(Buddhism – Cause and Effect)

 

 

The Life Of A HUMAN BEING Is Within His One Breath…..

-Translated By : K.J. Teoh And Teoh Hai Siang

 

 

The life of a human being exists within the process of one breath.  Once the breath is stopped, the man will die!

 

Suppose I were able to live for one hundred years.  Indeed, among the millions of people, how many can really live for one hundred years?

 

 Just take an average count of the breathing of a man who can breathe for sixteen times within a minute, the in an hour he will breath 60 x 16 = 960 times.  In a day which consists of 24 hours, he will breath for 24 x 960 = 23040 times.  In a year, which consists of 365 days, he will breathe for 365 x 23040 = 8409600 times.  Then in a hundred years he will breath eight billion four thousand million times.

 

Every time when I breathe in the air and send it out, I will be losing one breath…….On, poor me, everyday I lose 23040 breaths.  In a year’s time, I will be losing 8409600 breaths.  Our lifespan which amounts to a few tens of years will come to and end when I have finished sending out the last breath.

 

From here, we can see that life is indeed short and impermanent!

 

Some people say, “As soon as a child is born, he begins to die”.

 

Indeed, the day we come to then numan realm, is also th day when we start walking towards death!

 

In this Saha World, what is that in life which is really worth our clinging to?

 

Because I want to be liberated from the Saha World of the five turbidities, I am mindful of The Buddha, “NAMO AMITABHA”, May I be born in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!

                                                                                   

• SOON GUO SEN

 

 

Cause And Effect

 

