◎ 受五戒的好处

　　◎ The benefits of receiving the five precepts

　　今生不笼鸟，来生不坐监； 今生不钓鱼，来生不讨饭； 今生不杀生，来生无灾难； 今生不偷盗，来生无抢案； 今生不邪淫，来生无婚变； 今生不妄语，来生无欺骗； 今生不醉酒，来生不狂乱。

　　Not caging birds in this life, we will not be put into the jail in future lives; Not fishing in this life, we will not become beggars in future lives; Not killing in this life, we will not encounter difficulties in future lives; Not stealing in this life, we will not be robbed in future lives; Not engaging in sexual misconduct in this life, we will have good marriages in future lives; Not lying in this life, we will not be cheated in future lives; Not drinking in this life, we will not lose sanity in future lives.

　　「今生不笼鸟，来生不坐监」﹕你想一想，你把鸟关在笼子里令它不自由；这个国家是讲自由的，你让畜生不自由，这也不合乎这个国家的宪法。你让鸟在笼子里，就和在监狱是一样，这个鸟就在笼子里念咒了，说﹕「果报、果报…」来生果报就来了，那个鸟念咒说﹕「上帝！你说有果报，为什么他把我放在笼子里头？这是怎么回事？」它就到玉皇大帝，也就是天主那里，左写一张状子，右写一张去告状去。它写多了，天主一看﹕「好了！这个人是不公道，来生也叫他受这个果报。」这个人后来就坐到监狱里去了。所以说「今生不笼鸟，来生不坐监」，因为那个鸟一天到晚念那个「果报」，念那个因果报应，念那个经给上帝听，上帝就判这个人来生去坐监狱。

　　“Not caging birds in this life, we will not be put into the jail in future lives.”

　　Think about it. When someone puts a bird in a cage, he takes its freedom away. By doing that, the person is not abiding by the constitution of this country. This country advocates freedom. Caging a bird is the same as putting the bird behind bars. The bird will start chanting the mantra, “retribution, retribution…” In the future, the bird will go before the Jade Emperor, who is the Lord of the Heavens, and file a suit against the person who caged it.

　　The Heavenly Lord will say, “Okay, this person has not been fair. He shall undergo the retribution!” You will then go to jail in future lives. This is because the bird has been chanting the mantra of retribution from morning to night. When the Heavenly Lord hears it, his verdict is that the person who caged the bird should be put behind bars.

　　我记得不是今生，是多少生以前，那时候迷迷糊糊，什么道理也不懂，看人家钓鱼，我也去钓鱼，很欢喜钓鱼的。看到鱼吃鱼饵，水就现出一圈圈的波纹，这时把钓鱼竿向上一挑，这个鱼就钓上来了。你说以后怎么样啊？来生就做要饭的，拿个碗向人要饭，因为没有东西吃。所以说「今生不钓鱼，来生不讨饭。」要饭是很苦的，尽向人讨饭吃，所以我们信佛的人少钓点鱼是好的。

　　I recall it was not in this life but some other lives in the past, I was deluded and didn”t know better. I saw people fishing so I went fishing too. I was quite fond of doing it. When the fish took the bait the water rippled. Then I would swing the fishing pole upward and the fish would be hooked. What happened to me afterward

　　 I became a beggar in the next life. I had to beg for food because I didn”t have anything to eat. Thus, it”s said, “Not fishing in this life, we will not become beggars in future lives.” It”s quite miserable to beg for food. It”s better that we Buddhists do less fishing.

　　有人说﹕「我少钓点鱼可以，一年钓一次；我只钓小鱼，不钓大鱼，这样好不好呢？」小鱼也是一条命，大鱼也是一条命；你钓一次也是杀生，你钓多次也是杀生。不过你钓的少，欠的债会少一点；钓的多，欠的债也就多一点﹕也就是你钓半斤，将来要还八两。

　　Someone may say, “I can do less fishing. I”ll fish just once a year. And I will only fish for small and not big fish. Will that be okay

　　” Well, a small fish is a life, just the same as a big fish. Fishing once a year, you still end up killing, just the same as when you fish many times a year. However, if you fish less, your debt will be less; fish more, and your debt will be more. That is to say, if you catch half a pound of fish, you must pay back eight ounces in the future.

　　「今生不杀生，来生无灾难」﹕你今生不杀一切的生灵，等来生就没有人杀你，也没有一切的灾难，也不会被枪打死，也不会火烧死，也不会被水淹死，因为你前生没有杀生，今生也没有病痛。

　　Not killing in this life, we will not encounter difficulties in future lives. If you refrain from killing any living being, then in future lives you will not be killed and you will be free from all difficulties. You will not be killed by gunshots, burned by fire, or drowned in water. Since you didn”t kill in previous lives, you will also be free from all illnesses in this life.

　　「今生不偷盗，来生无抢案」﹕抢案就是你打劫我，我打劫你。你若不偷盗别人的东西，来生没有人抢劫你的东西。你为什么有人抢你的东西？就因为你前生偷盗，以为偷盗是不错的，把别人的东西偷回来，到今生别人又把它抢回去。所以这…

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