No Creator 無能作所作

無能作所作，
唯從業想生，
云何知如是？
異此無有故。
There is no creator, and there are no creations.
It is only from karma and thoughts that things are produced.
How can we know it is that way?
Because other than that there isn’t anything at all.

「無能作所作」：其他的宗教都說天地間的一切萬事萬物，默默中有一個主宰，這是「能作」，一切萬事萬物是他的「所作」。可是往真實來講，並沒有一個人能主宰一切的萬事萬物，所以說沒有一個能作者，也沒有一個所作的事。「惟從業想生」：這一切的一切都是起惑、造業、受報的現象。業又是從什麼地方生出來的？就是你的妄想造出來的。在最初是個不覺，不覺就是個無明。因為這個無明就生了迷惑，你若沒有無明就沒有迷惑。有了迷惑就生出妄想，有了妄想就造出種種的業。做善業就有善業的果報，做惡業就有惡業的果報，做不善不惡的業就有不善不惡的果報。所以一切眾生所遭遇的，無非是自己所造的業報，根本沒有人支配我們，都是自己造成的。眾生都是隨業受生，生生死死，死死生生，在輪迴裏頭出不去。
Most religions say that there is a ruler who rules over all the myriad things between heaven and earth. He is the creator and that the myriad matters and things are his creation. But, in actuality, there is no one controlling all the myriad things. Therefore, the Avatamsaka Sutra says, “There is no creator, and there are no creations.” How does it all come about then? “It is only from karma and thoughts that things are produced.” Everything exists because one becomes confused, creates karma, and undergoes retribution. Where does karma arise from? It is created from extraneous thoughts, also known as “false thoughts.” In the very beginning, the lack of enlightenment is ignorance. Because of ignorance, confusion arises. If there was no ignorance, there would be no confusion. When one is confused, one produces false thoughts. Having false thoughts, one creates all kinds of karma. When creating karma, if you plant good causes, you reap positive results; if you plant bad causes, you reap negative results. If you plant causes which are neither good nor bad, you reap a retribution which is neither good nor bad. So of all things that happen to people, there are none which are not of their own creation. No one tells them to create these things. No one controls them. They create them all on their own. Therefore, the reason you cannot get off the turning wheel of birth and death is that you are pulled along by the karma you create. According to your karma, you receive your retribution. Birth after birth, death after death, and so forth, on and on again.

「云何知如是」：怎麼知道是這樣子呢？
「異此無有故」：因為若離開這種道理，就沒有其他的道理可講了。
“How can we know it is that way? Because other than that there isn’t anything at all.” If you depart from this doctrine, there isn’t another doctrine which can explain things the way they are.

一般的宗教說我們是受一個神的支配，那麼我們造善、造惡也都與自己沒有關係，因為我們的一切都受別人的支配嘛。但是到受果報的時候，還是要自己去受，這是不合理的。就好像有一個人主使另外一個人去殺人，殺人的這個人雖然是犯了罪，但這個主使的人也應該有一半的責任。如果說是神支配我們，我們的一切都由神來作主，那我們所造的罪業神也應該分一半才對。如果不是這樣子，祂叫我們作一切事情，結果有罪的是我們的，有功的是他的，這就太不合乎道理了。
For instance, if it were as other religions explain it, that a god controls us, but if a god is in control, then it has nothing to do with us at all. If in every of our situations is controlled by someone, then whether we do good or bad has no reflection or effect on us. Yet when the time comes to undergo retributions, we ourselves are who must undergo them. That does not make sense. That is why it is explained as being our own karma. For instance, if there is a person who goes and tells another person to commit a murder, although the murderer commits an offense, half the offense lies with the one who told him to do it. If we say that God controls us, that in all matters it is God who determines our actions, then half of the karmic offenses we create should be belong to God. If it is not like that, and instead, of the things he tells us to do, those with merit belong to him and those with offenses are ours, that would be unreasonable.

若是自己造的就與他人無關；做善事，自己就得到好的果報；做惡事，自己就得到惡的果報，這是很合理的。所以我們的一舉一動，並不受任何神的支配。如果我們真是受神支配的話，祂就應該只叫我們做種種的善，不做種種的惡，因為神是不願意人做惡的，要這樣才符合邏輯。
What one creates has nothing to do with anyone else. If you yourself do good deeds, then you will receive a reward. If you do bad things, then you will undergo retribution. That is reasonable. And so every move we make is certainly not controlled by any god. If we really were being controlled by God, then he should not let do all kinds of evil things. We should do all kinds of good things in order for it to be right, because God does not want people to do evil. If he doesn’t have the ability to govern right and wrong, and yet the offenses we create are ours, and the merit we accrue reverts to him—that would be totally illogical.

我們人作人沒有一個人來支配我們，也沒有一個神來支配我們，都是我們自己的業和妄想來支配我們。這又有什麼證明呢？你看！若有人支配我們，我們每天都應該有一定的。可是我們願意往那邊走，隨自己的意思。
And so we as people don’t have any other person controlling us, nor is there any god controlling us. It is our karma and false thinking which controls us. What proof is there of this? Take a look. If there were someone controlling us, then what we do every day should be predetermined, but on the contrary whatever we want to do we do as we please.

我們人若有一個神來支配，那麼一切眾生也都應該有一個神來支配他。神支配他，就應該叫他去做善事，不應該讓他去做惡事。那麼神為什麼造出一隻老鼠，又要造出一隻貓來？貓為什麼要去吃老鼠？老鼠又為什麼盡各處偷東西吃？足見這都是牠們自己的業所得到的果報，是自己造的。If people had a god controlling them, then all living beings should have a god controlling them. And in controlling them, he should teach them to do good things; he should not teach them to do bad things. So why does God make a cat? Why does he make a mouse? Why does the cat like to eat mice? Why do mice like stealing things? From this, it can be seen that the retributions they undergo are in accord with their karma.

你看那魚在水裏頭，牠願意向哪一個地方去游，就游到什麼地方去，很自由的。可是魚在水裏頭不知道有水，以為世界就是這樣子的。人在風裏頭生活也不知道有風。你說風是什麼顏色啊？看不見，也就和魚在水裏頭是一樣，都是自己造的業所得的果報，並沒有一個神來支配你，也沒有一個佛來管著你。佛也不管這個閒事，菩薩也不管，神就更管不了。
Take fish for example. They can swim wherever they want in the water. They are very independent. But fish in the water are not aware of the water. They consider it their world. People are not aware of air. People live in the air, but they don’t even see it. To them, it is invisible. It is the same for fish in water. This all because whatever karma you create causes you to undergo that retribution. It certainly is not the case that there is a god controlling you. Nor is there a Buddha telling you what to do. Buddhas don’t pay attention to such small matters. Bodhisattvas also don’t pay attention. How much the less would a god be able to watch over you?♣