师父今天给大家讲无明烦恼。无明烦恼分成几种：一种是不明白，叫无明；还有一种是无缘无故的烦恼，也叫无明；突然之间发脾气了，也是无明烦恼的一种；还有一种是不明白事理，我不明白什么事情，那也叫无明烦恼。怎么样把无明烦恼灭度和灭尽呢？“灭度”用白话讲就是把它结束。那么人有烦恼怎么样把它灭掉呢？怎么样把它结束呢？灭掉是可以的，就像一个人发脾气一样，今天发脾气了，过一会儿可以把它灭掉，但是你能不能把它灭尽呢？比如马路边上一个丛林带着火了，你可以把这一带林子的火熄灭，但是如果你没有把它灭完，没有把它灭尽，过一会儿一阵风一吹，它又烧起来了。就是说人的烦恼不停地有，因为它只能暂时灭度了而没有灭尽。所以今天这个烦恼去除了，但是下一个烦恼又来了。这个也叫轮回，你们听得懂吗？今天有这个烦恼，解决了。哎呀，总算解决了。开心啊，什么都忘记了。但是下一个星期另外一个烦恼又来了。因为你没有灭尽，你没有真正地理解无明烦恼的根源，不知道怎么样去除它，所以你就不能把它彻底地消灭干净。要把它彻底地消灭干净，就必须把它灭度、灭尽。想想看，你们今天的这些烦恼，再想想你们年轻时的那些烦恼，你们一个一个烦恼都走过来了，怎么现在还有烦恼呢？这就是你们的根没有干净，所以才会惹是生非。因为你们的六根不净，你们才会不断地惹是生非。你的嘴巴不好，今天讲人家了。过去不懂，现在学佛了，懂得给人家忏悔了。“对不起，我讲错了，请你不要生气了。”好了，人家说：“算了，没有关系了。”此事就结束了，这个事情就临时的灭度了。但是你们的嘴巴改了吗？没有改。你碰见另外一个人又去讲了，你讲了之后人家跟你打官司，又骂你，你又开始生烦恼了，这个就是叫没有灭尽。你们听得懂吗？
Today, I want to talk to you about ignorance-based afflictions. These afflictions can be categorised into several types. One type is simply a lack of understanding—this is what we call ignorance. Another type is feeling troubled for no apparent reason, which is also a form of ignorance. Sudden bursts of anger are another example. There’s also the failure to understand the principles behind certain situations—when you can’t make sense of something, that too is an ignorance-based affliction.
So, how do we extinguish and eliminate these afflictions? In simple terms, to “extinguish” means to bring something to an end. When someone is troubled, how do they extinguish their afflictions? It can be done—like when you lose your temper, you might calm down after a while and feel that the affliction has been resolved. But can you truly eradicate it?
Imagine a bushfire by the roadside. You can put out the flames in one area, but if the fire isn’t completely extinguished, a gust of wind could reignite it. In the same way, afflictions keep arising because we can only suppress them temporarily, not fully eliminate them. You might resolve one affliction today, but another will come along tomorrow. This cycle is much like the cycle of rebirth. Do you understand? Let’s say you had a particular trouble, and you solved it—finally, it’s done! You feel happy and forget all about it. But next week, another issue comes up. Why does this happen? It’s because you haven’t addressed the root cause of ignorance-based afflictions. Without understanding their source and learning how to uproot them, you can’t truly get rid of them. To completely eliminate them, you must extinguish and eradicate them fully.
Think about the troubles you’ve faced today, then reflect on those you experienced in your youth. One by one, you’ve moved past them. Yet, why do you still have troubles now? This shows that the root hasn’t been cleansed, which is why problems keep arising. Your six sense bases aren’t pure, and this is why you continue to create troubles and face difficulties. For example, your speech might cause issues. Today, you may have spoken ill of someone. In the past, you might not have realised the harm, but now that you’re learning Buddhism, you understand the importance of repentance and apology. You say, “I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn. Please don’t be upset.” The other person might reply, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” That resolves the matter temporarily—it’s extinguished for the moment. But have you truly changed your speech habits? Probably not. The next time you meet someone, you might speak out of turn again, creating another issue. This time, they might take legal action against you or argue with you, and you find yourself troubled all over again. This happens because you haven’t eradicated the root cause. Do you understand?