• If in the past, one beat, tortured and caned living beings, in this life ulcers and sores will grow on one’s body.
• The Supreme sages : The Lord Buddha can understand the unlimited past, future and present.  To say it more clearly : He completely understands the unlimited three periods of Time and Space.
• The Buddhist Texts state : sages that have cut off the streams of Karmic afflictions will be able to understand the history within the past 84,000 kalpas. (1 kalpa is 1343,840,000 years).
• When you perform virtuous deeds, you will receive good blessings; When you commit evil acts, you will receive bad endings.  Good seeds bear good fruits; Bad seeds bear bad fruits; This is the Law of Karmic Retribution.
• The Avatamsaka Sutra states : Bodhisattvas at the third stage of spiritual attainments, are able to understand their immediate past life, their 2^nd and 3^rd past lives, their past hundred lives, even their past thousand lives…unlimited hundred thousand past lives.  For example : able to remember the formation and destruction of the world, one’s own names, family clanship, one’s span of life, one’s physical appearances, one’s happy and unhappy experiences, the places we were born and died.
• We remember and celebrate each anniversary of our ancestors or late parents, and also other special festive days in the year, even our own birthdays.  But, if we do not cultivate “ceiling on desires”, we are as good as having lost 1 precious year of our life-time.
• If a man is born handsome and a woman beautiful, it is because in the past, they practiced hospitality and were charitable to others.
• Practicing giving increases fortune.  Setting lives free begets longevity.  One good thought transports us to Heaven.  One evil thought delivers us into Hell.  Cause and Effect is just and fair, Like Yin and Yang complementing each other.  In our Saha world there are jails; In the Nether world there is Hell.  Doing good or bad all come from you, Wait not when Death is near to know it’s true.
• Attachment to tastes normally results in sickness of the heart.
• Perform a good act, bad karma you subtract; Prevent a certain death, good karma you add.  Influence a person never to kill, thousands of lives are already saved by you.  What if a thousand people you instill, what greatness one virtuous act can fulfill.
• If in the past we had committed robbery and created bad karma, that will cause us to suffer from lungs and nose problems.  But after we had started to uphold the precept of not staling, our lung and nose problems will gradually diminish.  Such is the truth that “upholding precepts can diminish karmic debts”.
• If in this life one does evil deeds and easily gets angry; if one often gets jealous or likes to scold people, in the next life the karmic retribution will be rebirth with an ugly and crooked mouth.
• If in this like one mixes with people who disbelieve in the Karmic Retribution of the 3 periods of time, and also embraces deviant and immoral knowledge and values, … in one’s next life one will have a low and deficient mind.
• A person is rich but is repulsive and ugly; this is because in the past one was generous but easily lost one’s temper.
• All the ill-omens and bad luck that we encounter in this life is a direct result of our past evil actions and thoughts.
• Those who ill-treat animals in the past or in this present life will meet with many sicknesses in life.
• Behaving proud and arrogant in the past life will result in being born despicable and lowly in this life.
• Even as we uphold precepts in this life, sometimes we will also incur bad karma and become sick.  Just because we fell sick will upholding precepts, we should not be discouraged to continue this practice.  Will we are upholding precepts and still fall sick, this is a sign that our past bad karma has lessened.  It is an early sign that our karma is diminishing.
• Sakyamuni Buddha originally attained to the state of Suchness, where sicknesses are absent.  But because He wanted to liberate people from the cycle of Rebirth, He has to present Himeself as a normal being with a conditioned body that is subjective to sicknesses.  All holy sages experience bodily changes (sickness).  Although when they are sick, their mental states are always clear, pure and blissful.
• Our human karma is quite unique, just as what we perceive is also different.  For eg: A human being sees water as water, a ghost sees water as blood; heavenly beings see water as crystal; a fish sees water as its home and to leave it is equal to death.
• Not to kill but to set lives free is to create blessings, a practice so easy;  Not to eat meat is our human dignity, for we were born to live, to learn to love, be free. There is nothing great to shout about, just do not kill in your deeds, speech, thoughts.  Bad karma you will then not create, only blessings you reap and take.
• Whenever the ancient people have done a good deed, they will put a red bean into a bottle as a mark.  And when a bad deed has been done, they too put a black bean into a different bottle.  After a year has passed, they would count the beans to check on the number of good and bad deeds that they had done.
