我每一次看见观世音菩萨心里就很难过，因为总觉得自己做得不够，离观世音菩萨的距离太远。虽然说“每一个人今天做一分钟菩萨的事情，那一分钟你就是菩萨”。其实不然。举个例子：就像人身上的细胞一样（红血球、白血球），如果你的白血球只有一点点的话，红血球就会把它吃光；如果你的白血球太多而红血球只有一点点的话，白血球会把红血球淹没。也就是说，一个人身上孽障太多了而好事做得很少，功德做得很少，一段时间过去之后过大于功，这个人就没救了。
Whenever I see Guan Yin Bodhisattva, I feel a deep sense of inadequacy because I always feel that I haven’t done enough and that I’m far from reaching Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s level. It’s often said, “If you perform the actions of a Bodhisattva for even one minute, in that minute you are a Bodhisattva.” But in reality, that’s not entirely true. Think of the blood cells in our body—we need red blood cells to carry oxygen and white blood cells to protect us from illness. When this balance is severely disrupted in either direction, our health suffers. Similarly, if someone accumulates too many karmic obstacles while doing very few good deeds or accruing little merit and virtue, over time, the negative will outweigh the positive, leaving their situation hopeless.
人活在世界上分分秒秒都要珍惜。虽然时间很宝贵，也要看你怎么用。很多信佛的人就像瞎子摸象一样天天在找法门，很多人等这辈子要走的时候还没有找到适合他自己的法门，他就什么法门都没有了。如果你找到一个并不适合你的法门，你的年龄到了，你这辈子也完了。大家知道在全世界，有没有极端的宗教？有没有邪教？让他们的信徒火烧村庄、集体自杀，若是进入这类宗教就是误入歧途了。可是你有什么智慧能够知道这是邪的还是正的呢？
Every second and minute of life must be cherished. While time is precious, what truly matters is how you use it. Many people who practise Buddhism are like blind men feeling their way around an elephant, aimlessly searching for the right path (Dharma Door). Some may spend their entire lives searching, only to pass away without ever finding a Dharma Door that truly suits them. In such cases, they gain nothing. If you follow a Dharma Door that isn’t right for you and reach the end of your life, then your lifetime is wasted.
Are there extreme religions in the world? Are there cults? Of course, there are—religions that lead their followers to burn down villages or commit mass suicide. Joining such a religion means straying onto a dangerous path. But what wisdom do you have to discern whether a path is truly right or not?
师父就是劝大家好好念经。经文一个字不改，一个字不漏，全部是佛传下来的经文。大家要知道，如果一个经文改了一个字、两个字，那你就要考虑考虑。因为任何改过的经文，你们所有的信徒念出来，不是到观世音菩萨那里了，而是到你们的师父那里了，由他布施返回给你们，他自己的功力就越来越大。你们都不知道这些的。所以念经不要乱念，就跟吃药不要乱吃一样。师父经常讲一句话：一张白纸可以随便画，已经画成图了想擦掉就很难了。而且先入为主，在他的概念里、在他的思维里面，他已经形成了他独特的宗教风格，你想再去改变他就很难了。这是因为他不开悟，他以为他所做的这一切都是对的，他所学的东西都是对的。
I encourage everyone to diligently recite Buddhist scriptures. These scriptures that we recite are passed down directly from the Buddha, without a single word being altered or omitted. You must understand that if a scripture is modified by even one or two words, you need to be very cautious. This is because any altered scripture, when recited by followers, will no longer reach Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Instead, it will reach the person who modified it, and it is through them that blessings are redistributed back to you. Their own power grows stronger with each recitation. Many people don’t realise this. That’s why it’s so important to be cautious when reciting, just as it’s essential to take medicine correctly—never haphazardly.
I often say: “A blank sheet of paper can be freely drawn upon, but once it’s turned into a completed picture, it’s very hard to erase.” Similarly, first impressions are powerful. Once someone has formed their own understanding or belief system, shaped by a unique religious approach, it becomes extremely difficult to change their perspective. This is because they lack enlightenment and mistakenly believe everything they’re doing is correct and that all they’ve learned is right.
