接下来师父给大家讲“三障”。什么是三障？就是烦恼障、业障和报障。什么叫烦恼呢？烦恼就是无明，就是不明白，就是迷惑。因为你不明白，你迷惑了，你产生烦恼了。如果你什么事情都搞不清楚，就有烦恼了，对不对？你们想想看就知道了。比如人家在交头接耳，你在边上一看，会不会在讲我？因为你不明白，你迷惑了，接下来你的烦恼就开始了。大家听得懂吗？所以不明白就会起烦恼，不明白就是障碍。一个搞不清楚的人，实际上他就是有障碍。比如耳朵听不清楚的人，就是耳朵有障碍；眼睛看不清楚的人，就是眼睛有障碍；嘴巴说不清楚的人，就是语言有障碍。师父给你们讲了这么多年的障碍、孽障，你们今天好好想一想，这是不是人生的孽障。智障是什么？就是智慧上的障碍，就是智力方面有障碍。所以只要有这些障碍，比如你迷惑了，搞不清楚，你就开始烦恼了，而且不明理。
Next, I’d like to talk to you about the Three Obstacles. What are the Three Obstacles? They are: the obstacle of affliction, the obstacle of karma, and the obstacle of retribution. So, what is affliction? It’s ignorance—not understanding, being confused. Because you don’t understand, you become confused, and then afflictions arise. If you can’t see things clearly, you naturally become troubled, right? Just think about it. For example, if you see two people whispering to each other, you might immediately think, “Are they talking about me?” That’s because you don’t understand the situation—you’re confused—and straightaway, afflictions arise. Do you understand? So, ignorance leads to affliction, and ignorance itself is an obstacle. A person who can’t see things clearly is carrying obstacles. For instance, someone who can’t hear clearly has an obstacle in their hearing. Someone who can’t see clearly has an obstacle in their sight. Someone who can’t speak clearly has a speech obstacle. I’ve spoken to you over many years about obstacles and karmic obstacles. Today, take a moment to reflect carefully—aren’t these all part of the karmic burdens we carry through human life? And what is intellectual disability? It’s an obstacle to wisdom—an obstacle in one’s mental capacity. So whenever you encounter these kinds of obstacles—whenever you are confused or unclear—you naturally fall into affliction and lose your sense of proper judgement.
师父接下来给大家讲，在行为上的障碍是什么？行为上的障碍就是杀盗淫。你今天去杀一些不该杀的动物了，偷盗人家的东西了，这个也算是行为上的智障。如果你语言上偷盗人家，那就是属于语言犯罪。比如人家告诉你这些话，你去告诉另外一个人了，但是你在告诉别人的时候你把人家的原话偷掉了，断章取义就是偷盗，语言上的偷盗也是犯罪。大家听得懂吗？所以一些不顺利的念头出来，实际上你就是犯戒了。什么叫不顺利的念头？就是一些不在常理的念头。比如这个事情你明明做不到的，你非要去做。只要不是在情理中的事情，你硬要去做，你就是犯戒了。大家听得懂吗？看看人家有钱，自己也想有钱，想我要怎么做才能有钱呢？然后动出一些不合常理的脑筋，这个人就叫犯戒。杀盗淫，这是行为上的，就是师父给大家讲的叫报障。我把报障放在前面先给大家讲了。报障是因为你有这个杀、盗、淫，你才会得到报应。你杀人会不会有报应呀？你偷盗会不会有报应呀？你淫荡是不是有报应呀？你不要说在人间有什么淫荡不好的想法，就是身体都会给你报应。过去有多少皇帝整天做那些男女之事，到最后他的身体就很不好并且早死，这不叫报应吗？这叫报障。这个障碍、这个孽障是属于报障。
Now let me explain obstacles in conduct. What are they? They refer to the acts of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. If today you kill animals that shouldn’t be killed, or you steal from others, this too is a kind of obstacle in conduct—a lapse in wisdom. There are also speech offences. For example, someone tells you something, and when you pass it on to someone else, you leave out or alter their original words. This kind of misrepresentation—taking words out of context—is a form of stealing through speech, and that too is a wrongdoing. Do you understand? When unwholesome thoughts arise, you are already violating the precepts. What do we mean by “unwholesome thoughts”? These are thoughts that go against reason and moral principles. For example, there’s something you clearly cannot or should not do, yet you insist on doing it anyway. That’s going against what is reasonable or proper—and that’s a violation of the precepts. Do you follow? Say you see someone with wealth, and you think, “I want to be rich too. What can I do to achieve that?” Then you start scheming in ways that defy moral sense—that’s breaking a precept.
