人生活到盡頭，也是什麽都没有，不論有修行，没有修行，到最後還是離不開老、病、死，没有修行的，只是煩惱造作，很多業累積了這個惡的種子、惡因，同樣，最後他也是死掉了，死就是滅了，世間没有這個人了，
When our lives come to an end, we can take nothing with us. Whether we cultivate ourselves or not, we cannot avoid aging, illness and death. Those who don’t cultivate themselves give rise to afflictions and accumulate much negative karma. In the end, they pass away and cease to exist in this world.
所以在佛陀的時代，説很多的因緣，歸納起來，善法，就是還是因緣带來未來，惡法還是带來將來會受報的惡果，所以不論你是造善因、得善果，或者是造惡業、得惡果，這是在因緣。
Back when the Buddha was alive, he spoke much about karmic causes and conditions. In all, practicing goodness brings a bright future while doing unwholesome deeds brings bad consequences. So, whether we sow seeds of goodness or commit evil deeds, we are creating karmic causes and conditions.
也就是我們的煩惱無明，煩惱無明自作自受，但是這些無明能够消除，所以佛陀説法，教我們消除煩惱無明的方法，所以他就分析，分析到最後，大家所在爭取的，不過於名利、地位、財、色、名等等，這些東西，佛陀經過了分析都是零，到頭來什麽都没有，只是有一項就是業，
If we give rise to ignorance and afflictions, we ourselves will suffer the consequences. Yet, we can get rid of our ignorance. The Buddha has taught us how to eliminate our ignorance and afflictions. He explained that the things everyone pursues, such as personal gain, social status, wealth, lust, fame, etc., all come down to nothing. In the end, all these things bring us nothing at all but leaves us with one single thing, karma.
善業或者是惡業呢？善業，他不斷累積，累積很多的因，累生累世去累積這個善業因緣，不斷累積，他向那個果去了，很自然，那就是成聖。
Do we accumulate good or bad karma? When we continue to accumulate good karma life after life without ever ceasing, we will reap the seeds we sow and naturally, we will become sages and saints.
要去行菩薩道，付出無所求，再辛苦，很歡喜，甘願，這是我們的願力，所以付出無所求，就像佛陀的時代也有這樣這段故事。
Walking on the Bodhisattva Path, we give without asking for return. No matter how hard it is, we give joyfully and willingly. To live out our vow, we serve unconditionally. Back in the Buddha’s time, there was a story.
取象牙
The Elephant and the Hunter
有一位婦女向她的先生這樣説：「我們的生活已經坐吃山空，你應該也要想出要如何維持生活。」太太鼓勵先生去打獵，為他準備一些打獵的工具，他拿著這些東西開始往雪山去了。
Once, a woman said to her husband: “Our money is running dry. You should think about how to make ends meet.” The wife encouraged her husband to go hunting and prepared hunting tools for him. With the tools, he headed up a mountain.
一群象在雪山裡悠哉悠哉生活，牠們最怕的是遇到獵人，要取牠們的命，目的為了象牙。
A herd of elephants lived peacefully there, and the only thing they feared were hunters. This is because hunters would kill them for their tusks.
有一隻象，牠就把曾祖、父親的象牙，收藏在一個地方，有一天在林中發現到一個人，這象就想，「要讓他發現到，不如我自己來招呼他。」所以發出了聲音，獵人聽到聲音，就來了。
One elephant kept the tusks of its father and ancestors in a hidden place. One day, the elephant saw a person in the woods. It thought, “Rather than being spotted, I might as well approach him.” So, it made sounds, and hearing them, the hunter approached it.
象就説：「我若是送給你象牙，你要保證不能再來山林。」「我拿回去，我能够貿易，我能够享受，我何必這麽辛苦再來山上。」牠就去將牠的曾祖的牙送獵人，獵人接到這象牙很歡喜，就拿到市集去了。
The elephant said “If I give you a tusk, you must promise to never return to the forest.” The hunter said, “I can trade the tusk and live comfortably. Why would I come back up this mountain?” So, the elephant gave the hunter a tusk. The hunter took the tusk joyfully and took it to the market.