你们知道吗，有一个少年教养所，当地政府组织了一批知名人士和教育专家去和那些犯罪的孩子交谈。交谈的结果是，百分之八十的孩子以为他们所做的事情是对的。百分之三十的孩子说：“我爸爸妈妈能够做，为什么我不能够做呢？为什么不把我爸爸妈妈抓起来，却把我抓起来？”很简单，爸爸妈妈是老手，没有被人家发现。而小孩子做这些事情是新手，没有经验，很容易给别人抓到。举个例子：像Woolworths、Coles这样的大超市，每天都会有很多偷东西的人被抓到，一把牙刷都不想付钱。这就是人的劣根性，很可悲啊。所以增长智慧是最重要的。
Did you know that at a youth detention centre, the local government invited a group of prominent figures and educational experts to speak with the young offenders? The discussions revealed that 80% of the children believed their actions were justified. 30% said, “If my mum and dad can do it, why can’t I? Why don’t you arrest them instead of me?” The explanation is simple—mum and dad are experienced and haven’t been caught, while these kids are beginners, inexperienced and easy to catch.
Take major supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles as an example. Every day, many shoplifters are caught—some people won’t even pay for something as small as a toothbrush. This highlights a darker side of human nature—it’s truly sad. That’s why developing wisdom is so important.
学佛贵在坚持，还要破除我执。我执就是我认为的。你认为什么？你那颗最原始的、闪闪发亮的、由天上给你的（就是释迦牟尼佛说的那句话：“人人皆具佛性”）而你那发亮的佛性已经很肮脏了，没有一点地方可以看得见了，你这种人有什么用啊？你能够看出什么东西啊？还以为自己不得了。“知觉名佛菩萨”。因为你知道了，然后你觉悟了，就称为佛菩萨。一个能明白道理的人，就是菩萨。“不觉名凡夫”。因为你是愚昧者，你是糊涂的人，所以称为凡夫。成佛成菩萨很难。我们不要做凡夫，我们要做菩萨。但是有几个人一天能做几个小时的菩萨？念经时是菩萨，不骂人的时候、帮助别人的时候、众善奉行的时候，他是菩萨。
Practising Buddhism requires perseverance and overcoming self-attachment. What is self-attachment? It’s the belief that “I am right.” What do you think you know? That pure, shining Buddha-nature given to you by the Heavens—the same Buddha-nature that Shakyamuni Buddha referred to when he said, “Everyone possesses Buddha-nature”—has become so tainted and obscured that it’s no longer visible. What use is it? What insight can you possibly have? Yet you still think you’re extraordinary.
“Those who are aware are called Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.” When you gain knowledge and achieve enlightenment, you are called a Buddha or Bodhisattva. A person who understands the truth is a Bodhisattva. “Those who are unaware are called ordinary beings.” When you are ignorant and confused, you are called an ordinary person. Becoming a Buddha or a Bodhisattva is not easy. We must strive not to remain ordinary people but to become Bodhisattvas. But how many people can truly behave like a Bodhisattva for even a few hours a day? When reciting sutras, refraining from anger, helping others, and practising all forms of kindness, a person becomes a Bodhisattva.
师父接下来给你们讲，“诸恶莫作”实际上是小乘佛法理念的一种。是我不犯罪，所有恶的东西我不去做，就是保住自己，就是各扫门前雪。这不就是救度自己吗？人本来就不应该做坏事的，诸恶本来就不应该做。“众善奉行”实际上就是大乘佛法理念的一种，讲的就是你的智慧开悟后来做世界上所有的善事。大家知道善事是可以转化为功德的，善事就是功德的基础。一个连善事都不懂得去做的人，念经是没有用的。师父今天给你们一个新的概念：不要以为一个人什么好事都不做，又不肯帮助人家，只是念经他就能成佛吗？他能成菩萨吗？没有用的。举个例子：就像烧烤什么东西一样，这个东西本来是没有味道的，但是它加上了调料，其实里面的东西本身是没有味道的。如果一个念经的人没有善良的心、没有善事作为他的根基，他念的经文再多也是没有味道的，也是没有功德的。表里如一才能起作用，才能有效果。这就是为什么既要修心又要修行。
Next, let me explain: “Do no evil” is essentially a concept associated with Theravada Buddhism. It means refraining from committing offences and avoiding all forms of wrongdoing to protect oneself. This mindset is akin to “sweeping the snow in front of your own door,” focusing solely on saving yourself. People shouldn’t do bad things to begin with, and avoiding wrongdoing is simply the baseline for behaviour.
