怎样理解因果？实证修行必须信因果吗？
How to Understand Causality? Is Belief in Causality Necessary for Meditative Positivism Practice?
学员问：怎样理解因果？
Student: How to understand causality?
清凉月老师：
Master Qingliang Yue:
因果也是建立在一个时间因素上的，没法跳出时间的。为什么要有因果？因果就是过程，有了过程才有因果，过程是因为前因和后果联系在一起才是一个过程，过程是有时间的。时间、物质、空间，是有约束的。跳出这种时间、空间、物质，没有这种过程，那么它就不存在这样一个因果。
Causality is also established on the basis of a time factor，it cannot escape time. Why is there causality? Causality is a process. There is causality because the antecedent and the consequent are linked together to form a process, and a process involves time. Time, matter, and space are constraints. If you transcend these elements of time, space, and matter, there is no such process, and therefore, it does not have such causality.
因果的产生是建立在妄心的基础上的。因果指的是什么呢？条件论。一切事物都是由条件构成的，随着条件的消失而消失，随着条件的存在而存在，随着条件的变化而变化。但思维的根本状态不是由条件构成的，他根本不存在这种情况。
The emergence of causality is based on the deluded mind. What does causality refer to? It refers to the theory of conditionality. All things are composed of conditions; they disappear with the disappearance of conditions, exist with the existence of conditions, and change with the change of conditions. However, the fundamental state of mind in meditative positivism is not composed of conditions; it fundamentally does not exist in this situation.
学员问：有人说修行必信因果。
Student: Some people say that belief in causality is essential for practice.
清凉月老师：
Master Qingliang Yue:
对。为什么呢？因为是条件论。因果代表条件论，如果你认为世界上这些东西，都是由条件构成的，随着条件的变化而变化，随着条件的消失而消失，那就改变条件。正是因为它们都是由条件构成的，所以它是梦幻泡影。然后你就会追求什么？真实。当你寻找来寻找去，最后不断地破不断地破，最后就怎么样呢？回归思维的根本状态了。
Yes, that's correct. Why is that? Because it is based on the theory of conditionality. Causality represents the theory of conditionality. If you believe that everything in the world is composed of conditions, that they change with the change of conditions and disappear with the disappearance of conditions, then you can change the conditions. It is precisely because they are all composed of conditions that they are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows. Then what will you pursue? Reality. When you keep searching and searching, continuously breaking through and breaking through, what happens in the end? You return to the fundamental state of mind.
在思维的根本状态它是独条件的，以自身做为条件的，它不以任何条件存在，因此它是永恒的。它不存在什么因与果。因为什么呢？思维的根本状态并不由某一种因产生，没有任何因能产生它，因为它是独条件的。如果有因产生的话，那么它一定是有条件，但它是无条件的，它不以任何条件而产生。
In the fundamental state of mind, it is self-conditioned; it takes itself as the condition and does not depend on any other conditions, therefore it is eternal. It does not have any causality. Why is that? The fundamental state of mind is not produced by any specific cause; no cause can produce it because it is self-conditioned. If it were produced by a cause, then it would necessarily be conditional, but it is unconditional; it does not arise from any conditions.
所以你说的“有人说修行必信因果”，这是一个入手的方便。这仅仅只是入手，入手的方便。它这种方便来源哪里？来源于这种缘起，缘起的理论。但缘起同时又是性空的。只有回归思维的根本状态才是真实的。所以你说的必信因果这是一个方便说法。
So when you say "some people believe that belief in causality is essential for practice," this is a convenient starting point. It is merely a starting point, a convenience. Where does this convenience come from? It originates from the theory of dependent origination. However, dependent origination is also inherently empty. Only by returning to the fundamental state of mind is it truly real. Therefore, the idea that one must believe in causality is a convenient way of speaking.
这就像在《大宝积经》上，跟着佛陀学的这些大阿罗汉们，可以说他们的定功特别的厉害，他就看到过去世，曾经做了很多很多的恶事，杀人放火呀、杀父母呀、杀阿罗汉啦等等，有很多很多的恶事，他就很害怕，因此而升起很深的恐惧心和这种惭愧的心，因为这样的心是最容易成为障道因缘的，所以他没法回归思维根本状态，也就没法证入如来藏状态。
This is similar to what is described in the "Great Treasure Heap Sutra" (Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra), where the great Arhats who studied with the Buddha had exceptionally strong meditative powers. They saw their past lives and the many evil deeds they had committed, such as killing, arson, murdering parents, and killing Arhats, among other things. They became very afraid and developed a deep sense of fear and shame. Such feelings are the most likely to become obstacles on the path, so they were unable to return to the fundamental state of mind and thus could not attain the state of Tathagatagarbha.
