师父今天给大家讲“觉受”。以前给大家也讲过， 但是讲得不深，只作了一点解释而已。觉受就是悟道， 就是你能感觉和悟出这个道理。读经是理论，每一个人天天在念经，这是理论，虽然知道意义，知道在做什么，也就是说你今天虽然在读经，你想悟出这个道理， 你想感觉所接受到的东西，但是你要知道真正的意义是什么。实际上你没有去做、没有去悟，你只是念经而没有实际应用，没有应用在平时的生活当中，你就没有觉受。就是说你们每星期三来听师父讲课，听了半天，回去后根本没有把师父教给你们的法门，教给你们这么好的佛法和道理用在生活当中，也就是说你们没有觉受， 你们没有感觉和受用这个经典。如果没有用在修行当中，这个经典对你们来讲就是虚妄的。道理很简单，这些经文传了几千年，如果都放在藏经阁里面，永远不去拿、不去念，就永远得不到觉受。你没有这个感觉，没有这个感受，你不知道这些经文是干什么的，也就不知道这些经文能用在生活当中。
Today, I’m going to talk about “awareness and experience.” I’ve mentioned this before, but only briefly; I didn’t go into much depth. Awareness and experience is about awakening to the truth—becoming aware of and understanding the true nature of things. When you read Buddhist scriptures, that’s the theory. Everyone recites Buddhist scriptures every day—this is just theory. You might understand the meaning and know what you’re doing, but even if you’re reading the sutras, to truly grasp their essence, you need to uncover their deeper significance. In reality, if you don’t put this knowledge into practice—if you don’t apply it in your everyday life—you won’t develop awareness and experience.
For example, you come and listen to my Dharma Talk every Wednesday, but if you don’t apply the Dharma Door and Buddhist teachings I share with you in your daily life, you won’t develop awareness and experience. It means you haven’t internalised or benefitted from these teachings. If you don’t integrate the teachings into your practice, the sutras become meaningless to you. The principle is simple—these scriptures have been passed down for thousands of years, but if they’re just left in a library, untouched and unread, no awareness and experience will be gained. Without this sense of awareness and experience, you won’t understand the purpose of the scriptures or how to apply them in your life.
你就像欣赏一篇文言文一样，就像欣赏大文豪的作品一样，你连看都没有看，或者看过之后你把它作为身外人或局外人，你说你能受益吗？有的人学文化，看很多的书、看很多的小说，他是从中汲取养料，希望小说里的事情不要在他自己的生活中再现。同样在听人家讲话的时候，他也能学到很多的东西。而有的人整天的瞎聊天，聊完了之后问他聊的是什么？他记不得了，全部忘记了，没有一种实际感受。所以真正懂得学习的人， 他必须从人家的讲话、从人家的言谈举止、从人家做事情当中，吸取人家很多好的东西。为什么这个人能忍辱？为什么那个人就是暴跳如雷？为什么这个人是那样？而那个人是这样？可以从中吸取很多的教训。
It’s like appreciating a piece of classical literature or the work of a great writer—if you don’t actually read it, or if you read it as an outsider without fully engaging with it, how can you gain any benefit? Some people study literature, read many books, and absorb lessons from novels, hoping to avoid similar events in their own lives. Similarly, when they listen to others speak, they gain valuable insights. On the other hand, some people spend all day chatting idly, and afterwards, if you ask them what they talked about, they can’t recall anything—because they haven’t truly engaged or absorbed anything.
So, for those who truly understand learning, it’s important to take valuable lessons from other people’s words, behaviour, and actions. Why can one person remain patient while another flies into a rage? Why is one person like this, and another like that? There’s much to learn from these observations.
你们每星期三来听师父讲课，听完了之后回到家中还是老样子，要生气的照样生气，要不开心的照样不开心，你说你们来有什么用呢？你们必须要往心里学，必须要在行动当中和实际中受用。
You come to my Dharma Talk every Wednesday, but if you go home and remain the same—still getting angry when you feel like it, still feeling unhappy when you want to—then what’s the point of coming? You need to learn with your heart and make sure to integrate these teachings into your actions and everyday life.
