二地菩萨要更加坚固地上求佛道。二地菩萨要以佛道为上进，发菩提悲愿，度化众生，就是向上求佛道，下化众生，继续以十善业自利利他。希望你们把十善业好好地再看看，要学佛菩萨，首先要做到十善业，做人也必须要学十善业（身口意）。
The Second Ground Bodhisattva must steadfastly pursue Buddhahood. They should take the Buddha’s path as their guiding principle, bringing forth the compassionate vow to awaken and liberate all beings. Essentially, seek Buddhahood above while guiding and awakening living beings below, continuing to benefit both themselves and others through the ten wholesome kinds of actions. I urge you to revisit and earnestly study these ten wholesome kinds of actions. To follow in the footsteps of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, one must first master these ten wholesome kinds of actions (in body, speech and mind).
要用原本清净的光明心，继续用正直、柔软、纯善、不杂、调伏，就是要用非常光明的心地，调解和降伏你心中的业障。你们每个人心中都有业障，要把它降伏，自己来调解。比如，今天被罚款了，就要想：都是自己不好，已经被罚过好几次了，这乱停车的恶习就是不改，这次被警察抓住也是活该，以后一定要多当心，一定不能乱停车了——调解了吧。要降伏自己的瞋恨心，被罚款你们说恨不恨啊？心里舒服不舒服啊？调伏就是来调解你的心，让你的心不要有恨意，心里的压力要靠自己来调解。
Utilise your inherently pure and luminous mind, endowed with integrity, gentleness, pure kindness, and clarity, to resolve and subdue the karmic obstacles within your mind. Everyone has karmic obstacles, and it’s up to us to tame and reconcile them. For example, if you’re fined today, think: “It’s my own fault. I’ve been fined several times for illegal parking. It’s no surprise that the police caught me this time. From now on, I must be more careful and avoid illegal parking” – that’s reconciliation. Subdue the anger within; is there not resentment when you’re fined? Subduing your mind means reconciling your mind, relieving it of anger, managing the stress within yourself.
二地菩萨就是调伏、柔顺、正直，要寂静。寂静就是遇到什么事情都要安静下来，能安静下来你才有资格做菩萨，你什么事情都静不下来就做不了菩萨。还要广大，静下来之后，心要广大，要无边无际，要容纳四海，所以有句话叫“海纳百川”，就是大海能容纳任何河流里的水存入大海，就是肮脏的河流到了大海也会变成干净的了，所以说千条河流归大海。就拿你们这些在座的人来说，你们身上有没有毛病？如果师父把你们身上的毛病不加严责，是师父不对，严责之后，等于替你们洗干净，师父还是让你们海纳百川，这个海就是佛海。
The Second Ground Bodhisattva embodies subjugation, gentleness, integrity, and tranquility. Tranquility means being calm in every situation. Only by achieving tranquility can you qualify as a Bodhisattva. Without finding peace in all circumstances, one cannot be a Bodhisattva. Additionally, being magnanimous is essential. Once tranquility is achieved, your heart should become expansive and limitless, embracing everything like the ocean. This is encapsulated in the saying, “The ocean accepts all rivers.” In this way, even the most polluted river becomes purified upon merging with the ocean, as reflected in the adage, “All rivers flow into the sea.” Reflect on this, those who are present: do you recognise your faults? As your Master, if I refrain from sternly correcting your errors, I too am at fault. In sternly correcting you, I am effectively purifying you, enabling you to embody the ocean that welcomes all rivers – this ocean being the sea of the Buddha.
