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武帝又問。人不修捨作福。祖宗香火神為何生煩惱。
答曰。人家祖宗。或有生前未修善作福。死後久滯幽冥受苦。專望陽世子孫為善積福。有善因相助。亦得沾恩減罪。所以子孫。不為善事者。他無所靠。故生煩惱。人家香火神。正是門丞戶尉。井灶神君。土地神等。掌管人家住宅。亦復愛人行善。亦可同沾善力也。
【白話】梁武帝繼續追問：”如果子孫不修善積德，為何祖宗的香火神靈會感到煩惱呢？”
Emperor Wu asked, “Why would one’s ancestral and incense spirits give rise to afflictions if one does not practice giving and cultivating blessings?”
志公和尚解釋道：”有些人家祖先生前未能行善積福，死後長期滯留陰間受苦。他們只能指望陽間的子孫行善積德，藉助這些善業功德來減輕罪孽、獲得恩澤。如果子孫不行善事，祖先就失去了依靠，自然會感到煩惱。”
“至於家宅的香火神靈，包括門神、戶尉、灶神、井神、土地公等，他們都是掌管住宅安寧的神明。這些神靈同樣喜愛人行善舉，也能分享善行的福報。所以當人們不作善事時，這些護宅神靈也會感到憂慮不安。”
The Master said, “The ancestral spirits, especially, wish that their descendants practice good deeds and accumulate blessings because these ghosts and spirits failed to do so when they were alive and have endured suffering in the underworld for a long time. When their descendants plant good causes, these ancestral spirits will be able to lessen their karmic offenses by being associated with their descendants. If their descendants were up to no good, they would have no one to rely on to relieve their suffering, thus giving rise to afflictions. Similarly, the various deities who partake in the offerings of incense and food, such as kitchen gods, sentry spirits, well spirits, local earth spirits, local household spirits, and so on, all prefer that people do meritorious deeds, so that they can derive the benefits.”