修心修佛，实之不易。怎么样修心呢？把自己的行为怎么样修正呢？修心，就是修正自己心里的毛病。修行，就是修正自己的行为。我们很多人的行为都很差，很多人心里想的东西都很肮脏。那么怎么样来修呢？首先修心要有信心，如果一个人修心连信心都没有，不会有效果的。你天天在念经，天天在求观世音菩萨，如果还在想：我行不行啊，灵不灵啊，会不会碰到魔障啊，会不会怎么样啊。师父告诉你们，这样是修不好的。很多人修到现在不灵就是这个道理。没有什么话好讲的。一个人不能控制自己的欲望，不能控制自己的一些想法，很简单，这个人就叫没修。
Cultivating the mind and practising Buddhism is no easy task. How do we cultivate our minds? How do we correct our behaviour? Cultivating the mind means correcting the flaws within our hearts, and practising involves correcting our actions. Many of us have poor behaviour, and many of our thoughts are impure. So, how do we begin to cultivate? First, you must have faith. If you lack faith when cultivating your mind, it won’t be effective. If you’re constantly reciting sutras and praying to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, but still thinking, “Will I be successful? Will it work? Will I encounter obstacles? What if something goes wrong?” then I’m telling you—you won’t succeed in your practice. Many people find that their practice isn’t effective for this very reason. There’s nothing more to say on the matter. If a person can’t control their desires or thoughts, it’s simple—they’re not practising genuinely.
修心是什么？修心就是深深地挖出自己心中最原始的本性，并把它好好地擦洗。大家一定要明白一个道理：我们做人也好，做事也好，经常讲一句话叫“凭良心做事情”。那么你的良心在哪里呢？为什么有些人的良心这么坏，而有些人的良心却很好呢？就是你这个良心、良知、本性已经遭到世尘的破坏了。你已经不是你自己原来的本性了。
What does it mean to cultivate the mind? It means digging deep to uncover your most fundamental nature and cleansing it thoroughly. You must all understand this principle: whether we are dealing with people or situations, we often say, “Act with a clear conscience.” But where is your conscience? Why is it that some people have a bad conscience, while others have a good one? It’s because your conscience and inherent nature have been damaged by worldly impurities. You are no longer your original self.
今天给大家讲“根本智”。一个人要从根本上来挖掘他的智慧，叫根本智。根本智就是般若智慧。因为只有自己知道有没有完全挖掘了自己最深处的智慧，那是菩萨的智慧，你才能断无明烦恼。烦恼是什么？菩萨说“烦恼即菩提”。你只有用你的智慧来化解烦恼之后，烦恼就成为菩提了。很多人嘴巴很会讲，他能解释世界的万物，万有的现象，这个也能说，那个也能说，这个人是不是般若智慧啊？并不是。这叫“后得智”。就是说这个事情已经存在了，他才知道的，这个智慧叫后得智。后得智也是不容易的。就像《三国演义》里讲的，诸葛亮是未卜先知，曹操是事后才知，这就是智慧不同。一个是能够预测，一个是时间差不多了才有感觉了。后得智是从根本智上生出来的，就是从原始的善灵、原始的最根本的本性散发出来的智慧。
Today, I’m going to talk about “Fundamental Wisdom.” A person needs to dig deep into their innate wisdom, and this is called Fundamental Wisdom. Fundamental Wisdom is Prajna wisdom. Only when you have fully uncovered the deepest part of your own wisdom—the wisdom of a Bodhisattva—can you overcome ignorance and afflictions. What are afflictions? The Bodhisattvas say, “Afflictions are Bodhi.” Only when you use your wisdom to dissolve your afflictions can they transform into Bodhi (enlightenment).