• If in this life one likes to fight, enjoys killing animals and destroying their homes, and is happy when someone one dislikes has passed away….in one’s next life the life-span will be short.
• When everyone knows of his evil deeds, or his notoriety is already well-known, we can prevent others and our friends from his evil doings by taking him as an example.  By doing so, we are generating good blessings.
• Nobody can escape death.  When a person leaves the world he takes along nothing with him, except his karmic seeds of good or bad deeds.  It is said : “At death not even one of 10,000 things we can brings; except only the karmic seeds of every deeds we did”.
• If in this life one practices Compassion and Equanimity and avoid killing, and is always happy to help others…. In one’s next life one will have a long life-span.
• The 5 sensual desires are : attachment to beauty, to sweet music, to perfumed unguent, to tasty flavors and to soothing touch.  To every layperson, the 5 sensual desires are always creating karmic afflictions. And deep down in his heart, there is not a single day when he can be completely satisfied with them.
• When a person is thinking of doing evil, but has not started to do it, we can persuade or hinder him from doing so, such a timely intervention already produces good.
• Before a person begins to do a good deed, and we had encouraged him to carry it out, this is called “attaining blessing through encouragement”.  When a person is in the process of carrying out a good deed and we supported and helped him out, this is called “attaining blessings through charitable acts”.
• Our 6 roots : eye, ear, nose tongue, body and mind, create and result in various good and bad karma.  For eg : someone may be born rich but has a crooked mouth. 
• If in this life one indulges in unwholesome sexual acts and adultery, in the next life one will be reborn as a sparrow, a pigeon, a mandarin duck, etc. or as an animal.  (from the Sutra of Earth Store Bodhisattva).
• A child’s destiny : intelligence, ignorance, status in life, wealth or poverty – have no connection whatsoever with the parent’s high education nor with the good or bad name given to the child.  A child’s destiny is formed from the good and bad deeds he had done in his past life and also the merits and demerits he has accumulated in this life.
• Although when I am in need, let me wish that others will have plenty.  Although when I am sick and weak, may I wish that others are healthy.  When suffering comes to me, let me accept it with peace.
• When one do good and yet receive bad results, one should quickly repent one’s evil actions of one’s past life.  One should not start to blame on others or to criticize, saying doing good deeds will not bring good results.
• Unattached to all worldly possessions, saving and freeing lives – a habitual action;  These result in blessings in abundance:  A long life and rebirth in Heaven, And escaping from dangers is so common.  Practicing virtues will good fortune make, But don’t expect for nor rewards wait. What you do and give, is what you will get. Not expecting dues from virtuous acts, the Law of Karma justly takes effect.
• When I am happy and contented, and everything good comes my way I start to think : I am not very fortunate.  This must be the karmic results of my good deeds in my past life.  However, in this life, I shall continue to do charitable deeds…when one is happy and contented, it is the best time to do more good deeds and accumulate merits.
• There was a farmer who used a piece of sting to pull out a cow’s tongue,  Later in his life he had 3 sons – all were mute.  This is the Karmic Retribution for being cruel to animals.
• The ancient sages say : “ A face devout of hatred is like an offering, A mouth free from hateful words emits fragrance; A heard empty of hatred is like a priceless gem, Not create nor destroyed, the Eternal Truth stands”.  A heard free from hatred and filled with Equanimity is completely whole and pure.
• If in this life one eats excessively and wastes food, in the next life one will suffer from hunger pangs and throat problems.
• Many people do not really understand the cause of bearing a prodigal son.  The reason is mainly due to not doing any meritorious deeds in the past lives; moreover there were Karmic debts still unsettled.  By not doing evil, by doing lots of good deeds so as to accumulate merits, only will one have a truly good and fortunate child.
• If in the past or in this present life one has lived virtuously, committing no evil, one’s coming generation will be blesses with virtuous children.  Even if the parents of such children are uneducated, the children will be endowed with intelligence and graduate with flying colours.
• We have got to understand the need to protect our body, not to hurt others nor to speak harshly.  When hatred arises in us, it will increase afflictions which will lead to bodily and mental unease.
• Question : At the marketplace we can see, chickens and fish for us to eats; They are killed for the money they create. “Poor souls! So pity!, we helplessly said.  You wished to help; “BUT HOW CAN I?” Just don’t hurry, look into your mind.

