February 6, 2026

Feb. 6, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (8/11）

(5) Augmentative Results Affecting Others

The previous category concerns the environment; this one concerns other people. The most typical example is the saying: “When one person attains the Way, even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.”

III. Pure Land Classification of Cause and Effect

The Pure Land tradition has a distinctive system of classification: “self-cause, self-result” and “other-cause, self-result.”

“Self-cause, self-result” means that one creates a cause oneself, produces the result oneself, and personally bears the outcome. One reaps what one sows.

“Other-cause, self-result” means that one person creates the cause, and the result that should properly fall upon that person, due to special conditions, manifests in another person. This may seem contrary to common sense, yet such phenomena do exist in the world.

174 因果的分類 (續 8 /11)

（五）與他增上果

       前面是講環境，與他增上果是講旁人的，最典型的就是「一人成道，雞犬升天」。

三、淨土宗因果分類

       淨土宗特有的一種分類方法：一個是「自因自果」，還有一個是「他因自果」

       「自因自果」，就是自己做的，產生了果報，自己承受，自作自受。

       「他因自果」，就是某一個人做的，果報應該產生在他身上，但是一種特別的因緣，這種果報在另外一個人身上展現出來了。按說這有點不符合常理，但是世間就有這樣的事。

Namo Amituofo!

February 5, 2026

Feb. 5, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (7/11)

(4) Augmentative Result

An augmentative result involves not only an individual’s consciousness; but, also the shared karmic environment that is summoned. When a person has strong causal power, it changes not only their body but also their surroundings. “Augmentative” means exceeding or transforming the original conditions.

There is a saying: “When someone enters deep samādhi in the mountains, the grasses and trees there flourish; so, when cattle and sheep eat them, their coats become glossy.” If someone practices meditation deeply while on a mountain, all the vegetation there thrives, and animals that feed on it become radiant. This is an augmentative result.

It can also be described as a positive field of energy: it changes not only the person themselves, but also the surrounding environment.

174 因果的分類 (續 7 /11)

（四）增上果

       增上果，不只是這個人的神識，包括所感召的共業環境。一個人如果有強的因，改變的不只是身體，也會改變他處的環境。增上，也就是超出了他本來的情況。

       有一句話叫「入定山中之草木，牛羊食之毛光澤」，山上如果有一個人入定，修持得很好，山上所有的草都會長得很好，牛羊吃了之後，牠身上的毛也會充滿了光澤，這就是增上果。也可以說是好氣場，改變的不只是這個人本身，也改變了周圍的氣場。

Namo Amituofo!

February 4, 2026

Feb. 4, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (6/11)

(3) Ripened Result

A ripened result refers to causes created in this life, whose results do not appear in this life; but, manifest in future lives. Likewise, what one experiences in this life is not necessarily the result of causes created in this life, nor necessarily from the immediately preceding life—it may come from two or three lives earlier.

The cause and result do not have to occur in the same life, nor even in consecutive lives. As the sutras say:

 “Even after hundreds of thousands of kalpas, karma once created does not perish. When conditions converge, one must receive its result.”

 This expresses the meaning of ripened results.

174 因果的分類 (續 6 /11)

（三）異熟果

       異熟果，就是這一世造的因，果不在這一世展現，而是在後世展現；這一世遭受的事情，不一定就是今世造的因，也不一定是前一世，可能是前兩世、三世造的因。不是在同一世，也不一定就是連著的一世，總之是多生之後，佛經說「假使百千劫，所作業不亡。因緣會遇時，果報還自受」，有點這個意思。

Namo Amituofo!

February 2, 2026

Feb. 2, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (4/11)

II. Five Types of Cause and Effect

There is another, more detailed classification that divides cause and effect into five types:

 Immediate result, equally-flowing result, ripened result, dominant result, and dominant result affecting others.

(1) Immediate Result

What is an immediate result? For example: pushing a book is the cause; its movement is the result. Insulting someone is the cause; their anger is the result. Studying is the cause; being able to apply what one has learned is the result.

These are actions of body, speech, and mind whose results can be seen immediately. They are called “immediate results”—their benefits are obtained in the present life, visible to one’s own eyes. This classification is based on temporal sequence.

174 因果的分類 (續 4 /11)

二、五種因果

      還有一種分類方法比較複雜，分成五種因果：現法果、等流果、異熟果、增上果、與他增上果。

（一）現法果

       什麼是現法果？比如一本書，推它是因，它移動是果；罵你是因，你生氣是果；學習是因，學以致用是果。

       我們當下身口意去做，馬上就能見到，這叫「現法果」，現世就得到受用了，現世眼睛看得到的。這是從時間序列上分的。

Namo Amituofo!

February. 3, 2026

Feb. 3, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (5/11)

(2) Equally-Flowing Results

Equally-flowing results are not directly visible. For example, why does one person love smoking and become addicted as soon as they smoke cigarettes, while another person never becomes addicted no matter how much they smoke? Today, tests may reveal that someone has a “smoking addiction gene.” Where does this gene come from? It also comes from past lives.

It is like a teapot that has brewed tea. Even after the tea is poured out, the flavor of the tea remains. A person’s habitual tendencies from previous lives continue into the next life, invisible to our eyes and unknown to us. This flowing continuity from previous lives is called “equally-flowing.”

