Throughout history, countless people have proclaimed, “I will seize fate by the throat,” yet after much effort, many have eventually succumbed to fate and abandoned their struggle. A reader on the internet wrote to me, “I have become more pessimistic after reading Liao Fan’s Four Lessons. Since my fate is predetermined, what is the point of working hard? Things will happen if they are meant to be, and working hard is futile if they are not.” Many tragedies in this world have been attributed to the concept of destiny, which appears to be the root cause of all kinds of suffering.
古往今来有多少人发出这样的喊声“我要扼住命运的喉咙”，又有多少人经过几多努力之后，终于在命运前低下了头，放弃了拼搏。有网友在来信中表示：“看了《了凡四训》后变得更加消极了，既然我的命运都是定好的，我努力还有什么用呢？该来的总会来，不该来的努力也没用。”
We often blame our career setbacks, relationship failures, children’s illnesses, or family conflicts on destiny, as if we are the innocent victims of a cruel fate. But is it true that we bear no responsibility for what has happened, and that we lack the ability to change what is fated? In reality, we are the true architects of our own destiny, and only we possess the power to change it.
人间的多少悲剧都被归结到命运二字上，似乎命运是造成人间种种痛苦的根源。我们把事业的低谷、爱情的失意、孩子的病痛、家庭的纠纷等等，简单地推到命运的头上，似乎我们就真的成了无辜的被命运作弄的受害者，我们真的对所发生的一切没有责任，没有能力改变这一切吗？
Destiny is merely a segment of our current life within the cycle of rebirth. Each time we enter a new cycle, it is as if we are starting a new stage play. We assume a new role in a different environment, following a script that we have written ourselves. However, we forget everything we have written and mechanically act according to the script’s demands.
实际上我们才是自己命运的真正谱写者，也只有我们自己才能改变它。命运是整个轮回过程中在今生的片段，每投入一次轮回，我们就像开始了一部新的舞台剧，在新的环境中进行了角色转换后，依照着我们自己编写的剧本，忘记了我们自己所编的一切，机械地按照剧本的要求演下去。
The basic principle of destiny
命运的基本法则
Destiny is a path formed by the intertwining of karmic rewards and retributions one receives in their lifetime. Whether it’s rebirth or destiny, it operates following two basic principles. It moves in cycles, involving everyone in its course. These two principles are the foundation of the cycle of rebirth, before which all beings are equal with no disparity.
命运就是今生的应受果报串起来形成的一条路。轮回也好，命运也罢，它的运行只依照两个基本法则，周而复始，无余众生悉被纳入其中。这两个法则是轮回的根本依据，在其面前，众生一律平等无有差别。
The first principle is the universal law of cause and effect. This principle, commonly known as “you reap what you sow,” dictates that every cause produces a corresponding effect. The law of cause and effect is an ironclad rule that the cosmos must follow, with no power capable of interrupting its cycle. For example, if you plant an evil cause by treating your mother-in-law poorly today, you may face a troubled relationship with your spouse in the next life. If you committed numerous acts of violence or killing in your past life, you may suffer from lingering diseases and chronic pain in this life. Every cause has an effect, and no super forces can obliterate the karmic fruits before they ripen. For instance, if you did many bad deeds in previous lives and are destined to experience the consequence of suffering from a blood-related disease, then there will be no other force that can stop it from happening.
其一就是宇宙第一定律：因果定律，也是大家所熟知的有因必有果，种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。因果定律是恒河沙三千大千世界都要遵循的一个铁律，没有任何力量可以阻断因果关系的循环。所以今天你对婆婆不好，种下恶因，来世有可能你就会夫妻关系不好，得到恶果；前世杀生太多，今世就有了病痛缠身……同时因为种下了因，那么就必然要结果，哪怕是超级力量也不能凭空在果没有形成的时候将其抹掉。所以如果你前世做了很多坏事，应得血液病的果报，那么没有任何力量可以阻止其发生。
Even if some super force helped you avoid the negative karmic retribution in this life, you would still have to repay the karmic debt in your next life. Of course, if someone or another force is willing to bear the karmic consequences for you, then it will involve your blessings and the workings of another set of cause and effect. The calculation may seem complicated, but it still operates according to the law of cause and effect. In the end, you cannot escape bearing the consequences of your actions.