“人无老死”，人没有老死的。老了，死了，他是生生世世的。他今天死了，等到他投胎了，他又开始生了，对不对？这叫“无老死尽”，就是永远没有尽头的。投胎在六道轮回，今天死了，明天活了。就像你们每一天从早上到晚上一样，哪一天可以从早到晚都是白天而没有晚上的？又有哪一天都是晚上而没有白天的呢？这就叫轮回，明白了吗？你们的胡子今天刮了，明天又长出了，这也是轮回。如果你在痛苦的时候说，“我再也不做这个事情了”，你这个时候是灭度了，是假性灭度，是临时灭度，是临时地想通了。就像很多人抽烟一样，你要让他改，他今天不抽了明天又抽了，他能彻底改掉吗？很多赌博的人把自己的手指都砍了，说：“我再也不赌博了，真的恨自己呀。”等老婆原谅他了，过一段时间又开始赌博了。就像很多人吸毒一样，打自己、恨自己，是没有尽头的。老死也是没有尽头的即无老死尽。“无苦集灭道”，苦也是无穷无尽的。你们想一想，人到哪一天会说我的苦受完了？但等死掉了还要下去受苦。在人间谁可以说我现在真的享福了，我太平了？有吗？你们年纪大的人不是都以为自己享福了吗？到澳洲来享清福了。那你们现在还有没有烦恼？想到自己的孩子、孙子、外孙等，你们说你们放下了吗？还是放不下呀。你们谁能放得下？是很难的。今天明白了，明天又不明白了，后天明白了，大后天又不明白了……人就这么轮回，轮轮回回，生生死死。能明白什么呢？所以连老死都要灭尽，也就是说一个人没有生死了，没有生，也没有死，你这个人才能超脱。那么你们可以问师父：“我没有生死，那我生出来不是事实吗？我要死掉不也是事实吗？”是，但是那是假相，那是假的东西，算不算是真的呢？你们小的时候、年轻的时候做了很多事情，现在还想得起来吗？都没有了。但是如果你们脱离不了这些杂念，你永远想着自己小的时候那些很不开心的事情，你就永远背着这些东西。听得懂吗？要把它放掉。什么叫“灭尽”？就是彻底地把它解决掉，彻底地不要去想它。没有生了，我下辈子再也不想做人了，就是没有死了。对不对？这不就是无老死尽了吗？把生死都灭尽了，什么人间物质都灭尽了就能解脱。过去很贪的人现在一点都不贪了，你就把这个“贪”字灭尽了，你就永远不会去贪了。因为你今天抽烟把这个肺抽坏了，你从现在开始说我再也不抽烟了，你不就是把这个抽烟的恶习灭尽了吗？当你把这个恶习灭尽之后，你还会肺不好吗？你等于把这个肺病给灭掉了。因为你无生了，所以就无死了。在人间的一切最后都带不走，也就“以无所得故”。
Now, I want to talk to you about the concept of “no old age and death.” This means there is no true end to old age or death. When a person grows old and dies, it’s simply part of an ongoing cycle. They pass away, are reborn, and begin a new life—this is the continuous cycle of birth and death. That’s what “no end to old age and death” signifies. Take the cycle of rebirth in the six realms of existence as an example: someone dies today and is reborn tomorrow. It’s like the cycle of day and night—can there ever be a day without night or a night without day? That’s the essence of the cycle of rebirth. Do you understand? Even when you shave your beard today, it grows back tomorrow—that’s a cycle too. Sometimes, when you’re in pain, you might think, “I’ll never do this again.” In that moment, you’ve extinguished the affliction—but it’s not a true extinguishment, only a temporary cessation. For instance, a smoker might quit today but pick up the habit again tomorrow. Can they truly stop for good? Many gamblers, after hitting rock bottom, swear off gambling—some even go so far as cutting off their fingers, saying, “I hate myself. I’ll never gamble again!” But once their spouse forgives them, they often fall back into the habit. The same goes for drug addiction—people might hate themselves, punish themselves, yet find it nearly impossible to stop entirely. This endless cycle of addiction and suffering mirrors the concept of “no end to old age and death.” Similarly, there is “no end to suffering, no end to the cause of suffering, no end to the cessation of suffering, and no end to the path to end suffering.” Suffering, too, is endless.
