北山錄 8.2.5

8.2.5

故先人以福施。 後世以福繼之。 非無福者而為其子孫矣。 先人以禍施。 後世以禍繼之。 非無禍者而為其子孫矣。 故龍與雲合。 虎與風合（龍吟則雲起。 虎嘯則風生）銅山崩而景鍾震（漢殿鍾震。 蜀銅山崩。 似類相應也）葭灰消而月暈缺（淮南子云。 隨灰而月暈缺。 注云。 以取蘆灰環月缺其一面。 則月暈亦闕）蓋應會之數矣（以類相感故也）。 常俚以殘淫𭤑寇。 傷生破產。 方謂身之罪也（常俚鄙俗也。 𭤑寇盜劫也。 則淫盜殺皆身業行也）訾言勃詐。 凌犯君親。 方謂口之罪也（語集也）機慮無法。 潛毒懷虐。 方謂心之罪也（意業也）曾不知有百行乖儀。 五常失守。 處俗於忠孝不至。 出家於慈悲不厚。 釁生於微。 積而成形。 則為罪矣（水滴雖微漸盈大器）常俚以徇物捐軀。 蹲膜擎跽（蹲膜禮拜擎合掌跪胡坐也）方謂身之福也。 誦言講法。 悅人進己。 方謂口之福也。 愛惡絕向。 忌剋不入。 方謂心之福也。 曾不知手足之所措。 詞論之所及。 念慮之所經。 興意介益。 孚于惠心。 省罪引慝（所謂懺悔也）則謂福矣。 故五穀不易。 其種百行。 不反其報。 仲尼莊生云夷齊仁而餓死（伯夷叔齊。 遼東孤竹君之二子。 父死讓位歸周。 聞武王伐紂。 叩馬首而諫不從。 乃隱首山之陽。 不食周粟以至餓卒也）尾生信而溺死（尾生與女子約于橋下。 未至而水爆漲生。 恐失信不移而至溺死也）伍胥忠而伏劍死（伍員字子胥相吳諫夫差不納西施王不聽。 乃伏劍死。 越音收吳也）以為外事無必（必專也定也）斯實滯名害德。 失乎中庸之道。 非謂以善召禍也。 昔大士坐道樹戰天魔。 業之然也（如來於菩提樹下成道破四魔所謂天魔蘊魔煩惱魔死魔）處巖穴灑足血。 業之然也。 造濱州食馬麥。 業之然也。 故語今報則善酬往業豈滅。 禮曰。 子夏喪其子而喪其明（自睛也）曾子弔之曰。 吾聞朋友喪其明則哭之。 曾子哭。 子夏亦哭曰。 天乎余之無罪曾子怒曰。 商爾何為無罪也（商子夏名）吾與爾事夫子於洙泗之間。 退而老於西河之上（華陰之地也）使西河之人疑爾為夫子。 爾罪一也。 喪爾親使民未有聞。 爾罪二也。 喪爾子喪爾明。 爾罪三也（一不稱師。 二於親恩薄。 三於子厚是罪也）而曰何自謂無罪歟。 夫如曾氏始謂見天地之心。 知禍福之萌矣。 石駘仲卒（衛太夫石碏之後）無嫡子有庶子六人。 卜所以為後者（吉者從之）沐浴佩王則兆（齊潔求吉兆也）五人沐浴佩玉。 石祁子曰。 孰有執親之喪。 而沐浴佩玉者乎。 不沐浴佩玉（心王且知禮）石祁子兆衛人。 以龜為有知也。 是知業理冥奧。 儒辨此世。 釋通三世。 一張一弛範圍天下備矣。 而經亦云誤殺誤報。 甞有山間比丘。 誤蹈一蟻。 蟻死為野豕觸石而崩。 比丘亦誤死於是也。 而世有色雖仁而行違。 言雖澤而心詖（詖險也。 所謂色厲而內荏言偽而辯也）衒聲名冐祿利。 知善且蔽。 忌惡而黨。 捨人急己。 輔高弱下。 力行僭賢。 畏罪矯容。 滅裂行其事。 恢張希其報。 都不見其功過相磨恩害相補。 上智審諸己。 中智求諸人。 下智昏昏然。 皆謂其損益自然也。 夫李廣不封侯（李廣。 隴西人。 號漢飛將軍。 善射手不虛發。 甞射石虎。 應絃沒羽。 戰蕃殺戮至甚。 以此竟不封侯）白起死杜卸（白起。 秦將。 善野戰坑。 趙降卒四十萬。 竟死於杜卸驛也）虞詡相朝歌（漢虞經善斷獄。 詡即其後也。 詡奏帝以雍州三郡為屯田省也。 竟不得其死）雖保節忠主。 而皆要功害物。 故將死之日方始省其前過者也。

Therefore, ancestors act with blessings, and subsequent generations carry them on with blessings; none who lack blessings become their descendants. Ancestors act with calamity, and subsequent generations carry them on with calamity; none who lack calamity become their descendants. Thus dragons unite with clouds, and tigers unite with winds (when dragons croon, clouds arise; when tigers roar, winds are born). When the copper mountain collapsed, the palace bell reverberated (when the bell in the Han palace reverberated, it was because a copper mountain in Shu had collapsed; things of like kind respond to one another). When reed ash was dissipated, the lunar halo showed a gap (The Huainanzi says, “Following the ash, the lunar halo has a gap.” The commentary says, “Taking reed ash and making a ring representing the moon with one side missing, the halo of the moon will also be deficient”). These are indeed the principles of corresponding resonance (because like kinds stimulate each other). Common folk consider cruel lust, plunder, harm to life, and ruining households to be the only sins of the body (common folk are the vulgar populace; plunder means theft and robbery; thus lust, theft, and killing are all bodily karmic actions). They consider slanderous speech, deceitful outbursts, and transgressing against rulers and parents to be the only sins of the mouth (a collection of speech). They consider unscrupulous stratagems and harboring concealed malice and cruelty to be the only sins of the mind (mental karma). Little do they know that if one's myriad deeds contravene propriety and the Five Constants are neglected, if living in the secular world one falls short in loyalty and filial piety, or if having left home one is not profound in compassion—when offenses arise from the minute and accumulate to take form, they become sins (though water droplets are minute, they gradually fill a large vessel). Common folk consider sacrificing oneself for things and