你的苦，不是别人给的

The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering

集谛

There are two origins. One is defilement like greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance and the like. The other is karma caused by the defilements, which includes both positive and negative karma. Why are they deemed the origin of suffering? It is because they are what keeps us in samsara. In other words, everything we experience in samsara originates from karma and defilements.

“集”有两种：一、烦恼。诸如贪嗔痴慢等；二、以贪嗔痴慢所造的业，无论是善业或恶业都是集谛。为什么叫集谛？因为它是让我们流转轮回的因素。“集”的意思等同于全部、所有、一切，也就是说我们在轮回中所看到的所有东西，都是由业及烦恼而产生的。

We must understand that the six realms of samsara are not invented or arranged by the Creator or any personified god. Nor are they some chance happenings, devoid of causes and conditions. They are in fact the manifestations of cause and effect. And the most important cause among all is clinging to the self. What does it mean by clinging to the self? For instance, when we have a headache, we say，“I have a headache.” A notion of the self is in that statement. Or, if a car suddenly drives by us when we are riding a bicycle, it would give us a start. Here, a sense of the self is also present in our minds. All that causes this sense of the self to arise is a kind of blind attachment. Attachment may be blind or senseless, but it has completely taken control over every one of us, including those we greatly admire.

我们要明白，六道轮回不是造物主或任何人格化的神所创造或安排的，也不是无因无缘的一种偶然，而是存在着因果关系的。其中最重要的因就是我执。我执是什么呢？比如：当我们头疼时，就会说：“我的头好痛啊！”这个意识中有个“我”字。又譬如在骑车时，如果突然有辆车从前面闪过，人们就会悚然一惊，这个念头里也有我。所有这些产生“我”的根源，是一种盲目的执着，虽然是盲目的，它却完全控制了世上所有的人，包括我们所敬佩的很多伟人们。

The effect of clinging to the self is to put one’s own interest above others’. Although sometimes one may appear to be altruistic, in reality self-interest still comes first. Clinging to the self engenders greed, hatred, delusion and other defilements. Greed impels us to steal; hatred drives us to kill. The resulting karma becomes a cause which produces an effect. All the phenomena in the world including those invisible to us in the micro-universe follow the law of causality. Thus killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and other unwholesome deeds will definitely bear the corresponding karmic fruits which manifest as the myriad suffering of samsara. The cause that results in suffering is the origin of suffering. At present, our most important task is to uproot the causes of suffering. And the way to achieve this goal is to practice the Dharma, to cultivate the right view and to gain realization of emptiness.

我执的作用就是让每个人都重我轻他，虽然有时表面上以他人为重，实质上还是利己为先。由我执而产生贪嗔痴等烦恼，贪心让我们去偷盗，嗔心让我们去杀人，如此而造的业就是因，此因也肯定会有果，因为世间万物，包括微观世界中我们看不见的事物，都有其特殊的因果循环规律。所以杀盗淫业一定是有果的，它们的果就是轮回中的种种痛苦。这些产生痛苦的因就是“集”。眼前我们最需要做的，就是断除产生痛苦的因，方法就是要修行、要有正知正见，并通过证悟空性而达到目的。