“Practising all forms of good,” in contrast, is a concept from Mahayana Buddhism. It emphasises that once you have gained wisdom and become enlightened, you should perform all good deeds in the world. Good deeds can be transformed into merit and virtue. In fact, good deeds form the foundation of merit and virtue. A person who doesn’t understand the importance of doing good will not benefit from reciting Buddhist scriptures. Let me introduce you to a new concept today: don’t think that someone who refuses to do good or help others but recites scriptures all day long will become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. It’s useless.
Take this analogy: grilling food on a barbecue. The food itself may be plain, but when you add seasoning, it gains flavour. Similarly, if someone recites scriptures without a kind heart or good deeds as their foundation, no matter how many sutras they recite, it will lack meaning; it will not accrue merit and virtue. Only when the inner and outer aspects align will it be effective. This is why cultivating the mind and practising good deeds must go hand in hand.
佛菩萨讲得很清楚：不但要修心，还要修你的行为；你的行为修好了，你还要修你的心灵。你们知道吗，有很多法门只修行为不修心。他们注重于行，做善事，念经很少。很多居士自扫门前雪，到山上去念经，自己烧香自己拜佛。这是只修自己，不度别人，是小乘佛法。修心人只管自己，不管自己的家庭、不管自己的孩子、不管自己的父母，这也叫不负责任。这种人是修不好的，大不了修偏了投一个阿修罗道。你们知道吗，阿修罗也有称为阿修罗道的菩萨。人道里有没有菩萨啊？在人间学菩萨的人就是人道的菩萨。要好好修啊，时间不多了。想想自己年轻的时候，看看自己老的时候，没有多少时间了。
The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have made it very clear: not only must you cultivate your mind, but you must also refine your behaviour. Once your behaviour is corrected, you must further work on your spiritual development. Do you know that many Dharma Doors focus solely on behaviour without addressing the mind? These practitioners emphasise good deeds but rarely recite sutras. Many lay practitioners, for example, simply “sweep the snow in front of their own door,” retreating to the mountains to recite sutras, offer incense, and worship the Buddha in solitude. This is a form of self-cultivation that does not benefit others and belongs to some schools of Buddhism. These practitioners cultivate only for their own sake, without helping their family, children, or parents. This is also a form of irresponsibility. Such people cannot truly progress in their practice. They might stray in their practice and end up in the Asura Realm at best.
Do you know that there are Bodhisattvas even in the Asura Realm? And are there not Bodhisattvas in the Human Realm? Those who practise the ways of the Bodhisattva in the world are Bodhisattvas in the Human Realm. Time is running out, so you must practise diligently. Think about it—how much time remains? Reflect on your youth and look at yourself now; there isn’t much time left.
上次跟大家讲了天道，今天跟大家讲阿修罗道。阿修罗道是有法力的人去的地方。在人间有修为的人、做了很多善事的人、有功德的人死了之后才能到阿修罗道。修得有偏差的人也可以到阿修罗道。过去很多宗教解释六道而把阿修罗道放在人道的下面。实际上阿修罗道有两种：一种是天上下来的那一层叫阿修罗道；另一种是在地府和饿鬼道之间，是有些法术的、修出偏差的精，比如狐狸精、蛇精等，他们可以在地府自由行走。因为他们有修、有法力，他们很容易变成地府的官员。地狱里有很多很凶的鬼是地狱的执行官，黑白无常也是，可以到处跑。在地狱里如果是有罪的人男男女女都不穿衣服的，只有痛苦。如果在人间不好好修或者修的是旁门左道，就会到这层阿修罗道。师父在电台里给大家看的阿修罗道指的是上阿修罗道，比人道要高。
Last time, I spoke about the Heavenly Realm; today, let’s talk about the Asura Realm. The Asura Realm is a place for those with spiritual power. People who have practised in the Human Realm, performed many good deeds, and accumulated merit and virtue may enter the Asura Realm after death. However, those who go astray in their spiritual practice may also end up there. In the past, many religions placed the Asura Realm below the Human Realm when explaining the Six Realms. However, in reality, there are two types of Asura Realms: one is an upper Asura Realm located just below the Heavenly Realm, and the other is a lower Asura Realm between the Ghost Realm and Hell.
