佛陀生病只是一种示现

Another possibility can be inferred from the following example. Having attained Buddhahood, Shakyamuni Buddha was forever free from the influence of causality. However, he manifested illness to show sentient beings the infallibility of karma. For instance, the evil king of Sravasti attacked the hometown of the Buddha and killed seventy-seven thousand of the Shakya clan. The streets were all blood red because the king had ordered that only when all the streets were covered with blood could the killing stop. Finally, to satisfy the king, his people had to mix red dye with water and poured on the streets to make it look like blood was running everywhere. At that point, the Buddha started getting a headache. The reason is that in his past life, the Buddha and the slaughtered clansmen had done something bad together. The Buddha himself also said, “Because of that negative karma, I have to endure a headache even though I have attained supreme enlightenment. If it were not for the perfect merit I have thus gathered, I too would have been killed today.” The fact is that the negative effect could never have happened to the Buddha. He manifested a headache only to help beings believe the truth of causality.

另一个可能性，可以从下面的例子中看出。释迦牟尼佛成佛以后，本来不可能再受任何因果报应，但是，佛陀为了让世人明白因果不虚之理，仍然会示现生病。例如，舍卫城的恶生国王向释迦牟尼佛的故乡进攻，杀死了七万七千释迦族人，当时，整个城市的街道遍布“鲜血”。因为恶生国王下令，只有当城市的街道上鲜血横流的时候，才能停止杀戮。最后没办法，他的手下只好把很多红色染料倒在水中，把水煮成赤色，并倾倒在道路上，看上去就像血流成河一样，恶生国王这才满意。就在那个时候，释迦牟尼佛的头也开始痛起来，这是为什么呢？因为，释尊前生和那些族人共同造过恶业，佛也说：“因彼恶业，虽然我已证得无上菩提，却仍要感受头痛苦报。如果我没有获得如此圆满的功德，那么今天也会被恶生王杀死。”这当然是不可能的，佛是为了让人们相信因果的存在才示现头痛的。

Moreover，according to the Vinaya Pitaka, in ancient India over two thousand years ago, with winter being so cold as to split open bamboos by its bitter cold winds, many bhikshus got sick due to the lack of shoes and caps to keep warm. The Buddha also got sick and had to take medicine. One time, he had a backache and asked Bhikshu Kasyapa to chant some sutras to ease the pain. But the truth is that the Buddha would never have sustained any real pain. These incidents were all just manifestations.

另外，据《律经》记载，在两千多年前的古印度，冬天气候很寒冷，刮风时连竹子都会裂开。当时，很多比丘都因没有鞋、帽御寒而生病，佛也因此而生过病，生病时也会吃药。有一次佛背疼，就请迦叶比丘念经，这种情况也是有的。但这些都是不可能的，只是一种示现而已。

Because of these questions, the Buddha divided the Twelve Nidanas into the twofold cause and effect. On the subject of cause and effect, many Buddhists are either confused or simply do not understand, let alone non-Buddhists. Although not knowing what causality is, many of them still dare to refute and criticize the existence of cause and effect. It makes one wonder what they could possibly refute and criticize something that they do not have any inkling about. Nonetheless, when the karmic force is in play, people will have this inexplicable impetus and nerve to act. Under certain circumstances, demons and demonic hindrances can also bestow fearlessness on people.

因为有这些疑问存在，佛就把十二缘起支分开，成为两重因果。在因果问题上连很多学佛的人都是很迷糊的，根本不了解，那教外人士就更不用说了。虽然根本不懂因果是什么，但是很多人胆子却很大，还是敢于驳斥、批判。如果连因果是什么都不了解，那他驳斥什么、批判什么呢？但是，在众生业力现前的时候，他会有一股莫名的动力和勇气。在某些情况下，魔鬼、魔障也会赐给他们勇气。

With the twofold cause and effect，the workings of karma and samsara are thus revealed: that which “generates” is primarily craving. When craving ends, so does rebirth.

在两重因果分开以后，因果、轮回的道理就显露出来：“能成”主要是欲望，欲望断除之后，就不再有下一世。