即使你得到超级力量的垂青，替你挡了今生的恶报，那么来生你也一定要还。当然如果有人或其它力量愿意替你扛这个果，这又涉及到你的福报，另一份因果，算法虽然复杂，但一样遵循着因果定律，而且最终你种的因应得的果是一定要结的。
The second principle is the Heavenly Law of Causation. This law governs the cycles of karmic retribution, ensuring that individuals reap what they sow. The Heavenly Law of Causation is a system of governance that details the type and timing of karmic consequences for specific actions. It not only governs individual cause and effect but also regulates the karma of regions, dynasties, countries, and even the world. Natural and man-made disasters are the results of collective negative karma; the greenhouse effect serves as an example of such karma. Everything falls within the scope of the Heavenly Law of Causation.
其二就是天理。天理循环，报应不爽，并不是简单地说说而已。天理实际上是一套管理制度，详细地规定了什么因得什么果，多少因得多少果，什么时刻得果。天理不但规定着个人的因果报应，也规定了一个地区，一个朝代，一个国家甚至一个世界的因果报应。天灾人祸就是共业所造的恶之果报，温室效应就是一个最好的例子。一切都在天理的范畴之内。
When a person commits a bad deed or conceives an evil thought, the Heavenly Law of Causation automatically arranges the corresponding karmic consequences. These consequences will manifest as karmic obstacles in the next life, occurring at a specific time and place. Similarly, good deeds and merits will result in rewards at the appropriate time. Our every thought, intention, and action create causes that, according to the Heavenly Law of Causation, are transformed into karmic effects that connect and form our “fate” in the next life. When we haven’t committed many good or bad deeds, our timeline may have many blank spaces. This is why we often feel that we spend much of our time waiting—for school, exams, graduation, the right person, career opportunities, or the birth of a child. This endless waiting wastes both time and life.
所以一个人在某一刻做了一件坏事，动了一个恶念，依照天理会立刻自动排列所应得的果报，然后转化成业障定于下一世的某年某月某天发生；同样，善事和功德也一样会自动排列到某一特定时刻得福报。
所以我们每一刻的所思、所念、所为种下的因，依照天理的规定自动转化成按得报时刻顺序而排列好的果，这条线连起来就形成了下一世的“命运”。很多时候我们并没有干什么好事坏事，排列中就有许多接近空白的地方，这就是为什么我们总是觉得一生中有太多的时间都在等待——等待上学，等待考试，等待毕业，等待遇到心仪之人，等待事业的转折，机会的到来，等待孩子出生……无尽的等待，荒废了时日，荒废了人生。
How is negative karma from past lives brought forward to the current life?
往世的业障是如何带到今生的？
We often hear, particularly in Western religious doctrines, that every person is born sinful. This statement is true. But why would a pure newborn baby be considered sinful? Where does this sin come from? In numerous examples shared by our radio show listeners, we’ve heard of young parents who haven’t had a full night’s sleep in the first three years after childbirth due to their children’s eczema and frequent nighttime awakenings. This phenomenon serves as a compelling explanation for the concept of “original sin.” In fact, every individual in the Human Realm has karmic obstacles, which are referred to as “sin.” Without these karmic obstacles, one would not exist in the human world. Therefore, the concept of original sin is indeed accurate.
