今天给大家讲“眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意”，“色、声、香、味、触、法”，即佛法中讲的“六根”和“六尘”。大家知道《心经》里有这些话。我们天天念经，我们只要在人间，我们的嘴巴就一定会受污染，如两舌、花言巧语、挑拨离间、说人家坏话等等。你的耳朵听人家的坏话，听不好的东西，你说会不会受污染？眼睛看那些不应该看的东西，是不是污染？脑子想那些不应该想的东西，是不是污染？鼻子闻那些不该闻的东西，也受到污染，香臭不分。很多人吃大蒜自己认为很香，闻到这个味道就很开心，这些人就是在人间的香臭不分。想想看吃过大蒜、洋葱的人， 一讲话嘴巴出来的味道臭不臭啊？用嘴巴念经不就是个气场吗？
Today, I will delve into the concepts of the “six sense bases” and “six sense objects”(“six dusts”) in Buddhism. The “six sense bases” refer to the “eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind”; the “six sense objects” refer to “forms, sounds, odours, tastes, tactile objects, and mental phenomena”. As many of you will recognise, these concepts are mentioned in the “Heart Sutra.” We recite sutras daily. However, living in the Human Realm, it’s inevitable that our speech sometimes falls short of purity – be it through divisive speech, flattery, sowing discord, or speaking ill of others.
Consider this: when your ears are subjected to harmful or unwholesome words, don’t they become tainted? When your eyes see things they should avoid, isn’t that a form of pollution? When your mind wanders into inappropriate thoughts, isn’t that also a form of pollution? Similarly, when your nose smells odours it should steer clear of, doesn’t it also become contaminated? Notably, the Human Realm often blurs the distinction between the fragrant and the foul. For instance, many people enjoy the smell of garlic, even deriving pleasure from it. Yet, isn’t it offensive when someone who has consumed garlic or onions speaks? The act of reciting sutras also involves the mouth, which suggests it has a direct relationship with cultivating one’s energy field.
在世间，人的脑子想的事情会受污染，眼睛也会受到污染，耳朵也会受污染，嘴巴也会受污染，意念会受污染，什么东西都会受污染，你能逃得过吗？如果台长现在要救度众生，怕受污染，能一个人躲在山上自修吗？台长是不是一定要到凡尘来，一定要到这个所谓的梦幻世界、花花世界来救度众生？在救人的时候，要帮助大家把这些所有的不好的意念全部改掉，如果没有帮助到大家改掉身心的污染，那台长就不是一个好的修行人。
Human minds, like our eyes, ears, mouth, and thoughts, are subject to pollution within the Human Realm. Indeed, everything is vulnerable to contamination. Can we truly escape it? Now, my goal is to guide sentient beings towards enlightenment. But if I fear this contamination and choose to retreat to the solitude of a mountain for personal cultivation, would that be right? Shouldn’t I, instead, venture into what is often referred to as the ‘mundane world’, or the ‘illusory and beguiling world’, to awaken and liberate sentient beings? While I help people on the path to awakening, my duty is helping people in eradicating all these unwholesome thoughts. If I fail to help people cleanse the pollution of body and mind, then I am not fulfilling my role as a genuine practitioner.
自身的佛性，要把它激发出来，然后你的六根才不会受到污染，因为你的佛性修出来了，然后你就会知道，我这个眼睛不该看的不看，耳朵不该听的不听，嘴巴不应该讲的不讲，脑子不该想的不想，也就是你知道什么是好，什么是坏，什么该看该做，什么不该看不该做了。如果这些都搞不清楚的话，不要说去救人家，你连自度都做不到，怎样才能度人呢？
Your Buddha-nature ought to be activated, thus ensuring your six sense bases remain uncontaminated, for you have nurtured your Buddha-nature. Consequently, you understand what the eyes should not see, the ears should not hear, the mouth should not say, and the mind should not conceive. This is to say, you can tell what is good from what is bad, what should be observed and acted upon, and what should be avoided. If you cannot even understand these things, not to mention liberate and awaken others, you can’t even attain liberation yourself. How, then, can you lead others to liberation?
