法苑珠林 92.79

92.79

感應緣（上來道俗。不勝名利。受現報者極多。並散在諸篇且引一驗。不繁廣述。屢見白衣無識俗人。見佛呵責弟子。即謂自是好人。偏見僧過。若依經說。白衣之罪。如皂衣膩。服雖有外污不覺別色。出家之人猶如淨㲲。雖放蠅糞微污即覺易除。所以白衣造罪入於地獄。如石沈水無有出時。出家之人造罪入地獄。如拍毱著地即返。何以故。以造罪時生極慚恥作已尋懺故。亦如滴水在於熱𨫼。隨滴似濕亦濕還乾。何以故。以火熏故。俗人造罪入地獄。猶如箭射無却返義。亦如以鐵椎。入於深泥亦無出義。何以故。尤害心故。亦如老象入泥無力可出。若富貴之人便生我慢。𣣋突三寶殺害自在。貪染財色晝夜無厭。不生羞耻何異畜生。反謗賢良輕侮佛法。靜思此事深可痛心。若是貧賤之人貪求衣食。王役驅逼。公私擾擾。夙夜孜孜。不信之者。衣食交絕。困苦切身。劫剝三寶。毀盜六親。養活妻兒。存己軀命。所以徙苦至苦。苦遍十方。從闇入闇。闇冥法界。菩薩為此顰眉。諸佛於茲泣血。忽惟斯理哀痛更深）

Accounts of Sympathetic Resonance: (Above, there have been a great many among both monastics and laity who, unable to overcome fame and profit, suffered immediate retribution. These are scattered across various sections, so here I briefly cite a single verified account without elaborating at length. Time and again one sees ignorant laypeople who, seeing the Buddha reprimand his disciples, immediately consider themselves to be good people and single-mindedly look for the faults of the saṃgha. According to what the sūtras explain, the transgressions of a layperson are like grease on black clothes: although the garment has external dirt, one does not notice another color. A person who has left home is like clean fine cotton: although even a fly's speck lightly soils it, one notices immediately and it is easily removed. Therefore, when a layperson commits a transgression and enters hell, it is like a stone sinking in water, with no time of emergence. When a person who has left home commits a transgression and enters hell, it is like striking a ball against the ground—it bounces right back up. Why is this? Because when committing the transgression, they feel extreme shame, and having done it, they immediately repent. It is also like a drop of water on a hot pan: as it drops it seems moist, but though moist, it quickly dries up. Why is this? Because of the smoke and fire. When a worldly person commits a transgression and enters hell, it is like an arrow being shot: there is no notion of it turning back. It is also like using an iron mallet to drive into deep mud: there is no notion of emergence. Why is this? Because of their deeply malicious mind. It is also like an old elephant entering mud, lacking the strength to get out. If they are wealthy and noble, they immediately give rise to egotistical pride, recklessly trespassing against the Three Jewels and killing at will. Greedily clinging to wealth and sex day and night without satiety, they feel no shame—how do they differ from beasts? On the contrary, they slander the worthy and good, and treat the Buddha-Dharma with contempt. Reflecting quietly upon this matter, it is truly heartbreaking. If they are poor and base, they covet food and clothing, driven by royal labor service, troubled by public and private duties, striving day and night. Those without faith suffer total deprivation of clothing and food, distress pressing closely upon their bodies. They rob and strip the Three Jewels, steal from their six relations, support their wives and children, and preserve their own physical lives. Hence, they move from suffering to suffering, their suffering pervading the ten directions; from darkness they enter darkness, darkening the Dharma realm. Bodhisattvas frown over this, and the Buddhas weep tears of blood at this. Suddenly contemplating this truth, the grief and pain become even deeper.)