因果=cause-and-effect; 幫因=helping the cause; 循因=backtracking the cause; 觀看心念=observing the thought in the mind; 念頭=thought; 報應=retribution; 十二因緣=twelve dependent originations
摘要
因果在佛教中一直是非常重要的觀念，佛教也一直強調「出離因果」，但是一般的因果觀念只侷限在「因果報應」、「三世因果」、和「因果輪迴」，以爲因果觀念只是這樣而已。如果只保持這樣的觀念，就沒有看見因果的全貌，也無法出離因果。事實上因果有下列特性：一、因在先，果在後。二、因果一直不停的衍生，環環相扣。三、因果之間的時間距離沒有一定，可以很長，也可以很短。四、因果可以由許多種形式呈現。五、果會像滾雪球一樣越滾越大，越滾越複雜，越滾越沉重。六、本明爲一切果的第一因。七、某個果沒過關，就會一再重現。八、人從一出生，就帶著累世以來堆積的果報。人因爲因果的越滾越大，越滾越複雜，越滾越沉重，一直不停的衍生下去，一再重現，很難「出離因果」。梁乃崇提出「幫因」的理論，他注意到許多人在幫助別人時同時負擔了很多別人的業報，給自己帶來許多痛苦。他發現這是因爲幫了「果」，因此提出幫助別人時要幫助因的部分。作者運用這個觀點，提出「循因」的概念，來解決個人自己的因果問題。「循因」的概念就是在出離因果時把心態擺在「因」上，也就是面對問題時回頭看問題的「因」，找到這個「因」之後再找更前面的「因」，說這樣循著自己的「因」一直回溯，由這個「因」回溯到前一個「因」，接著再回溯到更前的一個「因」，然後再回溯到更之前的「因」……，如此一直回溯下去，直到回溯到「第一因」－「本明」，也就是回到本來面目。這樣就能出離因果輪迴。做法是：1.勇敢承擔果報。2.觀看心念－日常生活中，時時觀看自己的心，念頭起時，「知而勿隨」。3.懺悔。4.問爲什麼。5.多靜坐增加定力。6.對「因」的未來果報不要有得失心。7.勤種善因。8.多持咒或念聖號迴向給怨親債主。 Cause-and-effect has long been a momentous topic in Buddhism which stresses the importance of freeing from transmigration due to cause-and-effect. However, ordinary people’s conceptions of cause-and-effect are only limited to transmigration and retribution. As a result, people cannot see a panorama of cause-and-effect and thus fail to get emancipation from it.The properties of cause-and-effect can be specified as follows: (1) The cause always comes before the effect. (2) The cause-and-effect keeps generating continuously. (3) The time span between cause and effect is uncertain; it can be very long or very short. (4) The cause-andeffect can be in various forms. (5) An effect gets more complicated and heavier as time goes by. (6) Self-brightness is the first cause of every effect. (7) A yet-to-be transcended effect appears repeatedly. (8) People bring to this life all the effects accumulated in previous lives when he/she was born. It is very difficult for people to free from the cause-and-effect because of its accumulation, complication, and heaviness. People suffering from retribution usually call for help. Those who help others out of retribution always have to suffer from the retribution for them. To solve this problem, Professor Liang Nai-Chung proposed the theory of “helping the causes” under the belief that helping an effect is concomitant with taking over retribution of the effect. He suggested that people’s attitude of mind should be on the cause when helping others. Based on Professor Liang’s theory, I suggest that people should backtrack the causes to deal with their own cause-and-effect. More precisely, people first find the cause of the present effect and then backtrack the cause to find its previous cause until the root of the problem is pinpointed. By backtracking every cause of the effect, people will be able to find the first cause (i.e. self-brightness) and become free from the cause-and-effect. Specific methods of backtracking the causes include: (1) accept and face all the effects bravely, (2) observe every thought in the mind, (3) repent, (4) ask why, (5) do meditation to enhance steadfastness, (6) abandon the thought of gains and losses on future effects, (7) do good effects, and (8) practice the chanting of mantra and give the goodness to enemies.