如果躲在山上自修，你们知道这叫什么吗？师父叫它是自我解脱法门。什么叫自我解脱？就是不管人家，自己到山上去好好修自己，只要我自己可以解脱，人家的事情与我无关，这样可以吗？学佛人应该到这个现实的世界里去救度众生，而在庙里、在山上有什么众生可以给你度啊？这不就是修自我解脱吗？那就是小乘佛法的一种。
Do you know what it’s called when a person retreats to the mountains for self-cultivation? I refer to it as the Dharma Door of Self-Liberation. And what does self-liberation mean? It implies disregarding others, retreating to the mountains for personal cultivation, embodying the mindset, ‘As long as I can achieve liberation, the affairs of others have no bearing on me.’ But is such an approach acceptable? As a Buddhist practitioner, one should engage with the realities of the world to liberate sentient beings. Who can you assist in their awakening if you isolate yourself in temples or mountains? Isn’t this path of practice essentially the same as self-liberation? Indeed, this path of practice is adopted by a certain school of Theravada Buddhism.
如果你能到这个花花世界来接受这个考验，是因为你的境界提升了，如果境界不提升，只知道修好自己，不知道怎样去帮助人家，这个人是不是菩萨？是不是修的菩萨道？要记住学佛修心是一个境界的提升，如果这个人的境界没有达到一定的程度，他是修不好的，不要说修心了，连做人都做不好。如果没有一定的境界，你救度的众生，这个众生只能是你自己。你只能救你自己，而且救到一定的位置就上不去了，大家能明白吗？
If you have the capacity to enter this beguiling world and confront this test, it is a testament to your elevated spiritual state. Without such elevation, if you only focus on self-cultivation and have no idea about how to assist others, can you truly be deemed a Bodhisattva? Are you treading the Bodhisattva Path? Remember, practising Buddhism and cultivating the mind are about an elevation of spiritual state. Without reaching a certain level of spiritual state, one cannot cultivate appropriately, let alone cultivate their mind. They may even struggle to uphold proper human conduct. If you fail to reach a certain spiritual state, the only sentient being you can truly liberate is yourself. You may reach a certain point, but you won’t be able to progress to a higher level. Is everyone clear on this point?
所以在山上修行，表面上看，你的心灵没有受到污染，你的眼耳鼻舌身意“六根”没有受到污染，但是你的境界，如果没有达到一定的位置，你永远看到的是肤浅的东西。比如，一个人站在屋顶上修行，他的眼睛可以看到田野，如果前面有山，有高楼，他的眼睛怎么能越过呢？你在这个境界修得再好，也只能看到那些有限东西，等到你过世之后，也只能到这一层高度的天，可能是欲界天，是无法到更高层次的天。当你的境界跨越屋顶，站在山峰顶上修时，你不但看到了房顶，还看到了所有山的山顶。想想看你那个时候是什么境界？
Thus, while cultivating in the mountains may seem pure – on the surface, your soul is untainted, your six sense bases of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are unpolluted. However, if you have not reached a certain level of spiritual state, your perspective remains limited to the superficial. For example, a person cultivating on a rooftop may see the fields, but if mountains or tall buildings obstruct the view, their gaze will not penetrate beyond. No matter how diligently you cultivate at this level, your insight will be constrained. Upon death, you may ascend to a certain heavenly realm, perhaps the Realm of Desire, but no higher. On the contrary, when your spiritual level surpasses that of the rooftop, and you cultivate at the peak of a mountain, you will not only see the rooftops but also the peaks of all the mountains. Can you imagine the spiritual state you would be in at that moment?
