Buddhism's view on fate

佛教对命运的看法

Since fate is so mysterious, what is Buddhism's view of fate? Let me explain in four points:

1. Buddhism believes that fate is not fixed, but can be changed

Although Buddhism also talks about fate, it is different from the fatalism of the Taoist machinery. Buddhism advocates that all dharma are born by reason, and there is no self-nature. Therefore, fate is also born by reason, and there is no self-nature. The bad fate can be changed by planting good karma. For example, the little monk can increase his life. There was a master who recognized the position of Arahango. One day in meditation, he knew that his beloved disciple only had a few days to live. He thought:

"How can such a clever child have only seven days to live? It's really unfortunate! You can't tell him the truth. How can he bear such a blow at his young age?"

At daybreak, Shifu repressed his sadness and called the little monk to him and said, "Good boy! You haven't come home to visit your parents for a long time. Please pack your bags and get together with your parents!" Although the little monk felt the difference of Shifu, he was still very happy to say goodbye to Shifu and went back to his hometown. Day by day, after seven days, the little monk did not come back. Although the troubled Arhat was broken, it was inevitable that he was sad about the unfortunate experience of the little apprentice. When he was unhappy that he would never see the apprentice again, the little monk suddenly came back safely. Arhat was surprised. He took the little monk's hand and looked up and down and said, "How did you come back? Did you do anything?" "No!" The little monk shook his head in confusion and answered. "Think carefully. Did you see anything? What did you do?" Shifu asked without relaxing. "Oh! I remember. On the way home, I passed a pond and saw a group of ants trapped in the water. I checked a leaf and saved them on the bank." The little monk answered truthfully, his dark eyes were glowing with joy.

After listening to this, the master immediately went into the magic power to watch the fate of the disciple: the child not only removed the appearance of premature death, but also had a life span of 100 years. The little monk's compassion not only saved the lives of ants, but also changed his own destiny.

In addition to compassion, which can change fate, the cultivation of blessings can also turn bad life into good life. Some people think that their sins are so heinous and full of evil that they can never reverse their fate, but in fact, they are not. Buddhism believes that no matter how deep the evil karma can be alleviated, it is like a handful of salt. If you put it into a cup, of course, it is too alkaline to drink. However, if it is scattered in a basin or a large water tank, the alkali flavor will naturally fade. In any case, the salt of the crime industry is alkaline and astringent. As long as the fresh water of Fude karma is put too much, it can still turn the alkali into light, even sweet and delicious. In a field, although weeds and grass seedlings grow together, as long as we keep improving and slowly remove the miscellaneous vines, until the meritorious crops grow up, even more vines will not affect the harvest. Therefore, the deep criminal karma can be changed by planting more blessings.

In the ten vows of the Universal Sage, it is said: repent your karma. Repentance is also the way to eliminate karma, increase happiness and wisdom, and change destiny. Our clothes are dirty. We need to wash them with clean water to make them white; If your body is dirty, you should bathe with clean water to clean it; When the mind is contaminated, it needs to be washed with repentant Dharma water to restore purity. The so-called "follow the old karma, let alone create new disasters". Sincere repentance can remove the dirt of our troubles and reveal the original pure and pure self-nature. Therefore, Buddhism attaches great importance to repentance methods, such as mercy water repentance, Liang Huangbao repentance, and Tiantai covenant three repentance, which are convenient methods laid down by the great virtues of all dynasties.

2. Buddhism attaches importance to destiny, but Buddhism attaches more importance to future destiny

Buddhism talks about the cause and effect of the past, the present and the future. Although Buddhism attaches importance to the fate of the past, it pays more attention to the fate of the present and the future. Because the past karma has been so, even if you are upset, you can't regret it; But the fate of the present and the future is in our hands. As long as we make good use of every moment of the real present, the future is still bright. Therefore, Buddhism does not indulge in the sadness of the past destiny, but actively pursues the destiny full of infinite hope in the future.

How can we change the rough fate of the past into a better one in the future? Then we should practice the work of changing, changing, turning back and turning around. It is often said: 'The rivers and mountains are easy to govern, and the nature is hard to change.' If you can change your stubborn character, change your irritable temper into softness, and change your lonely temper into casual, your fate will change. Now, with the development of medicine, some people suffer from heart disease. If they change their heart, they are still full of vitality. Our flesh-ball heart is broken, so it is necessary to replace it with surgery, but the wisdom and wonderful heart should be replaced even more when it is broken. Only by replacing bad heart with good heart, nausea with good heart, and evil heart with good heart, can we continue life and keep healthy.