• Answer : A Dharma-door here you can use to help in the rebirth of those slain;  Stand aside and just recite a Sutra, or Mantra or the Holy Names.  Then transfer the merits that accrue from the chanting that you’ve done to the dead with heart pure and true.  Such repentance benefits everyone!.

• The reason why one is easily frightened in this life is because in one’s past life, one had always used scary objects to threaten people.
• If in the past life or in this present life one did not live virtuously, and though one’s parents may be very highly-educated, one will not be blessed with virtuous children.  Instead, unfortunate and sickly children will be born to one, resulting in future unease and suffering.
• If you like to do charity, but you just have got no money; don’t worry, just send out your compassionate heart.  And together with your kind and loving thoughts, to all those whom you wish to give and help.  A kind word here, a caring thought there is a s charitable as the money that others share.  When you encourage others to do charity and also rejoice in setting animals free, though the participation may look insignificant, your good, loving thoughts make all the difference.  Heaven and Earth, so high so near, within without, what’s rich what’s poor?
• If in this life one loves and enjoys hunting, in the next life one will suffer from chronic nervousness to the point of insanity.
• The karmic acts of killing animals will have bad results for all of us.  In the Buddhist Sutra it states : To commit killing will result in sickness and untimely deaths.
• If in this life one steals and robs without shame, and has never practiced sharing and giving….in one’s next life one will suffer from poverty.
• Those who have harmed or killed animals in the past will have short lives.
• “Practice Compassion – No Killing” is one of the 3 types of pure blessings which result from pure actions :

1.      Worldly Blessing (Filial-piety)

2.      Precepts Blessings (Taking refuge in the Triple Jewels)

3.      Cultivation Blessings (Practicing the bringing forth of the Bodhisattva)

 

If in this life we can avoid killing, save and set lives free, and together with the chanting of Sutras and Mantras, we can transfer the merits that accrue from such virtuous acts to the deceased, with the hope that they will someday be reborn in the Pure Land.  Devotion such as these will result in our securing a place in one of the 9 categories of lotuses in the Pure Land of Amitabha.

