說小賭怡情，是否可以賭博？It is said that a small amount of gambling is entertaining; so can we gamble? 

問：末學正在編輯一本佛教戒賭的書，希望收錄一些法師對賭博問題的開示，免費提供需要的眾生。I am editing a book about quitting gambling in Buddhism, and hoping  that collecting some materials for this book will elucidate the gambling problem, so as to provide references for the reader. 

請問老法師如何看待賭博，Master Chin Kung, how do you regard “gambling”? 

說小賭怡情，是否可以去賭？It is said that a small amount of gambling is entertaining; 

如何幫人戒賭？怎樣幫助人戒貪？so can we gamble? How can we help people who need to stop gambling? How can we help people abstain from greed? 

答：這個問題，《感應篇彙編》裡面很多，《安士全書》裡面也有很多的例子，你可以參考； 

To answer your question, there are many examples in “The Treatise on Response and Retribution” and the book titled “An Shi Quan Shu,” which includes Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism examples; so you can refer to the aforementioned books.  

然後你再留意現前，現前社會上好賭的人他們的果報，這是現在人大家都看到的。 

In addition you should also pay attention to the cases now. People who have the habit of gambling must accept the retributions, which everybody can see. 

如果真的能把這些果報看清楚，我相信他就不敢再去賭博。 

In my opinion, if people look at these retributions clearly, they would not dare to gamble. 

賭博的人真是十之八九家破人亡，非常淒慘。 

Nine times out of ten, people who have the habit of gambling suffer the consequence of their family life being destroyed. They are very miserable. 

理上講，一定要懂因果，賭博目的是什麼？目的是想贏錢，僥倖的發財，沒有這個道理。 

Theoretically, you must understand cause and effect. What is the purpose of gambling? The purpose is to win money and get rich with mere luck. It is not reasonable. 

如果真正了解因果，像《了凡四訓》裡面所說的，這是大家常常看到的，世間任何一個人一生的富貴窮通都有命。Karma, also known as cause and effect, absolutely match the description in “The Four Trainings of Liaofan .”  Wealthy or poor, having prosperity or adversity; these are attributes of their destiny.  

命裡有的丟都丟不掉，命裡沒有的用什麼方法都求不來.  Something that is predestined due to your past karma, you cannot avoid; and if something is not destined, you may do anything to obtain it, but you will not succeed, or you will temporarily gain it but then lose it.  

賭博能贏，還是命裡有的，不是僥倖的。 

If you do win in gambling, then it was your destiny to have that money; it is not a fluke. 

我命裡有，我何必用賭博手段取得？什麼方式你都能賺錢。  

However, if you have something written in your destiny there is no need to gamble. You can make money with whatever method.  

賭博這個念頭很不好，這個念頭是什麼？真正是百分之百的損人利己， 

Even the thought of making money through gambling is not good. Why is this? Gambling harms others who lose, and benefits only you.  

你說這個念頭好嗎？這個念頭造極重的罪業。 

Do you think these thoughts are ethical?  Severe negative karma is created by these thoughts. 

縱然是贏到了錢，沒有幾個有好下場的。 

Although people may win money in this way, most of them do not reap good consequences. 

這個錢是不正當取得的，是你命裡有的，但是手段不正當，還要負果報的責任， 

When winning at gambling, the money you were destined to have has been attained in an unethical manner, and you would have to accept the negative retribution. 

那又何必 

Why bother gambling? 

所以關於這些事情，戒賭、戒貪、戒色，都要從因果去著手。 

Therefore, with regard to quitting gambling, greediness, sexual misconduct, you have to emphasize the karma of cause and effect or consequences of these. 

理論佛法講得很多、很透徹，但是一般人不太容易接受，果報在現前，比較容易感受得到。  

Principles elucidated in Buddha’s teachings are quite clear, but ordinarily people cannot easily accept these teachings until they see these effects in themselves and others in their present life. 

學佛答問（答香港參學同修之九十六）　　（共一集）　　2008/5/9　　華嚴講堂　　檔名：21-452-0001 

Questions and Answers on Buddhism:  Answers to Hong Kong Fellow Practitioners No. 96. 05/09/2008　Huayan Lecture