Many people are very articulate. They can explain everything in the world, discussing this and that. But is this Prajna wisdom? No, this is called “Acquired Wisdom.” It means they only understand things after they’ve already happened, and this wisdom is called Acquired Wisdom. While Acquired Wisdom is not easy to attain, it’s different from Prajna Wisdom. For example, in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang had the ability to predict the future, while Cao Cao only understood things after the fact. This shows the difference in wisdom—one can foresee events, while the other only realises what’s happening when it’s almost too late. Acquired Wisdom stems from Fundamental Wisdom, which is the wisdom that radiates from one’s original good nature, the most fundamental inherent nature of the soul.
实际上，追求般若就是绝顶智慧的一个作用，而且有了般若智慧之后你是无所不能的，什么问题都能得到解决。“智慧”这两个字，实际上是无知。因为他追求的是人间的那种智慧，他所享受的和他所得到的是人间的智慧。因为人间的智慧是有限的，只有从人的本性散发出来的智慧才是无限的。人间的智慧是被人追求出来的，很多人追求聪明、追求智慧，以为这个聪明、这个智慧对于他很重要。什么叫聪明？什么叫智慧？师父经常跟你们说，聪明不代表有智慧，智慧里一定包含有聪明，但是这个智慧还是有等次的，它不是最高的境界，真正的智慧叫般若智慧。人间智慧是一般人的智慧，不是最高的智慧。你们修心像追求阳光一样，只要沿着正确的方向追逐阳光，你这辈子就看不到阴影了。因为你追逐的是阳光，那是光明，那是大道。如果你追逐的是阴影，那你就永远看不到阳光。当一个人修心、修法、修佛走错路的时候，他就永远看不到正确的、光明的修心的东西。
In reality, pursuing Prajna is the ultimate expression of wisdom, and once you attain Prajnawisdom, you become capable of anything, and all problems can be solved. The word “wisdom” actually implies a form of “not knowing.” Why? Because people often pursue worldly wisdom. What they enjoy and gain is merely human wisdom, but human wisdom is limited. Only the wisdom that comes from a person’s inherent nature is infinite. Worldly wisdom is something people chase after—many strive to be clever or gain wisdom, thinking it’s important. But what is cleverness? What is wisdom? I often tell you, being clever doesn’t mean you have wisdom. True wisdom includes cleverness, but wisdom comes in levels, and it’s not the highest realm. The highest form of wisdom is Prajna wisdom. Worldly wisdom is common wisdom—it’s not the ultimate form.
Cultivating the mind is like chasing the sun. As long as you follow the right path in pursuit of sunlight, you’ll never see shadows in your life. Why? Because when you’re chasing the sun, you’re moving toward light and the great path. But if you chase after shadows, you’ll never see the sunlight. When someone goes astray in their spiritual cultivation or Buddhist practice, they’ll never find the correct, enlightened path.
要经常深看自己的心。要把自己的心看到，实际上就是看到自己的思维。因为你的心想了，你的思维才会出来。比如我今天想去做一件事情，你看看自己想得对不对啊，做得对不对啊。“我很恨这个人”，你就要看看自己为什么恨他，我为什么要对他不好。这就是在用良心去平衡。深看自己的心，就是要看到你心的本性，然后发觉一切的奇迹会在你的身上。普通地看你的心，没有奇迹会发生，往深处看奇迹就发生了。举个例子：人在吵架时很恨人家。不用深心看，我单单地看看自己这颗心，一看：“这个人骗我钱了，我生气了，我很恨他，我明天要去告他。他居然敢骗我的钱，他居然敢这么伤害我。”但是如果你往深心看，看到自己的本性之后，就会想：“算了，不就是几千块钱嘛，这个人也蛮可怜的。他今天骗我了，他以后会有报应的。而且是因为他家里现在这么穷，他才出来骗钱。不管怎么样，我被他骗了我还能够活，他继续这样，总有一天会被人家抓起来的。算了，这种人也怪可怜的，花钱消灾吧。”看到你的本性了吧？奇迹出现了吧？你居然会原谅一个对你不好的人，你居然会原谅一个骗你的人和伤害你的人。这就叫奇迹。经常看看自己内心深处最潜在的东西之后，你会明白，你要原谅这个人。
You must frequently look deep within your mind. Seeing your mind clearly means understanding your thoughts, as your thoughts arise from what your mind desires. For example, if today I want to do something, I need to check whether what I’m thinking and doing is right or wrong. If I feel hatred toward someone, I need to ask myself, “Why do I hate them? Why am I treating them poorly?” This process involves using your conscience to balance things out. Looking deep within your mind means recognising your inherent nature, and when you do, miracles will start to happen. If you only examine your mind superficially, nothing miraculous will occur. But if you look deeper, that’s when the miracles begin.