• To live a long life but is poor, this is because in the past one loved animal but was stingy and miserly.
• When a child is born to us, we need not be too happy yet; because his coming into the world could be to repay or to collect karmic debts : “As you sow so shall you reap, It is all written in your name; Good or bad your karmic debts, In the end you must claim”.
• In the past, there was a man who reincarnation 7 times as a butcher.  He slaughtered and sold mutton as his livelihood.  And yet this man did not fall into the 3 lower realms.  It was not until his 7^th reincarnation that he finally succumbed to be reborn into the lower realms.  This is due to the fruition of the accumulated Karmic debts of his past 7 reincarnations.
• Some people have been committing evil deeds, yet their lives are not short nor do they meet with unexpected deaths.  This is because the seeds of their evil action planted in this life have not ripened; while the seeds of their good actions planted in their past lives have ripened.
• Sometimes it is rather difficult to say who actually is doing the Direct or Indirect Killing.  For example : A butcher (Direct Killing) kills and sells meat to buyers (Indirect Killing).  Sometimes after the butcher has finished killing and selling the meat, he still have many buyers.  These buyers are willing to pay and instruct the butcher to kill and sell meat to them.  At such times, these buyers (Direct killing) are involved in the killing of the animals.  And the butcher (Indirect Killing) becomes a willing party to the Killing of the poor animals.  Lastly : “Eating produces eating effects. Killing produces killing effects”. Cause produces Effect, Effects have their Causes.
• If in this life one’s hobby is netting fish and trapping birds and animals, in the next life one will be separated from one’s kith and kin, from one’s parents, brothers, sisters, spouse and children.
• If one has a jealous heart, despises others, criticizes and scandalizes practitioner of the Way, …in one’s next life, one will have poor, if any, affinities with others.
• In the past, we may have caused bad karma which was supposed to result in us going into hell or into the ghost realms as karmic retribution.  But due to our determination to upkeep precepts, we only suffer a little headache.  After the headache has disappeared, the karma also vanished, and we are at peace and are well again.
• The Sutra states : “To hinder a person from renouncing the world to become a monk will lead one to the evil realms, and later one will be reborn as a blind person.
• Because of bad karma created in the past, sicknesses present themselves in this life.
• Human beings and animals alike are all born by mothers.  The only difference is both are born in different realms.  After being born with different “Forms and Appearances” into different environments, we could not recognize who we really were.  And so those beings who were born in the human realm take the advantage to kill and eat those born into the animal realms. Eventually we have “to pay an eye for an eye, a life for a life”, the Vicious Cycle of Rebirth goes round and round…
• Do not simply pour hot water onto the ground.  This is because many small insects (cause) live in the ground.  This reckless action will harm their lives and moreover it will result in our having a short life (results).
• If in this life one indiscriminately criticizes others, in the next life one will be reborn with disabilities in speech and ulcers will often grow in the mouth.
• A selfish miser in the past life will come as a pauper in this life.
• If we break precepts and with the fruition of past karma, we will become sick.  As an example : Bringing forth evil and jealous thoughts to those who practices “bringing forth the Bodhisittva”, will result in blindness.
• All evil deeds spring from the following 10 Evil Roots : Wanton killing, Stealing, Sexual misconduct, False Speech, Scandalous gossip, Speaking with double-tongue, Bad mouthing, Greed, Hatred and ignorance.  If one commits these 10 Evils, in the next life, one ill be reborn into the realms of Hell, Animals or Hungry ghosts – the 3 terrifying evil realms of Karmic Retribution.
• Human beings can make use of their present situation to plant good causes.  For eg : in the past, we may have planted causes that lead to poverty, and now we are born poor.  However, being poor now, we must know how to be hard-working and should improve our life-situations to be a better one.
• A truly charitable person will perform charitable deeds without the thought of getting name or rewards.  To expect name and rewards in doing charity is selfish.  Such motives, in the name of charity, will only lead to demerits and creating future karmic afflictions.
• To those who understand “Cause and Effect”. For eg, if you marry (or are married to) an incompatible wife (or husband), this can be a blessing in disguise.  For during such trying times you have the chance to be free from the chains of conditional love that could bring you joy and sorrow.  You should whole-heartedly recite the Names of the Buddhas, and practice the Middle-Way to get out and end the Cycle of Death and Rebirth.
• If in this life one controls anger, is free in giving lovingly serve others, respect even the ugly with equanimity….in one’s next life one will have a wholesome personality.
• By cutting down and burning trees will result in having a short life or be separated from one’s family.  This is because insects and worms and the homes of birds are destroyed, thus resulted in their being separated from their families.
• To avoid eating meat and to become a vegetarian, is to purify the body but not the tongue from contamination.  To be pure in speech is to be pure in words, thoughts and deeds.  Pure speech is without anger, blame, hatred, untruth and deceit.  To use pure food, speech and always acting kind, is to develop a pure body, heart and mind.
• By giving food to the birds (cause) and hoping for them not to look for worms to eat (effect), will lessen the birds’ opportunity to kill and indirectly will help us to accumulate merits.
• If in the past or present life one uses cruel and inhumane ways to torture or kill people and animals, in this life one will meet with tragic death.
• A person who believes in the Law of Karma will be afraid to do evil and a person who does not believe in the Law of Karma is not afraid to do evil.  When a person does a virtuous deed, it can affect a thousand others to practice virtue.  When a person does an evil act, it can also influence a thousand others to do evil deeds.  Thus it is said : “When people believe in Karma, peach and order can be seen; When people disbelieve in Karma, disorder and chaos reign supreme”.
