← Volver a la ficha del textoThe Treatise on Response and
Retribution (Kan Yin Pien)
A Modern English Translation
2014 Edition (Revised)
Translation & Commentary by Brian Chung
THIS TEXT IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND HAS NO COPYRIGHT.
FOREWORD
The Treatise on Response and Retribution (ivJi^vii^) holds great
relevance in our current era of moral collapse and turbid confusion.
The Venerable Master Chin Kung (v^S^^) often states that there
can be no Buddhism without adherence to the precepts of virtue
and morality. This is because the Buddha has explicitly stated in
the Threefold Training that precepts and virtue form the fertile soil
in which wisdom springs from (i.e. Sila Samadhi Prajna).
Spoken by Lao Tzu, the treatise's list of 170 evil deeds encompasses
in detail all karmic transgressions that could be committed by a
unenlightened person. Furthermore, the treatise also offers
practical advice on how to cultivate virtue. Hence, it comes at no
surprise that the 13th Patriarch of the Pureland School, the great
Master Yin Kuang (£p&A&p) spared no effort to print, teach and
distribute this treatise.
The Master also stated that those who wish to be reborn in Amita
Buddha's Pureland must first cultivate themselves in accordance
with the precepts listed within the treatise.
Hence, the importance of this treatise cannot be understated and
all cultivators of Buddhism should heed it's teachings and hold it in
high regard.
Namo Amita Buddha
As the author of this text, I hereby dedicate the merit from this work towards Pureland
Rebirth.
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Section One: Cause & Effect
T/ie Exalted One (Lao Tzu) states: Fortune and misery are neither
predestined nor random ; they are instead caused by the karmic actions of
each individual. The rewards and retributions for virtue and vice follows
each person like a shadow.
Commentary:
Here, The Sage Lao Tzu (whose wisdom flows from Samadhi) clearly concurs
with the Buddhist concepts of karma. If a man experiences misfortune, it has
nothing to do with who or what he perceives to be the cause of it. Any misery
or pain anyone experiences are instead brought onto themselves by the evil
deeds they has committed either in this life or the previous life.
*4#fe • **4## • ' t&s^ ' - kmrn*- •
Depending on the severity of a person's individual offenses, the spirits of
justice shortens his or her original lifespan in proportion to the level of
wickedness involved. Furthermore, not only do offenders have their life
shortened; various punishments such as misery, poverty, ill repute,
misfortunes, illness, legal penalties and the like will be inflicted and last until
death results.
Also, there are various demigods and spirits such as the Hearth Spirit and
Gods of the North who shadow each individual and record (impartially and
without mistake) each their offenses. If a person has committed a great evil,
12 years are shaved off his lifespan while small offenses warrant only a
reduction ofioo days. There are over a hundred offenses, both severe and
light, that those who wish to live a long life must know.
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Commentary:
This part of the treatise describes the effects of evil karma. The Buddha also
confirms in the Larger Infinite Life Sutra that there are indeed demigods and
spirits who observe and record the offenses of each person. They are the
agents of karma and they carry out the duty of inflicting punishments and
bestowing rewards without partiality or error.
When each person is born, their lifespan and fortunes have already been
decided based on their prior karma. If the person then decides to diligently
cultivate virtue, their fortunes can be changed for the better. Likewise, if a
man does evil, he will not only create karma that will result in misery but will
also reduce the blessings he had accumulated in prior lives and are set to
enjoy in this life. So if a murderer was originally destined to live a long and
happy life, he will see his lifespan reduced and fortunes diminished or tainted
as a result of his evil. Finally, death will result and he (if he did not accumulate
any blessings to save himself) will most likely fall into the evil realms for his
next rebirth.
This section finishes by stating that those who wish to live a long life (i.e.
preserve or increase one's lifespan) must avoid all evil conduct listed in the
treatise.
Section Two : The Virtuous Man
%Kr&. ' ^m^-k ; ' • » ; ***** »
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He walks the path of virtue and avoids the path of vice and evil. He does not
stray from what is proper and avoids committing offenses in secret, thinking
that no one will know.
He amasses merit and treats everything and everyone with gentleness and
compassion. He is loyal to his countrymen, filial to his parents and kind to
his brothers and sisters. He cultivates himself and reforms others. He shows
concern for the welfare of the lonely, widowed and orphaned.
He respects the elderly and cares for the young. He does not hurt or damage
even the little insects, animals, grasses and flowers. He rejoices in the virtue
of others and pities the evil. He saves those in danger and helps those in need.
He harbors no thoughts of jealousy or envy and delights at another's
prosperity. He empathizes with the loss of other people.
He does not publish the faults and scandals of others (be they true or not)
and acts with modesty in regards to his own merits. He prevents evil and
encourages virtue. He reserves for himself little but gives much and reacts
with equanimity to slights and slander. He does not abuse favor bestowed
and nor does he give with strings attached. Lastly, he does not regret what
he has given others.
By such conduct, a individual becomes virtuous. Those who are virtuous
command the respect of men and earn the blessings of the heavens.
Furthermore, demigods protect them ; fortune and success follow them and
disasters avoid them. Moreover, heavenly rebirth is open to them. Those who
wish to be reborn as a demigod should accumulate 300 virtuous deeds while
those who wish to attain heavenly rebirth should amass 1300 good deeds.
