龍舒增廣淨土文 9.10

9.10

予嘗聞至人云：「人生衣食財祿，陰司皆有定數。若儉約不貪則可延壽，奢侈過求受盡則終。譬如人有錢一千，日用一百則可十日，日用五十可二十日，若恣縱貪侈立見敗亡。」則若一千之數一日用盡，可不畏哉？《易》稱「天地之數五十有五，所以成變化而行鬼神。」是天地之大、變化之妙、鬼神之粵，猶不乖於數，況於人乎？或謂，人有廉儉而命促、貪侈而壽長者，何也？廉儉而命促者，當生之數少也，若更貪侈則愈促矣。貪侈而壽長者，當生之數多也，若更廉儉則愈長矣。且天地於人無私，何謂當生之數有多少乎？此皆前世所為耳，故曰「要知前世因，今生受者是。」唯現世多為吉善則增福壽，故曰「神之聽之，介爾景福。」現世多為罪惡則減福壽，故曰「多行不義必自斃。」且修淨土者，固不在福壽之多。然損福壽之事則是薄德耳，豈可不戒哉？增福壽之事則是厚德耳，豈可不勉哉？

I once heard a realized person say: "For a person's life, clothing, food, wealth, and official salary are all quantitatively fixed in the netherworld. If one is frugal and not greedy, one's life can be extended; if one is extravagant, seeking excessively, when one has exhausted one's allotted share, one's life ends. For example, if a person has one thousand coins, spending a hundred each day allows ten days, while spending fifty each day allows twenty days; but if one is unrestrained and greedy in extravagance, one's ruin will be seen immediately." Then, if the amount of one thousand is used up in a single day, is it not something to be feared? The Book of Changes states: "The numbers of heaven and earth are fifty-five; it is by these that transformations are completed and the spirits operate." Given that the vastness of heaven and earth, the subtlety of transformations, and the unfathomability of the spirits still do not transgress numbers, how much less so for human beings! Some may say: "There are people who are honest and frugal yet have short lives, while there are those who are greedy and extravagant yet live to an old age; why is this?" Those who are honest and frugal yet have short lives had a small allotment for their present life; had they been further greedy and extravagant, their lives would have been even shorter. Those who are greedy and extravagant yet live long had a large allotment for their present life; had they been further honest and frugal, their lives would have been even longer. Moreover, heaven and earth have no partiality toward human beings; how could one say their allotted numbers for this life vary arbitrarily? All of this is merely what was done in previous lives; hence it is said: "If you wish to know the causes in past lives, look at what is received in this life." Only if one does many auspicious and good deeds in the present life will one increase one's blessings and longevity; hence it is said: "The spirits hear them, and grant you great blessings." If one commits many sins and evils in the present life, one decreases one's blessings and longevity; hence it is said: "Doing many unrighteous deeds will certainly bring about self-destruction." Furthermore, those who cultivate the Pure Land certainly do not base their practice on having an abundance of blessings and longevity. Yet matters that diminish blessings and longevity are marks of deficient virtue; how could one not abstain from them? Matters that increase blessings and longevity are marks of generous virtue; how could one not exert oneself in them?