• The Sutra states : By donating foodstuffs one creates 5 types of blessings : Longevity, Equanimity, Noble appearance, Good heath and Eloquent speech.
• Creating bad karmic reactions is like being in debts.  To be free of such bitter fruits is like being free of debts.  To patiently accept such bitterness is better; it is like paying up all our debts.  We may now escape not paying up our debts, but our debtors will keep haunting us until all our debts are settled.
• Not all retributive actions will have their reactions appearing in this life.  Sometimes their reactions appear in the next life.  If the conditions are not right, the reactions will reappear in the next few life-times or in other future life-times.
• In “Contemplating the Great Stillness” it states : Attachment to forms, sound, smells, tastes and touch, is the cause of sicknesses.  Because these 5 senses taint our Bodhisittva and Mind, they are referred as “the 5 Dusts”.
• The Chinese characters for prison consists of the characters for cow and dog.  Those who prevent the consumption of beef and dog – meat will be exempted from being put into jails.  In the animals kingdom, cows and dogs contributed and benefited the most to the human race.
• The reason why one is always mistakenly thrown into prison is because in one’s past life, one often put animals into cages.
• Our lives are not fated. “Destiny can be altered through virtuous deeds”.  For eg : if in the past, we have committed killing and also caused hurt to others, we will have sickness and short life.  But in this life, if we were to protect, save and liberate lives, we can stay healthy and be free from sicknesses.  The past karmic causes together with the causes planted in this life will culminate into our present life-situations.
• If in the past we did not create any unwholesome thoughts or bad karma, in this life we shall be free from diseases.  If in the past we did not plant any “sickness seeds” (cause), in this life we shall not harvest any “sickness fruits” (effect).
• Always receiving charity from others is like diminishing one’s own blessings.  Realizing this, an understanding person will always be happy and ready to give, and will not simply receive charity from others.
• The 5 Virtues of Confucious are Humanity, Integrity, Courtesy, Wisdom Honesty.  The 5 Precepts of Buddhism are : No killing, No stealing, No Sexual misconduct, No False-speech, No Taking of Intoxicants.  The explanations of the words may be a bit different, but the underlying moral values are quite similar.  That is why not to practice Humanity, Integrity, Courtesy, Wisdom and Honesty, is similar to breaching the Precepts.
• When others know the truth of your benefaction, then it is a true charitable practice – an act that is worth emulating.  It is said : With a sincere and pure heart in giving, it is truly charity.
• In this life we are blessed with food and clothing.  This is because of the good deeds we have done in the past.  To leave some cooked food or vegetables uneaten during each meal is to quickly diminish our good blessings.
• Giving to charity is like depositing money into the bank.  Receiving charity is like withdrawing money from the savings in the bank.  Enjoying blessings is like taking out money from the bank and spending it.
• A person is good-looking but is looked-down upon : this is because in the past one had an accommodating heart and practiced precepts, but had despised others.
• If in this life one ill-treats animals, offends and beats people, neglects one’s parents …. In one’s next life one will be beset with all kinds of illnesses.
• Why is it that some people are born with hare-lips?  It is because in the past they used hooks to fish, causing much hurt to the fish.
• Once we are born, we have one lifetime of parents, kith and kin.  And for countless of past lifetimes, we also have countless parents and relatives.  If today we eat the meat, how sure can we be that it is not the meat of our past parents, brothers, sisters and children?
• The Vimilakirty Sutra states : “All the sicknesses that I have in this life are due to my past unwholesome thoughts and actions.  It is because of attachment to the self (ego) that afflictions and sicknesses arise.
• A person is rich but lives a short life : this is because in the past one was generous but did harm to animals and also killed them.
• Bad-mounting and criticizing those who practice “bringing forth the Bodhisattva” will result in being mute.
• The many unwholesome deeds that one has committed in the past will result in one receiving lesser freedom and happiness in this life.  By doing good deeds will lead one to Liberation; by doing evil deeds one’s path to Liberation will be met with obstacles”.
• The Brahma Net Sutra states : “A disciple of the Buddha is one who possesses a compassionate heart, who practices the liberating of lives.  To him, every man is like his father, every woman is like his mother.  From beginningless kalpas, life after life until now, all living beings in the six realms are just like his parents, kith and kin.  If he were to kill and partake of their meat, it is like killing his parents, kith and kin, and eating their flesh”.
• As has been stated in the Sutras : Not being able to know the past and the future, one cannot just deny the existence of the 3 periods of time.  We have not seen or even met with our great-grand-parents or great-great-grand-parents, can we just deny that they ever existed?
• If a person is rich but is evil-minded, not only in this life will he be denied of peace and good heath, but in his future life he will meet with untimely death.
• A person who does good will also receive good; If he does a bad deed, a bad result he will receive.  But due to many bad actions in the past, the bad result have not all come to pass.  Alike bad debts that are not paid, Karma follows us just as debtors wait, until all our karmic debts are done, only then will blessings com.
• If in this life one enjoys longevity, prosperity, good heath and peacefulness, it is because of the accumulated merits in the past life.
• Cultivating a compassionate heart is performing one of the various virtuous deeds; resulting in one being healthy and prosperous.  To be compassionate among living beings is to relieve suffering and poverty; to be compassionate among animals is not to kill, but to save and protect their lives by setting them free.