Acts of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct—these are actions that lead to retributive obstacles, which I will explain first. Retributive obstacles arise because you’ve committed acts like killing, stealing, or engaging in sexual misconduct—and now you must face the karmic consequences. If you kill, will there be consequences? If you steal, will there be consequences? If you engage in immoral sexual conduct, will there be karmic retribution? Absolutely. It’s not just that impure thoughts in this world are wrong—your very body will undergo retribution. In the past, many emperors indulged excessively in lustful behaviour, and as a result, they ruined their health and died young. Isn’t that retribution? That is the obstacle of retribution—a heavy karmic obstacle.
师父接下来给大家讲业障，就是我刚才给大家说的贪瞋痴。贪瞋痴是什么？不应该的东西你去贪了；瞋恨了，就是去恨人家了；去愚痴了，明明你不应该得到的你非要去得到，那就是业报。什么叫业报？比方说我今天去贪这个事情没有贪到，接下来报应就来了。这个报应是什么呢？就是你没有贪到就会生气，对不对？你一生气之后，你心里就过不去，就越来越和自己过不去，然后就越来越难过，你就业报了。瞋就是恨人家，越恨人家你的报应越大，因为恨人家实际上是一种反弹。当你恨人家的时候，就是给自己创造了一个不利的因素，就是让你自己陷入一个泥坑里，你就钻不出来了。因为当你恨人家的时候，你的身体会不好，你的血液系统会发生病变，你的精神会萎靡不振，然后会制造一个让人家攻击你的借口。你去恨人家一定会被人家恨。恨人家你会有业报，因为在你的八识田中会产生一种极其不好的毒素，会损害你的身体，会损害你的灵魂。所以经常生气、恨人家的人，这个人的身体就不会好，这个人的事业是不会顺利的；所以这种业只要做了，实际上就是成了一个黑点了。大家听得懂吗？比方说你今天贪了，你一贪就进入你的八识田中了；瞋恨心来了，又进入你的八识田中了，对不对？你愚痴，不应该做的事情你去做了，又进入你的八识田中了。像这种不好的黑暗的光点在你的身上越积越多，到了最后就是报应来了——你就是下地狱。很严重的，我不是和你们开玩笑的。但是如果你改了，这一切慢慢地会“褪”，就像一个人身上有一个伤疤一样，会慢慢地褪掉的。如果你这个伤疤痕迹还没有好，你继续去挖这个伤口，对不起，你这个伤口是不会好的，最后就会发炎了。明白了吗？
Next, I’m going to talk to you about karmic obstacles—what I mentioned earlier: greed, hatred, and ignorance. So, what do they mean? Greed is when you desire something you shouldn’t desire. Hatred is when you harbour resentment and ill will towards others. Ignorance is when you stubbornly pursue something that clearly isn’t rightfully yours. These three defilements lead to karmic retribution. What does karmic retribution mean? Let’s say today you greedily chase after something, but you don’t succeed. What happens next? Retribution arises—you become angry. Once anger sets in, you feel stuck and frustrated. Emotional suffering follows, building up until you can’t bear it anymore. That’s karmic retribution.