Commentary:
This section describes the conduct of the virtuous and also illustrates the
karmic rewards of virtue. If you can successfully implement all of these
requirements to a high degree, you are considered a man or women of
exemplary character. "Path of virtue" means that one avoids the crimes and
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offenses listed in the treatise while at the same time doing whatever possible
to amass good deeds. The virtuous will not only enjoy having their dreams
come true in this life but can also hope to achieve heavenly rebirth in the next.
Demigod rebirth requires 300 good deeds to attain and they enjoy long
pleasurable lives and immunity from pain and deprivation. Celestial Devas
cost 1300 good deeds to achieve and the pleasures and powers they enjoy is
considerably superior.
However, not all deeds are equal. For instance, merely introducing a copy of
this treatise to someone who will publish it will result in tens of thousands of
virtuous deeds and the rewards of planting good roots in the Buddha Dharma
(e.g. printing the Shurangama Sutra or Infinite Life Sutra) are limitless and
beyond comparison. Furthermore, even small acts of kindness done out of
true selfless compassion can be worth tens of thousands of virtuous deeds.
Finally, one should not seek to amass virtue just to be reborn in the heavens.
Instead, the Buddha kindly advises us in the Larger Infinite Life Sutra to
whole heartedly dedicate all of our good deeds for the attainment of Amita
Buddha's Pureland, which will grant us liberation from the endless rounds of
death and rebirth.
Section Three; Crimes and Offenses.
1. ) ' ts^t
To harbor vicious thoughts and disregard one's conscience; acting contrary
to what is fair, humane and reasonable.
2. ) UA*£ »
To boast of one's evil as a strength and to inflict cruelties with a cold heart.
30 IfcJftM- '
Secretly plotting to hurt the good and kind; being dishonest to one's
superiors and parents behind their back.
4.) ft**& ' fc&flf*
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To treat one's teachers and mentors with arrogance. To betray or disregard
one's duties. To be negligent and incompetent in carrying out one's duties.
4. ) mn&m > nnn^
To lie to and mislead those without expertise or knowledge while holding a
advantage in know-how and information. To slander one's colleagues and
fellow students.
5. ) AtatM* '
Employing lies, fraud, espionage, plots, sting operations and entrapment
against another. To maliciously slander and criticize one's extended and
immediate family members.
6. ) m&*4=- >foJk%%
To be cruel, inhumane and without compassion; to proceed capriciously and
be obstinate to good advice.
7. ) &#*t ' ftt«
To confuse good and evil; to foolishly align oneself with evil people and avoid
good people.
8. ) jtTJMfr ' 3&-t#&
To (while holding power and office) sacrifice the lives, interests and welfare
of the people or individuals for the attainment of personal popularity and
career success. For instance, a judge increasing penalties or a prosecutor
over charging to appear tough on crime.
To cajole favor from one's superiors by schemes and flattery or by abetting
their misconduct.
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9. ) '
To show no gratitude for kindness and favors received ; to harbor
grievances without cease.
10. ) > mi®&
To treat the common people with disdain and haughty arrogance ; to
destabilize the country or pass whimsical and or burdensome regulations,
taxes and laws.
To reward injustice; to punish, arrest or prosecute the innocent.
12. ) IfcAfrtt ' ft Afrit
Killing in order to obtain wealth. Using plots and schemes to seize another's
position and public office.
13. ) tfcKH&Jfc. '
To kill or abuse surrendering troops and prisoners of war. To purge and
remove Sages and reject their wise teachings.
14. )
To abuse and exploit widows and orphans. Accepting (as a judge, law
enforcer or prosecutor) bribes for the purpose of perverting the course of
justice or the misuse and misapplication of the law.
15. ) » £l#$jL
To bend what is lawful into a crime or to criminalize actions that are moral,
neutral or trivial. To distort and pervert the standards of right and wrong.
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16. ) Ajfe^f; '
To punish excessively, to inflict criminal punishment on light offenses or to
issue disproportionate judgments. To be liberal in making arrests or
ordering searches and detentions. To be overzealous in enforcing the law.
To express anger and condemnation towards those sentenced to capital and
corporal punishment.
17. ) *P&*2fc '
Failing to make reasonable efforts to correct one's faults; to know good
deeds but refuse to do them.
18. ) giHIfe ' SS^#
To blame one's own misconduct and crimes on others. To keep potent
medical cures and healthcare techniques secret from the public.
19. ) ^t££t '
To ridicule and slander Buddhist and Sagely teachings; to hurt and abuse
persons of morality and cultivation.
20. )
To engage in hunting and bird shooting ; to disturb hibernating animals and
insects.
21. ) &5*a.& •
To damage or destroy burrows, natural habitats and bird nests; to hurt
pregnant animals /insects and or to break their eggs.
22. ) Ji£A#& > WlKM
Desiring others to fail or be at fault ; preventing or discouraging others from
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carrying out good deeds or projects for the public benefit.
23.) ' ji
To cause dangerous conditions and or to neglect other's personal safety
despite having a duty to ensure it. To reduce another's benefits or fair share
in order to bolster one's own wealth and profit.
24.) '
To fraudulently exchange what is worthless for what is valuable. To sacrifice
public benefit and forsake public duty in order to reap personal profit or to
forward private agendas.
25.) *A4LJfe '
To steal credit for another's work or to steal another's copyrights, patents
and or trade secrets to claim as your own. Tto conceal or cover up the virtues
of other persons.
26.) fyKZJk ' tf
To spread news of another's faults or to invade privacy and publish scandal.
To spread salacious gossip or to work in tabloid journalism.