Let me give you an example: When someone argues with you, it’s easy to feel hatred. If you only look at the surface of your mind, you might think, “This person stole my money! I’m furious. I hate them. I’ll sue them tomorrow. How dare they take my money and hurt me like this!” But if you look deeper, beyond your immediate feelings, you’ll discover your inherent nature. Then, you might think, “It’s just a few thousand dollars. This person is probably in a desperate situation. They’ll face the consequences of their actions. Maybe they’re stealing because they’re poor. I’m upset, but I’ll still survive, while if they continue like this, they’ll eventually get caught. This person is actually quite pitiful. Maybe I can consider this money as a way of avoiding greater misfortune.”
Do you see your inherent nature? That’s when the miracle happens—you suddenly find yourself forgiving someone who scammed or hurt you. That’s a miracle. When you regularly examine the deepest part of your mind, you’ll realise that forgiveness is possible.
人要凭良心做事。经常窥视一下自己的内心，你就会发现，很多奇迹会发生。明明他对我不好，我对他好。他这么恨我，我也对他好。很多时候，老婆的钱包被人偷了，男人小气的话会不停地唠叨。如果你用自己的本性、良心想一想：老婆的钱被偷了，她比我还要难过呢，她不知道难过吗？如果那个时候给她一点安慰是多么好。这就是平时的做人。你要让一个人真心对你好，你就要付出真心对人家好。你为什么要让已经做错事情的人更加难过呢？学佛就是不要让人家很难过。让人家痛上加痛，就不是菩萨了。
One must act with a clear conscience. When you frequently reflect on your own mind, you’ll discover that many miracles can happen. For example, even if someone treats you poorly, you can still treat them kindly. Even if they hate you, you can still respond with kindness. Consider a situation where a wife’s purse is stolen, and if her husband is stingy, he might keep nagging her about it. But if he reflects on his inherent nature and conscience, he’d realise: “My wife is already feeling worse than I am. She’s upset about the stolen money. Isn’t it better to offer her some comfort instead?” This is what it means to be a decent person. If you want someone to truly care for you, you need to show genuine care for them first. Why would you want to make someone who’s already made a mistake feel even worse? Practising Buddhism means not making others feel more miserable. Adding to someone’s pain doesn’t make you a Bodhisattva.
今天预约来了一对夫妻，老公天天骂他老婆。台长说他女儿很可怜，女儿哭了。台长告诉那个丈夫，一个女人嫁给你多不容易。他们家怎么会出现这些矛盾呢？已经倒霉两年了。起因就是因为撞车，然后去医院看病，医生说可以帮他找人打官司，可以索赔多少。他一念贪心，他的老婆已经快变成忧郁症了。现在的律师跟他说，“好，因为你已经有忧郁症了，可以一起索赔。”人不能贪啊。台长跟那丈夫说，你有钱没钱你自己知道。你老婆是一位专科医生，两年时间可以赚多少钱，最后你赢了，钱也全部打官司了。台长这么一说，他们心中全明白了。台长问他们，如果不打官司你们会损失什么？他们说什么都不会损失。台长叫他们从今天开始就不要再打官司，从今天开始就解放了，没烦恼了。台长就是这么救人的。夫妻俩离开的时候可开心了。因为他们在打官司时需要体检，医生不停地让他们讲过程，讲到就生气，他们在精神上已经受不了了。
Today, a married couple came in for an appointment. The husband was constantly berating his wife. I told him how much their daughter was suffering, and she started crying. I said to the husband, “Do you realise how much your wife has sacrificed to stay married to you?” Their family had been dealing with conflicts for two years. It all started after a car accident. They went to the hospital, and a doctor suggested that they could find a lawyer to file a lawsuit and claim compensation. That’s when the husband’s greed kicked in. His wife was already on the brink of depression, and now the lawyer was telling them, “Since your wife is depressed, you can claim even more in damages.”