Hatred works in the same way. The more you hate someone, the greater the retribution—because hatred creates backlash. When you hate others, you are actually creating negative conditions for yourself. You trap yourself in a mud pit that’s difficult to escape. Hatred harms your body: it disrupts your blood circulation, causes illness, drains your mental energy, and even invites attacks from others. When you hate others, they are likely to hate you in return. That’s karma. Hatred also generates poisonous energy in your eighth consciousness. This toxin damages both your physical body and your soul. That’s why people who are often angry or full of resentment rarely enjoy good health or smooth careers. Once you create this kind of karma, it becomes a dark mark upon you. Do you understand? For example, the moment you give in to greed, it enters your eighth consciousness. When hatred arises, it too is imprinted there. When you act out of ignorance—doing things you clearly know are wrong—that too gets recorded in your eighth consciousness. These dark and harmful specks gradually accumulate inside you. Eventually, karmic retribution arrives—you could fall into the Hell realms. I’m not joking—it’s extremely serious. However, if you truly repent and change, this negative karma will gradually fade, like a scar that heals over time. But if the wound hasn’t healed and you keep picking at it, the injury worsens and eventually becomes infected. Do you understand?
不改自己身上的毛病就一定会下到三恶道，这是师父告诉你们的。你们要记住，下三道是非常悲惨的。下三道是畜生道、饿鬼道、地狱道，这三个道都是非常悲惨的。如果这个人不做好人，现在学佛了还整天的到处说坏话，还整天的讲人家不好，讲这个不好、讲那个不好，他一定会去下三道。而且下到这三道是很不容易出来的。大家听得懂吗？我们学佛人的一举一动大家都要留心，为什么呢？因为如果你的一举一动不当心的话，你就会造业。比方说你今天在佛堂里面，大家讲话都是佛言佛语。师父在这里给你们开示时，如果某一个人脑子里想一些不好的东西，或者讲错一个对佛菩萨不好的语言，或一个动作对佛菩萨不尊重，实际上在你的意识当中就残存下了一个灾难。大家明白吗？所以学佛学得深的人连一举一动都不敢做。所以比丘有二百多条戒律，比丘尼有三百多条戒律。你们想想看，动都不敢动，难怪那些比丘和比丘尼见人只说阿弥陀佛，他们表情都不做，就是怕犯戒。
If you don’t correct your faults and bad habits, you are bound to fall into the Three Evil Realms—this is something I must warn you about. Remember, these realms are incredibly tragic: the Animal Realm, the Hungry Ghost Realm, and the Hell Realm. All three are filled with immense suffering. If a person refuses to do good—even after learning Buddhism—and still goes around speaking badly of others, criticising this person and that, then they are certain to fall into the Three Evil Realms. And once you fall into them, it is very difficult to escape. Do you understand?
That’s why, as Buddhist practitioners, we must be mindful of our every word and action. Why? Because even a single careless thought or movement can create karma. For example, in a Buddhist practice centre or a temple, everyone speaks mindfully, using the words of the Buddha. While I’m giving Dharma talks here, if someone lets their mind wander to impure thoughts, says something disrespectful about the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, or makes a disrespectful gesture, they are planting seeds of misfortune in their consciousness. Do you understand? This is why those who practise Buddhism deeply are cautious about every move they make. That’s why bhikkhus observe over 200 precepts, and bhikkhunīs more than 300. Think about it—so strict that they are even cautious about moving unnecessarily. That’s why bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs often greet others simply by saying “Amitabha”, without displaying much emotion—they are guarding against breaking a precept.