我们经常听到特别是西方教义中总是说，每个人生来就是有罪的，这是正确的。那么为什么一个刚刚出生的纯洁的婴儿会有罪呢？罪又是从哪里怎么带来的呢？在众多的听众解答案例中，有好几例都是年轻父母在孩子出生后三年时间里没有睡过一个整宿觉，孩子得湿疹并常常夜间惊醒。这种情况就是对原罪论的一个最好的解释。实际上人界的每个人都有业障，业障就是所说的“罪”，没有业障就不会出现在人界。所以说原罪论是正确的。
Once karmic retributions are arranged and transformed into karmic obstacles by the Heavenly Law of Causation, they are like a computer program that stores all the information within a person’s soul. From Totem readings, dark patches of negative energy can be seen in specific parts of the body. The more bad deeds a person commits, the more dark patches of negative energy accumulate. At birth, this negative energy accompanies our soul, and karmic retribution takes effect at a specific time in this lifetime. This is how karma works, like a shadow that never leaves us. When people in a region or country commit only bad deeds, negative energy forms, thus affecting the climate and topography, triggering catastrophic retribution upon them.
当应得的恶果一经天理排列转化成业障，就像一台计算机的程序记录着所有的信息潜伏在人的灵魂上，从图腾上看就是在某一特定部位的一块黑气。坏事做了一件又一件，灵魂上的黑气就东一块西一块。当我们一出生的时候，这些黑气会和灵魂一起带到今世，并在拟定的时刻发生作用。这就是业障随行的方式，也就是“如影相随”。当一个地区或国家的人们若不行善而专造业，那么就会同样形成黑气，从而影响天时地利，而得恶报。
Before karmic obstacles take effect, do they still affect us? Indeed, they do, and the impacts can be quite severe. The dark negative energy in our souls acts like a corrosive liquid, constantly eroding our bodies, obstructing the circulation of energy, constricting our nerves, and affecting our emotions and mental state. That’s why some people’s illnesses are caused by spirits, while others result from karmic obstacles. This is also the reason why I typically differentiate between spiritual illnesses and those caused by karmic obstacles.
业障在没有发作的时候，对我们有没有影响呢？不但有，还很大。灵魂上的黑气就像腐蚀性液体一样时刻侵蚀着我们的肌体，阻碍气脉的流通，压迫我们的神经，影响我们的情绪和心理状态。所以有些人的病是由灵性引起的，而有些人是因为业障缠身所致。这也就是为什么通常卢台长会区分灵性病和业障病。
Karmic obstacles can undergo two changes: they can either be eliminated or transformed into spirits. Spirits may evolve from karmic obstacles or come from external sources. Since karmic obstacles are the effect of certain causes, it seems impossible to eliminate. So, how can it be obliterated? What can be done to counteract it?
业障只有两种变化，要么被抵消掉，要么变成灵性发作出来。而灵性则有可能是业障转化的，或外部来的。问题在于既然业障是一份因果关系中的果，应该不可以被抹掉，那么为什么会被抵消掉呢？什么可以抵消这个果呢？
Why can practising Buddhism, paying respects to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and reciting Buddhist scriptures eliminate karmic obstacles?
修佛，拜菩萨，念经，为什么可以消业障？
Karmic obstacles are the negative consequences of the karma one has created. No other power can remove them unless they are offset by a positive cause and effect. A positive cause and effect is equivalent to merit and virtue. Hence, merit and virtue can offset karmic obstacles (please refer to Chapter 7 of Buddhism in Plain Terms Volume 1 – The Difference between Good Deeds, Merit, and Virtue).
业障是一份因果关系中的恶果，同时它是你种的因所应得的果，那么除了你用另一份善因果去抵消它，没有任何力量可以动它。而善因果就是功德，所以功德可以抵消业障。（详见“白话佛法”类《善事与功德的区别》）
What is the purpose of practising Buddhism? Practising Buddhism is to cultivate the mind, to attain purity of mind, kindness, equanimity, and compassion while eliminating delusion, greed, anger, ignorance, and attachment. We all know that good and bad are just a thought away; only by cultivating a wholesome mind can we ensure that no evil cause is created, thereby avoiding bad karma. Hence, the primary goal in practising Buddhism is to cultivate the mind.