Understanding this allows us to explain many things that otherwise cannot be explained—including affinities between people. Why do we feel comfortable with one person and uncomfortable with another? This too, is an equally-flowing result. In past lives, one formed wholesome affinities with one person and unwholesome affinities with another; and these persist into the present.

Here we infer the cause from the result, the present result verifies the cause from past lives. If someone is exceptionally strong in a certain area in this life, it must be influenced by habitual tendencies from the most recent previous life.

The human body is a composite, that is very much like a house; inside the house lives the owner—the consciousness. Consciousness is neither one nor many, neither singular nor multiple; it cannot be measured numerically.

Consciousness and Buddha-nature are inseparable, like waves and water. Waves are water—just one form that water takes under certain conditions of time and space. Water can also become steam or flow as a river. Buddha-nature is the most fundamental essence. Whether beings are deluded or not, Buddha-nature itself never changes.

174 因果的分類 (續 5 /11)

（二）等流果

       等流果就是看不到的。比如一個人，他為什麼喜歡抽煙呢？而且煙一到手再也放不下了；而有的人，讓他怎麼抽都不上癮。現在經常說，經過檢測之後發現這個人有煙癮基因。這個基因從哪來？也是從前世來的。就像一把壺，泡過茶之後，即便把茶倒了，還會有茶葉的味道。一個人前世的習氣會一直留存到下一世，我們的眼睛不可見、不知道，這是從前一世流過來的，叫等流。

       如果知道這樣，就能解釋很多現在解釋不了的事。包括人與人之間的緣分也是如此，為什麼看這個人很順眼，看那個人就不順眼？這也是等流果。過去世和這個人結了善緣，和另一個人結的是惡緣，一直存到現在。

      這是以果來驗因，以果可以驗證他前世的因。一個人既然這一世在某一方面特別強，一定是在離得最近一世的某種習氣在影響著他。人的身體是和合而成的，但是人這個身體只是一個房子；房子裡住了一個主人──神識。神識非一非異，也不是一，也不是多，不能用數量去衡量。

       神識和佛性是一體不離的，就像波與水的關係。波也是水，只是水的一種表現形式，在那樣時空，顯現波的樣子；但水可以成為水蒸氣，也可以成為河裡的水。佛性是最本質的，不管是眾生顛倒還是不顛倒，佛性都沒有變。

Namo Amituofo!

February 1, 2026

Feb. 1, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (3/11)

When Shakyamuni Buddha was in this world, there was a dove that a hunter was about to shoot. The dove suddenly flew into the Buddha’s robe and immediately felt a deep sense of safety. This is the Buddha’s giving of fearlessness.

What is the result of giving fearlessness? It allows a person to live in peace and security, without fear and free from being startled. 

The practice of patience results in a dignified, upright, beautiful, and majestic appearance.

The Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life precisely describes the causal process and resulting fruition of Amitabha Buddha. It explains how, in his causal stage, Bodhisattva Dharmākara practiced step by step. Upon attaining the fruition of Buddhahood, his Land of Ultimate Bliss, spiritual powers, and virtues came to be. All of this is an exposition of cause and effect, and it all belongs to transcendent cause and effect.

174 因果的分類 (續 3 /11)

       佛在世的時候，有一隻鴿子，獵人正準備射擊牠，這隻鴿子一下就跑到佛的衣服裡，牠就能感覺到特別安穩。這就是佛的無畏布施。

       無畏布施得到的果是什麼？就會讓一個人過得很安穩，沒有驚怖，不驚不怖，不受驚嚇。

       忍辱，能得端正的果，漂亮莊嚴。

       《無量壽經》就是在講阿彌陀佛因緣果報的過程，講因地的法藏菩薩是怎麼一步步修行的，然後在果地上成佛之後，他的極樂世界是怎麼樣的，他自己有什麼樣的神通道力。這就是在講因果的，這些都是出世間的因果。

Namo Amituofo!

January 31, 2026

Jan. 31, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (2/11)

Generosity is divided into three categories: Material giving,Dharma giving, and Giving fearlessness.

1.Material giving is the giving of wealth. Its result is the acquisition of wealth.

2.Dharma giving : when one shares the Dharma, it leads to gaining the Dharma. This can also be called gaining wisdom. Attaining the Dharma relies on wisdom, and various conditions will arise that allow one to encounter the Buddhadharma. When a person shares the Dharma with others, the corresponding result is that the Dharma will, in turn, benefit the person who is sharing. 

3. Giving fearlessness - suppose a little mouse suddenly runs to my feet. A mouse crossing the street is something everyone wants to kill. I wrap it gently in my clothing. Someone asks me, “Is the mouse there?” I say, “No.” At the same time, I softly comfort the mouse: “You need not worry or be afraid.” Another example is protecting and comforting someone who is suffering greatly and in urgent need of reassurance.

174 因果的分類 (續 2 /11)

       布施分三種：財布施、法布施、無畏布施。

       財布施是施捨錢財，果就是獲得財富。

       法布施，有這個因，就會得法，也可以說是智慧，得法也靠智慧，就會有各種各樣的因緣，讓他得到佛法。他布施佛法，那反過來，就會有果報，法就會來找到他。

       無畏布施，比如有一隻小老鼠，突然跑到我腳底下，老鼠過街，人人喊打。我就用衣服一裹，別人問我：「老鼠在不在？」我就說：「不在。」還很溫和地安慰老鼠：「別抖了，別害怕。」再比如，在一個人很痛苦、很需要安慰的時候，去保護他、安慰他。

Namo Amituofo!