如果学了再多的经典，再多的经文都会背诵，又会念《礼佛大忏悔文》，这里在念《礼佛大忏悔文》，而那里又在做坏事，你说这个经文念得有效果吗？那是不可能有效果的。《礼佛大忏悔文》是对一个人在有所不知而有所感知的情况下他才作出的这些行为（事情）， 这时他念《礼佛大忏悔文》才会受用。因为你不知道自己犯了罪了，念《礼佛大忏悔文》可以消除你的孽障。难道你明天想去抢银行了，今天念念《礼佛大忏悔文》消除你的罪孽，明天想去做坏事情了，念念《礼佛大忏悔文》消除你的孽障，这是个什么样的概念啊？
If you study many Buddhist scriptures, can recite all the sutras, and even know how to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, but continue to engage in harmful actions, do you think the recitation will be effective? That’s impossible. The Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance is only effective when a person unknowingly commits wrongdoings and later becomes aware of their mistakes. In that case, reciting it will be beneficial. For example, if you didn’t realise you had committed an offence, reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance can help eliminate your karmic obstacles. But what if you plan to rob a bank tomorrow and recite it today to erase your karmic offences? Or if you think you can recite it to eliminate obstacles before deliberately doing something wrong—what kind of logic is that?
你要有所感知，感觉知道自己做了什么事情。如果不知道，你就没有太大的罪业。人常说：“不知者，不怪罪”就是这个道理。而你知道这个事情不好了，举例明明要吹牛了，还要说“观世音菩萨我现在开始念《礼佛大忏悔文》了”，你说说看能有用处吗？念《礼佛大忏悔文》不是你自己已经明白了道理再去做错事情，然后再去忏悔，把你的罪业忏悔掉，那是不可能忏悔掉的。不要以为做错事情，一而再再而三的都可以念《礼佛大忏悔文》消除的。我今天跑出去偷人家东西了，念《礼佛大忏悔文》；明天看见东西又想偷了，再去念《礼佛大忏悔文》，这是个什么概念的问题啊？这是愚痴。
You need to be aware and conscious of what you’ve done. If you didn’t know, your offences are less severe. There’s a saying, “One who is unaware cannot be blamed,” and that’s the principle here. However, if you know something is wrong—like bragging—and still choose to say, “Guan Yin Bodhisattva, I am now going to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance,” do you think it will have any effect? The repentance text isn’t meant for those who are already aware of their wrongdoing but continue to act improperly, hoping to repent and erase their offences. That simply won’t work. Don’t think that just because you’ve made a mistake, you can repeatedly use the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance to erase it. If you steal today and recite the text, then steal again tomorrow and recite it again—what kind of logic is that? That’s ignorance.
《礼佛大忏悔文》说的是你过去做错的事情、你前世做错的事情，你可以念这些经来消掉你的业障，并不等于你以后再做错的事情，再做了很多的坏事，你又念经了，又可以消掉罪障了，那是消不掉的。给你们举一个简单的例子你们就明白了。我经常给大家讲，一张很干净的白纸，当你用黑铅笔第一次写上去的时候，你用橡皮擦可能会擦的干净。你第二次又写了，第三次又写了，你擦到最后这张纸成什么样子了？这张纸还会干净的像原来一样吗？这就是师父教你们的为什么念《礼佛大忏悔文》要从心里念。当你在念《礼佛大忏悔文》的时候，心里要真正的痛：“我不能再有错了，我不能再做了，我不能再有这些事情了，我真的明白了，观世音菩萨你救救我吧！”这样才会灵啊。这不是膏药，这扭伤了贴一张膏药，明天那里扭伤了再贴一块膏药。自己不当心身体，天天做对自己伤筋动骨的事情，你贴到后来这个膏药还灵不灵了？道理是一样的。
The Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance is intended for mistakes you’ve made in the past, including those from previous lives. You can recite it to eliminate those karmic obstacles, but it doesn’t mean that if you continue to commit wrongdoings and harmful acts in the future, you can simply recite it again to erase those offences. It doesn’t work like that. Let me share a simple example I often use to help you understand. Imagine a clean, white piece of paper. The first time you write on it with a black pencil, you might be able to erase it cleanly with an eraser. But if you write on it a second, third, or even more times, what will the paper look like after all that erasing? Will it still be as clean as it was originally?
