便有为善无福，善不足为之邪见，故致惊惶疑惑。其知见，与未闻佛法之人，有何各异。倘深信佛言，决不以此事，作此惊惶疑惑之态。以因果之事，重叠无尽，此因未报，彼果先熟。如种稻然，早种者早收。如欠债然，力强者先牵。
Nevertheless, I only can firmly claim that good
deeds beget good causual effects, while bad deeds beget bad causual
effects. Conducting good deeds resulted in bad effects, is due to
past lives of bad karmic retributions, and is not as a result of
present good deeds being cultivated. As for you all, experienced
this old folk undergoing this bad effect and arose the doubtful on
sages teachings that good causes begets bad eventuality, this was
due to your lack of kind nature that had given rise to evil
perception/view. As a result, astonishment, worried and doubts had
taken precedence. This sentience's point of view is no different
from those haven't contacted with the teachings of inherent wisdom
/ Buddha dharma. For practitioners who have deep root and nature
faith in sage words, would never develop egoism of doubt and worry.
Matter related to causual effects are heaped piled endlessly. The
result of this cause is not being retributed, while the result of
that effect erupts first. It is liken to the nature of sowing
paddy rice, the earlier one would harvest first; It is also liken
to owing of debt, the most powerful would be in force
first.
古有一生作善，临终恶死，以消灭宿业，次生便得富贵尊荣者。如宋阿育王寺一僧，欲修舍利殿，念沂亲王有势力，往募，所捐无几，愤极，以斧于舍利殿前断其手，血流而死。即时，其王生一子，哭不止。奶母抱之游行，至挂舍利塔图处则不哭，离开又哭。遂将其图取下，奶母常向彼持之，则永不哭。王闻而异之,遂使人往育王问其僧，则即于其子生日，断手流血而死。彼王遂独修舍利殿。及年二十，宁宗崩，无子，遂令彼过继，为皇帝四十一年，即宋理宗也。此僧之死，亦属惨死，使无常哭不止，见舍利图则不哭，人谁知此子，乃此僧断手惨死者之后身乎。此事载阿育王山志，光于光绪二十一年，拜舍利数十日，看之。
Thus, there are those doing good deeds, and met
with evil death. In fact, it is the eradication of past evil deeds,
while the next rebirth is being retributed with rich & honor,
wealth & rank and nobility. For instance, during the Song
Dynasty, there was a Venerable who dearly wished to renovate this
hall by the name called precious stone hall [舍利殿]. He proceeded to
seek for donation from a wealthy and powerful official, the title
of this official was known as “brother-in-law king” (( 亲王 based on
transliteration from mandarin) or the brother of the Emperor
whom the title was being conferred by Emperor in the kind of
dynasty throne). He was very worked up with the meager sum being
donated, and reacted negatively by chopping off his own hand in
front of the hall. He was bled to death. On the other hand, the
wife of this official had given birth to a son, but this baby has
never stopped crying. The nanny cradled him here and there in the
hope to pacify him. When she has walked towards the place
displaying the picture of this precious stone hall, the baby
immediately stopped his crying, as and when she moved away from the
picture, the baby started to cry again. The nanny then brought
along this picture to accompany the baby to stop his cry and never
seen him crying again. When this official came to know about this
abnormal occurrence, he sent a man to inquire about this Venerable.
He realized that his son birth date and the death of this Venerable
matched perfectly. The official then realized something amissed and
begun to do and completed the renovation of this precious stone
hall. When his son reached 20 years old, the Emperor of that time
has no son to take over his throne. He ordered to past over
his throne to this child, and had became the Emperor then, for a
period of 41 years, historically known as 宋理宗.The venerable who
died badly rebirth as a crying child. This eventful story was
recorded in the magazine called 阿育王山志. I read this article while I
(referring to Patriarch Yin Kuang) was performing the practice of
prostration of the precious stone for tenths of days.
明理之人，任彼境遇如何，决不疑因果有差，佛语或妄。不明理，守死规矩，而不知因果复杂，遂致妄生疑议，总因心无正见故也。如所说念佛之人，有三宝加被，龙天护佑，此系一定之理，断不致或有虚妄。然于转重报后报，为现报轻报之理，未能了知，故不免有此种不合理之疑议也。
For practitioner who has insight on the nature of
enlightenment, in whatsoever the encounters of life that are
undergoing, the doubt on causual effects would never arise.
