师父接下来给大家讲愚痴的人。愚痴并不是说没有知识。说这个人很愚痴，也许他读过很多的书，但是并不代表他有智慧。读了再多的书，并不代表这个人修得好；这个人读书再多，也并不代表他的境界很高。反之，有愚痴的人，并不代表他没有文化，愚痴就是他把某一个点去罩住了人间的一个分子点。什么叫分子点？就是说他只看见他眼前的一片，他看不见全面，所以他才会愚痴。比如他看到人家买了一个彩票中了六合彩。他看见人家中六合彩了，为什么自己没有中呢？所以他就天天去买，这就是造成他愚痴的根源，对不对？师父刚才给大家讲愚痴的人实际上读过书，但是他在善恶、因缘当中，不知道什么是善什么是恶，什么叫愚痴。不明理，不知道好坏就叫愚痴。明明是对的东西，他说错了；明明是错的东西，他说对了。你们告诉我这个跟读书有什么关系呢？比如你是学物理的、或学化学的、或学牙医的，你就能懂得辨别真善吗？你是研究生，你研究导弹、研究原子弹，你能知道人间的因果吗？他们是分辨不出来的。所以要明理呀！
Next, let me talk about ignorance. Ignorance doesn’t mean a lack of education. A person may be called ignorant yet have read many books—but that doesn’t make them wise. No matter how much they’ve studied, it doesn’t mean they’ve cultivated well or reached a high spiritual state. Conversely, someone who seems ignorant isn’t necessarily uneducated. Ignorance means fixating on one tiny detail while missing the bigger picture. What do I mean by “tiny detail”? It means only seeing what’s right in front of you without understanding the whole picture. That’s ignorance. For example, someone sees another person win the lottery and thinks, “Why didn’t I win?” So they start buying tickets every day—that’s the root of their ignorance, isn’t it?
So when I speak of ignorant people, I’m referring to those who may be educated but get caught up in the ideas of good and evil, tangled in karmic conditions, unable to tell right from wrong—that’s ignorance. Seeing good as bad or bad as good—that’s ignorance. Tell me, what does that have to do with formal education? If you study physics, chemistry, or dentistry, does that mean you understand true goodness? If you’re a postgraduate researching missiles or nuclear bombs, do you understand the law of karma in this human world? No—you can’t. That’s why you must learn to see things clearly.
师父给大家讲要知善恶。如果能知道善恶的人，这个人是有宿业的根。宿业是什么意思？宿业并不是指这个业是坏业，而是指前世、再前世所修的业，这个业有善业有恶业。他能够知道今世的好坏，实际上他就是懂得善恶，他的前世是个有修行的人。而一个不知好坏的人，在今世不知道这个事情的好坏，实际上就是这个人前世所造的恶业让他不能有悟性，他就是前世没有修行的人。大家明白吗？所以作恶者，愚痴也；行善者，智慧也；学佛者，开悟也。一定要懂得只有学佛才能开智慧。如果一个人说我开悟了，这个开悟大不了只是局部开悟，是在某一点上自己知道好坏了，并不代表所有的事情都知道好坏。所有的过去生中的业障都是现世造业所感。“现世造业所感”就是说你前世好的和坏的就像有一个导火线，你前世好的东西，就算今世某个时间该你发财了，但你这辈子没有做好事，你的这个财就没有了；你前世的恶业，在你应该报恶的时候，如果你拼命地做善事，可能这个恶业就不报了。所以真正要控制的是今世的业力，就是感召力。也就是说你看见一个地雷的导火线，你可以不去点燃，它就不会报；同样，你看见一个好的彩球来了，你可以去接。这都是在你今生所造的业当中，这个跟你前世已经没有关系了。听得懂吗？所以整体来讲最重要的就是把握现在，佛法讲叫把握当下。
You need to recognise good and evil. A person who can distinguish right from wrong has the foundation of past karma. What does that mean? “Past karma” doesn’t only refer to negative karma—it refers to all the karma you’ve accumulated over past lives, both wholesome and unwholesome. If you can recognise good and evil in this life, it means you were someone who cultivated in your past lives. But someone who can’t tell good from bad in this life is clouded by the negative karma they created before. That heavy karma now blocks their potential for awakening. That shows they didn’t cultivate in their past life. Do you understand? So: those who commit evil are ignorant; those who do good are wise; those who practise Buddhism awaken. Remember, only through Buddhist practice can wisdom arise. If someone says, “I’m awakened,” at most, it’s a partial awakening—perhaps they’ve realised one small truth, but it doesn’t mean they understand everything.
All the karmic obstacles from the past arise because of the karma created in this life. The good and bad causes from your past lives are like fuses waiting to be lit—they’re triggered by your actions now. If you did good in the past and are destined to receive wealth, but you stop doing good in this life, that wealth will not come. If you did evil in the past and are due for retribution, but you dedicate yourself to good deeds, that retribution may not manifest. So what truly matters is controlling the karma you create in this life—that’s what draws consequences to you. It’s like seeing a landmine’s fuse: you can choose not to light it, and it won’t explode. Likewise, if a lucky opportunity comes your way, you can choose to seize it. All of this depends on the karma you’re creating right now—it no longer has much to do with your past lives. Do you understand? So, the most important thing is to seize the moment. In Buddhism, we call this living in the present.