People shouldn’t be so greedy. I said to the husband, “You know whether you have money or not. Your wife is a specialist doctor—just think how much she could have earned over these two years. Even if you win the case, all the money will go into legal fees.” After hearing this, they both understood. I asked them, “What will you lose if you don’t go ahead with the lawsuit?” They replied, “Nothing.” So, I advised them to drop the lawsuit and free themselves from it—no more worries. That’s how I help people. The couple left feeling really happy. They’d been going through medical assessments for the lawsuit, and every time they had to retell the story, it made them angry. Mentally, they just couldn’t cope anymore.
师父给你们讲，要向前看，只有拨开云雾才能见晴天。很多人被云雾所遮盖，永远看不到晴天。在生活中学佛，永远要拨开迷雾。女人的嘴巴不要喋喋不休地说，讲得太多就像一艘漏水的船。人家坐在你船上跟你交朋友，看见那水天天在漏，那船早晚要沉下去的，人家都会逃走的。所以嘴巴喋喋不休的人，人家永远不会跟你做好朋友的。男人和女人都一样，不要多讲话，有时间多念经。师父讲的都是高深的哲理，希望你们好好听。
大家都听说过“禅定”。禅定是一种高深莫测的修行方法。在佛法上讲，禅定叫大三昧光明云。什么叫光明云？亮的有光芒的云层，实际上就是修到天上去了。打禅能够把自己的魂魄修到天上去，但这个天没有跳出三界。三昧是梵语，称作为正受。你要在人间承受所有的东西，而且要用正确的思想、正确的理念和正确的方法来承受，这个就叫三昧。禅定是一种修行方法，但是，如果你没有一定的功力就很容易出偏差。当你打坐的时候，当你入禅的时候，你都不知道守哪里。女人守壇中，男人守丹田。壇中就是两乳中间这个位置，打坐时意念要集中在这个地方。丹田是脐下三指。师父不主张你们学禅定，但是要理解、明白。禅定的最高境界叫一心不乱。很多人坐在那儿禅定，但心比平时不坐时还要乱。经常贪睡、昏睡的人不是很好的修行的人。真正修行的人睡觉不能超过 8小时，庙里的和尚基本上不能超过6小时。人的智慧会在睡眠中逐渐地消磨掉。经常昏睡的人是没有智慧的。胖人也是比较没有智慧的。人间的“精”是没有用的。三昧是修心修行的枢纽。
Let me tell you this: look ahead—only by clearing away the clouds can you see a sunny sky. Many people are constantly shrouded in clouds and never get to see the sun. In life, when practising Buddhism, you must always clear away the fog of confusion. Women shouldn’t be overly talkative. If you talk too much, it’s like being on a leaking boat. Your friends are like the people on that boat. When they see it leaking every day, they know that sooner or later, the boat will sink, and they’ll want to escape. So, if you’re always talking excessively, people will never want to be your close friends. This applies to both men and women—don’t talk too much, and instead, spend more time reciting sutras. The lessons I teach contain deep wisdom, so I hope you’ll listen carefully.
You’ve probably all heard of meditative concentration. It’s a profound method of spiritual cultivation. In Buddhism, meditative concentration is referred to as “The Light Cloud of Great Samadhi.” What is a light cloud? It’s a bright, radiant cloud, symbolising that you have ascended to higher levels through practice. Through meditation, you can elevate your spirit to the Heavens, but these Heavens are still within the Three Realms. Samadhi is a Sanskrit term that means “right concentration.” It refers to enduring all things in the human world with the right thoughts, the right beliefs, and the right methods—that’s what Samadhi is.