师父今天教大家几个最新的念经方法，就是念经一定要心诚，心诚最要紧。师父今天是特意问了菩萨的。念经要至诚，就是你心里的意志要非常的诚恳。不是说你表面上诚恳，而是说你的意志要相当的诚恳。我今天要做这个事情必须是全心全意的，我的心非常的诚恳，我的意志非常的坚定，然后要有慈悲心来念经，要心中慈悲。一个人念经念得慈悲的时候，他就会哭，实际上这就是他善根的表现。因为有善良的根在他心中扎下去了，所以他才会哭。但是学佛学到后来也不能常哭，因为哭也会给你带来魔障的。你们知道有个叫“哭魔”吗？如果这个人整天愁眉苦脸，整天哭哭啼啼的，这已经是中了魔了，这个叫“哭魔”。你们学佛学了这么多年没有听到过吧。师父告诉你们要记住，要克制心中的哭魔。“哭魔”，又称为“悲魔”，很悲伤的魔老在你的身上，这个人就永远悲伤，就一直不开心，碰到事情他就是先悲伤。所以人不能太难过。看见观世音菩萨的慈悲感动的心是可以的，但是不能每一次都是很悲的，明白了吗？慈悲要悲在心里，而不能经常流露出来，否则就会让你得到悲魔。开心的时候也不能过于欢喜。如果今天很开心了，这个事情做得很开心了，哎呀，一直开心，一直开心……有句话你们听到过没有？叫乐极生悲。当你一直在开心的时候，你就惹上了一个叫“欢喜魔”。哎呀，做人真的难啊，悲也不是，欢喜也不是。因为当你一直欢喜的时候，很多魔障也来瞅热闹，它到了你身上就让你笑个不停。你们听到人家讲过吗？有些人笑到后来停不下来了，就像发疯一样地笑。你们看过电影《雷雨》吗？剧中的人物繁漪到最后是怎么回事？实际上她就是惹上了欢喜魔。她“哈哈哈……”不停地笑，笑到后来失控了，因为魔上身了，她就一直笑一直笑。实际上这种笑已经不是正常人的笑了，这叫欢喜魔。为什么我们中国人要学中庸之道啊？悲要适当，叫“节哀顺变”，对不对呀？什么叫“节哀”？就是要节制你的悲哀，顺着这个自然的变化节哀顺变。笑也不能过头啊。
Today, I want to teach you a few updated methods for reciting sutras. The most important thing is that your heart must be sincere—sincerity is everything. I specifically asked the Bodhisattvas about this. When you recite sutras, you must do so with wholehearted sincerity. That means your intention must be genuinely devoted—not just outwardly sincere, but your inner resolve must be firm and true. You should think: “I must do this wholeheartedly. My heart is deeply sincere. My will is unwavering.” And when you recite, you must do so with compassion—with compassion in your heart.
When a person recites sutras with true compassion, they may begin to cry. This is a sign of their wholesome roots expressing themselves. Because goodness has taken root in the heart, it naturally brings forth tears. But as you progress in your Buddhist practice, you should not be crying all the time. Too much crying can bring about demonic obstacles.
Have you heard of the “crying demon”? If someone is constantly gloomy, always weeping and wailing, they have been overtaken by this crying demon, also called the sorrow demon. It’s a force of sadness that clings to them, keeping them constantly unhappy, always reacting to situations with sorrow first. You’ve been learning Buddhism for years and probably haven’t heard of this, have you? I’m telling you now: you must restrain the crying demon. You mustn’t let yourself become overly grief-stricken. It’s fine to feel moved by Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s compassion and to let your heart soften, but you mustn’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by sadness every time. Do you understand? True compassion should be held within the heart—it doesn’t always need to be displayed outwardly. If it constantly spills out, you risk inviting the sorrow demon.
Likewise, when you’re happy, don’t become overly joyful. For instance, say something went really well today, and you feel very happy—if that happiness goes on and on without balance, have you heard the saying “extreme joy begets sorrow”? That’s because excessive joy can also attract the joy demon.
Life really is delicate, isn’t it? You can’t be too sorrowful, but you also can’t be too joyful. When someone becomes excessively joyful, all kinds of demonic obstacles start to gather around them. The joy demon will latch on and make you laugh uncontrollably. Have you ever heard of cases where people laugh so much that they can’t stop—as if they’ve gone mad? Have you ever seen the play Thunderstorm? The character Fan Yi—what happened to her in the end? She fell under the influence of the joy demon. She kept laughing—“Ha ha ha…”—until she completely lost control. That wasn’t normal laughter anymore—that was possession by the joy demon.