学佛真的是不容易，一定要有慧目。就是要有智慧的眼睛。有智慧的眼睛才能看得出这个人是好人还是坏人。自古以来就有一句话说“不识字没有关系，不识人头可不行”。如果自己都不知道这个人是好人还是坏人，你就会受他的骗。就像许多离了婚的人说：“我当时是瞎了眼了，现在后悔莫及。”你就是瞎了眼了，因为你没有慧目，你没有智慧，你才会上当。对方吹的牛、说的谎你都以为是真的，你就是一个愚痴之人。因为你过去没有学佛，才会造成这样因果报应。因为一切众生缺少的就是慧目，所以不能执断。执断就是执着的判断某一个事情。不要执着的去判断某个事情。很多人为什么会执着？因为他的前世种下了恶因，所以他受恶果。在阎王老爷那里判他的时候，就会让他投到很凶恶的父母家里。这个家庭的父母亲就常常吵架、打骂、闹。这个孩子从小接受了这些教育，所以他的修养就很不好，动不动就骂人，动不动就打架。家里父母亲很凶恶，经常吵架，等孩子大起来一定是一个坏脾气的人，或者把这个“坏”字改为“怪”字，叫怪脾气的人。这就是父母亲造的因来让孩子承受这个果报。就像有人说，“你们为什么说我时要说到我的妈妈？”因为你是你妈妈生的，你的身上有很多的习惯是遗传了你父母亲的因子。如果你身上有好习惯，人家就说你的父母亲好；如果你的身上有很多不好的习惯，人家就骂你的父母亲。这就是人常说的没有父母亲教养的孩子。
Practising Buddhism is no easy task—you need to have the eyes of wisdom. Only with such eyes can you tell whether someone is truly good or not. There’s an old saying: “It’s fine if you can’t read books, but you can’t afford to misread people.” If you can’t tell whether someone is good or bad, you’re bound to be deceived. Think of people who’ve been through a divorce—they often say, “I was blind back then, and now I’m full of regret.” Exactly. You were blind because you lacked the eyes of wisdom, the insight to see clearly. You believed the other person’s boasting and lies, mistaking them for truth—that’s ignorance. And this karmic outcome arises because in past lives you didn’t study Buddhism—you lacked wisdom. What sentient beings lack most are the eyes of wisdom.
You must avoid clinging to rigid judgements. To be attached to judgement means to hold tightly to one fixed opinion. Many people fall into this trap because, in past lives, they planted bad causes and now reap bad results. When the King of the Underworld judges them, they may be reborn into a harsh family where the parents constantly argue, yell, and fight. A child raised in that environment absorbs those patterns, becoming quick to curse or brawl. Parents like that raise children with bad tempers—or perhaps we should say “odd” tempers. The parents sow the causes, and the child bears the retribution. That’s why some people get upset when you mention their parents: “Why bring my mum into this?” Because she gave birth to you. Many of your habits are inherited from your parents. If you have good habits, people praise your parents; if you have bad ones, they criticise your upbringing. That’s why people say a rude person is a child without proper upbringing.
业由心造，就是你所有的业都是由你的心造成的。因为行随心转，就是说你所有的行为、所有的行动都是由你的心来造成的。极毒之人，一个恶得不得了的人，他以后是变蛇。自古以来有句话，世上最毒毒不过恶人的心，叫蛇蝎心肠。师父给你们说世人常为人，畜生常为畜生。就是这辈子是畜生的话，下辈子还是投畜生，因为你的行随心转。恶毒的人是变蛇。极暴的人，就是动不动就要发脾气，动不动就狂怒的人，这个人下辈子就投老虎。为什么很多脾气不好的人人家就叫他老虎呢？明白了吗？这些不是师父讲的，是自古以来就有这些讲法的。你们不要等自己碰到了，自己做到了才知道，“哦，前人讲的真有道理呀”。什么道理呀？因为你没有学，所以你不懂。如果你早一点学，早一点知道怎么样的人可以找，怎么样的人不可以找；什么样的人会投什么；什么样的人心是好的，什么样的人心是坏的；什么样的事情可以做，什么样的事情不可以做，你就会少碰很多钉子。就是因为你愚痴，分不清善恶。但是这个跟读书是没有关系的。一个好医生一定能够分辨出善恶吗？一个科学家他能够分辨出善恶吗？有时候还不如一个老妈妈懂得的善恶多。所以我们说业力如果太重能马上变其形态，也就是说这个人的业力重过头了。这个人天天发脾气，天天发怒，这个人就是人间的一只虎；这个人恶得不得了，就是人间一条恶毒的蛇。所以业力过头了，太重了、太猛的话，实际上他人还没有死已经是畜生了。大家明白吗？何况业力会转变，就是说业力在不同的环境下会不同的转变。以前做的坏事不等于现在还是坏事，以前做的好事不等于现在社会当中你做的还是好事，因为业力会随着天时、地理、人来转变的。想想看，很多国家过去喝酒开车不犯法，而现在喝酒开车就是犯法。而在很多的国家，早就定为喝酒开车就是犯罪。对不对？早应该制止这些不好的行为了。喝酒驾车就是草菅人命，因为喝过酒的人他不知道什么是对的，不知道什么是错的，不知道自己的车开得有多快。
All karma arises from the mind. As the saying goes, actions follow the mind. Everything you do—every action you take—comes from your own mind. A person who harbours extreme malice, someone truly vicious, will be reborn as a snake. Since ancient times, people have said, “Nothing in the world is more poisonous than a wicked human heart.” That’s why we say such people have hearts as toxic as snakes and scorpions. Let me tell you something: generally speaking, humans remain human, and animals remain animals. If someone behaves like an animal in this life, they’ll be reborn as one in the next, because actions follow the mind. The cruel become snakes. Those who are quick to anger—always losing their temper or exploding in rage—may be reborn as tigers. Ever