龍舒增廣淨土文 1.195

1.195

人有見目前善惡未有報者，遂不信因果，而因以不信淨土。殊不知善惡未有報者，非無報也，但遲速耳。佛甞謂阿難云：「人有今世為善、死墮地獄者；有今世為惡、死生天堂者。」阿難問：「何故？」佛言：「今世為善、死墮地獄者，今世之善未熟，前世之惡已熟也。今世為惡、死生天堂者，今世之惡未熟，前世之善已熟也。熟處先受報，譬如欠債急處先還。」左氏謂「欒武子有德，可以庇其子。」故其子黶雖為惡，而可以免禍。黶之子盈為善，而黶之惡乃累之，故盈雖善而及於難。止於世間目前可見者言之，善惡之報尚有如此者，況隔世乎。《書》曰「天道福善禍淫」，《老子》曰「天網恢恢疎而不漏」。是三教皆言此理，但有遲速耳。豈可以目前不見果報，而遂不信因果，因以不信淨土乎？

There are people who, seeing that good and evil have not yet brought retribution before their eyes, do not believe in cause and effect, and consequently do not believe in the Pure Land. Little do they know that good and evil not yet bringing retribution does not mean there is no retribution, but merely that it is slow or swift. The Buddha once said to Ānanda: "There are people who do good in this life and upon death fall into hell; there are people who do evil in this life and upon death are born into heaven." Ānanda asked: "Why is this?" The Buddha said: "Those who do good in this life and upon death fall into hell do so because this life's good has not yet ripened, while past lives' evil has already ripened. Those who do evil in this life and upon death are born into heaven do so because this life's evil has not yet ripened, while past lives' good has already ripened. Where it is ripened, retribution is received first, just as when repaying debts, the urgent ones are repaid first." Zuo Qiuming stated: "Luan Wuzi had virtue, which could protect his son." Therefore, although his son Yan did evil, he was able to avoid calamity. Yan's son Ying did good, but Yan's evil implicated him; therefore, although Ying was good, he met with disaster. Speaking only of what is visible in this world before our eyes, retributions for good and evil are already like this; how much more so across lifetimes? The *Book of Documents* says: "The Way of Heaven blesses the good and brings calamity to the licentious." Laozi says: "Heaven's net is vast; its meshes are wide, yet nothing slips through." Thus all three teachings speak of this principle; there is only slowness or swiftness. How could one, because karmic retribution is not seen before one's eyes, consequently not believe in cause and effect, and thus not believe in the Pure Land?