..續本文上一頁t if everything is determined, then there would be no free will and no moral or spiritual life. We would merely be the slaves of our past. On the other hand, if everything is undetermined, then there can be no cultivation of moral and spiritual growth. Therefore, the Buddha accepted neither strict determinism nor strict undeterminism.
佛教徒相信：「人類種下什麼因，就獲得什麼果。」我們現在所得到的，是基于過去所製造的因，我們將來所得到的，是基于現在所製造的因。換句話說，人的現在不等于他的過去，人的未來也不等于他的現在。在過去、現在和未來之間，一直都在流轉變化。
業力不是絕對的，佛陀說：
「如果每一件事情都已經注定，那就無法擁有自由的意志和道德的精神生活了。我們必定成爲過去的奴隸。」
假使每一件事情都是注定的，我們將無法培養道德和增長心靈的力量。因此，佛陀既非「宿命論」者，也非「非宿命論」者。
Misconceptions regarding Kamma
不要誤解業力：
The misinterpretation or irrational views on kamma are stated in the Anguttara Nikaya which suggests that the wise will investigate and abandon the following views: the belief that everything is a result of acts in previous lives; the belief that all is the result of creation by a Supreme Ruler; and the belief that everything arises without reason or cause. If a person becomes a murderer, a thief, or an adulterer, and, if his actions are due to past actions, or caused by creation of a Supreme Ruler, or if that happened by mere chance, then this person would not be held responsible for his evil action.
不要誤解業力，也不要以不理智的觀點來看待業力。在《增支部》中，建議智者放棄以下觀點：
一、相信一切事物都是過去世所造的業。
二、相信一切業都是超自然的靈力或神所締造的。
叁、相信諸法的生起，是無因、無果的。
假如一個人成爲殺人犯、盜賊或奸淫犯，是因爲過去的業力造成，或是一種超自然的定律構成，或只是一種偶然發生的事，那麼他就不需要爲自己的邪惡罪行負責了。
Yet another misconception about kamma is that it operates only for certain people according to their faiths. But the fate of a man in his next life does not in the least depend on what particular religion he chooses. Whatever may be his religion, man”s fate depends entirely on his deeds by body, speech and thought. It does not matter what religious label he himself holds, he is bound to be happy world in his next life so long as he does good deeds and leads an unblemished life. He is bound to be born to lead a wretched life if he commits evil and harbors wicked thoughts in his mind. Therefore, Buddhists do not proclaim that they are the only blessed people who can go to heaven after their death. Whatever the religion he professes, man”s kammic thought alone determines his own destiny both in this life and in the next. The teaching of kamma does not indicate a post-mortem justice. The Buddha did not teach this law of kamma to protect the rich and to comfort the poor by promising illusory happiness in an after life.
另外一種對業力的錯誤觀念是：以爲業力只執行于某些擁有特定宗教信仰的人身。事實，人類的命運，一點也不受他所選擇的宗教所左右。不管他選擇什麼宗教，他的命運還是完全由他的行爲、語言和意識所決定。只要他造善業和過著沒有汙染的生活，他來生一定會重生于快樂的境界。如果他造的是惡業，同時心中充滿邪惡的意念，他的來生肯定在惡趣中度過。因此，佛教並不認爲，只有那些以祈禱爲宗教的人，可以在死後升天堂。一個人，不管他信仰的是什麼，只有他的心識能決定他今世或來世的命運。業力的重點，不在于死後獲得的意義，佛陀沒有秘密，也沒有私人的動機，他沒有向我們承諾，實踐他的教誨，將會在來世獲得虛無缥缈的幸福。他也沒有以業力這一定律來保護富有的人或慰藉窮人，保證他們在來世獲得幸福。
According to Buddhism kamma explains the inequalities that exist among mankind. These inequalities are due not only to heredity, environment and nature but also to kamma or the results of our own actions. Indeed kamma is one of the factors which are responsible for the success and the failure of our life.
佛陀對業力的诠釋，說明了人類不平等的現象。這些不平等現象不單是自遺傳、環境或自然形成，同時也是我們的業力或是我們自己的行爲導致的結果。然而，我們必須了解──業力是決定我們一生成敗的重要因素之一。
Since kamma is an invisible force, we cannot see it working with our physical eyes. To understand how kamma works, we can compare it to seeds: the results of kamma are stored in the subconscious mind in the same way as the leaves, flowers, fruits and trunk of a tree are stored in its seed. Under favorable conditions, the fruits of kamma will be produced just as with moisture and light, the leaves and trunk of a tree will sprout from its tiny seed.
業力是一種看不見的力量，我們無法以肉眼來觀察它，和了解它如何作用。以種子爲例：業力的結果潛藏在意識中，如同枝幹、葉子、花卉、果實蘊藏在種子中一樣。在良好的因緣條件下，如：陽光、土壤、水分都具足時，種子開始萌發，枝幹、葉子、花卉、果實將會從很小的種子開始茁壯成長。
The working of kamma can …
《業力 What is Kamma
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