This doctrine teaches that apart from a man's present life he also has countless previous existences in which he had countless other parents, brothers and sisters. By killing any living thing he may do harm to his kindred from an earlier existence, and this is why most Buddhists offer flowers and fruit at the temple and keep to a vegetarian diet. (Chen Kwe-fang / tr.
例如本省拜佛的人，相信人除了今世之外不斷的輪迴，還有千千萬萬的「過去世」；換句話說在過去世中，我們有過千千萬萬的父母、兄弟姐妹等親屬，如果隨便殺生，有可能殺害到前生的親屬，所以佛前大多供鮮花四果，並且戒殺吃素。