(Buddha Spoken Infinite Life Sutra - 69)
The Buddha said to Maitreya,
"I shall explain further. Such are the afflictions of the five evils in this world. The five sufferings and the five burnings continue to arise from them. People commit nothing but evil and fail to cultivate roots of virtue, and so it is natural that they all go to
evil realms. Even in this life they suffer from incurable illnesses. Longing for
death, they cannot die; craving for life, they cannot live. Thus they are an example to others of what retribution for evil acts is like. After death, driven
by their karma, they fall into the three evil realms, where they suffer countless tortures and are themselves consigned to the flames. After a long time they are reborn again in this world, only to foment
hatred
against each other. At first hatred is slight but finally develops into a major
evil. All this is because of their greedy attachment to wealth and sensuous pleasures and of their refusal to share with others. Further, wayward thoughts arise from the desires born of stupidity. Their bondage to evil passions will never be severed. In the pursuit of selfish gain, there is no
chance for them to reflect on their evils and turn to good. When wealthy and prosperous, they are happy and do not learn to be modest and virtuous. Consequently, their pomp and power are short-lived; when these are exhausted, they must undergo further afflictions. Their sufferings are bound to increase in time to come. The law of karma operates like a net stretched everywhere; in its meshes,
it inevitably catches all offenders. The net woven of large and small ropes covers the whole world, from top to bottom, and those caught in it feel
utterly helpless and tremble in fear. This net has been in existence from of old. How painful and heart-rending!"
(佛說無量壽經 - 69)
佛告彌勒:「吾語汝等,是世五惡,勤苦若此。五痛五燒,展轉相生,但作眾惡,不修善本,皆悉自然入諸惡趣,或其今世先被殃病,求死不得,求生不得,罪惡所招,示眾見之。身死隨行,入三惡道,苦毒無量,自相燋然,至其久後,共作怨結,從小微起,遂成大惡。皆由貪著財色,不能施惠,癡欲所迫,隨心思想,煩惱結縛,無有解已。厚己諍利,無所省錄。富貴榮華,當時快意。不能忍辱,不務修善。威勢無幾,隨以磨滅。身坐勞苦,久後大劇。天道弛張,自然糾舉,綱維羅網,上下相應,煢煢忪忪,當入其中。古今有是,痛哉可傷!」
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