kneeling, prostrating, and clasping the hands (kneeling and prostrating mean worship; clasping refers to joining palms, and kneeling means sitting on the heels) to be the only blessings of the body. They consider reciting words, preaching the Dharma, pleasing others, and advancing oneself to be the only blessings of the mouth. They consider ending bias between love and hate and letting no envy or malice enter to be the only blessings of the mind. Little do they know that wherever hands and feet are placed, wherever words and discourse reach, and wherever thoughts traverse—arousing the intention to bring slight benefit, being sincere in a benevolent heart, and reflecting on guilt to confess faults (what is called repentance)—these are truly termed blessings. Thus the five grains do not alter their seed; the myriad actions do not fail their retribution. Confucius and Zhuangzi said that Boyi and Shuqi were benevolent yet died of starvation (Boyi and Shuqi were two sons of the Lord of Guzhu in Liaodong. Upon their father's death, they yielded the position and submitted to the Zhou. Hearing that King Wu was punishing Zhou, they clasped the reins of his horse and remonstrated, but were not heeded. Thereupon they secluded themselves on the southern slopes of Mount Shouyang, and refused to eat the grain of the Zhou until they starved to death); Weisheng was trustworthy yet drowned (Weisheng made a rendezvous with a woman under a bridge; she had not arrived when the water suddenly swelled, and fearing to break his trust, he did not move and drowned); Wu Zixu was loyal yet died falling upon his sword (Wu Yuan, styled Zixu, served as chancellor of Wu and remonstrated with Fuchai not to accept Xishi; the king did not listen, so he fell upon his sword and died. Yue subsequently captured Wu); taking these as instances where external affairs are not certain (certain means definite and fixed). These, in truth, were instances of clinging to reputations and harming virtue, straying from the Middle Way; it is not that good deeds invited calamity. Anciently, when the Mahāsattva sat at the Bodhi tree and battled the heavenly demons, it was through karma that it was so (when the Tathāgata attained awakening under the Bodhi tree, he broke the four māras, namely: heavenly māra, skandha-māra, kleśa-māra, and mṛtyu-māra). When he dwelt in a rocky cave and shed blood from his foot, it was through karma that it was so. When he arrived in Bāraṇasī and ate horse barley, it was through karma that it was so. Therefore, speaking of current retribution, good recompense does not extinguish past karma. The Rites say that when Zixia lost his son, he lost his sight (his pupils). Zengzi condoled with him, saying, “I have heard that when a friend loses his sight, one should weep for him.” Zengzi wept, and Zixia wept also, saying, “O Heaven! I am without guilt!” Zengzi said angrily, “Shang, why do you say you are without guilt? (Shang was Zixia's name.) You and I served the Master between the Zhu and Si rivers, and you retired to grow old upon the Xihe (the region of Huayin), causing the people of Xihe to suspect you were the Master: this is your first guilt. When you mourned your parents, the people heard nothing of it: this is your second guilt. When you mourned your son, you lost your sight: this is your third guilt (first, not matching the teacher; second, being slight in filial piety toward