Meditative concentration is a method of spiritual cultivation, but without a solid foundation, it’s easy to go astray. When you meditate, you might not even know where to focus your attention. Women should focus on the area between their breasts, while men should focus on the Dantian—the spot three fingers below the navel. I don’t recommend that you practise meditative concentration, but you should understand and be aware of it. The highest state of meditative concentration is called the state of “undisturbed single-mindedness.”
Many people sit for meditation, but their minds are even more restless than when they aren’t meditating. People who are often lazy or drowsy are not good cultivators. True cultivators shouldn’t sleep for more than eight hours, and monks in temples generally sleep less than six hours. Human wisdom is slowly worn away during sleep. Those who sleep excessively lack wisdom, and overweight people also tend to have less wisdom. The physical “essence” of the human body is not as important. Samadhi is the key to both cultivating the mind and spiritual practice.
学佛要有戒律，戒律可以让人断烦恼。因为多听、多看，多烦恼。不听、不看、不讲，断烦恼。学佛修心要量身度造。到底哪个法门适合你，你就好好修哪个法门。这是师父接下来要给你们讲的事情。第一，法门平等。八万四千法门平等，这是师父给你们讲的，实际上就是菩萨讲的。第二，殊途同归，并无高下。八万四千法门都是想上天，都是想成正果，但是哪个法门快，哪个法门适合你，哪个法门能救你，哪个法门马上能用，哪个法门修不上去。你以为每个法门都能够修上去吗？你以为每个医生都能把病治好吗？不要把八万四千法门比来比去。就像选美一样，每个人有每个人的优点，有的甜美、有的大方、有的漂亮，而且审美的观点还不一样。审美观念随着时代变化，就像汽车的外形一样不停地在变化。
Practising Buddhism requires following precepts, and these precepts can help you overcome afflictions. The more you listen and see, the more afflictions you’ll accumulate. By not listening, not seeing, and not speaking, you’ll reduce your afflictions. When practising Buddhism and cultivating your mind, it must be tailored to suit you personally. You need to figure out which Dharma Door (Buddhist method) is right for you and focus on practising that Dharma Door. This is what I’ll explain to you today.
First, all Dharma Doors are equal. There are 84,000 Dharma Doors, and they are all equal. This is what I teach you, but in reality, it’s what the Bodhisattvas have said. Second, different paths lead to the same destination, and none is inherently superior. All 84,000 Dharma Doors aim for the same goal—to ascend to the Heavens and attain enlightenment. But which Dharma Door is the fastest? Which Dharma Door suits you? Which Dharma Door can save you right now? Which Dharma Door can be used immediately, and which one won’t work? Do you think every Dharma Door can help you ascend? Do you think every doctor can cure your illness? Don’t compare the 84,000 Dharma Doors to each other. It’s like a beauty contest—everyone has their own strengths. Some are sweet, some are graceful, and some are beautiful. And everyone’s sense of beauty is different. Just like the design of cars changes over time, beauty standards shift with the times.
怎样知道哪个法门适合自己呢？第一，要用得习惯。第二，要用得有效果。第三，要用得自在。第四，要用得顺利。那你就一门深入，这就是你要学的法门。现在很多听众如果哪一天没有念经，就觉得有什么事情没有做似的，就活得不舒服。就是因为已经习惯了念经，既自在，又有效果——家庭好了，事业顺了，孩子听话了。
How do you know which Dharma Door is right for you? First, it should feel natural. Second, it should be effective. Third, it should feel comfortable. Fourth, it should flow smoothly without obstacles. When you find a Dharma Door that meets these criteria, that’s the one you should focus on and commit to. Many followers of the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door feel uneasy if they skip a day of reciting sutras—it’s like they’ve missed something. That’s because the practice has become a habit for them—it’s natural, effective, and beneficial. Their family life improves, their career prospers, and their children become more well-behaved.