这讲的就是“中庸之道”。学什么东西都不能过头，悲也不能过头，开心也不能过头。很多人开心到最后死了。你们知道很多老年人打麻将打到最后死了，你们听到过吗？打到后来开心了，什么海底捞月了，麻将牌一个大胡，哈哈哈一笑，“嘣”一下子中风了。这个就是欢喜魔上了他的身了。我们在念经的时候不可以提神太多。很多人说，我提神念经，一念经我就提神了。提神的时候眼睛睁得好大，用气用得太足，然后就一直不停地念，这样你的心火就会上升，念到后来嘴上起泡、心神不定，那就是心火上身。听得懂吗？所以师父给大家讲的东西大家一定要好好记住啊，师父讲的这些真的都是经典啊。念经时如果眼睛瞪得很大，心想“哎呀，我浑身都是劲”，实际上也会偏差的。念经要适当。我们要学菩萨，念经时要三分开，七分闭。你们看菩萨的眼睛永远是三分开，七分闭。所以念经也要控制好自己的心火，不要让它伤身。另外给大家讲，不要大声念，也不能太用力。如果你念经念得很大声、太用力的话，非常伤你的气，念一天经会浑身无力，因为你的气走得太多了。举个简单例子，如果你从早讲话讲到晚，你伤不伤自己的神啊？念经真的有窍门的。既要有声，又要听不见。既要念出自己的心声，声音又不能大。念经最好是嘴巴动，声音一点点，这种念法实际上是最好的。师父今天教你们的念经方法，实际上就是你们在念经的时候要注意的方法。因为很多人着急，求菩萨的时候，他觉得家里出事情了，他那个时候狂念。师父让你们狂念不是让你们用劲狂念，而是让你们把经文多念，就是念一遍、二遍、三遍……四十九遍……一百零八遍……是这个狂念，而不是让你大声念。大家听得懂吗？
This is why traditional Chinese culture teaches us to follow the Middle Way—the path of moderation. When you grieve, grieve appropriately. That’s what the saying “restrain your grief and accept the change” means. You must moderate your sorrow and follow the natural course of things. And laughter must also be kept in check. This is the principle of the Middle Way. In all things, we mustn’t go to extremes—not in sorrow, and not in happiness. Some people get so carried away with happiness that it kills them. Have you heard of elderly people who die while playing mahjong? It happens. They’re thrilled—maybe they pull a winning tile at the end—a rare hand, a big win! They burst into laughter: “Ha ha ha!” And then—boom!—a stroke. That’s the joy demon taking hold.
When we recite sutras, we should avoid over-stimulating ourselves. Many people say, “I feel energised when I recite—I really lift my energy when I do it.” But when you deliberately lift your energy too much, your eyes widen, you use too much force in your breath, and you start reciting rapidly without pause. This causes heart fire to rise. Eventually, you may develop mouth ulcers, feel unsettled, or become mentally scattered—that’s a sign that your heart fire has surged. Do you understand?
You need to take what I’m teaching you seriously—these are truly timeless lessons. If you recite with your eyes bulging, thinking, “I’m full of energy!” you’re actually veering off track. Recitation should also be balanced. We should learn from the Bodhisattvas. When you look at a Bodhisattva’s eyes, they’re always thirty percent open and seventy percent closed—partially open, partially at rest. This is how you should recite too: keep your heart fire under control so it doesn’t harm your body.
Another important point—don’t recite too loudly or too forcefully. If you recite at full volume, or use too much physical effort, you’ll end up draining your vital energy (qi). Recite like that for a whole day and your entire body will feel weak—because your energy has been depleted. Let me give you a simple example: if you talk nonstop from morning to night, doesn’t that wear you out?
Sutra recitation has its subtleties—there’s a method to it. There should be sound, but not loud sound. You should express your heart’s voice, but the volume must be gentle. The best way to recite is to move your lips with just a whisper of sound. This is actually the most effective method. What I’m teaching you today are things you must be mindful of during your recitation. Many people, getting anxious when praying to the Bodhisattva—perhaps something has gone wrong at home—start frantically reciting. But when I tell you to recite intensively, I don’t mean recite forcefully or loudly. I mean recite many times—once, twice, three times… forty-nine times… 108 times. That’s what I mean by intensive recitation—not reciting loudly. Do you understand?