这个时候呢，佛陀也看到这种情况了，但是文殊师利同样也看到的，文殊师利也是早就成佛的，久远就已经成佛的，所以文殊师利这时候就展示，为了解决这种现象，他怎么样展示呢？就是拔出身上的宝剑，然后向佛陀刺去，大家在这个地方要注意一点，因为这些大阿罗汉们也是开天眼的，所以并不是说在我们现在这个状态所认为的那样，就是真的是文珠菩萨拔出宝剑去刺向佛，他仅仅是动这个念，这个是他心通的，因为各大阿罗汉们都有这种他心通，所以他们能看到文殊师利菩萨起这个念。什么叫他心通？这个需要了解这一点，他心通的其中一种就是，你心中想什么，这都是个“相想”，你心中想什么的时候，心中马上呈现这种形象。
At that time, the Buddha also noticed this situation, and Manjushri saw it as well. Manjushri had already attained Buddhahood long ago, so he demonstrated a way to address this phenomenon. How did he demonstrate? He drew his treasured sword and aimed it at the Buddha. Here, everyone should pay attention to one thing: these great Arhats also had the divine eye, so it wasn't like what we might think in our current state, where Manjushri physically drew his sword to stab the Buddha. He merely generated this thought, which was perceived through telepathy. Because all the great Arhats possessed this ability of telepathy, they could see the intention arise in Manjushri. What is telepathy? This needs to be understood. One aspect of telepathy is that whatever you think in your mind manifests as an image immediately.
比如说，文殊师利菩萨起个念头去杀佛，拔出剑去刺佛，那么他的头脑中马上出现这个形象，就是拔出宝剑刺向佛，那么这个形象就被这些阿罗汉们看到，是这样，并不是说他真的表现出我们一般人用肉眼所看的时候，他在形体上拔出宝剑，不是这样的，一定要了解这一个。那么文殊师利菩萨拔出宝剑刺向佛的时候，释迦牟尼这时候就住于如来藏状态，住于如来藏状态之后，那么就住于一种无相的状态，无相的状态那么阿罗汉们马上就看不到了，这就告诉我们什么？一切业障全部都是思维内容，都是因相而起，因识所变，不具有真实性，所以大阿罗汉们看到这一点之后，马上升起无限的信心，这样就纷纷证入如来藏，纷纷成功了。
For example, when Manjushri thought of killing the Buddha by drawing his sword, his mind instantly created the image of drawing the sword and stabbing the Buddha. This image was then seen by the Arhats. It wasn't that he physically drew his sword as seen with the ordinary human eye; it wasn't like that. This must be understood. When Manjushri drew his sword towards the Buddha, Shakyamuni then entered the state of Tathagatagarbha. Upon entering this state, he resided in a formless state, which the Arhats could not see immediately. This tells us what? All karmic obstacles are contents of thought, arising from forms and changing with consciousness; they do not possess reality. Seeing this, the great Arhats immediately developed boundless faith and successively attained the state of Tathagatagarbha.
这仅仅是有相无相，真实和虚幻的问题，如来藏根本状态是真实的，这种拔宝剑刺呀，还有我们平时做的这种各种恶呀等等，这些因与果等等，这些通通都是梦幻泡影的，当你处在梦幻泡影中的时候，它就是真实的，就像在梦中的时候，它就是真实的，跳出这种状态，它就不是真实的，所以就是这些大修行人看到这种情况，马上就高兴了、欢欣鼓舞的，然后就纷纷证入如来藏。所以对这个有一个了解，如果因果是绝对的、真实的、是缘起的，同时又不是性空的，是缘起的又是真实的，（小编注：真实是不可破的）那么你就不可能回归思维根本状态，你绝对不可能回归思维根本状态。正是因为它是缘起的，但是性空的不真实的，随着条件的变化而变化，随着条件的消失而消失，所以你才能回归思维根本状态。了解这一点就行。（清凉月老师）
This is merely a matter of form versus formlessness, reality versus illusion. The fundamental state of Tathagatagarbha is real, while actions like drawing a sword to stab, or the various evils we commit, and their causes and effects, are all like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows. When you are within this dream-like state, it seems real, just as in a dream. But once you transcend this state, it is not real. Therefore, when these great practitioners saw this, they immediately became joyful and exhilarated, and then successively entered the state of Tathagatagarbha. Understanding this, if causality were absolute, real, and dependent on origination, yet not inherently empty, you could never return to the fundamental state of mind. It is precisely because it is dependent on origination but inherently empty and unreal, changing with conditions and disappearing with the absence of conditions, that you can return to the fundamental state of mind. Understanding this point is sufficient. (Master Qingliang Yue)