The Buddha
Speaks The Sutra On
Cause And Effect In The Three Periods Of Time
Translated
by Bhikshuni Heng Tao
Reviewed by Bhikshuni Heng Ch’ih
Edited by Upasaka
David Raunds
Certified by Venerable Abbot Hua
and Bhikshuni Heng Ch’ih
That time, Ananda was on Magic Mountain, together with twelve hundred
fifty in the assembly. Ananda made obeisance with his palms together, circumambulated
the Buddha three times, and knelt with his palms joined. Then he asked Shakyamuni
Buddha this question: “During the Dharma-Ending Age, all the living beings
in Southern Jambudvipa will give rise to much unwholesome karma. They will not
revere the Triple Jewel, or respect their parents. They will be lacking in the
Three Bonds.1 The Five Constants2 that safeguard the universal obligations between
people will be in disharmony and disarray. Beings will be poor, destitute, lowly,
and vile. Their six faculties will suffer impairment. All day long they will engage
in killing and harming. Moreover, they will not be of equal status; some will
be wealthy while others will be poor. What are the conditions leading to these
various different rewards and retributions? We disciples pray that the World Honored
One will compassionately explain each one of these for us.”
The Buddha
told Ananda and the assembly of great disciples, “You should now listen attentively.
Good indeed, good indeed! I will clearly set forth all of this for you. All men
and women of the world, whether they be poor and lowly or wealthy and noble, whether
they be undergoing limitless sufferings or enjoying blessings without end, are
all undergoing the rewards or retributions which are due to causes and effects
from their past lives. What should they do from now on?
“First, they
should be filial and respectful to their parents. Next, they should reverently
believe in the Triple Jewel. Third, they should refrain from killing and instead
liberate the living. Fourth, they should eat pure vegetarian food and practice
giving. These acts will enable them to plant seeds in the field of blessings for
their future lives.”
Then the Buddha spoke these verses on cause and
effect:
Wealth and dignity come from one’s destiny
From causes planted
in lives in the past.
People who hold to this simple principle
Will reap
good fortune in lives in the future.
Kind men and women, listen to the causes,
Hear and remember this Sutra’s reminder
Of the causes and effects of karmic
deeds
In the past, in the future, and in the present.
Cause and effect
is no small care.
True are my words; don’t take them lightly.
Why are
some people officials at present?
Because with gold they gilded the Buddhas
In their past lives, long long ago.
It’s from their practice in lives
in the past
That they reap in this life a rich fruition.
The purple gown
and golden cordon–
The honored marks of higher office:
Should you seek
them, seek with the Buddhas.
Gilding the Buddhas is your own gain;
Robing
Thus Come Ones, you robe yourself.
Don’t say it’s easy to become an official;
It cannot happen if causes aren’t planted.
What are the causes of owning
a carriage
And riding on palanquins? People like that
Were builders and
menders of bridges and roads.
Why are some people wearers of satin?
That
is because in times in the past,
Robes they save as gifts to the Sangha.
Sometimes
people have plentiful goods,
The reason, in fact, again is quite fair.
In
the past those people gave food to the poor.
Others don’t have food or drink,
Who can guess the reason why?
Before those people were plagued with a
fault:
Stingy greed made them squeeze every penny.
The well-to-do among
us dwell
In very tall mansions and vast estates.
The reason is they gladly
gave rice,
Lavishing gifts of grain on monasteries.
Enjoying blessings
and justly prosperous,
Are People who reap a fitting reward.
In times
now past they helped build temples
And saw that the Sangha had huts and shelters.
Some people’s features are fine and perfect,
Surely the reason for such
rewards
Is that beautiful flowers they offered to Buddhas.
Why are some
people gifted and wise?
In former lives they ate pure food
And remembered
the Buddhas with mindful regard.
Look at men whose wives are loyal,
Their
reward comes now for what happened before:
Their conditions are strong in
the Buddha’s door.
Some have marriages lasting and meaningful.
Their happiness
doesn’t happen by chance.
