Sept. 6, 2026
Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (II)
淨土釋疑(二)
Answer to Q46: (2 /3)
What we call worldly“moral virtue” and (in Buddhism) “blessings and merit” are related as cause and effect. Blessings and merit are the result, while moral virtue is the cause. When one follows the Way of virtue, one often receives blessings as the result.
The practical expression of virtue is: showing kindness and consideration toward others, sacrificing oneself for the benefit of others, helping others succeed, refraining from wrongdoing, and so forth. This is what is truly substantial.
The ancients said: “Cultivate virtue and you will receive its reward; practice goodness and auspiciousness will follow. If you want good descendants, accumulate virtue rather than wealth.”
Recently, in the Humanistic Buddhism Daily, I saw Master Hsing Yun quote the saying: “The virtue of humanity is a priceless treasure, worth ten thousand times more than mountains and peaks.”
Therefore, what we leave to our descendants should certainly be virtue, not money. Leaving money is the most foolish approach; while leaving virtue is the approach of wisdom.
As for money, leave only enough for your children to establish their families and careers. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Do not become beasts of burden for them. Use the rest of your money to cultivate merit. Then you will benefit, they will benefit, and generation after generation will benefit.
So, if you own two houses, give one away. If you have a million dollars in assets, give eighty or ninety percent of it away. This is the most practical approach. What you cultivate in this way remains with you forever; it cannot be lost or stolen.
The ancients also said: “If you are unwilling to part with wealth, you cannot practice goodness; if you do not cherish righteousness, you do not know how to accumulate virtue.”
In addition, “Without accumulating virtue, one cannot give birth to wise and intelligent children.”
Wealth is something that cannot be brought with us at birth or taken with us at death. When passed down to descendants, it will almost invariably, eventually be squandered.
Therefore, a wise person should take advantage of the time when he has authority in his hands and money available to give, and broadly create merit by benefiting people and all living things. In this way, every bit of money can be transformed into superior blessings for the future.
The Buddha said: Worldly wealth is shared by five claimants. Water can wash it away; fire can burn it; thieves can steal it; government authorities can confiscate it; and unworthy children and grandchildren can squander it. Therefore, it is called “insecure wealth.”
Only when wealth is used to help the world and benefit others can it increase one's blessings and merit and provide protection and benefit for one's descendants, generation after generation.
(to be continued tomorrow)
續答第46問：(2 /3)
所謂「道德」、「福德」，福德是果，道德就是因，有了「道」往往就有「福」這個果 ，而道德的實際展現就是對人恩慈體貼，犧牲自己，成全別人，不為非作歹 ……等等，這個才是最實在的。
古人說：「修德獲報，作善降祥。要好兒孫，只 要積德，不要積財。」最近在《人間福報》看到星雲大師引用的一句話：「人間道 德無價寶，比山比嶽萬倍高」，所以，我們留給子孫一定要留德，不要留金錢， 留金錢是最愚癡的，留德才是有智慧的。
金錢，只要留一些讓兒女夠成家立業就好，兒孫自有兒孫福，莫為兒孫作馬牛，其他的金錢，就用來做功德，這樣你好他也好，子子孫孫都好，所以，如果有兩棟房屋，就把一棟佈施出去， 自己有百萬家產，百分之八、九十要把它佈施出去，這是最實際的，永遠都在 我們身上，不會遺失、不會被偷。
古人說：「不輕財，不能為善；不好義，不知積德」，又說「非積德，不能生聰慧 之兒。」財之為物，生不帶來，死不帶去；傳與子孫，無一不敗。故有智慧之人 ，當趁有權在手，有錢可施時，廣作利人利物功德，使個個金錢造成未來勝 福。
佛說：「世間之財，五家共有；水能漂沒之，火能燒燬之，盜賊能劫掠之，官 吏能沒收之，不肖兒孫能消散之，故稱不堅之財。」唯用以濟世利人，才能增 長福德，而庇蔭子子孫孫。
Namo Amituofo!
