◎ 受五戒的好处

◎THE BENEFITS OF RECEIVING THE FIVE PRECEPTS

今生不笼鸟，来生不坐监； 今生不钓鱼，来生不讨饭； 今生不杀生，来生无灾难； 今生不偷盗，来生无抢案； 今生不邪淫，来生无婚变； 今生不妄语，来生无欺骗； 今生不醉酒，来生不狂乱。

Not caging birds in this life, we will not be put into the jail in future lives; Not fishing in this life, we will not become beggars in future lives; Not killing in this life, we will not encounter difficulties in future lives; Not stealing in this life, we will not be robbed in future lives; Not engaging in sexual misconduct in this life, we will have good marriages in future lives; Not lying in this life, we will not be cheated in future lives; Not drinking in this life, we will not lose sanity in future lives.

“今生不笼鸟，来生不坐监”：你想一想，你把鸟关在笼子里令它不自由；这个国家是讲自由的，你让畜生不自由，这也不合乎这个国家的宪法。你让鸟在笼子里，就和在监狱是一样，这个鸟就在笼子里念咒了，说：“果报、果报…”来生果报就来了，那个鸟念咒说：“上帝！你说有果报，为什么他把我放在笼子里头？这是怎么回事？”它就到玉皇大帝，也就是天主那里，左写一张状子，右写一张去告状去。它写多了，天主一看：“好了！这个人是不公道，来生也叫他受这个果报。”这个人后来就坐到监狱里去了。所以说“今生不笼鸟，来生不坐监”，因为那个鸟一天到晚念那个“果报”，念那个因果报应，念那个经给上帝听，上帝就判这个人来生去坐监狱。

“Not caging birds in this life, we will not be put into the jail in future lives.”

Think about it. When someone puts a bird in a cage, he takes its freedom away. By doing that, the person is not abiding by the constitution of this country. This country advocates freedom. Caging a bird is the same as putting the bird behind bars. The bird will start chanting the mantra, “retribution, retribution…”In the future, the bird will go before the Jade Emperor, who is the Lord of the Heavens, and file a suit against the person who caged it.

The Heavenly Lord will say, “Okay, this person has not been fair. He shall undergo the retribution!”You will then go to jail in future lives. This is because the bird has been chanting the mantra of retribution from morning to night. When the Heavenly Lord hears it, his verdict is that the person who caged the bird should be put behind bars.

我记得不是今生，是多少生以前，那时候迷迷糊糊，什么道理也不懂，看人家钓鱼，我也去钓鱼，很欢喜钓鱼的。看到鱼吃鱼饵，水就现出一圈圈的波纹，这时把钓鱼竿向上一挑，这个鱼就钓上来了。你说以后怎么样啊？来生就做要饭的，拿个碗向人要饭，因为没有东西吃。所以说“今生不钓鱼，来生不讨饭。”要饭是很苦的，尽向人讨饭吃，所以我们信佛的人少钓点鱼是好的。

I recall it was not in this life but some other lives in the past, I was deluded and didn’t know better. I saw people fishing so I went fishing too. I was quite fond of doing it. When the fish took the bait the water rippled. Then I would swing the fishing pole upward and the fish would be hooked. What happened to me afterward? I became a beggar in the next life. I had to beg for food because I didn’t have anything to eat. Thus, it’s said,“Not fishing in this life, we will not become beggars in future lives.”It’s quite miserable to beg for food. It’s better that we Buddhists do less fishing.

有人说：“我少钓点鱼可以，一年钓一次；我只钓小鱼，不钓大鱼，这样好不好呢？”小鱼也是一条命，大鱼也是一条命；你钓一次也是杀生，你钓多次也是杀生。不过你钓的少，欠的债会少一点；钓的多，欠的债也就多一点：也就是你钓半斤，将来要还八两。

Someone may say, “I can do less fishing. I'll fish just once a year. And I will only fish for small and not big fish. Will that be okay?”Well, a small fish is a life, just the same as a big fish. Fishing once a year, you still end up killing, just the same as when you fish many times a year. However, if you fish less, your debt will be less; fish more, and your debt will be more. That is to say, if you catch half a pound of fish, you must pay back eight ounces in the future.

“今生不杀生，来生无灾难”：你今生不杀一切的生灵，等来生就没有人杀你，也没有一切的灾难，也不会被枪打死，也不会火烧死，也不会被水淹死，因为你前生没有杀生，今生也没有病痛。

Not killing in this life, we will not encounter difficulties in future lives. If you refrain from killing any living being, then in future lives you will not be killed and you will be free from all difficulties. You will not be killed by gunshots, burned by fire, or drowned in water. Since you didn’t kill in previous lives, you will also be free from all illnesses in this life.

“今生不偷盗，来生无抢案”：抢案就是你打劫我，我打劫你。你若不偷盗别人的东西，来生没有人抢劫你的东西。你为什么有人抢你的东西？就因为你前生偷盗，以为偷盗是不错的，把别人的东西偷回来，到今生别人又把它抢回去。所以这个因果循环是很不可思议的。

Not stealing in this life, one will not be robbed in future lives. If you don’t rob others of their things, no one will rob you in future lives. Why would you get robbed? It would happen because you had stolen and robbed people in previous lives. You thought it was quite clever to steal others’belongings. This life, they snatch things back. This revolving cause and effect is quite inconceivable.