27.) &AtW '
To waste and recklessly spend money and resources belonging to others (e.g.
abusing expense accounts or wasting tax revenue). To cause infighting and
disharmony among another's family members.
28.) «A#ri: ■
To seize, violate or confiscate what is dear to others ; to aid and abet the
outrageous conduct of other people.
29.) '
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To use one's power, authority and wealth in an abusive manner ; to insult
and bully others.
30. ) - JtAAHS
To cause another's crops and orchards to fail ; failure to reasonably aid
agricultural production when able. Note: Farming is the source of everyone's food, there
will be famine if nothing grows. Thus, one must never do anything to hurt or squeeze agricultural
production but should instead support it when possible, such as lending to farmers at low interests and on
mild terms.
To cause the destruction or breakup of another's marriage or engagement.
31. ) %t <*j# '
To gain money that one has no right to but instead of changing to become
modest and charitable, becomes arrogant and decadent instead. To avoid
just prosecution and punishment by luck or mercy but yet refuse to change
one's shameless or criminal ways.
32. ) ' *Mft f &
To take credit for kindness shown by others while shirking responsibility for
one's own misconduct ; to scapegoat another or have others bear one's
deserved punishment.
33. ) ' &Jftfk>u
To buy or sell false titles and honors or to attain fame and win praise by
fraud. To secretly harbor and entertain sadistic thoughts
34. ) &^?fT-k ' tt#r&
To belittle another's talents or prevent them from realizing their full
potential ; to cover up one's faults and refuse to admit wrongdoing.
35.) HUfc&t ' m&M
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To use authority and strength to coerce another into submission. To (as a
superior or commanding officer) tolerate war crimes, violence and wanton
behavior among one's subordinates.
36. )&&IT€ '
To waste clothes and fabric. To slaughter animals for the purpose of
obtaining meat, oils, fur and leather.
37. ) H$3Ltk '
To waste and destroy rice, barley, grain and staple foods ; to conscript or
impose involuntary, unfree or corvee labor.
38. ) ^A^H . HMt&tf
To ruin another's family in order to seize their wealth ; to (as a judge or
official) be quick in detaining persons and freezing or confiscating assets.
39. ) '
To cause floods and commit arson ; to endanger the safety of people's life
and property.
40. ) ' «J&A#
To sabotage institutions and overturn existing standards, customs and
procedures, thereby causing uncertainty, inconvenience and disorder.
41. ) «AH^ >
To damage or render unusable the tools of trade and means of production of
other people.
42.) JL4fc*# ' Mfe&Jfc ; JLtot* ' *4b*fc
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To envy the rich and honorable ; wishing for them poverty and disgrace.
43.) JMfcfe* »
To entertain adulterous and lustful thoughts in one's heart. Note: Lust is considered
by the Sages to be the foremost offense. Furthermore, it is clearly stated in the Shurangama Sutra that eliminating
lust is very important for spiritual and meditative progress. Hence, Lao Tzu's true intention here is to exhort everyone
to diligently reduce one's sexual desire as much as possible.
44.) ' mMft
To wish your creditors dead in order to not pay them back.
45.) -f ' ft&JMH
To hate, vilify and curse anyone who does not acquiesce to one's
unreasonable and shameless demands.
46. ) JUfc&fc. ' fttfrf&fc
To see another's misfortune or suffering yet dismiss it without sympathy as
the deserved result of their sins. To engage in Schadenfreude.
47. ) JU&*!*i**fl&£4L
To mock and ridicule the disabled, disfigured and or deformed.
48.) JL&MllsftmftftZ-
To disparage someone's commendable skills ; to withhold praise and
recognition towards the able and deserving.
49.) aifA ' n **u*f
To secretly employ black magic and occult practices against another. To kill
trees and harm plants with poison.
Page 12
50. ) ' &*3tX.
To become irate while being taught by one's teacher ; failure to be filial
towards one's parents and elder brothers.
51. ) '
To be avaricious and forceful without compassion or reason. To secretly
infringe on the rights of others. To seize, rob, violate, extort and loot.
52. ) ' *5#*3§
To obtain wealth by foul, distasteful and illegal means ; attempting to win
promotion via stratagems and fraud.
530 M** '
To punish and reward unfairly (e.g. selective prosecution). To indulge in
excess revelry and luxury.
54. ) - S#*Hfc
To treat servants and subordinates with abuse and disdain. To instill fear by
threats and coercion.
55. ) ' ^M,%m
Instead of reflecting on one's conduct or amassing merits to earn blessings ;
wantonly assigns blame for misfortunes on nature, other people and fate.
56. ) H-MHk > «JJf
To cause and facilitate lawsuits and contention in order to obtain gain. To
join unlawful gangs and wicked organizations.
57.) ' it5C#Di|
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To rely on gossip or to consider immoral proposals from one's spouse ; to
disregard the teachings and instructions of one's mother and father.
58. )
To favor the new and forget the old (e.g. forsaking old friends and wasting
money on needless new items). To deceitfully speak what contradicts one's
heart in order to manipulate others.
59. ) *w #m ' &m&-t
To be corrupt and greedy for bribes ; to deceive one's superiors.
60. ) > tfttt-f-A
To taunt, ridicule and use sarcasm ; to slander, libel and utter abuse. To
spread malicious rumors and ruin innocent reputations.
61. ) »>M*i '
To ruin other's reputations and claim doing so is righteous ; to commit
blasphemy and Claim doing SO is just. Note: This is a particularly common offense nowadays, for
instance, media often recklessly ruin people's reputations but yet claim free speech as a shield.