Practitioners that lack of insight, and remained strong guarded on
rule and custom of practice, and without understanding the
complexity of its causual effects, and given rise to delusion of
view and doubtful, was generally due to lack of rightful
perception. For instance, the saying of blessings accorded to those
Buddha remembrance practitioners is in fact, true. However, the
complete lack of understanding on sages teachings relating to the
transformation of heavy and future karma into present retribution
and light effects, would result in the aforementioned doubtful view
against sages teachings, and it can never be precluded.
昔西域戒贤论师，德高一世，道震四竺。（四天竺国。）由宿业故，身婴恶病，其苦极酷，不能忍受，欲行自尽。适见文殊，普贤，观世音三菩萨降，谓曰，汝往昔劫中，多作国王，恼害众生，当久堕恶道。由汝宏扬佛法，故以此人间小苦，消灭长劫地狱之苦，汝宜忍受。
In the past in India, a highly honorable and
great Abhidharma Master namely Venerable “Precept Virtue”
(戒贤论师) –
(Tripitaka
三藏（經、律、論）：Sanskrit;
literally, "the three baskets". It refers to the Buddhist canon,
which has three parts: the sutras,
the Vinaya,
or monastic code, and the Abhidharma – Buddhist philosophical treatise.].. He was a
renown venerable across India with high attainment. In view of his
past evil deeds, born with diabolical illness, the affliction he
undergone was extremely bad that he no longer could endure it.
While desire arises for suicide to end this suffering,
Manjushri 文殊菩萨,
Samantabhadra 普贤,
and Avalokitesvara
觀世音
appeared to explain the rationale
of his suffering, that he has been a ruler for many lifetimes in
his past lives, who had conducted harmful acts towards sentience
under his ruling, and hence, should rightfully demoted into the
hell realm in this lifespan to atone his past evil deeds.
Nonetheless, attributing to his dharma propagation, this small
human sufferings in this present life was actually the atonement of
his lengthy kalpa periods of hellish retribution. The advice was to
endure and go through with it.
大唐国有僧，名玄奘，当过三年，来此受法。戒贤论师闻之，遂忍苦忏悔，久之遂愈。至三年后，玄奘至彼，戒公令弟子说其病苦之状。其说苦之人，哽咽流泪，可知其苦太甚。使不明宿世之因，人将谓戒贤非得道高僧。或将谓如此大修行人，尚得如此惨病，佛法有何灵感利益乎。汝等?中所知者小，故稍见异相，便生惊疑。无善根人，遂退道心。倘造恶之人现得福报，亦复如是起邪见心。不知皆是前因后果，及转后报重报，为现报轻报，及转现报轻报，为后报重报等，种种复杂不齐之故也。（续．卷上）
The aforementioned
Bodhisavattas further informed him that there was this venerable
Hsuan Chuang (玄奘) who would be arriving 3 years later to receive
the transferring of Buddha dharma. Upon listening the advice, 戒贤论师
endured the sufferings and remorse for his past evil deeds done as
rulers. Gradually, he recovered and 3 years later, venerable
Hsuan Chuang arrived. 戒贤论师then asked his disciple to tell
Venerable Hsuan Chuang about the terrible experience of suffering
undergone by his teacher. In the process, this disciple cried badly
while conveying the painful experience. In this regard, the
tremendous degree of suffering undergone by 戒贤论师 was very
palpable. This is some good examples for those practitioners who
lack of wisdom in the causual effects and those who failed to
understand the karma of past lives and defame Buddha dharma
based on the bad effect experienced by high attainment like that of
Venerable 戒贤 or doubtful on those great practitioners who have
suffered in extremely bad circumstances along the path of Buddhism.
For moderate level practitioners who are mildly realized, would
certainly arise misleading view and developing doubt. For those who
are lack of kindness nature, they would withdraw the faith in
pursuing the goal of enlightenment path. There is this incorrect
perception arises upon witnessing the living example of those who
conducted evil acts but gained prosperity and fame, which in fact,
it is the devoid of understanding on the complexity of past deeds
and future fruition. The transformation of future and heavy effects
into the present and light effects, and further transformation of
present and light retributions into future and heavy effects. This
is the result of various types of causual effects and its nature
of complexity.
Amitofo