师父举例是要让你们明白其中的道理。如果心中不受污染，会感受到人有一个良好的根基，每个人修心都有一个根基，今天你学佛，明天他学佛，都有赖于一个根基。比如这个根基就是你的身体，如果身体不好（根基浅），你能爬上高的山峰吗？只有身体好的人，也就是根基好的人，才能爬上山峰，才能越修越高。
I employ these analogies to illuminate underlying principles. If the mind remains unpolluted, one can sense a solid foundation inherent in humans. Every person has a foundation for cultivating their mind. Whether you embrace Buddhism today or someone else does tomorrow, it all depends on this foundational basis. The foundation can be likened to your physical health. If your body is in poor condition (in other words, if your foundation is weak), could you climb high mountains? It is only those in good health, those with a robust foundation, who can ascend to the summit and elevate themselves further through cultivation.
师父告诉你们，在人间的修行是修菩萨法门。在山上的修行叫解脱法门。因为在山上是求自己解脱出来，我不要烦恼，我不要怎么样怎么样的。然而在人间修，那就不一样了，在人间修，首先要自修，把自己修得好，然后才能救度人家。在人间修，你不但要修自己，还要救度众生，这就是菩萨，菩萨的法门就是救度众生。
That’s why I want to tell you this. Those who isolate themselves in the mountains are practising the Dharma Door of Self-Liberation. Such individuals typically retreat to the mountains in search of self-liberation, driven by thoughts such as ‘I want to be free from troubles,’ or ‘I don’t want to be this way or that way.” On the other hands, cultivating within the mundane world carries different requirements. It requires the practitioner to cultivate themselves first, after which they can help others towards awakening. In the mundane world, you not only cultivate yourself but also seek to liberate other sentient beings. This is the essence of the Bodhisattva’s Path – awakening and liberating other sentient beings.
如果在人间修一定要记住，是有考验的，菩萨会给你一个考验。考验你，是不让你的六根接触六尘有污染，如果污染了，你就达不到菩萨的境界。一个人要通过考验才能救度众生，如果连人生各种困苦考验都不能通过，你怎么能救度众生呢？比如，这个人去劝说人家吃素，自己嘴巴里却吃着荤腥，这怎样去劝说人家吃素呢？这就叫境界，这就叫考验。如果你劝说人家修心，首先自己嘴巴不能胡说八道，你才有资格劝人家，常言道“榜样的力量是无穷的”，你才有资格救度众生。如果你连救度众生的资格都没有，你怎样用菩萨的身去救人呢？
It is essential to note that choosing to practise in the mundane world entails tests. These tests, given by the Bodhisattva, aim to protect your six sense bases from being polluted by their contact with the corresponding objects. Failure to maintain this purity hinders your progress towards the spiritual state of a Bodhisattva. To awaken and liberate others, one must pass these tests. If you are unable to weather life’s trials and tribulations, how can you help others? For instance, if you consume meat while advising others to adopt vegetarianism, how can you convince them? This is what spiritual state implies and why they are called tests. If you advise others to cultivate their mind, you must first ensure that your own speech is not frivolous or meaningless. Only then will you be qualified to guide others. As the saying goes, “The power of setting an example is infinite.” Only when you meet these standards can you truly liberate other sentient beings. If you are unqualified to awaken and liberate others, how can you awaken others as a Bodhisattva?