62. ) ' t&ftffi.
To abandon the proper teachings (e.g. Buddhism) and declare loyalty to evil
ideologies. To turn one's back towards one's own flesh and blood but
becomes close to outsiders and people of no relation.
63. ) ' 5l#B4rfQ^m*
To be guilty of evil but be so impious as to then demand the spirits or God to
bear witness to one's innocence.
64.) ' te#*3t
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To regret after having given to charity ; to borrow without intention to
return or repay.
65. ) ' tixtm.
To be agitated in seeking the realization of one's ambitions but fail to
cultivate the merits necessary to attain them ; to push one's subordinates to
the breaking point.
66. ) • <u#&ft
To (even if within marriage) engage in excessive and unrestrained amorous
desire ; to hide cruelty and malice under a facade of kindness.
67. ) •
To serve food unfit for human consumption ; to lead the public astray with
evil ideas and occult practices.
68. ) &FJk& ' m.ft>bft ' '
Dishonesty in commerce and business transactions ; the use of false scales
and weights. To defraud by adulterating merchandise.
67. ) SJUfcJft '
To use power to reduce good persons to servile and or low status. For
instance, arresting innocent people or engaging in human trafficking.
To trick and deceive simpletons.
68. ) > %U$L%
To be greedy without measure. To recklessly swear oaths and demand the
gods and spirits to curse one's opponent and affirm one's arguments.
69.) ' *
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To act lewdly and disorderly while drunk or under influence ; to quarrel and
fight with one's own family members.
70. ) n*&$L>-kX%)*
As a man, being neither loyal nor kind ; as a woman, being neither pliant
nor gentle. Note: This is also one of the main problems of our time. It is the natural order of yin and yang that
men should display nobility while women should display kindness and patience. If men should become treacherous
and women mean, bold and vulgar; social order will break down and evil karma will accumulate.
71. ) • * *t*£
To disrespect, neglect and or abuse one's spouse
72. ) 4Hf&* '
To be pompous and narcissistic ; to harbor thoughts of jealousy and envy
without cease.
74.) '
To treat one's children and spouse without benevolence, care or attention ; to
(as a woman) treat one's parents in law without respect or decorum.
75-) lift At ' ifc8LM>-
To neglect the memory of one's ancestors or the upkeep of their graves ; to
disobey orders from one's superiors without just cause.
76.) > flUfc*h<tf
To spend time on useless things while neglecting to cultivate stock of merit.
To secretly feel loyalty and affinity towards outsiders at the expense of your
own countrymen and family.
77.) 6rtJMfc'4fcft4fc*
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To seek to bring others down with you. To cherish unreasonable hatreds and
undue partialities ; to be biased and bigoted.
78. ) MftMft. ' aMMfeA
To step over wells and stoves instead of walking round them out of respect
for the presiding deities and Spirit of the Hearth; to jump over foodstuff or
persons, thereby showing disrespect towards other people's body and
consumables.
79. ) m*%m >ft$mn
To engage in abortion or child abuse. To commit offenses under the cover of
darkness and or secrecy.
80. ) 8tE^# ' ms.^M
To engage in revelry, shouting or anger during days of religious
significance.
81. ) mh%*$&m - nxk^&^t ; x«*ticj|i »
To urinate, spit and defecate towards the northern skies where the gods
reside; to weep and revel in front of the stove, where the Spirit of the Hearth
resides. To lazily cut corners while performing religious offerings (e.g.
lighting incense using stove fire or candle light instead of using a
independent flame). To use unclean fuel to cook food, thereby contaminating
the residence of the Spirit of the Hearth (i.e. the stove) with the foul odors.
82. ) • s\%
To practice public nudity at night, thereby offending the ghosts and spirits
who roam in the darkness. To give sentences and carry out punishments
during auspicious days such as the starting day and midpoint of each lunar
season, when spirits patrol the mortal world.
83.) «J. ' ; & > XML* ft ; 4M*H* » *Nb&*
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To gawk, spit or point at rainbows, comets, stars, the sun and the moon,
thereby disrespecting the spirits and demigods that reside there. To utter
abuse towards the northern skies where the gods and spirits reside. To set
fire to mountains and forests or to hunt with fire.
84.) fc#:*!fcfe#T*fc
To kill and abuse tortoises, snakes and animals without justification of self
defense.
Commentary:
The 170 crimes outlined in the aforementioned 84 sub - sections represent all
conduct that a virtuous man must avoid or discard. According to the Buddha,
the root of all evil are the three kleshas of Greed, Hatred and Delusion. So as
we can clearly see, all of the offenses listed herein fall under those three types.
Hence, in order to properly implement all these precepts, it will be helpful if
one starts to think of others as more important than oneself. That way, one
will naturally lose the selfishness that drives people to commit karmic
offenses.
Section Four : The Retributions of Evil:
- ^tt&fc* ' • &mm ; ***** ' •
For such crimes, depending on the severity of the act, the lifespan of the
offender will be shortened accordingly. If when death results the full
punishment of the crime has still yet to be accounted for, the punishment for
the unaccounted portion will befall on the offender's descendents.
Those who seize wealth unjustly will be punished by having their wives and
descendants bear surplus punishments after their death. The wives and
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children will either meet death or if that does not result; illness, poverty,
misfortune, injuries, legal troubles, ill repute and the like will shadow them
until the balance of justice is restored.
