佛云:「眾生悉皆平等,乃各具佛性」。此為眾生性靈之中含蘊佛種子,可以修証而成就,故眾生平等。
在因果之立論,眾生亦悉皆平等,種因得果,無人可免。然則,在人生過程之際,生命存續仰賴衣、食、住、行,舉凡消耗於維持生命所必須之能量,與各自與生俱來之福祿,息息相關。所謂與生俱來,即乃眾生初入娘胎之際,即已有在命程中帶來之福祿。所以,常有人云及此兒旺父蔭母,甚至會有助旺家運等等之語。又有人初生之際,排其命盤,謂之帶有財庫,或者帶有厚福,諸此種種,意謂眾生悉皆在此人世間享有福報。
昊天至仁!縱然淪入畜道,或者投生乞門,自幼貧困,多受欺辱,然而,吃、食維持生命點點滴滴;水、火、空氣無不是眾生享受大自然之賜予,亦即生命之福報。但是,為何有人生來備受呵護、無微不至?甚至於嬰幼兒之時,已如掌上明珠,予以最高之疼愛及物質之享受;有人卻生來即苦難、貧困,不但親長無力疼愛,甚至成長過程備受白眼,可謂坎坷人生。其分際即在投生之際,所帶福祿深淺;而其分判即是各自累世因果、善福,或者惡禍之比重。淺而言之,有人累世間行善較少,惡行較多,然而罪又不至淪入畜道,或者判入阿鼻無間獄,所以在轉生人道之時,其善輕乃使帶福薄,故在出生娘胎而後,福祿又逐日享受而減少,故其人生乃乖舛多、順利少。反之,夙世之間善行多,但又未足超証神道,故其投生之處,必然較為慈祥之親長、富裕之家庭,在人生過程中,則多善福、順利情境,縱然偶有惡業顯現,亦能得貴人善緣相助,逢凶化吉,甚至無災無難。
綜此而論,世人當知:「菩薩畏因,眾生畏果。」其來有自。當然,既來之,則安之。我人能得投生人身,必有基本善業福慧,無需尤怨於既往之造業,當著眼於未來之積善、增福。
Chapter 3: Blessing Classification
The Buddha said, "All sentient beings are equal and possess Buddha-nature." This implies that all sentient beings have the seed of Buddhahood within their spirits, which can be cultivated and realized, thus making all beings equal.
Karma theory dictates that all living beings are equal i.e. for every cause, there will be a corresponding effect and no one is exempted from these karmic laws. As a result, necessities to sustain life such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation, or anything else consumed to sustain life are closely related to their innate blessings. This innate blessing is formed when the foetus is developed in their mothers’ wombs. Therefore, people often say that this child will bring fortune to his/her parents and prosper the family fortune. And there are cases where someone is born, their destiny chart contains wealth and riches. All these means that all sentient beings will enjoy some form of blessing when they are born into this world.
Heaven is benevolent. Even if one reincarnates as animals, or is reborn as a beggar, and suffers from poverty and is often bullied since childhood, they still enjoy nature blessings in the form of food, air, water, fire to sustain their lives. But why are there some people born into loving families who showered them with greater care and attention to their needs? They were treated like the apple of their parents’ eyes and were given the abundance of love and material enjoyment even when they are infant. While others are born into hardship and poverty, not only lacking parental love but also face disdain throughout their upbringing. The difference lies in the fortune brought into this life and the weight of one's accumulated karmic causes and effects, good or bad, from previous lives.
In simple terms, when someone who has done fewer good deeds than bad deeds in his past life, but whose sin is not severe enough to the animal path or to the infernal hell of Avīci Naraka (note below). Therefore, after he is born, when they are reborn as humans, their light good deeds result in thin fortune, and after being born, their blessings gradually decrease with each passing day, resulting in a tumultuous life with few smooth paths.
On the contrary, those who have done many good deeds in their past lives, but not enough to transcend the human realm, are likely to be born into families with loving parents and affluent backgrounds, and their lives will be filled with good fortune and smooth situations. Even if they occasionally manifest bad karma, they can still receive help from benefactors and transform misfortune into good fortune, even avoiding disasters and difficulties altogether.
To sum up, one should understand that "Bodhisattvas are afraid of causes and sentient beings are afraid of consequences." Of course, as soon as the consequence are here, let it be and be at peace with it. Since one is born human, one brings along with him basic good deeds and blessings; do not complain about the past deeds but focus on the future accumulation of goodness and happiness.
Note:
Avīci is the lowest level of the Naraka or "hell" realm in Buddhist cosmology. It is often translated into English as "the Hell of Uninterrupted Suffering" or "the Hell Without Respite". In this realm, beings endure extreme suffering for aeons of time without any break.
It is important to note that unlike some concepts of eternal hell in other religions, the stay in Avīci, like all the realms in Buddhist cosmology, is temporary (see further note below). However, "temporary" in this context is relative - the length of time can be unimaginably long from a human perspective. Once the negative karma that led to rebirth in this realm is exhausted, the being will be reborn in another realm based on their remaining karma.
It's also worth mentioning that although the term "hell" is used in English translations, the concept of Naraka in Buddhism is somewhat different from the common Western concept of hell. In Buddhism, it is not a place of divine punishment but a place where beings suffer due to their own negative actions (karma).
Further note:
The concept of Avīci Hell being temporary is rooted in the fundamental Buddhist belief in impermanence. This belief holds that all conditioned phenomena are transient, subject to change, and have no fixed, unchanging essence.
In Buddhism, no state of existence is permanent, even the deepest levels of hell. Suffering in hell realms, according to Buddhist teachings, continues until the negative karma that led to that birth is fully exhausted, at which point one is reborn in another realm based on one's remaining karma.
This concept is described in various Buddhist texts and teachings. However, the duration of stay in these realms is often depicted as extremely long, with the Avīci Hell being the most severe. Nevertheless, the stay is not eternal.
For example, the Lotus Sutra, a highly influential Mahayana Buddhist text, contains a parable in which a bodhisattva takes on the sufferings of hell-beings, which indicates the potential for liberation even from the lowest realms.
It should be noted that interpretations can vary across different Buddhist traditions and texts. For a full understanding, it would be best to study these texts or consult with knowledgeable practitioners or scholars.