“今生不邪淫，来生不婚变”：什么叫婚变呢？譬如离婚，或者结婚后有很多麻烦，这都因前生不守戒律，有邪淫的行为，今生身体上还有一种狐臭味，很大的。你怎样搽香水涂香粉，还是臭的，臭不可闻。本来男人都喜欢女人，但是一闻这个味道都薰跑了；本来女人也都喜欢男人的，但是这个男人有这股臭气，把女人都薰跑了，所以没有人会爱你的。因为不持戒律，身上没有香气；你要是持戒律，戒律精严，你的身体就会放一股香气，香光庄严。

In this life, if you do not engage in sexual misconduct and never get involved in affairs with other men or women, you will not divorce in future lives. But if you were not faithful in previous lives, your marriage in this life will not be a happy one. Various things will happen to disrupt your marriage. That is the retribution for engaging in sexual misconduct.

Not engaging in sexual misconduct in this life, we will have good marriages in future lives. What is a good marriage? It means there will be no divorce nor any other marital troubles. Divorce and marital troubles are a result of failure to follow precepts. Those who have engaged in sexual misconduct will be born with a bad body odor. Whoever had not observed precepts, will have a very bad body smell in this life. The smell will be so strong that no perfume will be able to cover it. Men usually like women, but when they smell that odor, they will run away. Women are also fond of men, but if a man has such a smell, women will also run away from him. Such a person will not be loved. Anyone who does not uphold precepts will not smell good. If you uphold precepts in earnest, your body will emit a fragrance and be said to be “adorned with fragrant light.”

你看在中国清朝的香妃，大概是维吾尔的民族，是回子那边的人。她身上总是放香的，不用搽香水或用香皂，她身上自然有股香气，比什么都香。所以中国那个糊涂皇帝，就欢喜身上放香的女人，就去出征把她抢回来，封她叫“香妃”，令其他的女人妒嫉她。因为皇帝有很多老婆，三宫六院，这个正宫娘娘妒嫉她，就把她杀死了，这个香妃也就不香了。

The court lady--Madame Fragrance of Chin Dynasty in China, probably a member of the Uighurs, always emitted fragrance. She didn’t have to use perfume or fragrant soap. She had this natural fragrance from her body that was more fragrant than anything else. The deluded Chinese emperor waged a war and took her back. He named her“Madame Fragrance,”which made all of his other women jealous. The emperor had many wives, and his jealous empress had her killed, after which she was no longer fragrant.

今生不邪淫，你很守规矩不跟别的女人或男人去邪淫，来生你结婚也不会离婚的。因为你前生不忠实，今生也搞得不愉快，有种种特别因缘就婚变，婚姻有变故了，这是邪淫的果报。

In this life, if you do not engage in sexual misconduct and never get involved in affairs with other men or women, you will not divorce in future lives. But if you were not faithful in previous lives, your marriage in this life will not be a happy one. Various things will happen to disrupt your marriage. That is the retribution for engaging in sexual misconduct.

“今生不妄语，来生无欺骗”：因为今生不打妄语，到来生没有人会欺骗你。所以有人欺骗自己，“噢！原来前生自己打过妄语，所以今生才有人欺骗我。”有人告诉我，从菲律宾来的四个人不是真的要来出家，是想藉这条路来这里，来了以后不会出家。我说没有关系，我就是明明知道他们是欺骗我，我还是相信他们。因为我不愿意欺骗人，我也相信人不欺骗我。我明明知道他是欺骗我，我也不想他是欺骗我，我不这么想。那个人听了之后说：“噢！这是好的！”这个世界就是你防备我，我防备你；你怕我欺骗你，我怕你欺骗我。那我知道他欺骗我，却不这么想。是不是吃亏了？吃亏就吃亏了，没有关系。

“Not lying in this life, we will not be cheated in future lives.”If we don’t lie in this life, no one will cheat us in future lives. If someone cheats us, we must realize,“Oh, I must have lied in a previous life and so I am being cheated in this life.”

Someone told me that the four people from the Philippines did not come to leave the home-life. They just used it as an excuse to come to the United States I said that it’s all right. I know their motive very clearly, but I still believe them because I don’t want to cheat people and I also believe that people will not deceive me. Even if I know someone is cheating me, I will not bring forth the thought that he is. The person who hears it may say,“Oh! This is good.”In this world, many people put up defensive fronts against each other. You fear that I may cheat you, and I am afraid that you may deceive me. Am I taking a loss by not minding being cheated? If I am, it doesn’t matter.

“今生不醉酒，来生不狂乱”：来生就不会发癫狂，发神经。为什么你今生发神经，精神不正常？就因为你前生喝酒喝得太多了。那个麻醉药、迷幻药也吃了很多，所以到今生狂性还不断。这个因果循环就是这样的。信不信由你，我不管。你信，我也这么说；你不信，我也这么说：不管你信不信，我都要说。

“Not drinking in this life, we will not lose sanity in future lives.”Why is it that people lose their sanity or have mental illness in this life? It is because they drank too much and took a lot of drugs in previous lives. Therefore, the insanity continues into this life. The circular flow of cause and effect is this way whether you believe it or not. Whether you believe it or not I will say it just the same.（待续 To be continued）