Disbelief in Moral Foundations in Past Lives

Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe

4 July 2026

Amitabha Buddha's discourse:
The Infinite Life Sutra (The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra) clearly states in its text:
"Poverty, loneliness, deafness, blindness, muteness, stupidity, wickedness, and madness are all due to a lack of belief in moral foundations and a refusal to perform Goodness in past lives."
Therefore, it is known that if one did not believe in moral foundations in past lives, one could not follow them, and one's actions were the exact opposite of moral foundations, lacking virtuous conduct;
If one refused to perform Goodness in past lives, distancing oneself from virtuous acts or failing to perform them, one often walked the path of evil.
Planting such causes results in the retribution of living in poverty and begging in this life, being lonely without companionship, being unable to hear, unable to see, unable to speak, being foolish and wicked, being mad and out of control, and being irritable and prone to anger.

Thus, we know that believing in moral foundations and practising Generosity (Giving) is also to abide by Universal Principles, Truth, and the Right Path.
This matter is the same in ancient and modern times; do not be careless or act wilfully, causing this body and the Six Roots to suffer, or becoming controlled by karmic creditors and losing one's autonomy.
Now that you know these laws of karma and cause and effect, take it as a warning; do not act in such a way and suffer the consequences.

May the fourfold assembly (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen) be able to understand and know this.
According to what is said in the sutra, do what should be done; as for what should not be done, take it as a warning.
If you can do this, it is not only to avoid creating negative causes in this life, but also to ensure that the spirit at the end of this life and the body in future lives do not suffer retribution.

The laws of karma and cause and effect spoken of in this great sutra concern where the spirit goes after the body dies in this life.
In such a situation, it is known that this spirit often goes directly into the hells to suffer extreme punishment, enduring suffering for hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions or billions of years before being able to escape the hells, or even entering the Avici Hell to suffer without end.
If one manages to leave the hells, one may fall into the animal realm to suffer, and if one obtains a human body again, there will be defects in the Six Roots.

The fourfold assembly (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen) should be vigilant; a short life, if spent creating evil that leads to suffering and retribution in future lives, is truly not worth it.
Therefore, one should follow the words of the sutra with faith and practise them; only then is one a wise person.

A practitioner should observe the precepts; it is the same principle.
Those who do not observe the precepts create negative causes and will suffer the retribution of evil consequences.
If one does not observe the precepts in this life, when will the retribution come?
If one does not enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss at the end of this life, the spirit will suffer the retribution.
Creating evil and suffering retribution is suffering, with no time for joy, and when one's practice in this life has no achievement, one must be cautious!
Namo Amituofo