你们要深知十不善业（师父曾经讲过，十善业和十不善业），十不善业就是做的不好的业，十不善业也叫十恶业。十恶业能令众生堕落三途恶道。三途恶道：畜生、饿鬼、地狱。如果下去了就惨了，是很难上来的，受苦无穷，也被称为生死苦海的众生。我们要有可怜之心，要可怜他们，师父现在是不是在可怜他们，多少人在地府，多少人在地狱，师父教大家把自己过世的亲属都往天上超，往阿修罗道超，往人道中超，是不是在救众生呢？不但救人，连鬼都要救，他们都很可怜的，和你们闹，向你们乞讨，都是为了能上去，你们不要怕，没有什么可怕的，好好地救度他们，好好地帮助他们，其实人只要一离开肉身就叫鬼，只有你的灵体能够上去，人之上是阿修罗道，再上去了就叫天人，但是还是在六道里轮回。
You must be deeply aware of the ten unwholesome kinds of actions (I have spoken of the ten wholesome and unwholesome kinds of actions before). The ten unwholesome kinds of actions can lead sentient beings to fall into the three lower realms: animals, hungry ghosts, and Hell. Falling into these realms is tragic and hard to escape, entailing endless suffering. Those in the three lower realms are also known as the beings in the sea of suffering of Saṃsāra. We must have sympathy, feeling compassion for them. I am also showing compassion for them now, teaching you to elevate your deceased relatives to higher realms, to Heaven, to the Asura Realm, or back to the Human Realm. Is this not rescuing sentient beings? We must save not only humans but also ghosts, who are pitiable. They create disturbances and beg from you, all in hopes of ascending. Do not fear; there’s nothing to be afraid of. Save and assist them properly. In reality, as soon as a person leaves the physical body, they become a ghost. Only your spirit can ascend. Above the Human Realm is the Asura Realm, and above that, the Realm of Heavenly Beings, yet they are still within the cycle of the six realms of existence.
二地菩萨要发出利益心、安乐心、慈悲心、怜愍心、摄受心、守护心、教化心……这些都是二地菩萨需要做到的。要很严格地要求自己利益众生，做任何事情都要对大家好，这叫利益心。安乐心就是每一天要做很多的事情，而且每一件事情都要对大家好，要自己快乐，让他人快乐。慈悲心就是看见谁都要可怜。怜愍和慈悲是有区别的，怜愍是具体的指某一件事情，怜愍是指这个人很可怜，生怜愍之心，而慈悲心里面也包含怜愍心。摄受心就是把自己的心摄住来承受压力。摄就是集中，集中来接受，来承受。守护心就是要守护这个道，守护这个法门。今天你们跟师父学了这个法门，学了这个道，就要守护它。教化心就是教化众生，去教育帮助他们，去感化他们。心心念念都希望自己成为教育众生的力行者，我的心，我的念全部都是帮助人家，教育人家成为菩萨，这样你自己才能成为菩萨。就像一个师范学校，学校的老师希望把学校里的学生都能培养成为一个老师。
The Second Ground Bodhisattva must bring forth a mind of benefit, a mind of joy, a mind of compassion, a mind of sympathy, a mind of acceptance, a mind guardianship, and a mind of edification. These are the qualities that a Second Ground Bodhisattva must embody. Strictly demand of yourself to benefit sentient beings, do good for all in every action – this is the mind of benefit. A mind of joy entails making every action beneficial and joyful for both yourself and others. Compassion involves feeling empathy for everyone you encounter. Sympathy and compassion have distinct nuances; sympathy is about feeling pity for someone in a specific situation, cultivating a sympathetic heart. Yet, compassion is more encompassing, including within it the essence of sympathy. A mind of acceptance means concentrating your mind to endure pressure. The mind of guardianship is about protecting this path, this Dharma Door. Since you have learned this Dharma Door, this path, from me, you must guard it. A mind of edification means educating and transforming sentient beings. “With every thought and intention, I aspire to become a practitioner dedicated to educating sentient beings. My heart and thoughts are entirely focused on helping others, educating them to become Bodhisattvas.” In this way, you can become a Bodhisattva yourself. This is akin to a teacher in a teacher training school hoping to nurture every student into becoming a teacher.