你们知道很多真正功力大的老和尚，他可以到繁华的地方去修心，越吵闹的地方他照样可以打坐修心，他不会受外尘的影响，这就叫高僧，高的境界，高的修为，高功力。功力有赖于你的功德，功德越大的人，功力就越大，没有功德的人，就没有功力。师父曾经给你们讲过功德是怎么来的，是从内心，是从心灵来的，当你的心已经经过了调整，你的心已经经过了洗涤，你才会有这个耐力，才能坚持你的修心修佛之路，才不会活着像动物一样无知。一个人的修养，功德到了一定程度，什么事情都能耐得住，什么事情都能克制住，什么事情都能想得开，这就是境界的提升。
You would know that many truly skilled and practised monks are capable of cultivating their minds even amidst chaos. Even in the height of tumult, they can meditate and cultivate their minds, remaining undisturbed by external distractions. They are regarded as eminent monks; they embody a high spiritual state, a superior level of cultivation and skill. Your skills and capabilities correlate directly with your merit and virtue; the more you accumulate, the greater your capabilities. Those devoid of merit and virtue lack such skills and capabilities. As I’ve previously explained, merit and virtue originate from within – from the soul. When your heart has been refined and purified, only then will you possess the resilience to persist on your path of mental cultivation and Buddhist practice. Only then will you rise above a life steeped in ignorance, much like an animal’s existence. When one’s cultivation, merit, and virtue reach a certain level, they can endure anything, exercise restraint in any situation, and approach all matters with an open mind. This signals the elevation of their spiritual state.
孔老夫子曾经说过一句话：“克己复礼。”很多人都以为克己复礼是恢复周公之礼，这是错误的理解。当时批判“克己复礼”是断章取义，说这个“礼”是恢复周公之礼，其实孔夫子讲的是恢复人的本性，这个“礼”是指由心而出来的，并不是一种礼节，而是你的心态，是要大家克服自己的毛病，来恢复你的本性。
Confucius once said, “Restrain yourself and return to the rites.” Many interpret this as a return to the rituals of the Duke of Zhou, an influential figure from the Zhou dynasty. However, this interpretation is a misconception. Critics have taken “restrain yourself and return to the rites” out of context, insisting that this “rite” pertains to restoring the rituals of the Duke of Zhou. In reality, Confucius was referring to the restoration of human nature. This “rite” is not merely a formal ritual but emanates from the heart as a mindset, urging everyone to overcome their flaws and revert to their inherent nature.
告诉你们，这些圣人，都是菩萨转世的，只是叫法不同罢了。当年这些圣人到人间来救人，多辛苦，到处周游列国，到每一个国家去游说，和菩萨到处去救度众生不是一样的吗？那些大法师全世界地跑，师父现在是不是也在全世界地跑啊？我只不过跑起来不累，是利用现代先进的 广播、电脑网络在全世界地“跑”，你们说是不是一样的？记住古圣人都是菩萨下凡来救度众生的，所以我们要学习他们的精神。一个人要学会克制，如果一个人不懂得克制，怎么样恢复他的本性呢？从佛法上来讲这个“克” 就是一个“戒”，只有持戒才能学佛法。如果这个世界大家不按照伦理伦常来做，你们想想看，这个世界将成为一个什么样的世界？现在恢复礼仪，恢复孔孟之道，就是恢复人的本性，但是离佛法还很远。
You should note that these ancient sages are incarnations of Bodhisattvas; they are merely identified by different names. When these sages descended to the Human Realm to liberate humanity, they endured great hardship. They traversed numerous countries, influencing people wherever they journeyed, echoing the actions of Bodhisattvas who strive to liberate and awaken sentient beings everywhere. Renowned Dharma masters traverse the globe to spread the teachings of Buddha-dharma; am I not doing the same? The only difference is my method of ‘travel’. I use modern advanced technologies such as radio broadcasting and the Internet to ‘travel’ around the world. Wouldn’t you say it’s the same?
Remember, the ancient sages were Bodhisattvas who descended to the Human Realm to awaken and liberate sentient beings, so we should endeavour to emulate their spirit. A person must learn self-restraint. Without an understanding of self-restraint, how can one return to their inherent nature? From the Buddhist perspective, this “restraint” represents a “precept”. Observing the precepts is integral to learning the Buddha-dharma. If everyone in this world neglects to act according to ethical norms and standards, what would our world become? Reinstating rites and etiquette, and returning to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, signifies a restoration of human nature. However, even so, it still falls significantly short of Buddhist standards.