3. Buddhism does not encourage people to be resigned to their fate. Buddhism hopes people to create a destiny

When some people are in trouble, they think that the heaven has already made such arrangements, and any effort is futile. So they are depressed, frustrated, and do not know how to cheer up. They entrust their precious future to the only god that is in vain, and are willing to be the slave of fate. Buddhism believes that our destiny is in our own hands. No power can control our destiny. Even the gods cannot control our destiny. We are the masters of our own destiny. We are the geniuses who create our own destiny. The Buddha himself is a typical example.

When Sakyamuni Buddha did not become a Taoist, you were the prince of a country, enjoying incomparable human happiness and being respected by all people. However, the Buddha was not satisfied with the life in the palace, and was unwilling to be a mediocre mortal. He abandoned all his glory, wealth, and kinship, and went on the road of pursuing truth alone, creating his vast and empty life, and all sentient beings, along with the Buddha's enlightenment, created the fate of positive happiness in the future. The circumstances of life are not destined to be the same, but absolutely unchanged. Heaven has no ability to turn us into sages, nor can it make us into peddlers and pawns. To become saints and sages, we have to rely on ourselves. The so-called "there is no natural Sakyamuni". As long as we are diligent and unremitting, the display of wisdom and life can be expected!

4. Buddhism not only wants people to be happy with their lives, but also wants people to change their minds

Confucius said that he knew the fate of the universe at 50. A sage like Confucius also learned the truth of life in the universe when he was in his middle age. It can be seen that it is not easy to be happy with the fate of the universe. But Buddhism advocates that in addition to complying with the fate of the universe, it is necessary to further wash the heart.

Ordinary people have a habit of easily seeing the shortcomings of others, but embellishing their own mistakes. The Buddha's enlightenment for decades has opened countless ways for us to wash away the dirt in our hearts. Give it a piece of clean without stain. The process of seeking the Tao is nothing more than the time to wash your mind and purify your life. When the sky is clear and the moon is shining brightly on the earth, it is a good time to travel with the Buddhas! In the future, if you can create your own calm destiny, it is our greatest hope to hold Buddhist lectures! Wish you all good luck! thank you!

命运既然如此奥妙，那么佛教对于命运究竟有什么看法呢？我分四点来说明：

１、佛教认为命运不是定型的，命运是可以改变

佛教虽然也讲命运，但是有别于外道机械的宿命论。佛教主张诸法因缘而生，空无自性，因此命运也是因缘生法，没有自性。坏的命运可以借著种植善因善缘而加以改变，像小沙弥增长福寿，就是有名的例子。有一位证得阿罗汉果位的师父，一天在禅定中知道自己疼爱的徒弟只剩几天的寿命，心想：

“这么乖巧的孩子怎么只剩下七天的寿命呢？真是太不幸了！不可以将真象告诉他，他小小的年纪，怎么承受得了这样的打击呢？”

天一亮，师父压抑著悲伤，将小沙弥叫到跟前说：“好孩子！你有好久不曾回家看望父母了，你收拾行李回去和父母聚一聚吧！”不知情的小沙弥虽然感觉到师父的异样，但是仍然高高兴与地拜别了师父回家乡去了。日子一天一天的过去，过了七天小沙弥还没有回来，虽然断了烦恼的阿罗汉，也难免为小徒弟的不幸遭遇而怅然伤感，心中正在为再也见不到徒弟而郁郁不乐时，小沙弥突然平平安安地回来了。阿罗汉大为惊讶，牵著小沙弥的手上下打量地说：“你怎么好好地回来了？你做了什么事吗？”“没有呀！”小沙弥迷惑地摇头回答。“你仔细想想看，有没有看到什么？做了什么？”师父不放松地追问。“噢！我想起来了。回家的途中，我经过一个池塘，看到一团蚂蚁被困在水中，我检了一片叶子，把它们救上了岸。”小沙弥如实地回答，乌黑的眸子，散发著喜悦的光芒。

师父听了之后，马上再进入神通之中观看徒弟的命运：这个孩子不但去除了夭寿之相，并且有百岁的寿命。小沙弥的一念慈悲，不但救了蚂蚁的性命，也改变自己的命运。

除了慈悲能改变命运之外，修福也可以转坏命为好命。有的人认为自己罪障滔天、恶贯满盈，永远无法扭转命运，其实不然。佛教认为再深重的恶业也可以减轻，好比一把盐，如果将它放入杯子之中，当然碱得无法入口。但是如果把它撒在盆子里或者大水缸中，碱味自然减淡。罪业的食盐无论如何碱涩，只要福德因缘的清水放多了，仍然可以化碱为淡，甚至甘美可口。一块田里，虽然杂草和禾苗并生在一起，但是只要我们持以精进，慢慢除去芜杂的蔓草，等到功德的佳禾长大了，即使再多一些蔓草，也不会影响收成，因此深重的罪业可以藉著广植福德而加以改变。