修佛修的是什么？修的是心、修出清净心、善心、平等心、慈悲心，去除妄心、贪心、瞋心、痴心、执著心。大家都知道善恶就在一念之间，只有把心修正了修善了，才能保证不种恶因，从而避免恶果，所以修心为修佛第一要旨。
Reciting Buddhist scriptures and paying respects to Bodhisattvas is not about having the Bodhisattvas eliminate our karmic obstacles. Reciting scriptures and paying respect to Bodhisattvas are meritorious acts in themselves. Their “karmic reward is inconceivable,” and they can “accomplish inconceivable merit and virtue.” Merit and virtue will operate and arrange themselves according to the Heavenly Law of Causation, but they will not offset karmic obstacles automatically. When you pray to the Bodhisattva to have compassion on you and bless you with a smooth career or favourable love relationship, the Bodhisattva, through their supernatural power, will use your merit and virtue to offset the karmic obstacles hindering your career or love relationship so that things will go your way. Both your merit and virtue and the Bodhisattva’s supernatural power are indispensable, but this can only be done on the foundation of your own merit and virtue. One wholesome karma offsets one karmic obstacle. As for those who pray to the Bodhisattva without doing meritorious deeds and reciting scriptures, there is no way the Bodhisattva can help you. Neither will people with hefty karmic obstacles but insufficient merit and virtue have their prayers answered.
念经拜菩萨，并不是说菩萨就把你的业障消掉了，而是因为念经拜菩萨就是功德，“果报不可思议”，“成就不可思议功德”。在正常情况下，功德会按天理的规定自动排序，不会主动去抵消某一个业障。而每当你祈求菩萨慈悲，保佑你的工作顺利、爱情如意等等时，菩萨可以动用神通慈悲用你的功德去抵消那一个特定的阻碍你事业或爱情的业障，从而使你变的顺利。你的功德和菩萨的慈悲神通缺一不可，但基础还是你自己的功德，一份善果去一份业障。如果有人只是拼命祈求菩萨而不做功德，不念经，那么菩萨也没有办法帮你。如果业障深，功德浅，所求之事同样不会成功。
How can we apply this in our daily lives?
如何应用在我们的生活中？
Having understood all these principles, we should recognise the need to make the best use of our time and devote every minute to cultivating the mind and accumulating merit and virtue. By understanding the relationship between merit and virtue and karmic obstacles, each of us can establish a short-term cultivation goal based on the extent of our karmic obstacles. Those with substantial karmic obstacles may find that things consistently go awry and don’t improve despite praying to the Bodhisattva and reciting scriptures. This is due to karmic hindrances resulting from their substantial negative karma. In this case, they should focus on eliminating karmic obstacles and reciting more Little Houses. For those with few karmic obstacles, they may find that their chanting and prayers are quickly answered. This means that they have cultivated well and accumulated significant merit and virtue. In this case, they must set higher goals for themselves, as cultivating the mind and accumulating merit and virtue are of utmost importance.
明白了这一切，那么我们就应该明白需抓紧时日，利用每一分钟去修心积累功德。同时因为明白了功德和业障之间的深相应关系，我们每个人可以针对自己的业障程度，制定相应的短期修行目标。业障深的，平时总觉得什么都不顺，求菩萨念经很多但还不变好，这就是业障缠身阻碍运程，应集中精力消业障，多念小房子。业障浅的，一念经就有感觉，求菩萨每求必应，那么就是你本身有功德有修行，就要提高要求，修心积累功德最要紧。
Upon understanding these principles, I hope all of you will gain a clearer picture of how your destiny is formed. Do not shirk responsibility and shift the blame to others. Instead, let go of your burdens, focus on cultivating the mind, and fill your time with reciting scriptures and accumulating merit and virtue instead of waiting in vain. Even if we are still in the Human Realm in our next lifetime, we shall live every day reaping the fruit of good karma, as if living in Heaven.
理解了这些道理以后，希望大家就能认清自己的命运是怎么形成的，不要再怨天尤人，推卸责任，而是放下包袱，专心修行，把所有等待的时间都用在念经修功德上，那么即使来世还在人界，那我们的每一天也会尽是好的果报，像生活在天上一样。
发表于 2023-9-5 10:12:41