The lower Asura Realm is inhabited by spiritual beings such as fox spirits or snake spirits who have gained spiritual abilities but whose practice has gone astray. These spiritual beings can move freely in the Underworld due to their spiritual power. Some even become officials in the Underworld, like the fierce spirits who serve as enforcement officers in Hell. Figures like the Black and White Enforcement Officers (also known as Black and White Impermanence) are examples—they can move about freely. In Hell, those who are guilty, regardless of gender, are stripped of their clothing and subjected to great suffering. If a person fails to practise well in the Human Realm or follows the wrong path, they may end up in this lower Asura Realm. The Asura Realm I have spoken about on my radio programs refers to the upper Asura Realm, which is higher than the Human Realm.
阿修罗道的人也有寿命的，比人的寿命要长，和天道天人的性质很像，也有五衰。他们投胎到人间后，会做什么呢？比如只顾赚钱的医生。很多人小聪明，做官、争斗型的，也有很多奸商、盗贼全部是这些人。他们在自己的集团里有地位，他们吃好的，喝好的，还有人伺候。什么道的人下来就受什么业报。天上下来的人可以做高官的孩子、可以是建筑家、歌唱家等，是正道。从阿修罗道下来的人，女人投人后很漂亮；阿修罗道的男人就只想打架，与人斗、与天斗、与地斗。很多人间的美女是从阿修罗道下来的。唱歌的、演戏的，看看他们一生的婚姻能否圆满？飘忽不定啊。阿修罗道的人穿的衣服不像天人那么漂亮，颜色偏深色，绿色的多。为什么你们眼前经常看见一团光绿色或蓝色的？很多人拿手去抓。不能抓的，你抓一抓，接下来你就有麻烦了。什么叫触及灵魂？他们就是灵体。人叫肉体。我们用手去碰他们，感觉不到，但是他们会受伤的。就像科幻片里经常会把看不见的灵体形象化。
Beings in the Asura Realm also have lifespans, which are longer than those of humans. Their nature is similar to that of beings in the Heavenly Realm, but they also experience the “Five Signs of Decay.” When they are reborn into the Human Realm, what roles do they take? For instance, they may become doctors focused solely on making money. Many clever but cunning people—such as politicians, competitive individuals, unscrupulous businessmen, or even thieves and burglars—are believed to have come from the Asura Realm. Within their own groups, they hold positions of influence, enjoy luxurious food and drink, and are served by others. A person’s original realm determines the karmic consequences they are to undergo.
Those who descend from the Heavenly Realm may be born as the children of high-ranking officials, architects, singers, or others on righteous paths. However, those from the Asura Realm have different tendencies. Women reborn into the Human Realm from the Asura Realm are often strikingly beautiful, while men from this realm are prone to conflict—fighting with others, beings from the Human Realm, or even beings from the Heavens or the Underworld. Many beautiful women in the Human Realm are believed to have come from the Asura Realm. They often work as singers or actors. But look at their lives—how often do they have stable marriages? Their lives are marked by unpredictability and impermanence.
The clothing of beings from the Asura Realm is not as beautiful as that of Heavenly beings. The colours are darker, often green. Have you ever noticed a green or blue glow appear before your eyes? Many people instinctively try to grab it. You mustn’t. If you do, trouble will follow. What does it mean to “touch the soul”? These beings are spiritual entities, whereas humans are physical beings. You can’t feel them with your hands, but they can still be harmed by you. This is similar to how sci-fi movies often depict invisible spiritual beings in visual form.
阿修罗道的人有一个很大的毛病，就是色欲未断。因为在低层的灵界天，色欲未断。在人间有好色之徒，如果他们到了阿修罗道后不容易断根，他们虽然在阿修罗，但是就像在人间的仙境一样，意淫未断。只不过一个在上面，一个在下面。但是要想再上去更高的天是上不去的。天上没有钱的概念。在欲界天里还有男女之分，但是不会发生男女关系，仅仅是握握手而已。你们知道师父怎么上天的吗？师父想上去就上去了，就一秒钟的功夫。看到天堂里小孩子在荡秋千，那种笑声就像电影里的回音一样的。师父再往下一看，什么都没有的，他们怎么在荡秋千啊？一看自己踩在云上面，那种感觉、那种感受脑子里什么都没有了。
One major flaw of beings from the Asura Realm is that they have not severed their desires for lust. In the lower levels of the spiritual realms, lust is not yet eliminated. In the Human Realm, lustful individuals who are reborn into the Asura Realm often struggle to overcome these desires. Although they reside in the Asura Realm, it feels to them like a paradise on Earth, and they continue to harbour lustful thoughts. The only difference is that one exists on a higher plane and the other on a lower plane. However, they cannot ascend to higher Heavenly Realms until they sever these attachments.
