灵魂进入了人的躯壳之后所有的感知叫初发心，即刚刚开始的心叫初发心。佛性就开始运转了，开始运转之后就是始。始觉开始有境外觉、内觉和直觉的递定。境外觉就是你对外面的感觉；内觉就是你灵魂的感觉；直觉就是你自己灵魂和肉体直接能感受到的称之为觉。别人给你讲话，一个动作能让你有一个直接的感觉，这个就叫直觉。相应到宇宙的本初，就是说当你的境外觉和内觉，再加上你的感觉正觉，相应到了宇宙的本初，就是这个地球的本初，人的良心本性适合这个宇宙的时候，就会产生一种最原始的本性，最后达到圆满无上正等觉。
When a soul enters the human body, the initial awareness it experiences is called the “initial determination”. This is when the Buddha-nature begins to operate. Following this initial awakening – Actualised Enlightenment – there emerges a sequence of external, internal, and intuitive awareness. External awareness refers to one’s perception of the external world; internal awareness pertains to the soul’s perception; intuitive awareness is the direct sensation experienced by both the soul and the body, termed simply as “awareness”. For instance, when someone speaks to you, and their gesture can evoke a direct feeling, this is intuition. When your external and internal awareness, coupled with your sentient awareness – Right Enlightenment, resonate with the primordial essence of the universe – the fundamental nature of the Earth – it aligns with the intrinsic goodness of humanity, suitable for this universe. This alignment gives rise to the most primal nature, eventually culminating in the attainment of unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment.
师父给你们讲过要先有觉，才能悟，当你不觉的时候，是永远悟不出道理的。当你感觉到这个人好，你才悟出这是一个好人。当你感觉这个人是坏人的时候，是先觉，而后再悟，所以叫觉悟。而一般的人之相，是不觉。一般的人所感觉的东西叫人相，而一般的人是不觉。什么相的人是不觉悟呢？例如，我们说人都要追求和平，而世界上天天都有打仗，你们说这些人觉悟吗？人追求的是和蔼可亲，要以善待人，有些人看见人就讨厌，如果天天这样做人，人就会变。如果天天去做那些没有意义的事情，知道抽烟对肺不好，还要拼命抽，这叫不觉，所以真正有觉悟的人，才称得上是觉悟者。
As I have taught you before, one must first be aware before they can become awakened. Without awareness, one can never awaken to the truth. For example, you recognise someone as good only when you feel their goodness. Similarly, your initial awareness that someone may not be good precedes your understanding of their nature, thus it’s called “awareness that leads to awakening”. Ordinary people, however, often lack this awareness. What they perceive is the “notion of a person”, but they remain unaware. Consider this: we speak of the pursuit of peace, yet wars rage daily across the world. Are these people truly awakened? The essence of human interaction should be rooted in friendliness and kindness. Yet, it is often observed that some people meet others with a distinct air of disdain. Such consistent behaviour can fundamentally change an individual’s character. Engaging in meaningless activities known to be harmful, like smoking, despite knowing its impact on the lungs, is a telltale sign of a lack of awareness. Therefore, only those who are truly aware and awakened can be called enlightened.
今天给大家讲三地菩萨，师父先把三地菩萨的境界告诉大家，三地菩萨也叫明地。明地，“随闻思修照法显现，故名明地，以加行智断心迟苦闻思修忘失无明尽，证胜流功德忍波罗蜜为增上”。
Today, I will speak to you about the Third Ground Bodhisattva. Let me first describe the state of the Third Ground Bodhisattva, also known as the “Ground of Light”. “It is known as the Ground of Light due to illumination and the manifestation of the Dharma through the practices of hearing, contemplation and cultivation. Through applied intelligence, the Bodhisattva severs the ignorance of mental sluggishness and the suffering that comes from forgetting what has been heard, contemplated, and cultivated. This eradication of ignorance leads the Bodhisattva to the realisation of superior merit and virtue, excelling in the perfection of patience (Kṣāntipāramitā).”
随闻思修，是随着你的见闻、耳闻、鼻闻等等，此地菩萨是只要看见什么东西就会思考，然后佛法自然显现，然后什么都明白了。三地菩萨是闻觉知，是闻后先会感觉，你们可能会问师父不是要空吗？还要去感觉吗？你们搞错了，这是境界不一样，这个空是指在人间学佛让你们空，而现在给你们讲的是三地菩萨。随闻思修照法显现，就是当你的正思维产生了之后，明白如何修正。就是把人间的一切所有的善法、做法，全部都可以显现和对照，自然就知道什么是好，什么是坏了。
The practice of hearing (learning), contemplation and cultivation means following one’s perceptions, whether seen, heard, or smelled. For the Third Ground Bodhisattva, mere sight triggers contemplation, through which the Buddha’s teachings naturally become apparent, leading to complete understanding. The Third Ground Bodhisattva first perceives, then feels – a process of awareness followed by understanding. You might wonder, isn’t emptiness the goal? Why then, is there a need for feeling? This is where you misunderstand. The emptiness referred to in Buddhist practice in the Human Realm is about emptying oneself, whereas here we discuss the realm of the Third Ground Bodhisattva. Following the practice of hearing, contemplating and cultivating, the Dharma is manifested. It means that once right intention arises, you would understand how to correct yourself. All good practices and deeds in the Human Realm will become manifested and comparable, thus naturally, you are able to discern right from wrong.