 

Cause and Effect cannot be wrong,

Karma arises from a single thought.

Visualize the Buddha and you become the Buddha.

Think of Mara and Mara you become.

One single thought can revolutionize,

Many situations we may not recognize.

A dangerous situation can be altered,

A peaceful one can be change.

Effects have their Causes,

And Causes can effect changes.

When Causes do not arise,

Effects do not pass by.

Thus it has been uttered :

Bodhisattvas are afraid to create Causes

Living beings are afraid to accept Effects

To be afraid of Cause will produce no Cause

To be afraid of Effects will produce Effects

 

The Law of Karma binds us all in our body, mind and spirit :

Thoughts and deeds and speech withal,

Have causes and effects, shallow or deep

Ignorant of the past, present and future,

It’s hard to see or to understand.

The workings of Karma and its nature,

To bear fruits planted by mouth, mind or hands

There is no effectless causes or causeless effect,

In this Saha world of Good and Evil, White and Black

A melon seed will produce melons

Melon’s seeds are from a melon,

The present melon will also be

The future melons we are yet to see.

 

• If we must accept charity, it is merely to create affinity; after which, we can give away whatever we have received to others.
• Placed inside the coffin may not necessarily be an old person; may be a young person never even complete his life-span.  This is the Karmic result of Retributive Actions (cause and effect) that we have created in our past lives.
• If in the past, we always looked down upon others, in this life we will be born undersized and dwarfish.
• A person’s wealth, poverty, beauty or ugliness, long or short life, birth and death, is all destined.  One’s destiny is the result of one’s past thoughts, deeds and speech.
• Those who believe in “Cause and Effect” will never profit at the expense of others.  They know that gaining at the expense of others will result in having to pay a high price later.
• If in this life one easily gets angry, has a hateful nature, despises others, is disrespectful to parents … in one’s next life one will have an ugly and repulsive personality.
• Life is the most precious in this world, under Heaven taking a life is the most cruel.  To harm and kill – what a terrible ordeal! Even tiny ants scurry away from our heels! What more the un-thinking Man – who also can FEEL?!
• In the past life if we criticized and incriminated others, in this life we shall be born deaf, mute and dumb.
• Human beings, besides having these lives, have lived unlimited past lives, and will live unlimited future lives.  The root causes of good and evil karma pervade the three periods of time.  In this life the good and bad actions may not necessarily bear the results now.  In this life, the happiness and suffering that we have experienced may not necessarily be created from this present life.  Whatever we have encountered now could be the results of our past actions.  And the deeds done in this life sometimes will have to wait until some future lives to bear the results.
• In the past lives, we have planted good seeds (causes), therefore in this life we reap the fruits (effects) of our good actions : Freedom, Peace and Happiness.
• Longevity and Compassion are closely related, just like “Humaneness is Longevity”.  Having humanity and the compassion of no-killing is the source of Longevity.
• Common sickness can be treated by doctors.  If it is a prolonged or recurring sickness, or one after undergoing operations and there is still no signs of recovery, it is Karmic sickness; often caused by much killing in the past lives.  We can first tackle the causes by becoming a vegetarian, prevent killing, and also to free lives.  More importantly is to emphasize on our personal cultivation and chanting the various names of the Buddhas.
• A charitable family accumulates good merits, its descendants will definitely become prosperous.  A family that does unwholesome deeds accumulates demerits; its descendants will definitely meet with unexpected calamities.
• Although you may provide food to animals you keep in cages, but you are depriving them of their freedom.  You next life may be long, but you will live with limited freedom.  As such, keeping animals in captivity is not worth doing, rather let them be free.
• There is a verse that states : “Giving one grain of rice, its greatness is like Mount Sumeru; Not realizing the way in this life, covered with fur and horns will be you!”.  Only the unwise and unvirtuous will simply accept others’ charity.  Accepting charity and not practicing the way, in the next life, one will be reborn and slogged as cows and horses, as a karmic retribution.
• Even a good and compassionate person may suffer from various difficulties and may live a short life; this is because the evil karmic actions of his past life have ripened first, while this life’s good karmic actions have yet to ripen.
• At the moment I am healthy and seldom fall sick; this must be due to my past or perhaps because of certain compassionate deeds I have done in this life.  In this life, I should be more caring and should prevent the killing of animals.  When one is happy and contented, it is the best time to do more good deeds and accumulate merits.
• Some people are born and lose their parents at an early age.  Or are born to lose either parent at some early stage.  Some are born not to have children or grand-children, or born to have children but with no grand-children.  Some are born to be separated from their parents.  These are the results of past Karmic actions, such as killing animals and destroying homes and lives.  In order to build a happy home and family, we have to protect, prevent, save and free living beings at all times.
• If in this life one indulges in scandalous gossips and lying, in the next life one will be reborn into a broken family and is always quarrelsome with one’s spouse.
• If in the past we covered up the Buddha’s brilliance, in this life we shall be born with a dark and ugly complexion.
• There was a novice monk who has only 7 days left to live.  One day on his way home, he noticed an army of ants about to be washed away by the current of a sudden down-pour.  Spontaneously, he used mud to block the flow of water and thus, save the lives of the ants.  As the saying goes : “Good actions produce good results”, the novice monk  lives up to a ripe old age, above eighty, before he entered Nirvana.
• Excessive attachment to tastes will undermine the normal functions of the lungs leading to sicknesses there from
• The Sutra states : “If one makes an offering of meat and liquor to preceptors, or breaks precepts and takes meat and liquor, - at the time of death one’s mind will become uncertain and confused, and one will fall into the lower realms.
• If in the past or present life one easily gets angry, a repulsive and ugly prson one will be born to be.
• When we plant “freedom seeds”, we will get “freedom fruits”.  Don’t ever put cats, dogs, birds or other animals into cages.  When we deprived others of their freedom, we will lose our freedom.  The freedom we have now is the result of our past good Karmic deeds.
• The Law of Karma cannot be destroyed.  Karmic deeds from a hundred or thousand kalpas, must produce their results.  When the conditions are right, the deeds (causes) done by us and the results (effects) from the deeds must be met by us.  Each and everyone of us are affected by the Law of Karma.  In between the Cause and Effect is the Condition.  When the Condition is right, the deeds (cause) done will produce results (effect).
• The ability to understand the unlimited past life is inherent in each and everyone of us.  Due to our Karmic afflictions caused by our Greed, Hatred, Selfishness, Jealousy etc we are hindered and are unable to know and realize such an ability.
• All diseases are actually caused by our past unwholesome thoughts and bad karma.  That is why it is said : “All sicknesses (phenomena) are the manifestations of the Mind”.
• The Karmic Retribution of Cause and Effect is terrifying : some people died even before they were born (still-born in the womb); some people were afflicted by diseases upon delivery and perished; some people lived for three to five years then died; some people lived for a little longer, then befallen with some unexpected accidents or catastrophe, they too perished.

 

 

Verse Of Transference

May the merit and virtue of this work,

Adorn the Buddha’s Pure Lands;

Repaying the kindness of the Buddhas, the Dharma, the Sangha and our Parents,

And aiding those suffering in the three paths below.

 

May those who see or hear of this,

All quickly bring forth the resolve for Bodhi,

And when this retribution body is over,

Be born together in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.