Those who take life unjustly will meet retribution in the form of war and
massacres. Persons who steal and rob are like those who eat diseased meat
and drink poisoned wine to ease thirst and hunger. They may be full for a
little while, but death will be the inevitable result.
Commentary:
In this section, Lao Tzu further illustrates the workings of karma. Hence, not
only will the offender himself meet karmic retribution, but his family and
descendants will as well. However, we should be clear that no one will bear
punishment for the offenses done by someone else even if they are related by
blood. What is actually happening is that those who do evil will naturally
attract a spouse and or descendents that themselves have committed various
offenses in their past lives. For this reason, the offender and his or her family
are actually undergoing individual retribution for their personal karmic
offenses and bad habits. Since no one in their family has good roots, they are
often unable to meet the dharma and find ways to cultivate merits to save
themselves.
Section 5; Conclusion and Practical Advice:
6fe • Mt&* » *6 at** ' ' M-Nt » A^^ttt ; /9r«J
t»& - 41A * - - 0 ' isMl** 0 ty^MtT*-?
When one thinks of doing good, even if the act has not yet been done, fortune
is already shadowing him. When one thinks of evil, even if the act has not yet
been committed, disasters are already standing by.
If a person who has long committed evil decides to change and abstains
henceforth from all evil while diligently amassing good deeds. Great fortune
is bound to manifest after a while. This is to change calamity to fortune.
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A virtuous man speaks only good, does only good and sees only good. Hence,
he does at least three good deeds everyday. After 3 years (1000 days),
karmic rewards are guaranteed to manifest. The evil man does the opposite
and amasses evil deeds daily. Therefore, disasters and misfortunes will
certainly befall upon him after three years. Thus, what reason is there not to
heed this treatise?
Commentary:
In this section, Lao Tzu offers us practical advice on how to earn blessings and
reform. Most importantly, if one wants to cultivate good, one should have
honest intentions and harbor no vicious thoughts. By doing so, one's mental
volition will be pure and spiritual advancement will naturally become possible.
Furthermore, the Sage also highlights the importance of the 1000 day period.
Basically, if one diligently amasses good deeds and makes good efforts to
control one's evil within a 1000 day period, then the good karma created will
be so great that fortune is bound to be bestowed. The opposite happens with
evil people.
Now some may protest that some evil persons have sinned for more than three
years but have not met any significant retribution. However, in the Buddha's
Infinite Life Sutra, it is said that blessings from previous lives may temporarily
pad or delay the effects of the offenses of a man's present life. Hence, once
those blessings end, the full dose of karmic retribution will manifest in the
most severe manner. However, if one has truly worked reasonably hard to
amass good deeds during the 1000 days period, then it is without doubt that
significant good fortune will manifest very quickly.
Therefore, I recommend that everyone should diligently recite Amita
Buddha's name and make offerings of light, water, fruits and incense to
Buddha statues every day. Furthermore, we should strive to give donations to
the poor or needy on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and donate to help print
Mahayana Sutras or create Buddha Statues. Moreover, we ought to do our
best to avoid transgressing any of the 170 crimes listed. If we cannot avoid
offending, then we should at least do our best to limit the severity of the
offense. If we can do all this for the 3 year period, we can expect our karmic
obstacles to be eradicated and great fortune to manifest.
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Also, one should do good deeds without seeking fame. According to the Sages,
"hidden virtue is the greatest virtue while secret crimes are the gravest
offense". Hence, we should do good deeds with a low profile and if we should
meet fame, act as modest as possible.
Section Six; Historical Case Studies
The following accounts were translated in 1884 by Frederic Henry Balfour:
Fang Shih-k'o, a native ofHsing-an, had been very sickly from a child.
Afterwards he began to enquire into the mysteries of Taoism, with a view of
procuring the secret of immortality. Arrived one day at the Cloud-capped
Mountain, he met a person of strange appearance, who said, "With such a
face as yours, how can you expect to get the blessings that you seek? It is
impossible— unless you first plant a root of goodness. " Then Shih-k'o went
home; and although he was a poor man he found means to print off an
edition of the Book of Recompenses (Kan Yin Pien) and distribute copies
among his friends. By the time he had printed ten pages, his sickness was
half-cured; when the work was completed, he found himself entirely
recovered; and from that time forward he became P. u5 robust in body, and
quite different from what he had been before in appearance.
Wang Chu, a native ofHsien-chu Hsien, had a son named Wang Tsing,
who fell sick and died when only four years old, to his father's deep-felt grief.
Whereupon Wang Chu formed a resolution to print a number of copies of
this book, which he distributed among the people with the object of causing
his lost son to enter once more into his mother's womb. Some time
afterwards, his wife found herself enceinte; p.m and one night she dreamt
she went to the Ting-kuang Temple at Huang-yen Hsien, whence she
returned carrying her little boy home in her arms. When she awoke she
experienced a movement in her womb, and soon gave birth to a son, vastly
resembling the one that she had lost. In fact, the same body was born twice
over; the bones and flesh had actually been brought together a second time!
