龍舒增廣淨土文 1.193

1.193

人有不信因果從而不信淨土者。夫因果烏可以不信乎？經云「要知前世因，今生受者是。要知後世果，今生作者是。」若不信此語，何不以目前之事觀之？人生所以有貧富有貴賤、有苦樂勞逸、有榮辱壽夭，其禍福種種不同，雖曰天命，天豈私於人哉？蓋以人前生所為不同，故今生受報亦不同，而天特主之耳，是以此身謂之報身。報身報我前世所為，故生此身也，天何容心哉？譬如人有功罪於外，當受賞罰於官府，官府豈私於人哉？特以有功當賞、有罪當罰而主之耳，豈以賞罰無故而加於人？世間官府猶不以賞罰無故而加於人，況天地造化豈以禍福無故而加於人乎？是知以前世所為有善惡，故以禍福而報之也。以其不能純乎善，故不得純受其福報，乃有富貴而苦夭者、有貧賤而壽樂者、有榮寵而悴辱者。其為果報，各隨其所為，如影從影、如響應聲，纖毫不差。故云種桃得桃、種李得李，未有種蔴而得荳、種黍而得稷者。唯種時少、收獲時多，故作善惡時甚小，受禍福之報甚大，故云「春種一粒粟。秋收萬顆子。」人生為善惡，果報還如此，蓋造化自然之理也。此理可信，則淨土之說必可信。何則？二者皆佛言。佛誠言於因果，必不妄言於淨土故。因不信因果從而不信淨土者，此可以解其惑矣。

There are people who do not believe in cause and effect and consequently do not believe in the Pure Land. How can cause and effect not be believed? The sūtra says: "If you wish to know past causes, look at what you receive in this life. If you wish to know future fruits, look at what you do in this life." If one does not believe these words, why not observe the matters before one's eyes? The reason people in life have wealth and poverty, nobility and lowliness, suffering and joy, toil and ease, glory and disgrace, longevity and premature death—their varied misfortunes and blessings—though called the mandate of heaven, how could heaven be partial to any person? Because people's actions in past lives were different, the retributions they receive in this life are also different; heaven merely presides over this. Therefore, this body is called a retribution body. The retribution body is the recompense for what I did in past lives; thus this body was born. How could heaven have any intention in this? For example, if a person outside has merit or guilt, they ought to receive reward or punishment from the authorities; how could the authorities be partial to the person? It is merely because merit should be rewarded and guilt should be punished that they preside over it; how could they bestow reward or punishment on someone without cause? Even worldly authorities do not bestow reward or punishment without cause; how much less would the creation of heaven and earth bestow misfortune and blessing on a person without cause? Thus we know that because actions in past lives contained good and evil, they are recompensed with misfortune and blessing. Because one cannot be purely good, one cannot purely receive blessed retribution; thus there are those who are wealthy and noble yet suffer and die young, those who are poor and lowly yet have long life and joy, and those who have glory and favor yet end in ruin and disgrace. These karmic retributions follow what was done, like a shadow following a form or an echo responding to a sound, without the slightest discrepancy. Therefore it is said: plant peaches and you get peaches, plant plums and you get plums; never has anyone planted hemp and reaped beans, or planted millet and reaped sorghum. Only, what is planted is little and what is harvested is much; therefore, when committing good or evil it is very small, but receiving the retribution of misfortune or blessing is very great. Hence it is said: "In spring plant a single grain of millet; in autumn harvest ten thousand seeds." When people perform good and evil, the karmic retribution is just like this; it is the natural principle of creation. If this principle is credible, then the teaching of the Pure Land must be credible. Why? Both are words of the Buddha. Since the Buddha spoke truthfully regarding cause and effect, he certainly would not speak falsely regarding the Pure Land. For those who, because of not believing in cause and effect, consequently do not believe in the Pure Land, this can resolve their confusion.