轮回的远近因果

Third phase: future life

第三个阶段：来世。

Then comes birth of the next life. Here, birth means the same as afore-mentioned consciousness, the first instant of conception, only in different word.

然后是下一世的生。生是什么呢？生就是前面讲的识，也就是投胎的第一刹那，这两个是一样的，只是用词不同而已。

Next is old age/death, which includes the whole process from the arising of name and form to sensation.

接下来是老死，前面所讲的从名色到受之间的全过程都包含在老和死里。

These are the Twelve Nidanas. Craving, grasping and becoming of the present life are what “generate”；birth and old age/death of the future life are that“to be generated.” This is the second of the twofold cause and effect.

以上这些就叫做十二缘起支。其中现世的爱、取、有这三个缘起支叫做“能成”，而后世的生和老死叫做“所成”，这就是第二重因果。

The significance of distinguishing the twofold causality

五、区分两重因果的意义

There are proximate and distant causes as well as effects of samsara. The distant causes are ignorance and virtuous and evil karma (volitional actions) committed in the past life. The proximate causes are craving, grasping and becoming of the present life. The distant effects refer to birth and old age/death of the next life. The proximate effects refer to the five states of the present life from consciousness to sensation.

轮回的因有远因和近因；轮回的果也有远果和近果。远因是什么呢？远因是前世的无明和前世造的善恶业。近因是什么呢？近因是指现世的爱、取、有。远果是指后世的生和老死，而近果是指现世从识到受的五个缘起支。