In the Heavenly Realms, there is no concept of money. In the Desire Realm, there is still a distinction between male and female, but physical intimate relationships do not occur—gestures are limited to holding hands. Do you know how I ascend to the Heavens? I can go up in an instant, in just a second. On one occasion, I found myself in Heaven, seeing children playing on swings. Their laughter echoed, like the sounds in a movie. Looking down from there, everything below seemed empty—how are they swinging? Then I realised I was standing on clouds. That feeling, that sensation—it clears the mind of everything.
师父告诉你们，如果你们能上天的话，人间的一切烦恼全部没了，你们不会难过、不会痛苦的。走的时候只要能够上天，这些东西全没了。举个例子：你们去桂林旅游，那种美景会让你们脑子全部空掉，这种持续的空会让你把什么都忘记。因为你到了另外的环境，环境可以使你们忘却一切。人到了天上，什么都忘记了，不痛苦了。只有在过生日的时候，或者下面有人不停地叫他名字的时候，他才会想到下面的人和事情。他能够听得见，他有感觉被人叫。就像我们现在在人间，能够感觉到另外一个人总惦记你一样。天界有一个望乡台，在其第三层可以看到人间，人间的情景都能看见。
Let me tell you: if you are able to ascend to the Heavens, all of life’s troubles will disappear. You will no longer feel sorrow or pain. When the time comes for you to leave this world, as long as you can ascend to the Heavens, all your worries will vanish. Let me give you an example: imagine travelling to Guilin and being so captivated by the breathtaking scenery that your mind becomes completely clear and empty of all thoughts. This sustained sense of emptiness allows you to forget everything.
When you enter a new environment, it can help you let go of all burdens. Similarly, when someone ascends to the Heavens, they forget everything and experience no suffering. It’s only on occasions such as their birthday, or when someone from below keeps calling their name, that they might think of the people and events from the Human Realm. They can hear it and feel when someone is calling them, just as we, in this world, can sense when someone is always thinking about us. In the Heavenly Realm, there is a platform called the “Viewing Platform for the Human Realm”, and from its third level, one can look down upon the human world and see everything happening below.
你们知道吗，一只母老虎咬死了自己的虎子也会下地狱的。虎毒不食子，对不对？老虎有没有智商？它也有。上次有篇报道说狗的智商是相当于人的两岁。犯错了照样下去。人真的很可怜，天天在外面喝酒、寻欢作乐，不知道活着是为什么，像畜生一样。都不知道把自己的命交到哪儿去了。有一位老妈妈查出癌症了，受到很大的打击。平时不做好事，功德没有啊，就只是念经。跟她说多做好事，她说“没有时间啊，我这么大的年纪。”这么大的年纪就不能做好事了？你怎么会做坏事啊？挑拨离间、恶口、两舌、瞋恨……一个人活在世界上要懂得珍惜自己，如果连自己的佛性都不懂得珍惜，那算什么人？到了人道已经很可怜了。（下次继续讲）
Do you know that even a mother tiger that kills her own cubs will descend to Hell? It’s said, “Even a tiger won’t eat its young,” isn’t it? Tigers have intelligence, don’t they? They do. I once read a report that said a dog’s intelligence is equivalent to that of a two-year-old child. Yet, when animals commit wrongdoings, they too descend to the lower realms.
Humans are truly pitiful—spending their days drinking, indulging in pleasures, and wandering aimlessly, without understanding the purpose of life, behaving no differently from animals. They don’t even realise what they are doing with their lives. There was an elderly woman who was diagnosed with cancer and was devastated by the news. She had done little good in her life and had accumulated no merit and virtue; she only recited sutras. When encouraged to perform more good deeds, she replied, “I’m too old—I don’t have the time.” Too old to do good deeds? Then how were you able to do bad ones? Sowing discord, using offensive language, speaking with a divisive tongue, and harbouring hatred—these are all wrongdoings.
A person living in this world must learn to cherish their life. If you don’t even understand how to cherish your own Buddha-nature, what kind of person are you? To be born into the Human Realm is already a pitiful state. (To be continued next time.)