That’s why I teach that when you recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, it must come from your heart. While reciting, you should genuinely feel the pain in your heart: “I must not make this mistake again. I must not do this anymore. I truly understand now. Guan Yin Bodhisattva, please help me!” Only then will it be effective. It’s not like a bandage that you put on a sprain today and then reuse on another sprain tomorrow. If you keep injuring yourself without taking care and continue applying bandages for every injury, will they still be effective in the long run? It’s the same principle.
现在的人就是这样，今天做错事情了以为念念经可以消掉了，明天再去做。知道吗？这是在犯罪啊。你今天做错了一件事情被人家抓住了，人家说念你初犯，今天不惩罚了，不罚你的款了。你回到家后应该痛定思痛，不应该再犯这些罪了。但是过几天你又犯了，这一下被人家抓住之后，对不起，罚款或坐监。所以要明白这些道理，学佛要运用在实际生活当中，如果这些经文你念了半天没有运用到实际生活当中，你就是虚妄的。什么叫虚妄？虚就是空的，妄就是妄想出来的，是没有的，没有办法解决的这些问题。
People these days think that if they make a mistake today, they can simply recite sutras to erase it and then repeat the same behaviour tomorrow. Do you know what this is? It’s committing a crime. If you do something wrong today and get caught, someone might say, “Since it’s your first offence, we won’t punish you or fine you this time.” When you get home, you should reflect deeply and resolve not to make the same mistake again. But if, a few days later, you repeat the same mistake and get caught again, there will be no mercy—you’ll be fined or sent to jail. You must understand this principle. Practising Buddhism is about applying it in real life. If you recite the sutras without putting them into practice in your daily life, then your practice is meaningless. What does “meaningless” mean? It means empty and illusory—just wishful thinking, unable to solve any real problems.
用经典修佛的时候，如果你实修了就会产生一种感觉，这就叫觉受。就是说当你好好地在念经修心的时候，也就是说你学佛菩萨的经典、佛菩萨的经文，用这些东西在修心的时候，你会产生一种很特殊的感觉，那就叫觉受。觉受就是念经念的灵了，就会感觉到灵了， 受就是受用了，你感觉到了之后你受用了。比如你心里本来有一件很难过的事情，你念经之后感觉到了、想通了、受用了，心里就不难过了。
When practising Buddhism using scriptures, if you genuinely put the teachings into practice, you’ll develop a certain feeling—this is called “awareness and experience.” It means that when you sincerely recite Buddhist scriptures and cultivate your mind—studying and practising the teachings and sutras of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas—you will develop a special sense of awareness and connection. This is what is meant by awareness and experience. It’s when the sutras you recite start to resonate within you, and you feel their effects. “Experience” means receiving and benefiting from it—once you feel it, you benefit from it. For example, if you’re troubled by something in your heart and you recite a sutra, you may come to understand it, accept it, and then no longer feel distressed.
一个人的身体由两个部分组成的：一个是身体，即肉体；一个是灵体，即灵魂，也就是精神。如果一个人身体再好，他的精神死了，他就会自杀，就是有一个非常好的身体对他来讲也是没有用的。如果一个人他的身体再不好，他的精神很好，他就能战胜癌症，能战胜自身的疾病，他能战胜人间的一切困苦。那就是灵魂战胜了肉体。所以灵体和肉体要双修。身体要做善事，帮助人家做一切事情，这就叫受用。还有一种就是精神上的，要救度人家，劝化人家等。感知和感观，就是你感觉到了，知道了些事情和你看到的事情。感知感观等于最后觉受的感觉。念经的时候不开心，念完经之后想通了、感觉到了，“哎呀，我应该放下，我现在开心了， 不会有烦恼了。”那你就有进步了。
A person is made up of two parts: the physical body and the spiritual body, which is the soul or spirit. If a person’s physical body is in excellent health but their spirit is broken, they may still engage in self-destructive behaviour, such as suicide, because a healthy body alone is meaningless to them. On the other hand, if someone’s physical health is poor but their spirit is strong, they can overcome cancer, illnesses, and all the hardships of life. In this case, the spirit triumphs over the body. Therefore, both the physical and spiritual aspects must be cultivated together. Physically, you should do good deeds and help others—this is how you benefit. Spiritually, you should guide and enlighten others, helping them along the path.