Think about it: has there ever been a time when you’ve said, “I’ve suffered enough, I’m done with it”? Even when life ends, suffering continues in the lower realms. In this world, can anyone truly say, “I’ve finally reached a state of peace and happiness”? You might feel that life is good, especially if you moved to Australia for a more comfortable life. But do you truly have no worries? You still fret over your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Can you honestly say you’ve let go of all that? Letting go is incredibly difficult. Today, you might feel enlightened, but tomorrow you’ll be confused again. The day after tomorrow, you might regain clarity, only to lose it once more the following day. This is the cycle—round and round, life and death, over and over. What can we truly understand if we’re stuck in this loop? To break free, even old age and death must be extinguished. Breaking free means transcending birth and death altogether.
You might ask me, “OK, it’s said that there is no birth nor death. But isn’t it a fact that I was physically born? Isn’t it a fact that I will physically die?” That’s true, but it’s just the surface—an illusion. Can you say that everything you did as a child or in your youth still holds weight now? Most of it has faded away. But if you can’t let go of those old memories or scattered thoughts, especially the painful ones, you’ll always carry that burden with you. Do you understand? You need to let go.
What does “eradication” mean? It means resolving something completely—never dwelling on it again. It’s the state where there’s no more birth, and therefore no more death. When you decide, “I don’t want to be reborn as a human again,” you’ve also decided not to die as a human. Isn’t that the essence of “no end to old age and death”? By eradicating both birth and death, and letting go of all material attachments in this world, you achieve liberation. For example, if you used to be greedy but now you’ve completely let go of greed, you’ve eradicated it. You’ll never fall into greed again. If smoking has damaged your lungs and you decide from this moment on, “I’ll never smoke again,” then you’ve eradicated that bad habit. Once you’ve eradicated it, your lungs can begin to heal—you’ve effectively eradicated the harm caused by smoking. When there’s no birth, there’s no death. Ultimately, nothing in this world can be taken with you when you go, which is why the sutras say, “There is nothing to attain.”
师父现在给你们讲《心经》。你们背得很熟，但要理解心经的含义。为什么观世音菩萨的经咒这么好？《心经》为什么能开人的智慧？很多人的心脏不好，师父今天讲给你们听，心脏不好的人实际上就是心脏压力太大，就算是遗传的让你心脏不好也是属于心胸不够宽。但是除了上辈子的心脏不好，这辈子如果你又吃了很多油腻的东西，所以就促成了你这个燃烧火药的爆炸——心脏不好。听得懂吗？当然这里面也不是百分之一百的。所以心脏不好的人念什么经最好呀？是念《心经》。《心经》就是解开你心中的烦恼和疙瘩，《心经》就是让你明白人世间的道理，《心经》就是给你增长智慧。因为人有了智慧之后才不会烦恼，不会忧伤。你把心中一些不好的东西全部灭度了，全部灭尽了，那你还会有什么烦恼呢？“我连生都不怕了（稀里糊涂就到这个人间来了），我以后也不想再生了，我就想超脱六道轮回。”那你哪来的死呢？犹如已经是一个人了，单身了，过去的婚姻给你造成很大的痛苦，你这辈子就不想再找了，那你就不会在感情上再有痛苦了。夫妻都是缘，不是恶缘就是善缘。问题是你没有把你的这个思维砍掉，所以你认为自己还要有下一次婚姻，那等待你的就是下一次的烦恼和业障，然后又继续开始吵呀闹呀。我们有一位听众，她的先生已经离她而去了，本应该是件很开心的事情–这个冤家离她而去了。但是不行呀，我要念经把他念回家。好了，念回家了。再吵、再闹、再生烦恼，这不就叫轮回吗？听得懂吗？你们每一个人都给我听一听，讲的是你们每一个人。犹如在生活当中，明明这个事情没有了还要再提起来，再生烦恼。神经病才会把过去的事情拿到现在来讲，还要讲，还要讲，这个就是典型的神经病前兆，听得懂吗？学佛能让人开悟，就是要灭度自己身上不好的东西，要把它灭尽。怎么样灭尽呢？很多做长辈的人怎么会发病的呢？就是一想起过去那些不开心的事情，接下来就发病了。
