The interdependent origination of the Animal Realm畜生道的緣起

六道輪迴，可知曉何謂六道。但要清楚明白六道，天、阿修羅、人、地獄、畜生、餓鬼，各道的緣起，妳你就必需得進一步地實修佛法，以免越修越響六道，甚至三惡道去。那就非常的悲慘嘍！

多年前，吾還有看電視節目，或閱讀報章時，看到或讀到，某種動物及飛禽等等，將面臨絕種的消息時，心中總有一絲絲的莫明覺受。

怎樣的人會投胎做畜生？

但修習佛法後的吾，有了真實的見地，知曉過去那莫明的覺受，祇是一種無知的一時湧現，而非真實的智慧。佛教闡明因與果。緣起緣滅也即是因果。妳你的心念一起，就是緣起。而在妳你生命的流光中，妳你不但沒及時拿掉這種子，反而天天「施肥」（惡行為），不久的將來必得惡果。凡貪、嗔、癡、妒、慢、疑者，都是畜生道的緣起。因此，某種或任何一種飛禽走獸等等，應該不會這麼快的絕種。

還否有印象，吾前些日子寫有關一位明知故犯，「下毒」害她家翁的少婦嗎？那短文叫《毒人終毒己》。文中所提的這位少婦，她和她先生曾響吾，學習佛法達四個月，次次來學吾都教導她他們，守戒持戒的重要，如佛教基本五戒，以及儒家孝、悌、忠、信、禮、義、廉、恥之八德，還有己所不欲， 勿施於人，等等。

天堂有路她不走，地獄無門她自來

在她家翁生辰的那一星期，的某一天中午，吾還特別地接聽她的來電，以確保她清楚知曉，不該放什麼食材，煮面線給其家翁食，因其家翁不久前，才從中風康復過來，還有其家翁之前皮膚生濃剛好，這些她全然不顧的，狠心明知故犯。她這一明知故犯，已爲她的未來打造一個地獄，也有了畜生道的緣起。

她「幹了案」之後，吾有再接見她多一次。那一次的再接見她，她身上已有了一團業氣，而這業氣（毒氣），也已出現在她的臉上（毒瘡）。若不快快力行懺悔，毒氣（業氣）攻心，三惡道哪裡逃啊！這就是毒人終毒己的慘報。

You may know about the Six Realms of Rebirth, but to clearly understand the interdependent origination of each realm: Devas, Asuras, humans, Hell, animals, and hungry ghosts, you will need to level up in your practice of the Dharma, so as not to lose your way and end up in these Six Realms, especially the three evil paths. That would be disastrous! Many years back when I still watched the TV or read the papers, I would always feel a tinge of bafflement when I learnt that certain animal species were endangered.

What kind of people will reincarnate to be animals?

However, after I started the practice of Dharma and attained a certain level of insight, I realised that those feelings of bafflement were moments of ignorance and not true wisdom. The Buddha expounds the Law of Cause and Effect. The arising and cessation of affinity is also the Law of Cause and Effect. As a thought rises in you, the seed of affinity is planted. And as you flow through life, instead of removing it in time, you nurture this seed day after day with unvirtuous acts. Surely in the near future, it shall bore unvirtuous fruits. The poisons of greed, hatred, ignorance, jealousy, arrogance and suspicion create the arising of affinity for the rebirth in the Animal Realm. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that a particular species of animal will go extinct anytime soon.

Do you remember one of my recent articles, titled Done By Your Own Poison, about a married woman who intentionally “poison” her own Father-in-Law? This woman, together with her husband, came to learn the Dharma from me for a period of 4 months. Without fail, I would remind them about the importance of upholding the precepts, such as the Five Precepts of Buddhism, and the Confucian values: filial piety, sibling harmony, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, sacrifice, integrity and sense of shame.

She ditches the door to heaven, but pushes herself to hell where is no door

During the week of her Father-in-law’s birthday, I took her call one afternoon and just to reinforce her understanding, I specifically told her to avoid using a certain ingredient, to cook the rice noodles for her Father-in-law. This caution was due to his state of health after recovering from a stroke and a recent bout of pus-filled sores on his skin. However, she cruelly went against my advice. Her wilful action has created a realm of Hell for her and planted the affinity seed for a rebirth in the Animal Realm.

I met her once after she committed the “crime” and it became apparent that an aura of negative karmic energy had enveloped her body. It manifested on her face in the form of an infected acne. If she does not seek repentance fast, the negative karmic energy shall penetrate her heart and there will be no escape from the Three Evil Paths! This is the tragic ending of a venomous person falling to her own poison.