Awareness and perception refer to the understanding and insights you gain from what you feel and observe. This awareness and perception lead to the experience of “awareness and experience.” If you feel unhappy while reciting a sutra but, by the end, you come to an understanding and think, “Ah, I should let go; I’m happy now and no longer troubled,” then you’ve made progress.
接下来师父给大家讲感觉。有很多感觉，有的感觉不是太好的，如浮躁。一个人很浮躁，“哎呀，这个事情怎么办呢？哎呀，我的钱都投资出去了。哎呀，我这个事情做不好了怎么办呢？”这就是浮躁。还有安详、轻松、平安、快乐等，这些都是你的感觉。当你感觉到平安的时候，实际上你就很平安。你感觉到快乐的时候，你就是处在快乐之中。当一个人处在烦恼之中，实际上就是在烦恼。你想不通的时候，实际上你就是一个神经有病的人。这个世界上的万物、万知、万能，实际上都是缘分所为，你想不通不就是一个神经病吗？你看不透人生的真谛，所以你才会觉得“我为什么会这样？ 我为什么会那样？”不要问为什么，没有什么为什么。这个世界上没有为什么，只有一个缘。不懂道理的人才会说，“他为什么要欺负我？为什么我对他这么好，他对我这么不好？”没有为什么。等到你把为什么搞懂了，你的两只脚已经踏进棺材了，有的人踩进棺材里还不知道这是为什么。
Next, I’d like to talk about feelings. There are many different feelings, and some of them aren’t very positive, like restlessness. For example, a restless person might say, “Oh, what should I do about this? I’ve invested all my money. What if things don’t work out?” This is restlessness. On the other hand, there are feelings like calmness, relaxation, peace, and happiness. These are all feelings you experience. When you feel peaceful, you are at peace. When you feel happy, you are in a state of happiness. If someone is caught up in worries, they are in a state of worry. When you’re troubled and can’t find clarity, you’re essentially in a state of mental distress.
Everything in this world—all things, knowledge, and powers—is governed by karmic conditions. If you can’t accept that, you are only tormenting yourself. If you can’t see the true essence of life, you may find yourself constantly questioning, “Why is this happening to me? Why is that happening?” But you shouldn’t ask “why.” There’s no need to question it—everything boils down to the concept of karmic conditions.
Those who don’t understand will ask, “Why is he bullying me? Why am I treated poorly when I’ve been so kind?” There’s no “why.” By the time you figure out all these “whys,” your feet may already be in the grave—and some people still won’t understand even then.
师父刚才给大家讲感觉，这么多的感觉–快乐、烦恼等等，它都是一种觉受。觉受就是感觉受用，感觉所受到的一种东西。所以修心修到了觉受，这个感觉就进入了你的心中了，也就是说修心修到了能够让你快乐， 让你忘却了烦恼，让你天天很开心，实际上你的这个感觉已经进入了你的心中。比如你们来的时候有很多的烦恼，听完课之后很开心，这个感觉就进入了你的心中。再举个简单的例子：如果你们来上课的人打瞌睡，睡完了之后感觉很昏沉，这个也进入了你的八识田中，进入了你的心中。当你感觉昏沉沉的，什么都搞不清楚的时候，你回到家继续昏沉沉。当你感觉自己很开心、很受用，你学的这个佛法能帮助你解决家里的困难，那你就一直把这种情绪带回了家。实际上就是留在了你的心中没有散去，只不过在你心中不知能停留多久。就像一瓶香水一样，名牌香水点几滴香味就会很浓，香味留得也长久；而杂牌香水喷上去一大片，还没有出门味道就没有了。
I just mentioned feelings—happiness, worries, and so on—these are all forms of awareness and experience. Awareness and experience refers to the feelings and benefits you receive, an experience that touches your heart. When you cultivate your mind and achieve a state of awareness and experience, these feelings become part of your heart. For example, when you cultivate your mind and experience true joy, letting go of your worries, that feeling enters your heart and becomes a part of you. When you come to my Dharma Talk with worries but leave feeling joyful, that feeling has entered your heart.
