高僧大德为什么会生病？

One may question, “Many accomplished masters have attained extraordinary realization. Why do they still encounter obstacles or become ill?”

有人会质疑：那么，很多高僧大德已经成就了，为什么还有违缘？还有病痛呢？

There are two possibilities. One of them can be explained by way of the Twelve Nidanas. Accomplished practitioners may have eradicated all defilements in this life, but they were once ordinary beings in the past. Even Shakyamuni Buddha was an ordinary being before attaining Buddhahood, not to mention the lesser known practitioners. As an ordinary being, one cannot but commit karma and karma is infallible. Consequently, even accomplished masters must still go through suffering in this life due to some distant causes not yet resolved. Nonetheless, this will be the last time they have to experience suffering again in their cyclic existence since primordial time.

这有两个可能性。一个可能性可以从十二缘起中看出。虽然高僧大德们这一生修得非常好，已经断除了烦恼，但以前他们曾经是凡夫，不要说一般的高僧大德，连释迦牟尼佛未成佛前也做过凡夫，是凡夫就一定会造业，而因果是永远不会错乱、不会虚误的。所以，即使是高僧大德，只要他的远因还没有了结、没有还清，那么，这一世他也会感受很多痛苦。但是，感受这些痛苦是他从无始以来到现在，在整个生命循环当中的最后一次。

We all know the story of Nagarjuna. The prince of King Lexin went to him demanding his head. Nagarjuna said, “You cut it off yourself.” The prince, no matter how expertly he used his sword, could not cut the head off; it was almost like cutting through air. Nagarjuna then said, “I purified all the heterogeneous effects resulting from cutting others with weapons five hundred lifetimes ago, except the one of killing insects while cutting kusha grass. So, you may use kusha grass to cut off my head.” The prince then cut his head off with one kusha grass. This story tells us that even someone as accomplished as Nagarjuna cannot avoid any karmic effect when it ripens. Therefore, it is a possibility that some of these respectable practitioners still have residual karmic effects left to be resolved.

我们都知道龙树菩萨的故事。乐行国王的太子到他面前索取他的头，龙树菩萨说：“你自己砍断带走吧。”太子用宝剑砍他的颈部，无论怎么砍，都好像在虚空中挥舞般无法砍断。龙树菩萨就说：“我在五百世以前，就已完全清净了兵器砍割的异熟果报，但我曾经在割吉祥草时杀害小虫的异熟果报还未清净，所以用吉祥草可以砍断我的头。”太子割下一根吉祥草，用它砍断了龙树菩萨的头。也就是说，即使像龙树菩萨这么高境界的人，也还是会受因果报应的。所以，一个可能性是，这些高僧大德、成就者们也许还有最后的一些果报尚未了结。