The cause this time is the hanging of canopies
And
streamers before the Buddhas’ statues.
Some happy fellows’ fathers and mothers
Enjoy long lifespans, contentment, and ease.
Where is the source for rewards
such as these?
They protected orphans in times now past
And regarded all
elderly ones as their own.
Orphans must live without fathers and mothers
Since
before they shot down birds for sport.
How does one set lots of children and
grandchildren?
By letting birds fly from their cages to freedom.
In raising
children, some really fail badly.
It’s because before they drowned female
infants.
When barren, people won’t bear any children.
That’s their due
for committing promiscuous deeds.
Some have long lifespans, why are they lucky?
Liberating creatures, they ransomed lives.
Have you seen how many suffer
short lifespans?
Their wanton slaughter of beings is why.
Lonely are men
whom no women will marry.
They’re paying their debt for committing adultery.
Widows bear a sad retribution.
They held their past lives’ husbands in
scorn.
Servants and slaves made that bondage themselves
By neglecting
repayment of goodnesses done them.
Bright are the eyes of some fortunate beings.
Before Buddhus they offered lamps filled with oil.
The blind of this world
bear a heavy burden
For past failure to tell the way clearly to
travellers.
Some people’s mouths are very misshapen.
They blew out lamps on the Buddhast
altars.
To be deaf and mute is a dreary existence.
Reward appropriate
for scolding one’s parents.
How do people get to be hunchbacks?
They berated
and laughed at those bowing to
Buddhas.
Take heed of malformed hands,
my friend.
They betray people prone to evil.
Fellows with crippled and
useless feet
Ambushed and robbed with reckless abandon.
Most cows and
horses were humans before–
People who didn’t settle their debts.
Many
former people are now pigs or dogs
Because they injured and cheated others.
Illness and pain: an effect inevitable
For bestowing meat and wine on
the Buddhas.
Freedom from illness: a fine reward
For relieving the sick
by bestowing medicines.
The fate of imprisonment catches some people
Due
to fiendish deeds and a failure to yield.
Death by starvation: due retribution
For stopping up holes of rats and snakes.
Appropriate that a victim of
poisoning
Caused aquatic poisoning; dammed up waters.
Abandoned, forlorn,
rejected beings
Were cruel of old, abusing others.
The stature of some
is extremely short.
Before, they read Sutras spread out on the floor.
Vomiting
blood? Believe it’s from first
Eating meat, then reciting the Sutras.
Another
deed that determines deafness:
To not listen well to Sutra recitals.
Sores
and scabies bother some people
Who gave stinking fish and flesh to the Buddhas.
People who reek with a terrible stench
Sold inferior scents and phony
goods.
Why do some by their own hand hang themselves?
Before, they used
nooses to capture their prey.
All those widowed, alone, unwed, or orphaned,
Are now paid Justly for former jealousy.
Those struck by lightning, consumed
by fire,
Rigged their scales to better their business income.
Fierce tigers
and snakes that feast on people
Are enemies bearing resentments from lives
before.
In our myriad deeds, whatever we do,
We reap our own rewards,
it’s true.
Who can we blame for our woe in the hells?
Who can there be
to blame but ourselves?
Don’t say that cause and effect is unseen.
Look
at you, your offspring, heirs, and grand children.
If you doubt the good of
pure eating and giving,
Look around and find those enjoying fortune.
Having
practiced of old, they now harvest abundance.
To cultivate now will bring
blessings anew.
Those who slander the cause and effect in this Sutra
Will
fall and have no chance to be human.
Those who recite and uphold this Sutra
Are supported by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Write out this Sutra, study
it hard
And in the future your families will flourish.
Uphold this Sutra
atop your heads
To avert disasters and fatal accidents.
To lecture this
Sutra on Cause and Effect
Is to sharpen your wits in successive rebirths.
Chanting this Sutra on Cause and Effect
Will make one revered, well-regarded
by all.
Print and distribute this precious Sutra
And reap rebirth as a
ruler or king.