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When Chou Ju-teng, a gentleman ofTsung-yueh, was young, he was one of
the pupils of a certain tutor named Lung Chi. Although he constantly listened
to the instructions of his preceptor he derived no benefit whatever; but
subsequently he fell in with this book, and from P. n7 that time forward set
himself heart and soul to walk according to its doctrines. Besides this, he
collected all the best commentaries on the text and verifications of the
theories, and published them for the benefit of the world. Many were brought
to lead good lives by this means; and the gentleman himself, by virtue of his
great merit, found himself one day suddenly endowed with supernatural
wisdom, so that he could see, as it were, right through the doctrines of
Confucius and Lao Chun. Thus he passed for one of the greatest scholars of
the Ming dynasty. At the present day, Confucianists study the Sage,
Buddhists study Fo, and Taoists study the Immortals; but to the end of their
lives they never arrive at a full comprehension of what they are learning,
and some give up when they are only halfway. And why is this? It is because
their root is inadequate to producing a full measure of fruit, and therefore
they do not bring forth any works of merit. Chang Tsze-yang said, "He who
does not cultivate himself, and accumulate unostentatious, or hidden, virtue,
will be so blinded by evil spirits as to be unable to see clearly into the truth. "
The Book of Recompenses should be studied by Confucianists, Buddhists, and
Taoists alike, for it alone is able to provide a starting -point for journeying to
the highest goal.
4rfr ;fcjjJL# THE SPIRIT OF THE HEARTH ( Translated in 1906
by Teitaro Suzuki and Dr. Paul Cams)
In the days of the Ming dynasty (1368-1628 A. D.) during the years called
Kia-Tsing (1522-1567 A. D.) there lived in the province ofKiang-Shih a man
named Yu Kong. His posthumous name was Tu, and his honorary title
Liang-Chin. He was gifted with unusual capacity and had acquired a
scholarship as thorough as it was varied. At the age of sixteen he received the
Bachelor's degree, and had always been first in all examinations. But when
he had reached the age of thirty, he found himself in such straits that he was
obliged to give lessons for a livelihood. He joined several Bachelors who had
studied at the same college and commenced with them to offer sacrifices to
Wen-Chang Ti Chun, the "Lord Superior of Scripture Glory. "He carefully
Page 22
guarded written paper, M and set at liberty captive birds; he refrained from
enjoying the pleasures of sense, from the killing of animals, and from the sins
of the tongue. Although he had faithfully observed these rules of conduct for
many years, he failed seven times in competitive examination for the second
degree. He married and had five sons; the fourth
[1. According to Chinese views it is impious to throw away paper on which characters are
inscribed, because words, both printed or written, are deemed to partake of the spiritual
nature of the Tao; and this notion is not altogether foreign to the Western idea that the
Logos or "word" is the incarnation of God. There is a class ofTaoist monks who devote
themselves to the task of collecting and burning all scraps of inscribed paper to spare their
writing the sorry fate of defilement.]
fell ill and died a premature death. His third son, a child of rare intelligence
and charming features, had two black spots under the sole of his left foot. He
was an especial favorite with his parents, but one day when he was eight
years old, while playing in the street he lost his way and no one knew what
had become of him. Yu Kong had four daughters, but only one lived, and his
wife lost her sight from mourning for her children. Although he worked
incessantly year after year, his misery only increased from day to day. So he
examined himself, and finding he had committed no great sin, became
resigned, although not without murmuring, to heaven's chastening hand.
When he had passed the age of forty, every year at the end of the twelfth
moon he wrote a prayer on yellow paper and burned it before the Spirit of
the Hearth, beseeching him to carry his vows to heaven. This practice he
continued for several years without having the slightest response.
When he was forty-seven, he spent the last evening of the year in the
company of his blind wife and only daughter. Gathered together in a room
very scantily furnished, the three tried to console one another in their
afflictions, when all at once a knock was heard at the door. Yu Kong took the
lamp and went to see who it was, and lo, there stood a man whose beard and
hair were partly whitened by age. The stranger was clad in black and wore a
square cap. He entered with a bow and sat down. "My family name is
Chang, " he said to Yu Kong, "I have come hither a long distance because I
have heard your sighs and complaints, and wish to comfort you in your
distress. "
Page 23
Yu Kong was filled with wonder and paid him every mark of respectful
deference. "All my life, " he said to Chang, "I have consecrated to study and
the pursuit of virtue, and yet up to this day have never been able to obtain
any advancement. Death has robbed me of nearly all my children, my wife
has lost her sight, and we can hardly earn enough to keep us from hunger
and cold. Moreover, " he added, "I have never ceased importuning the Spirit
of the Hearth and burning before him written prayers."
"For many years, " Chang replied, "I have taken an interest in the affairs of
your house, and I am sorry that with your evil thoughts you have filled the
measure to overflowing. Concerned only to acquire empty renown you sent
to heaven unacceptable prayers, filled with murmuring s and accusations. I
fear that your visitation is not yet at an end. "
Yu Kong was frightened. "I have heard, " he said with emotion, "that in the
other world even the smallest virtues are written in a book. I have sworn to
do good, and for a long time have carefully followed the rules which are laid
down for men. Can you then say that I have worked for mere vainglory?"
