龍舒增廣淨土文 6.70

6.70

Body, speech, and mind are called the three karmas. When the canonical scriptures state that retributions are mostly caused by karmas of speech, it is because speech is so easily uttered. It is said that in the past someone resented his mother for bringing his meal late, and said: "Better to have been born in a deer's belly than in a mother's belly!" Later he was indeed reborn in a deer's belly. There was another who was given food, and if it was not to his liking, he said: "Better to give it to a dog!" Later he was born with a dog's head. These are all retributions for karmas of speech. What is called harsh speech consists simply of foul language. The retribution for harsh speech is already bad enough; foul language brings retribution in hell or as animals. Most people in the world do not know this, and take harsh speech and foul language as commonplace. I urge worldly people to make every effort to abstain from this and constantly recite Amitābha Buddha's name, so as to cleanse the filth and evil of their speech karma. When hearing other people's harsh speech and foul language, also constantly recite this Buddha's name, so as to cleanse the filth and evil of the ear faculty. May the wholesome karma of reciting the Buddha's name in this life cleanse the defilements and evils accumulated over successive lifetimes. In this way, wholesome thoughts will mature daily, evil karmas will dissipate daily, and if one can furthermore pass this on to transform others, causing them to exhort and transform one another, then calamities can be dispelled, blessings and emoluments can be made enduring, and after this life one will surely attain birth in the highest grade of the Pure Land.