接下来给大家讲度众生。什么叫度众生？自己修心后怎样来度人家、度众生。度众生是学大乘，是法施。度众生很重要。一个人要学会度众生。度众生是有条件的：首先，度众生的人必须要断烦恼。然后，戒贪心。第三，发悲心。第四，圆成佛道。
Now, let me talk to you about guiding and awakening sentient beings. What does it mean to guide and awaken them? After you’ve cultivated your own mind, how do you help others and awaken sentient beings? Guiding and awakening others is part of the Mahayana tradition, and it’s a form of giving through Dharma. It’s very important to learn how to guide and awaken sentient beings, but there are conditions for doing so. First, you must be free from your own afflictions. Second, you must let go of greed. Third, you must cultivate compassion. And fourth, you must strive towards attaining Buddhahood.
最近有位听众告诉师父他梦见了世界末日，就像电影里一样。龙卷风、山崩地裂，大家全部被卷进去了，没有一个人活着。他也被卷进去了，他进去后竟然还想到台长，他叫“卢台长”，结果卢台长居然出现了，还跟他讲了很多话，救了他。他醒过来后清楚地记得台长跟他讲的话。等到台长问他时，他又忘了。在末法时期，灾难频生更应断烦恼。烦恼无尽誓愿断。烦恼是没有尽头的，只要是人，就永远有烦恼。学佛的人一定要断掉烦恼。断了烦恼后可以修学戒定慧。断烦恼是戒定慧的基础。烦恼是庸人自扰，学佛就是要学智慧。
Recently, a Buddhist practitioner told me he had a dream about the end of the world, just like in the movies. There were tornadoes, mountains collapsing, and the earth splitting open—everyone was swept away, and no one survived. He, too, was caught up in the chaos, but while in it, he suddenly thought of Master Lu. He called out, “Master Lu,” and incredibly, Master Lu appeared, spoke to him, and saved him. When he woke up, he clearly remembered what Master Lu had said to him, but by the time he told me about it, he had forgotten the details.
世间所有的缘起没有一样不是要启发我们的觉性。不要怕事情来了，事情来了你要勇敢地面对，你会开悟很多。所以在世界上碰到很多缘来的时候，不要怕。但是情愿碰好缘，少碰恶缘，因为恶缘会伤到你的。所以师父经常跟你们讲，不该你碰的就不要去碰，不该你看的就不要去看，不该你听的就不要听，不该你做的就不要去做。如果不该你做的你去做了，烦恼起了吧，麻烦来了吧。一个人活在世界上要靠自己，不能靠人家，靠别人是靠不住的。修心也一样。
In this Age of Dharma Decline, with disasters happening frequently, we should be even more diligent in cutting off our afflictions. “Endless are the afflictions; I vow to end them.” Afflictions are never-ending. As long as you are human, you will always have afflictions. Those who practise Buddhism must work to cut them off. Once afflictions are cut off, you can then cultivate discipline (precepts), concentration, and wisdom. Freeing yourself from afflictions is the foundation for discipline, concentration, and wisdom. Afflictions are troubles created by the foolish. Learning Buddhism is about cultivating wisdom.
All the causes and conditions in the world are meant to awaken our inherent awareness. Don’t be afraid when challenges arise—when they come, face them courageously, and you’ll gain much insight from them. So, when different conditions arise in life, don’t be scared. However, it’s better to encounter positive conditions rather than negative ones, as bad conditions can harm you. That’s why I often tell you: don’t get involved in things you shouldn’t, don’t look at things you shouldn’t see, don’t listen to things you shouldn’t hear, and don’t do things you shouldn’t do. If you engage in things you shouldn’t, afflictions will arise, and so will troubles. In this world, you must rely on yourself; you cannot depend on others, as they won’t always be reliable. The same applies to cultivating your mind.