普贤十大愿中说：忏悔业障。忏悔也是消除业障、增长福慧、改变命运的法门。我们的衣服肮脏了，要用清水来搓洗才能洁白；身体垢秽了，也要用净水来沐浴才能干净；心地染污了，要用忏悔的法水来洗涤，才能恢复清净，所谓‘随缘遣旧业，更莫造新殃’，挚诚恳切的忏悔能去除我们烦恼的污垢，把原本无染的清净自性心显现出来，因此佛教非常注重忏悔法门，如慈悲水忏、梁皇宝忏、天台约三忏，都是历代大德为我们敷设的方便法门。

２、佛教重视宿命，但是佛教更重视未来的命运

佛教讲过去、现在、未来三世因果，佛教虽然重视过去的命运，但是更注重现在和未来的命运。因为过去的宿业已然如此，纵然再懊恼，也无法追悔；但是现在和未来的命运却掌握在我们的手里，只要我们妥善地利用每一刻真实的现在，前程仍然是灿烂的。因此佛教不沉溺于对过去命运的伤感之中，而积极追求未来充满无限希望的命运。

如何把过去坎坷的命运改变成未来美好的命运呢？那就要实践改性、换心、回头、转身的工夫。平常说：‘江山易政，本性难移。’如果能将难改的性格改变过来，把暴燥的脾气改成柔和，把孤僻的性情改成随缘，命运一定随之改观。现在医学发达，有人得了心脏病，换个心脏，仍然如生龙活虎般充满活力。我们的肉团心坏了，固然要动手术换掉，智慧妙心坏了更应该改换，把坏心换成好心，把恶心换成善心，把邪心换成正心，才能延续生命，常保健康。

３、佛教不鼓励人听天由命，佛教希望人开创命运

有的人遭遇困境的时候，就认为冥冥中上天早已如此安排，任何的努力都是枉然的，于是消沉、沮丧，不知奋发振作，把自己宝贵的前程委诸子虚乌有的唯一神只去主宰，甘心做宿命的奴隶。佛教认为命运掌握在自己的手中，任何力量都不能主宰我们的命运，即使天神也无法操纵我们的命运，我们是决定自己命运的主人，我们是创造自己命运的天才，佛陀本身就是典型的例子。

释迦牟尼佛未成道时，贵为一国的太子，享受无比的人间欢乐，得到万民的景仰。但是佛陀不以皇宫的生活为满足，不甘愿做个庸碌的凡夫，于是舍弃一切的荣华富贵、亲族情爱，独自走上追求真理的道路，创造了自己广大如虚空的生命，而一切的众生也随著佛陀的证悟，开创了未来正觉幸福的命运。人生的境遇并不是命定如此，绝对不变的。上天没有能力把我们变成圣贤，上天也不能使我们成为贩夫走卒，成圣希贤都要靠自己去完成，所谓‘没有天生的释迦’。只要我们精进不懈，慧命的显发是可期的！

４、佛教不光是希望人乐天知命，更希望人洗心革面

孔子说他‘五十而知天命’，像孔子这样的圣人也到了心智渐趋成熟的中年，才了解宇宙人生的道理，可见乐天知命的不容易，但是佛教主张除了顺应天命之外，更要进一步的洗心革命。

常人有一种习惯，容易看到别人的缺点，却文饰自己的过失。佛陀数十年的教化，替我们开显了无数的法门，就是要我们洗去心中的尘垢。还给它本来无染的一片洁净。求道的过程无非是洗心涤虑、净化生命的工夫，等到天清月现，朗照大地的时候，就是与诸佛同游毕竟空的良辰！大家今后如果能够开创自己坦荡的命运，是我们举办佛学讲座的最大希望！祝福大家吉祥如意！谢谢！

 (This article is an original article by Zhuge Changqing, and the pictures are selected from the Internet. Welcome to forward it, and please indicate the source for forwarding)

Introduction to Zhuge Changqing: Zhuge Changqing, the inheritor and promoter of traditional Chinese culture, is willing to "learn from sages, promote virtue, revitalize China and benefit the world" together with people with the same ideals in the world.

(Zhuge Changqing: zhuge8031@163.com ）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

Zhuge Changqing's Chinese Dream

Learn from sages and carry forward virtue

Revitalizing China for the benefit of the world

 （本文是诸葛长青原创文章，图片选自网络。欢迎转发，转发引用请注明出处）

诸葛长青简介：诸葛长青，中国国学传统文化传承弘扬者，愿与天下志同道合者一起“学习圣贤、弘扬善德、振兴中华、造福世界”。

（诸葛长青：zhuge8031@163.com）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

  诸葛长青中国梦  

学习圣贤 弘扬善德

振兴中华 造福世界

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