教化众生从善自成，让众生诚心诚意地去做善事。恳切利益众生，恳切就是非常诚恳地，非常迫切地去帮助他们，去利益他们，救度他们。例如，师父有诚恳心帮助你们，你们是师父的徒弟，哪怕得罪了你们，师父也毫无怨言，因为师父对得起观世音菩萨，哪怕你们离开了我，不理我，我都要讲你们，不管谁有毛病，如果师父不讲就是师父不良，为师不真。永远要记住师父就算是找你们身上的毛病，也是为了让你们明白知道自己过去生中的恶习，然后帮助你们改过消除业障，否则你们来跟我学什么啊？要用自己最清净，非常清洁干净的心来增长、加强、巩固、扩大自己度化众生的大悲愿。你们一定要度化众生，必须去救度众生，不然就修不到菩萨界。
Educate sentient beings to engage genuinely in good deeds. Earnestly benefit sentient beings, meaning to help and benefit them sincerely and urgently. For instance, as your Master, I sincerely help you, my disciples. Even if I offend you, I have no regrets because I am accountable to Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Even if you leave me or ignore me, I will still correct you. Failing to point out your faults would mean I am not fulfilling my role as a true teacher. Always remember, even when I point out your faults, it is to help you recognise and change your past bad habits and eliminate karmic obstacles. Otherwise, what’s the point of learning Buddhism with me? Use the purest and cleanest mind to nurture, fortify, and broaden your great vow to transform sentient beings. You must guide and transform sentient beings, rescuing them, for without doing so, you cannot reach the realm of Bodhisattvas.
世界上最可悲的事情就是不懂得慈悲，不会慈悲众生的人是世界上最可怜的人。要明白烦恼来自于不合理的愿望。如果你的愿望不合理，接下来就是给自己惹来了烦恼，明明做不到的事情非要去做，你的烦恼就来了。明明这个人不喜欢你，你非要去追求，你这不是给自己增加烦恼吗？
The most pitiable thing in the world is a lack of understanding of compassion. Those who are unable to show compassion to sentient beings are, indeed, the most pitiable in the world. Recognise that troubles stem from unreasonable desires. Unreasonable desires inevitably lead to difficulties; persisting in the impossible only invites more trouble. And isn’t pursuing someone who has no affection for you merely adding to your own troubles?
所以世界上一切现象均是我们的牢狱。你看见的现象实际上就是束缚自己的牢狱，就是监牢。你看到的东西你去喜欢了，就被它束缚住了，对不起，你就等于进了监狱。比如，你看见人家抽烟，你也去尝尝，吸上瘾了，就很难戒掉了。又如你今天去赌场，赢了几百块钱，接下来你就进了它的牢狱，成了它的奴隶，进去了之后，逃都逃不掉。
Consequently, all phenomena in this world are our prisons. The phenomena you perceive are essentially the chains that bind you, your self-made prisons. When you become attached to something you see, you are essentially entering a prison of your own making. For example, if you start smoking after seeing others do it, you’ll find it hard to quit once you become addicted. Similarly, if you go to a casino and win a few hundred dollars, you enter its prison, becoming its slave; once in, it’s hard to escape.
已成人身，又作邪恶行，你本来已经是人了，又拼命地去做邪恶的事情，就好像一块很干净的珠宝浸泡在粪土里，拿出来就是臭不可闻。菩萨说“人身难得”，做一个人多不容易啊，你做了人之后，又去做坏事情，你就是世上最愚蠢的人。
Being born human and then engaging in evil acts is akin to a clean jewel immersed in filth, emerging as foul and unbearable. The Buddha says, “A human life is hard to attain.” Being human is not easy; after becoming human and then engaging in evil acts, you are the most foolish person in the world.
师父今天就讲到这里，下一次接着给你们讲二地菩萨的法力，也就是二地菩萨的功能（能量）。
I will conclude today’s teachings here. Next time, I will continue with the discussion of the Dharma powers and functions (energies) of the Second Ground Bodhisattva.