佛說三是世因果經 (THE BUDDHA SPEAKS OF THE KARMA SUTRA)

而時，阿難陀尊者，在霛山會上，一千二百五十人俱。
阿難合掌頂禮，遶佛三匝，胡跪聞訊。請問本師釋迦牟尼佛：
南閻浮提，一切衆生。
未法時至，多生不善。
不尊三寳，不敬父母。
無有三綱，無論雜亂。
貧窮下賤，六根不足。
終日殺生害命，富貴貧窮，亦不平等。
任何果報？望 時尊慈悲，願為子弟以譯介說！
佛告阿難，與諸大弟子言，汝等諦聰。
山哉！山哉！
吾當為汝等分明說之。
世故世間一切男女，貧賤富貴，受苦無窮，享福不盡，
皆是前生因果之報。
任何所作故？先須孝敬父母，次要敬信三寳，
三要戒殺放生，四要吃齋佈施，能种后世福田。
佛說因果偈云：
富貴皆由命，
前世各修因，
有人受持者，
世世福祿深。

One upon a gathering at Lin-Shan Assembly, where 1m250 followers attended, Ananda, one of the chief disciples, after circling thrice with folded hands around Sakyamuni Buddha, boeing in repect, humbly asked: "In the present dark age, where the majority of our people are indulgent in unrighteousness, disrespectful to Buddha's teaching, unfilial to their parents, immoral, miserable and sordid, among them some are deaf, some blind, some mute, some idiotic, some handicapped in other aspects, and most people inured to killing........how could we understant the cryptic and fundamental principle or cases that have brought about his reality and what consequences each individual is to suffer eventually for his deeds. My Lord, would you kindly explain these to us?"

Sakyamuni Buddha told Ananda and the rest of the disciples to listen carefully: I will now expound the law of Karma. Because of Karma effects inherited from previous lives, some people are poor, some rich, some happy and some miserable. There are four rules inseparable in obtaining happiness and prosperity for your next life.

They are: to be filial to parents; to be respectful to Buddhas, to Buddha's teaching, and to buddhist monks; to abstain from killing and to set free sentient beings; and to abstain from eating meat and be charitable.

Then the Buddha proceeded on the Karma Sutra:"Destiny is the aggregate Karmic sffscts from past life. Past Karma determined your present destiny. Present Karmas are to mould your next life, Learn the law of Karma expounded as follows. For Karma are consequential and my words truthful."

Having spoken the sutra ti Ananda and other followers, the Suddha added:"There are innumberable examples of the Karmic law. But I have only mentioned them generally."

Then Ananda said:"Until the end of the present dark age most human beings would have, through successive lives,accumulated countless misdeeds because of their ignorance of the karmic conse-quences. But thanks to our Lord and the sutra he has so kindly given us, whoever writes and reads, prints and distributes this autra, upon venerating the Buddha, will be blessed with eternal happiness and be able to see Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and all other Buddhas in the heavenly realm."