"My friend," Chang answered, "among those precepts there is one which bids
you to respect written characters. Yet your pupils and fellow students often
use the leaves of ancient books to redress the walls of their rooms and to
make envelopes; some, indeed, even use them to wipe off their tables. Then
they excuse themselves by saying that although they soil the paper, they burn
it immediately afterwards. This happens daily under your eyes and you say
not a word to prevent it. Indeed when you yourselffind a scrap of written
paper in the street you take it home and throw it in the fire. While you suffer
others to trespass, tell me please what good does it do that you act rightly? It
is true, too, that every month you set animals at liberty that have been
doomed to death; but in this you blindly follow the crowd and act only
according to the counsel of others. It would even seem that you remain
undecided and irresolute if others do not first set the example. Good feeling
and compassion have never been spontaneous in your heart. You have kids
and lobsters served on your table, without considering that they, too, are
endowed with the breath of life. As to the sins of the tongue, you shine by
reason of your readiness of speech and force of argument and never fail to
silence all who dispute with you, but you are insentient to the fact that
Page 24
thereby you wound others' feelings and lose their friendship. Often, too,
carried away by the heat of discussion, you take advantage of your
superiority and taunt your opponents with biting sarcasm. You pierce them
with the bitter darts of your tongue and thus draw upon you the anger of the
gods. You are unaware of the number of your offences which are recorded in
the spiritual world, and yet you picture yourself the most virtuous of men.
Who is there who pretends to deceive me? Do you think any one can impose
upon heaven?
"It is true that you commit no actual crimes; but when you meet a beautiful
woman in another's home and cannot banish her from your thoughts, you
have committed adultery with her in your heart. Consider a moment! Would
you have sufficient control over yourself to imitate the sage Lu Nan-Tze if
you were placed in a similar position? When he once found himself obliged to
pass the night in a house whose only other occupant was a woman, he
lighted a lamp and read aloud until morning to avoid exposing her to unjust
suspicions/1] You say that you have kept yourself pure and unspotted
throughout your life, and believe that you can without fear present yourself
before heaven and earth, before demons and spirits! You are deceiving
yourself. If this is the way you have followed the precepts which you have
sworn to observe, what need is there to speak of others?
"I have presented to heaven the supplications which you have burned before
my altar. The Supreme Master has charged a spirit to keep careful account
of your good and evil deeds, and for several years he has not found a single
virtue worth recording. When you are alone and given over to yourself, I see
nothing in your heart but thoughts of avarice, of envy, of selfishness;
thoughts of pride, of scorn and of ambition; and thoughts of hate and
ingratitude towards your benefactors and your friends. These thoughts grow
on you; so plentifully they swarm in the depths of your heart that I could not
enumerate them all. The gods have already recorded a vast number of them
and the punishment of heaven is increasing daily. Since you have not even
time to escape the calamities which threaten you, what use to pray for
happiness!"
At these words Yu Kong was panic-stricken. He prostrated himself upon the
earth and burst into a torrent of tears.
Page 25
"Oh Lord!" he groaned, "I know that thou art a god since thou knowest
things which are hidden. Have mercy upon me and save me!"
"My friend," Chang replied, "you study the works of the ancients, you are
instructed in your duties, and love of truth has always been a delight to you.
When you hear a noble word, you are for the moment carried away with zeal
and emulation, while if you witness a good action, your heart leaps for very
joy. But as soon as these things are out of your sight and hearing, you forget
them at once. Faith has not planted her roots deeply in your heart, and
therefore your good principles have no solid foundation. Then, too, the good
words and actions of your whole life have never been anything but empty
show. Have you ever done a single thing that betrayed a noble motive? And
yet, when your heart is full of wrong thoughts which surround and bind you
on all sides, you dare ask heaven for the rewards which only virtue can claim.
You are like a man who would sow only thistles and thorns in his field and
expect a rich harvest of good fruit. Would not that be the height of folly?
"From this time forward, arm yourself with courage, and banish all impure
and unworthy thoughts that may present themselves to your mind. You must
first bring forth a crop of pure and noble thoughts, and after that you may
direct your efforts to the accomplishment of good. If an opportunity comes to
do a good action which is within the limits of your strength, hasten to do it
with a firm and resolute heart, without calculating whether it is large or
small, difficult or easy, or whether it will bring you any advantage. If this
good act is above your strength, use the same zeal and effort in order to
show your sincere intention. Your first duty is patience without limit, your
second, tireless perseverance. Above all, keep yourself from indifference and
avoid self-deception. When you have followed these rules of conduct for a
long time you will reap untold benefits.
"Within your home you have served me with a pure and reverential heart
and it is for this reason that I have come with the especial purpose of
bringing you instructions. If you make haste to carry them out with all your
might you may appease heaven and cause it to change its decision. "
While speaking the stranger entered farther within the house. Yu Kong rose
eagerly and followed. But on approaching the hearth, the weird visitor
vanished. Then Yu Kong realized that it was the Spirit of the Hearth who
Page 26
presides over the destiny of men. He at once burned incense in his honor and
prostrated himself in grateful acknowledgment.
The next day which was the first day of the first month of the year, he
directed prayers and praise to heaven. He avoided his former errors and
began to do well with a sincere heart. He changed his literary name to
Tseng -I Tao-Jen which means "the Taoist bent on the purification of his
heart, " and then wrote out a vow to banish all blameworthy thoughts.
The first day he was besieged by a thousand conflicting thoughts; now he fell
into doubt, and again into indifference and inaction. He allowed hours and
days to pass fruitlessly and it was not long before he returned to the path in
which he had before lost his way. At last he prostrated himself before the
altar of the great Kwan Yin (Guan Yin Bodhisattva) whom he worshiped in
his home, and shed tears of blood.
"I vow, " he said, "that my only desire is to have none but worthy thoughts, to
keep myself pure and unspotted, and to use every effort to advance towards
perfection. If I relax a hair's breadth may I fall into the depths of hell."