I am delving into the Heart Sutra now. Many of you can recite it fluently, but understanding its meaning is just as important. Why is the mantra and sutra of Guan Yin Bodhisattva so powerful? Why does the Heart Sutra have the ability to unlock wisdom? For many people with heart problems, the issue often stems from excessive stress. Even if a heart condition is hereditary, it can still be linked to an inability to let go or maintain a broad mindset. On top of karmic influences from past lives, if in this life you consume too many rich, oily foods, it’s like adding fuel to the fire—it exacerbates heart problems. Do you understand? Of course, this isn’t always the case, but it’s an important factor.
So, what sutra is best for those with heart problems? The Heart Sutra. The Heart Sutra helps dissolve the knots and worries in your heart. It helps you understand the truths of the human world and cultivates your wisdom. When you develop wisdom, you free yourself from worries and sorrow. Once you extinguish all the negative things in your heart, what reason is left to feel troubled? For instance, if you’re no longer afraid of being born into this world—understanding that you’ve arrived here somewhat unknowingly—and you decide you don’t want to be reborn again because your goal is to transcend the cycle of rebirth in the six realms of existence, then where does death hold power over you?
Let’s take relationships as an example. Say someone has been through a painful marriage and decides they don’t want to marry again—they’re done with the emotional pain. If you cut off the attachment to relationships, you won’t suffer emotionally again. Marriages are all about karmic connections—whether good or bad. The problem is, if you don’t break free from that way of thinking, you’ll keep seeking another relationship, which will bring more troubles and karmic obstacles. You’ll end up repeating the same cycle of arguments and conflicts.
I’ll share an example. One listener of my radio program had a difficult relationship with her husband, who eventually left her. This should have been a relief—a source of happiness, as this karmic conflict had finally ended. But instead, she insisted on reciting sutras to bring him back. And when he indeed returned, the cycle of arguments and troubles started all over again. Isn’t this the cycle of rebirth in action? Do you understand?
All of you, listen carefully. What I’m talking about applies to every one of you. In life, some things are over and done with, but you keep bringing them up again, creating fresh troubles for yourself. Only someone unwell in the mind would drag past issues into the present, revisiting them repeatedly. Do you understand? Dwelling on the past like this is a clear sign of emotional instability. Practising Buddhism helps us awaken. It teaches us to extinguish the negative things within ourselves and eliminate them completely. But how do we do that? Many older people develop illnesses because they dwell on unhappy memories from the past. When they let those memories resurface, they harm themselves.
