The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom Vol. 8, By Nāgârjuna

The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom Vol. 8, By Nāgârjuna      

Question: “Sentient beings have numerous kinds of sufferings. Why would the Buddha not use his divine power to let all sentient beings attain liberation?”

Reply: “Everything can be rectified. Let’s resolve that from a coarser view. For instance, there are various fetters, which can be subsumed under the three poisons.”

Question: “By saying that ‘A blind person can regain his vision,’ is sufficient. Why deliberately say that a person is “born blind” instead?'"

Reply: “People who were ‘born blind’ was due to grievous karma committed in their previous lives. Even a serious offender can regain his vision. Let alone minor offenders."

Question: “What kind of grievous karma from previous lives will cause one to be a ‘born blind’ person?”

Reply: “Should one damage or gouge sentient beings’ eyes, or destroy the eyes of correct views, and say that there is no crime nor virtue. In these cases, such a person will descend into hell when he dies, and after serving the terms there, he will be ‘born blind’ at birth.”

Furthermore, should one steal the bright pearls and various lights and lamps from the Buddha’s stupa; steal the jewel and lights from the arhats’ and pratyekabuddhas’ stupa; or steal the lights from other virtuous persons, these unwholesome deeds from his previous lives are the karmic causes and conditions that will result in his blindness.

However, when one becomes blind in this life due to illness or fighting, these illnesses or fighting are the causes and conditions of the current life that cause him blindness.

Furthermore, there are these ninety-six kinds of eye sicknesses that even the Janaka King of medicine cannot cure. Only the Buddha can replenish the vision of these patients and let them see again. In such a manner, the Buddha will aid the patients to regain their vision before obtaining the wisdom-eye. Similarly, the deaf will regain their hearing in the same way.”

《大智度論》卷8：

 「問曰：眾生苦患有百千種，若佛神力，何以不遍令得解脫？ 答曰：一切皆救，今但略說粗者；如種種結使，略說為三毒。問曰：但言「盲者得視」則足，何以故言「生盲」？答曰：生盲者，先世重罪故。重罪者，猶尚能令得視，何況輕者？問曰：云何先世重罪而令生盲？答曰：若破眾生眼，若出眾生眼，若破正見眼，言無罪福，是人死墮地獄，罪畢為人，從生而盲。若復盜佛塔中火珠及諸燈明，若阿羅漢、辟支佛塔珠及燈明，若餘福田中奪取光明。如是等種種先世業因緣故失明。今世若病、若打故失明，是今世因緣。復次，九十六種眼病，闍那迦藥王所不能治者，唯佛世尊能令得視。復次，先令得視，後令得智慧眼。聾者得聽，亦如是。」

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