还有一种念经的方法，千万要记住，很多人喜欢拿着佛珠念。对不对？拿佛珠念经有好有坏。当你心静不下来的时候，你可以拿佛珠念，一个一个的念。但是同样来讲，如果你想打坐念经，或者你想静坐的时候，或者你想闭关的时候，如果你的手一动心就会动，你手动得越多，你的心越慌乱、越静不下来。其实等到你有境界很安静的时候，你连念佛的珠子都不要去动了。听得懂吗？你要进入这个境界，进入这个安静的状态之后，这个珠子都不要去动它，那你的心就不动了。你们想想看，你手动的时候，你的心动不动？手是受谁的控制的？是受你的心控制的。心又是受谁控制？是受大脑控制的，对不对？你手一动，心就动，你的大脑就动，说说看你的心怎么会定呢？神智是指大脑，心是指心脏，你的心和大脑一动的话，你的手动了，所以人家说“心动不如行动”就是这个道理。所以真正修得好的人，他连佛珠都不要拿。如果你连佛珠都要拿，说明你修得不好啊。因为你是想利用某一个法器来克制住自己的一种意念，达到你的目的，其实很难。大家听得懂吗？刚才给大家讲到动佛珠的人心会动，如果动的时间长了，这个人会生病的。没有听到过吧？佛珠拿在手上动得太厉害了，会生病的。告诉你们这个心连想都不能想，也就是说心要安静的时候，连想都不能去想它，这个心才会安静。如果你手在动一个事情，实际上你的心就没有安静。你们看见电影里面，当一个人在思维的时候，在想不通的时候，他的手会不自然的敲打或者发抖，或者敲腿呀，或者做某一个动作，实际上是他的心在动。你们听得懂吗？其实就是心静不下来啊。所以很多老板在面试员工的时候，你坐在老板面前，你坐得住还是坐不住，他就能看出你这个人的自制力。你当着老板的面，一会儿脚动，一会儿手动，这个人就是根本没有自制力的人。你们现在坐在下面听师父讲课，你们一动不动，这个人就有自制力。如果左摇右晃，身体、眼睛等乱动，这个人就叫没有自制力，就是自己的根基不好。
There’s another method of sutra recitation that you must keep in mind. Many people like to recite while holding Buddhist prayer beads, right? There are pros and cons to this. When your mind is unsettled, using prayer beads can be helpful—you can recite one bead at a time to help calm yourself. But on the other hand, if you’re preparing to meditate, enter seated practice, or go into retreat, then moving your hands might actually disturb your stillness. The more your hands move, the more agitated your mind becomes, and the harder it is to settle down. In fact, when you’ve reached a higher state of calm, you won’t even need to touch the beads anymore. Do you understand? Once you enter that serene state, leave the beads alone—your mind will remain still. Think about it—when your hands move, doesn’t your mind move too? Who controls your hands? Your mind. And what controls the mind? The brain, right? So when your hands move, your mind moves, your brain is active—and how can your mind truly be still? In this context, “mind” refers to the heart, and “consciousness” refers to the brain. When your heart and brain are moving, your hands follow—and that’s why we say “a moving heart leads to restless action”. A person who is truly advanced in their spiritual practice doesn’t even need prayer beads. If you still rely on prayer beads, it shows that your cultivation is not yet deep. Why? Because you’re still using a physical aid to try to restrain your thoughts and reach a certain state—but that’s actually quite difficult to achieve. Do you follow?
Earlier I mentioned that when you move your prayer beads, your mind also moves. If you do this excessively, it can even lead to health issues. You may not have heard this before—but it’s true. Overuse of the prayer beads can affect your health over time. I’m telling you this: even your thoughts must not become overly active. When your mind is meant to be still, you shouldn’t even allow thoughts to arise. Only then can the mind truly settle.
If your hands are constantly doing something, your heart can’t be at rest. You’ve seen this in films: when someone is deep in thought or can’t figure something out, their hands start twitching, tapping, or fidgeting—tapping their legs, or making repetitive gestures. That’s a sign that the mind is agitated. Do you understand? It all means the heart-mind isn’t at peace. This is why many employers, when interviewing potential staff, can tell a lot just by observing whether they can sit still. If you’re constantly shifting your feet or fidgeting in front of the boss, it shows a lack of self-discipline. Even right now—while you’re sitting and listening to my teaching—those of you who can sit still are demonstrating self-control. But if you’re swaying left and right, or your body and eyes keep moving, that’s a sign of poor self-discipline—and weak spiritual foundations.