Every day he rose very early and invoked one hundred times in sincerity and
faith the holy name ofTa-Tze Ta-Pe'i (the Most Benevolent and Most
Compassionate One) that he might obtain divine aid. From that moment he
controlled his thoughts, words, and actions as if spirits were constantly at
his side. He dared not permit himself the slightest wavering.
Whenever anything occurred to him that might be of use to a man or beast,
he did not consider whether it was a great or a small thing, whether he had
time or was too busily engaged, or whether he had or had not sufficient
ability and means to perform it. He hastened to undertake it with
enthusiasm, and stopped only after its complete accomplishment. He did
good as often as he found opportunity and spread benefits in secret far and
wide. He performed every duty faithfully and applied himself to study
untiringly. He practiced humility, bore insults, and endeavored to influence
to well-doing all the men that he met. The days were not long enough for his
good works. On the last day of each month he made a list on yellow paper of
all his acts and words during the thirty preceding days and burned it
Page 27
before the image of the Spirit of the Hearth.
Yu Kong soon ripened in the practice of noble deeds. While he was up, every
one of his acts was followed by a thousand good results, and when he rested
no blameworthy thought troubled the serenity of his soul. So he continued for
three years.
When Yu Kong reached the age of fifty, in the second year of the reign of
Wan Li (1574 A. D.), Chang Kiang-Lin who held the office of First Minister of
State, sought an instructor for his son, and with one voice, every one
recommended Yu Kong for the place. The Minister himself went to invite him,
and brought him and his family to the capital.
Chang, who appreciated Yu Kong's strength of character, induced him to
enter the imperial college, and in the year Ping-Tsee (1576 A. D.) he
competed for and obtained the degree of Licentiate and the next year was
raised to the rank ofTsin-Sse (Doctor).
One day while still sojourning in the capital, he went to visit a eunuch whose
name was Yang Kong. Yang introduced his five adopted sons whom he had
purchased in different parts of the realm to be a comfort to him in his old age;
and there was among them a youth of sixteen years, whose face seemed
somehow familiar to Yu Kong. So he asked him where he was born.
"I am from the district ofKiang-Shih, " the youth replied. "When I was a child
I became lost by heedlessly embarking with a cargo of grain. The name of
my family and also my native village are very dim in my memory. "
Yu Kong was surprised and deeply moved. Begging the youth to uncover his
left foot he recognized the two black spots and cried out, "You are my son!"
Yang Kong rejoiced at the good fortune of this happy meeting and allowed
the father to take his son home. The blind mother embraced her son tenderly
and shed tears of sorrow and joy. The boy wept too and pressing his
mother's face between his hands, gently touched her eyes with his tongue and
instantly she recovered her sight.[l] Yu Kong's happiness was now complete,
Page 28
and in spite of the tears with which his eyes were still moist, his face beamed
with joy. Later, Yu Kong gave up his position and took leave of Chan
Kiang-Lin to return to his native village. The Minister, however, affected by
the nobility of his tutor's character, would not permit him to leave until he
had presented him with many rich gifts.
Having reached his native country, Yu Kong continued his good deeds with
increased zeal. His son married, and had in his turn, seven sons, all of whom
lived to inherit the talents and renown of their grandfather.
Yu Kong wrote a book in which he told the history of his life before and after
his happy conversion, and gave the book to his grandsons to learn from his
experiences. He lived to the age of eighty-eight years, and every one looked
upon his long life as the just reward for his noble deeds by which he had
changed the decision of heaven in his favor.
Commentary:
These historical accounts clearly prove that the power of amassing merits can
significantly change ones fate. While many may claim that such occurrences
are impossible, the truth is that both the human body and our world are all
created by and reflects our karma. Hence, if we have accumulated powerful
blessings in this life (something that few do), then why wouldn't our dreams
come true?
The Buddha has said that the gift of dharma (e.g. printing sutras) is the
highest of all gifts and will result in the most wonderful blessings. For instance,
the Buddha has said that those who print sutras can expect health and long
life; a upright and handsome appearance; unrivaled wealth and power and
great intelligence. If you can dedicate the merit of such works towards Amita
Buddha's Pureland, you can surely attain Buddhahood.
Another way to accumulate boundless merits is to create and distribute
images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In the Sutra on the Production of
Buddha Statues, it is stated that those who create one Buddha image can
eternally avoid being reborn in the 3 evil realms of the hells, hungry ghosts
Page 29
and animals. Furthermore, they will always be healthy, handsome, possess
exquisite features and have unrivaled wealth and power. They will also be
reborn in good places where there is peace, morality, prosperity and
Buddhism. Hence, we should all strive to create or commission Buddha
images and dedicate the merit of such deeds towards attaining Buddhahood in
Amita Buddha's Pureland.
Finally, one should not neglect to recite Amita Buddha's name. It is recorded
in the sutras that reciting but once the name of Amita Buddha can eradicate 8
billion eons worth of heavy karmic offenses. Furthermore, one must be
mindful of Amita Buddha at the moment of death to attain Pureland rebirth.
Hence, I exhort everyone to sincerely recite Amita Buddha's name as often as
possible. Even If you cannot recite it out loud you should do it silently. The
merit from doing so exceeds even the printing of sutras and creation of
Buddha images.
So as a parting word, I strongly encourage all who read this to make it's
teachings known to others. Print copies of this treatise and cultivate in
accordance to it. Your blessings will surely be beyond compare.
Namo Amita Buddha
Treatise On Response And Retribution- A Modern English Translation 2014 Edition ( Revised) / 太上感應篇新中英文版 (2014年11月 修正版)
Brian Chung