一切无明和老死都是轮回的现象。实际上你不明白也只是暂时的不明白。很多的人你去劝他信佛念经，他不信佛，对不对？但是等到他要死的时候，鬼来找他了，他才知道原来真的有鬼。等拉他走的时候，“哎呀，早一点相信就好了。”实际上他是暂时的无明，他是暂时的烦恼。人的烦恼都是暂时的，人所有的一切都是暂时的。所以对他来讲就是一个暂时的肉体，有什么烦恼呀？今天有，明天就没有了。想一想你们年轻的时候有多少事情过不去？在单位里做错事情被老板开除了。出大事情了，不得了了，觉得活不下去了。现在想想，不都过来了吗？今天被人调查了，出大事情了，过几天不是解决了吗？对不对？所以要明白这一切都是假相，属于轮回现象。轮回现象是什么意思呢？任何事情有的，就没有了，没有了，又有了。你今天有男朋友，就意味着你以后有一天会没有；你今天没有男朋友，就意味着你有一天会拥有。你今天饭吃得很饱的时候，就意味着你会有肚子饿；等到你肚子饿的时候，就意味着你能吃得饱。这不叫轮回吗？所以都是一种缘起。什么叫缘起？就是缘分。今天有了，就是缘分；明天没有了，它也是自然的没缘分了。今天我有饭吃，我有这个缘分；明天我没有饭吃，我就没有这个缘分了。所有的轮回都是一种缘分。我今天做人了，也是一种缘；明天死掉了，也是一种缘。后天被抓起来了，又是一种缘；想不通了，也是一种缘。有多少人自己找麻烦，这就叫自己找缘。但是问题是前面忘记加一个字，是自己找恶缘还是找善缘？为什么出家人他们不要结婚呢？为什么他们把这个缘分不要了呢？因为他们明白了，他们学佛了，他们懂道理了，所以这些对他们无所谓。他们认为人和人之间的结合本身就是一种缘，不是恶缘就是善缘，缘尽了也就没了，那还不如不要。他们为什么想得通呢？因为他们知道这个世界本身就是有生就有灭的生灭体。
All ignorance and old age-death are phenomena of the cycle of rebirth. In reality, if you don’t understand something, it’s only a temporary lack of understanding. Think about it—when you encourage someone to believe in Buddhism and recite sutras, and they refuse, that’s temporary ignorance. But when they’re on their deathbed, and ghosts come for them, they suddenly realise that ghosts really do exist. At that moment, as they’re being taken away, they regretfully think, “If only I had believed earlier!” This is a classic example of temporary ignorance and temporary affliction.
All human troubles are temporary. Everything in life is temporary. Even the physical body is temporary—so why be consumed by worry? You may feel troubled today, but by tomorrow, it’s gone. Think back to your younger days—how many things seemed impossible to overcome back then? Maybe you made a mistake at work and got fired. At the time, it felt like the end of the world, like life was unbearable. But looking back now, didn’t you get through it? Or maybe you were investigated for something and thought it was a huge disaster. Yet a few days later, the matter was resolved. Right? You must realise that all of this is an illusion—a phenomenon of the cycle of rebirth. What does this mean? It’s the cycle of existence where things come and go, over and over. Today, you have a boyfriend, which means one day you may lose him. If you don’t have a boyfriend now, it means one day you might have one. When you’re full from eating, it means hunger will return. And when you’re hungry, it means you’ll eventually eat and feel full again. Isn’t this the essence of the cycle of rebirth?
Everything is interconnected by conditions. What are conditions? They’re the arising and ceasing of circumstances. Today, something exists because the right conditions are present. Tomorrow, it may no longer exist because those conditions have naturally disappeared. For instance, today you have food to eat—that’s the condition you have now. Tomorrow, if you don’t have food, it’s simply because the condition no longer exists. The entire cycle of rebirth operates on conditions. Even being born as a human is a condition. Dying tomorrow is also a condition. Getting into trouble or being caught the next day is yet another condition. When you feel stuck and can’t let go, that too is a condition. Many people create their own troubles—this is what it means to invite conditions upon yourself. But the key question is: are you creating wholesome conditions or unwholesome ones?
Why don’t monks and nuns get married? Why do they choose to let go of those conditions? Because they’ve awakened—they’ve studied Buddhism and understand the deeper truths of life. They have no attachments to these conditions. They see relationships between people as simply conditions, either wholesome or unwholesome. When the conditions end, the relationship naturally ends too. So, they think, “If it’s going to end anyway, why bother attaching to it in the first place?” Why are they able to gain such clarity about the truth of life? Because they understand the true essence of this world: with arising, there is ceasing.