Here’s another example: if you come to a Dharma Talk and feel drowsy, and then leave feeling groggy, that feeling also enters your eighth consciousness and your heart. When you feel confused and unclear, you go home and continue feeling groggy. On the other hand, if you feel joy and benefit from learning the Buddha-dharma and it helps you solve problems at home, you carry that feeling with you. It remains in your heart, although how long it stays is uncertain. It’s like a bottle of perfume—a few drops of high-quality perfume can be potent and last for a long time, while cheap perfume may fade before you even step out the door.
你们今天听师父讲课能不能进入心里去那是最重要的，人坐在这里脑子不知道飞到哪里去了。如果你的心能够接受这些经文经典，辅导你的人生，你的心就开放出来了。什么叫心开放？开心开心就是把你的心打开。紧锁双眉，烦恼缠绕着你的身边，你会开心吗？你这个心已经关着了，打不开了，就会一直忧郁。现在的孩子为什么会得忧郁症？就是因为从小受家庭的影响，父母不开心天天吵架，你说孩子能不忧郁吗？等到孩子大一点了，“原来把我生出来的父母都这样，我觉得这个世界没有什么希望了。”所以就形成了两个极端：一种是破碗破摔，还有一种就是忧郁症。
It’s crucial that today’s Dharma Talk truly reaches your heart. If your body is here but your mind is wandering, you won’t gain anything. If you allow the teachings to enter your heart and guide your life, your heart will open. What does it mean to open your heart? It means to be happy—to open your mind. When your brows are furrowed and worries surround you, can you feel happy? Your heart is closed off, and when you can’t open it, you remain in a state of depression.
Why do so many children today suffer from depression? It’s often due to family influences—if parents are unhappy and constantly arguing, how can the child not feel depressed? As they grow older, they may think, “If even my parents are like this, what hope is there in the world?” This can lead to two extremes: some give up on everything, while others develop depression.
要记住不是说这个事情的存在能改变你，而是要你怎么样来改变你的观念，改变你的思维，怎么样让你感觉到菩萨的力量。当你念了经之后改变了你的意念，这个时候你就是往菩萨的这个方向在走。因为你感受到了佛菩萨在救你之后，你的心开了，你才能悟出这个境界和道路。举个简单的例子：许多科学家、研究生他们一直在钻研，可以一年 365 天都在钻研一个课题钻不出来。等到有一天， “ 哎呀， 我明白了， 我终于成功了！”他这种喜悦你们能感受到吗？他到了这个境界， 他发明出这个东西。他的境界到了这个位置了，他才会开心啊。如果你没有学佛，你怎么会开心呢？你不能达到菩萨的这个境界，你觉得你帮助人家你是付出，而你不觉得你帮助人家是在得到啊。
Remember, it’s not the situation itself that changes you; it’s how you change your mindset and perspective. It’s about how you come to feel the power of the Bodhisattvas. When you recite the Buddhist scriptures and transform your thoughts, you begin to move in the direction of the Bodhisattvas. When you sense that the Buddha and Bodhisattvas are helping you, your heart opens, allowing you to awaken to a higher spiritual state and see the path forward.
Take scientists and researchers as an example—many of them spend years researching a single topic without finding an answer. Then, one day, they suddenly have a breakthrough and exclaim, “Ah, I understand! I’ve finally made it!” Can you imagine the joy they feel? They’ve reached that state of understanding and made a discovery. Their joy comes from reaching that level.
If you don’t practise Buddhism, how can you experience true happiness? If you don’t reach the state of the Bodhisattvas, you might see helping others as a sacrifice, instead of realising that in helping others, you are actually gaining.