parents; third, being excessive toward one's son: these are guilts). How can you say of yourself that you are without guilt?” Only with one like Zengzi can one be said to perceive the mind of Heaven and Earth and know the sprouts of calamity and fortune. When Shi Daizhong died (a descendant of Grand Master Shi Que of Wei), he had no legitimate son but had six sons by concubines. They divined to determine who should be the heir (they would follow the auspicious one), saying that he who bathed and wore jade would receive the omen (cleansing and purifying to seek an auspicious omen). Five of them bathed and wore jade. Shi Qizi said, “Who, when observing mourning for a parent, would bathe and wear jade?” He did not bathe or wear jade (his mind held jade and moreover knew propriety). The omen fell upon Shi Qizi; the people of Wei regarded the tortoise as having awareness. From this we know that the principle of karma is profound and obscure: the Ruists discern this world, while the Buddhists penetrate the three times; the alternation of tension and relaxation comprehensively encompasses the realm under Heaven. Moreover, the scriptures also state that accidental killing brings accidental retribution. Once there was a mountain monk who accidentally stepped on an ant; the ant died, and later, when a wild boar struck a boulder causing it to collapse, the monk also met an accidental death there. Yet in the world, there are those whose outward countenance seems benevolent while their actions run contrary; whose words seem gracious while their minds are treacherous (treacherous means dangerous; what is called “stern of countenance but weak within,” and “deceitful of speech yet eloquent”). Flaunting reputation and coveting emoluments and gain, when they know the good they obscure it, and envious of evil they form factions; they neglect others and hurry for themselves, supporting the exalted and weakening the lowly, striving to usurp the worthy; fearing guilt, they dissemble their appearance, carrying out their affairs carelessly, yet broadly expecting great rewards. They do not at all see that their merits and faults grind against each other and that kindness and harm compensate one another. Superior wisdom examines this in oneself; mediocre wisdom seeks it in others; inferior wisdom is muddled and dark, all saying that loss and gain are merely natural. Now, Li Guang was never enfiefed as a marquis (Li Guang was a native of Longxi, known as the Flying General of the Han. He was an expert archer whose hands never missed their mark; once he shot a stone tiger, burying the fletching at the twang of his bowstring. In battling the barbarians his slaughter was extreme, and because of this he ultimately was never enfiefed as a marquis); Bai Qi died at Duyou (Bai Qi was a general of Qin, skilled in field warfare; he buried alive four hundred thousand surrendered troops of Zhao, and ultimately died at Duyou Post); Yu Xu was chancellor of Chaoge (in the Han, Yu Jing was skilled in deciding judicial cases; Xu was his descendant. Xu memorialized the emperor to establish military colonies in the three commanderies of Yongzhou to economize; ultimately he did not die a natural death). Although they preserved integrity and were loyal to their rulers, they all sought glory while harming living beings. Hence, only on the day of their approaching death did they begin to reflect upon their past faults.