To verify former cause and effect,
Regard Mahakashyapa’s
golden body.
A case of future cause and effect:
Bhikshu Good Star slandered
the Dharma
And lost his chance for human life.
If cause and effect contained
no truth,
Why did Maudgalyayana seek to rescue his mother
From the hells
to save her from suffering?
Those who trust the words of this Sutra us true,
Will all be reborn in the Western Land of Bliss.
To speak of present cause
and effect
To proclaim future and past as well,
Is a deed that could never
be done to its end.
Join at the door of the Triple Gem.
With blessings
and wholesome belief one can enter
The door, supported by gods and dragons,
Dragons and sods who won’t let you down.
For every part of giving you
practice,
You’ll reap ten thousand parts reward.
Such blessings are stored
in a solid treasury,
For enjoyment in future rebirths without end.
If
you care to know of past live’s causes,
Look at rewards you are reaping today
If you wish to find out about future lives,
You need but notice what you’re
doing right now.
End Of The Buddha Speaks The Sutra On Cause and Effect In
Three Periods Of Time
(ii) bright with a bright result,
(iii) dark and bright with a dark and bright result,
(iv) neither dark nor bright with a neither dark nor bright result.
Online edition of India’s National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 29, 2008
Mayawati in Forbesβ powerful women list
Shanker Chakravarty
NEW YORK: U.P Chief Minister Mayawati has joined in a list of worldβs 100 most powerful women compiled by Forbes magazine.
Drive to repair U.P. roadsLucknow: A special drive will be launched in Uttar Pradesh to repair
all roads in the State which have been damaged due to the torrential
rains this year, PWD Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui said here on
Thursday.
An additional amount will be released this month for the drive which
will continue till September 30, the Minister said. After completion of
the drive, a joint team comprising government and PWD officers will
inspect the work done, the Minister said while chairing a meeting of
the PWD officials. β PTI
Prof. Dr. Suresh Mane
 |
Prof.
Dr. Suresh Mane is a renowned Professor of Law as well as a mass leader
of the Bahujan Movement headed by Kumari Bahan Mayawatiji and founded
by Manyawar Shri. Kanshiram.
Sir as
he is fondly called is also the National General Secretary of the
Bahujan Samaj Party and is also the Coordinator for the Southern and
North East States of India Namely Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondichery (Since
March-2005) & North-East States (Since August-2006). Also Karnataka (2008)
Sir
is not only actively involved into the political affairs and growth of
the BSP but also Looks into the welfare and development of the workers.
He presides the Mumbai Port Trust SC, STand OBC Employeeβs Welfare
Association and is the Founder President of BMC SC, ST Employeeβs
Welfare Association.
Along with so
many responsibilities Sir also looks over the Workers Union of the
Mumbai Port Trust and is the President of Mumbai Port Trust Workers
Union. for the Rights of the Municipal Workers of the Mumbai Municipal
Corporation. Sir founded the Bahujan Municipal Kamgar Union and was the
Founder President for it.
Sir is not only a mass leader but also academically superior to other leaders of the day.
He holds multiple degrees into various departments ranging from
Commerce to Law. Namely B. Com. Ll. M. He has also done his Doctorate
from the University of Mumbai and specialized into: Constitutional Law
, Administrative Law and Criminal Law.
Sir
had his Subject of Doctoral Thesis: βThe Contribution of Justice P. N.
Bhagwati To The Constitutional Growth in India: A Critical Studyβ
Sir
is presently the Reader in Law at the University of Mumbai, Fort, in
the Dept. of Law a position he is holding since 12-8-2002. He is also
the Guiding Teacher for Ph. D. at Mumbai University since 26-11-1998
Apart
from all the activities Sir has so far authored 4 Books 5 Monograms
published 35 papers at various Universities and written 31 National
Seminar Papers. He has an academic teaching experience of total 21
years so far.
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P.S. — Be sure to tune in to watch Barack accept the Democratic nomination tonight.