wonder why we call hot-tempered people “tigers”? It’s not something I made up; these ideas have existed since ancient times. Don’t wait until you experience retribution yourself before realising, “Ah, the ancients were right.” If you don’t learn, you won’t understand. Had you learned earlier, you’d know who to trust and who to avoid, what kind of people are destined for which realms in the next life, who has a good heart and who doesn’t, and what actions are right or wrong. You’d have avoided a great deal of trouble. But because of ignorance, you can’t tell good from evil—and that has nothing to do with formal education. Does a skilled doctor always know right from wrong? Can a scientist truly distinguish good from evil? Sometimes, an old grandmother understands morality better than a scholar.
When karmic force becomes too heavy, it can immediately alter a person’s form. Someone constantly consumed by anger is already a tiger among humans. Someone filled with malice is already a poisonous snake in human form. When karma grows too strong and fierce, that person is practically an animal even before death. Do you understand? Moreover, karma can transform—it changes according to circumstances. A past misdeed doesn’t necessarily remain bad forever, and a past good deed doesn’t necessarily remain good in every context. Karma shifts with time, place, and people. Think about it: in the past, drink-driving wasn’t illegal in some countries, but now it’s a crime—as it should be. Such harmful behaviour should have been stopped long ago. Drink-driving is reckless; it endangers lives. After drinking, people lose judgement—they no longer know what’s right or wrong, or how fast they’re going.
所以“灾，非自天降”。世界上许多的灾难，并不是从天上降下来的。大家觉得这句话对不对？很多的灾都是人自己造成的，很多的天灾也是人造成的，对不对？现在的温室效应，气体排放，造成了天时不稳，是不是人造成的？核辐射是不是人自己造成的？佛菩萨早在几千年前就说了，灾并非天降，惟人自召，都是人自己招来的。就像很多人一样，平平安安的日子不要过，嘴巴里就是喜欢东讲讲西讲讲，这个做做那个做做，最后被抓进监狱。对不对？要懂道理啊。天只不过是因为他所做的业，也就是说人间每一个人所做的业和业的能量，影响了天的变化。大家都在造恶业，天时就恶得快；大家都在做好事情，这个天时就好得快。所以一定要明白他的所做所为影响着自然环境的变化。举个简单的例子，人的气场要想不好很容易。你们今天大家在一起几个人一帮，几个人一派，你们今天来到东方台谁会理谁呀？我看你不顺眼，你看我不顺眼，你说这个气场会不会被破坏？你们到这里来能笑得起来吗？如果你们在人间今天杀人，明天放火，你们是不是把人间的气场搞坏了？就像悉尼森林大火，你们在悉尼市中心是不是感觉很热呀？温度是不是上升了？这是什么道理？这就是人的行为在改变天地之气场。
“Disasters don’t fall from the sky.” Many of the world’s calamities aren’t sent down from above—isn’t that true? Most disasters are caused by people. Even so-called natural disasters often stem from human actions, don’t they? Look at the greenhouse effect and carbon emissions—they’ve upset nature’s balance, haven’t they? Isn’t nuclear radiation caused by humans too? Thousands of years ago, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas already taught that disasters aren’t sent by the heavens—they’re brought on by humans themselves. Some people could live peaceful lives, yet they choose to stir up trouble, gossiping here and there, meddling in everything until they end up in prison. Makes sense, doesn’t it? You must understand this truth: Heaven merely reflects the karma that beings create. Every action and its karmic energy affect the natural order. If everyone commits wrongdoing, the heavenly conditions deteriorate quickly; if everyone does good, the heavenly conditions improve just as quickly. You must recognise how your own actions shape the natural environment. Here’s a simple example: it’s easy to ruin the energy around you. If you come to our practice centre forming cliques, taking sides, giving each other the cold shoulder, what happens? The atmosphere becomes tense. Can you still smile in that kind of environment? If you go about killing or setting fires in this world, aren’t you destroying the Human Realm’s energy field? Think of the Sydney bushfires—didn’t you feel the heat rise even in the city centre? The temperature went up, didn’t it? That’s the result of human actions disturbing the energy of Heaven and Earth.