Many truths like this are recorded throughout history, which is itself a portrayal of cause and effect. Today, these phenomena are evident when we observe the thoughts, words and deeds of people. We can foresee clearly the consequences of happiness or misery, good fortune or misfortune that they will face in the future. Those who had cultivated good fortune in their previous lifetimes, but do not continue to do so in their present lives and instead, indulge in wrongdoings, will gradually deplete their good fortune. This is what is meant by reduced .
Poverty means losing one s good fortune.
When the loss of good fortune reaches is overwhelming, it results in the destruction of a family and even the demise of a country. One often encounters adversity and misery precisely describes our lives today. We have cultivated some good fortune in previous lifetimes. Although we have committed bad deeds in this life, we have yet to receive retributions due to our remaining good fortune. We must have cultivated a great deal of good fortune in the past.