去酒店裡，酒店的人這麽想：「我應該要在這個人的身上，取得一些利益。」很殷勤地招待他，趕緊備酒，菜讓他吃，酒喝得很醉的時候，就拿一個契約來和他説：「你這支象牙，我向你買，我們要來寫契約，就在那個地方寫，能喝多久的時間，酒量多少。」
He stopped by a tavern. The owner thought: “I can benefit from this man.” The owner served the hunter hospitably, offering him much food and wine. When the hunter was very drunk, the owner brought a contract and said: “I want to buy this tusk from you. Let us sign a contract stating how long you can enjoy food and drink in my tavern.”
幾天後，他要再來喝，酒店的人就説：「你所有的帳都已經完了。」「哪有可能啊？我這支象牙是這麽有價值啊！」「你有看到吧！這都是大家寫的，你有蓋手印啊！」獵人無奈就想：「我應該要再到那個山上去。」
Days later, the hunter returned for a drink but was rejected. “You’ve used up all your balance.” “How is that possible? That tusk is very valuable!” “See? Here’s your fingerprint on our contract!” The hunter thought “I should return to the mountain.”
他就又到雪山，看到象，象就説：「你不是將象牙拿回去了。」「是啊！我就一時糊塗，喝酒，就這樣用完了，我無法回去家裡交代。」象就又再把他父親的象牙，就又拿出來給這個人，就向他説：「我現在再給你，你再也不能再來了。」「我能够回家交代就好了。」又回去了。
Back at the mountain, he saw the elephant. The elephant asked: ”Didn’t you take a tusk already?” “I did, but due to bad judgement, I lost it over a couple of drinks. Now, I won’t be able to answer to my wife.” So, the elephant took its father’s tusk and gave it to the man, saying “I’ll give this to you, but you mustn’t return.” “I just want to fulfill my wife’s expectations.” Then, the man went off.
回去到半路，經過這個酒店，還是一樣，錢又讓他騙走了，還是永遠當醉人，又回去雪山，看到象在睡，他就一支箭遠遠地就向牠射去了，射中象的眉間，象醒過來，看到同樣是這個人，就又向這個人説：「以我現在的力，我還有能力可以殺你，但是我不要殺你，你的願我會成就你，你要趕緊快速取我的牙，不然我的族群來了，你就會没性命，我用我身體來保護你。」就這樣，這隻象讓獵人將牠的象牙取了，獵人離開了。
Halfway home, he passed by the tavern again. And once again, he was tricked by the owner as he got completely drunk. He returned to the mountain and saw that the elephant was sleeping. He shot an arrow at the elephant and it pierced its forehead. Waking up, the elephant saw that it was the hunter, so it said to him. “I still have the strength to kill you, but I won’t do it. I will fulfill your wish. Take my tusk quickly, otherwise, when my herd arrives, they will kill you. I will protect you.” And so, the elephant allowed the hunter to take its tusks. The hunter then left.
佛陀把這個故事講完之後，他就向大家説：「那位獵象師就是在僧團中的，惡比丘之一，累生世就是穿著袈裟，騙取很多的利益，象，那就是頻婆娑羅王，頻婆娑羅王就是有這樣修行，修福，所以他有累生世成爲國王。」
After finishing this story, the Buddha said to everyone. ”That hunter was one of the evil monks in the Sangha who for many lifetimes were a monk’s robe but cheated others for personal gain. The elephant was King Bimbisara, who cultivated blessings for many lifetimes and therefore became a king.”
這次的故事，不是佛本身的身上，是在頻婆娑羅王的身上，所以説來，我們要用心，佛陀有時候所講的，那就是弟子的本生經，有時候就是説他自己的本生因緣，不論是在居士或者是弟子，已經過去生就是有這樣的習氣，惡劣習氣,居士群也有這樣的善念。
This story is not about the Buddha’s past lives but about King Bimbisara’s past lives. So, we must be mindful. Sometimes, the Buddha shared stories about his disciples’ past lives. At other times, he told stories from his own past. Disciples of the Buddha may have accumulated negative habitual tendencies in their past lives. And lay practitioners who follow the Buddha may have accumulated great goodness.
這就是佛陀要講的因緣，就像那位醉人一樣，他太太叫他出去，他就要出去了，這不謹慎，貪心起，取到象牙，一次再一次，這種享受，光是迷在那酒氣，就像這樣，這就是因緣, 我們的心要時時，好好謹慎思考。
This is what the Buddha talked about karmic causes and conditions. Take the hunter for example, when his wife asked him to make a living, he did as he was told. Yet, giving rise to greed, he took the elephant tusks once and again and did nothing but indulge himself in wine and food. This is how karma is accumulated, so, we must safeguard our minds at all times.
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