三地菩萨可以看出人间的一切好和坏（这不是指人间认为的好坏，而是上升到用佛智慧的理念），会立刻显现出来和明白，故名明地。智断心迟，让智慧能够判断和理解你的心。“迟”在这里讲的是心地稍有一点不正，你的智慧会立刻断定你心中的正和不正，也就是宇宙空间任何事情和道理菩萨都知道。
The Third Ground Bodhisattva discerns the good and bad in the human world (not in the ordinary sense, but elevated to the level of Buddha’s wisdom) and gains immediate clarity, hence the name “Ground of Light”. “Apply intelligence to sever mental sluggishness”. Wisdom discerns and understands your mind. “Sluggishness” here refers to any slight deviation in the mind; your wisdom will immediately discern right from wrong in your heart, which means that the Bodhisattva knows everything and all principles in the universe.
修忘失无明尽，修忘就是修掉你所有不好的事情，三地菩萨可以把人间的所有的东西，经过他的大智慧，全部看穿，完全明白道理。证明已经胜有的功德，“胜”在这里是指拥有的意思。证胜流功德，就是你的功德全部有了，就像一个人没有欠债的时候，挣来的钱全部都是自己所拥有。当你欠人家钱的时候，你赚来的钱要先还给人家，而你不能拥有。
Regarding “the ignorance of the suffering that comes from forgetting what has been heard, contemplated, and cultivated,” one should eradicate all negative aspects. The Third Ground Bodhisattva, through great wisdom, sees through all worldly matters, fully understanding the truths. “Realising superior merit and virtue” signifies the possession of all merit and virtue. “Superior” here implies possession, much like a debt-free person owns all their earnings. Unlike someone who is in debt, their earnings must go towards repayment first.
菩萨为了忍波罗蜜为增上，就是为了到达彼岸，为了能够提升境界，什么都可以忍耐。“增上”就是把任何不好的东西，都看成是一种增进你上进的缘分。人家骂你，你很开心，锻炼你的耐心；人家打你，你也很开心是在消孽障，把自己的思维全方位地转变成增上缘。
Excelling in the perfection of patience (Kṣāntipāramitā) means a Bodhisattva can endure everything for the purpose of reaching the other shore or elevating their spiritual state. To excel or enhance means viewing all negative experiences as opportunities for progress. When others scold you, you respond with happiness, using it as a chance to strengthen your patience. If someone strikes you, you also embrace it with joy, seeing it as an opportunity to eliminate karmic obstacles. This approach involves transforming your mindset to perceive all experiences as opportunities, or conditions, for spiritual enhancement.
自此以前三地，总修大乘三摩提。救度众生就是修大乘佛法，因为前三地菩萨（初地，二地，三地）是修大乘的三摩提。三摩提是断阐提不信习气。
“Up until the Third Ground, one cultivates the Mahayana Samadhi.” Practising the teachings of the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism is about guiding and awakening sentient beings. The first three Grounds (First, Second, and Third Ground Bodhisattvas) involve cultivating this Samadhi of Mahayana Buddhism, which breaks icchantika, the habits of disbelief.
一个人能定下来就是禅定。就是在禅定的时候，把所有的妄念、杂念都要去掉，但是在坐禅的时候你的脑子能不能空？是很难做到空的，而前三地菩萨，把禅定都要断掉。
True meditative concentration is settling the mind. In meditation, all delusions and distractions must be discarded. However, can your mind truly be empty during meditation? It is challenging. The Bodhisattvas of the first three Grounds transcend even this form of meditative concentration.
比如，你心里有一件很难过的事情，自己告诫自己不要难过，想想师父教我的话，让自己的心定下来，定，定，定……实际上你在定的时候，因为脑子里有这些事情，你才不能定下来。就像有些人说我要忍耐，我要忍耐，其实，心里越想忍耐的人，是越不能忍耐的。真正能忍耐的人，不用想，就能忍耐下来，不要克制，自然就能克制，这是平时修炼所为，真正的禅定是连禅定都不要，都是空的。
For instance, if you’re distressed and you tell yourself not to be upset, recalling Master Lu’s teachings to calm your mind – settle, settle, settle… In reality, when you try to settle your mind, it’s the very presence of these thoughts that prevents you from finding calm. It’s like some people who constantly tell themselves “I must endure, I must be patient.” But in fact, the more they think about enduring, the less they are able to do so. A person who can truly endure does so effortlessly, without the need to consciously restrain themselves. This natural restraint is the result of regular practice. True meditative concentration involves even letting go of the concept of meditative concentration – it is all emptiness.
障方便生死果报，障就是障碍、阻碍，方便生死果报就是有生死果报，障生死果报，就是阻碍住，障碍住生死果报，就是没有生死果报了。生死果报是正常的，现在在前面加一个“障”字，就是把它堵住了，没有了。得大净果也，就是得最大的干净的果报。这个生死果报没有了，就是脱离六尘，就换来了大净果。去除那些低劣的果报，修正思维、行为中的误区，而获得一个最干净的果报，叫大净果。
“Obstruction of the karmic results of expedient birth and death.” “Obstruction” here means hindrance or impediment. The karmic results of expedient birth and death refer to the existence of such karmic outcomes. To obstruct these karmic results means to hinder or block them, thereby eliminating the karmic results of birth and death. Normally, the karmic results of birth and death are a given, but by placing an “obstruction” before them, it’s like blocking them off, nullifying their existence. This leads to the attainment of the Great Pure Result, which is the achievement of the purest karmic outcome. By eliminating these karmic results of birth and death, one transcends the Six Dusts, thereby attaining the Great Pure Result. It involves removing inferior karmic outcomes and correcting errors in thought and action, thus achieving the purest karmic result, known as the Great Pure Result.
因为时间关系今天只能给大家讲三地菩萨最初的境界，具体的有关三地菩萨下一次再继续给大家讲解。
Due to time constraints, today I can only discuss the initial state of the Third Ground Bodhisattva. More details about the Third Ground Bodhisattva will be discussed in a future discourse.