希望大家自己把该做的事情都做好。修心念经的人自己应该明白自己到底在做什么？就是要多做功德。你们今天在这儿用这么多的时间在工作当中都做了些什么？是不是在做功德？很多人修心会给自己带来很多的孽障，这是因为修心等于开始清算自己身上的孽障。那么你不修心的时候就没有孽障了吗？也是有的。这都是必然的，就像一个人身上有红血球和白血球一样，就是在干净的地方也会有细菌的。所以修心的人必须把自己的精神细菌去除，内心修得干净一点。实际上这个干净是相对来说的，并不是指绝对的。因为你再干净，也不一定都是纯净的。
I hope everyone takes responsibility for what you’re meant to do. As you cultivate the mind and recite sutras, you should be clear about your purpose — it is to accumulate merit and virtue. Reflect on how you’ve spent your time today: have your efforts contributed to accumulating merit and virtue? Many people find that spiritual practice brings their karmic obstacles to the surface. Why is that? Because cultivating the mind begins the process of repaying our karmic debts. But does that mean if you don’t cultivate, you won’t have any karmic obstacles? Of course not — they’re still there. It’s inevitable, just like red and white blood cells coexisting in the body, or how bacteria can still be found even in seemingly clean environments. So, as you cultivate the mind, you must clear away the “mental bacteria” within — strive to purify your inner world. In reality, this ‘cleanliness’ is only relative; it doesn’t mean absolute purity. Even the purest mind will still carry some impurities.
师父给大家讲了，一个星期平均有一个地方地震。对不对？现在大家都知道了，新西兰又地震了，而且连墨尔本附近也地震了。实际上这就说明灾难没有断过。大家想一想，我们现在生活在一个怎么样的地球上面？我们现在是活在一个充满危险的地球上面，我们活在一个充满细菌的空气里面，我们活在一个充满了丑恶心灵的人间。你们想想看，现在人跟人之间的心灵是不是非常的丑恶？有几个人是善良的？是善待别人的？所以师父教大家修心要好自为之，要用正常的心念来做事情。什么叫正常的心念？就是说不要偏离自己心中的轨道，要找到心中的底线和纯洁感；要直着走，不要横过来走，也不要偏着走，任何的偏离对你们的修心都是不利的。明明可以好好修心的，如果你偏离了航向，就给你造成了很大的灾难。一个思维的错误可以给你造成许多的矛盾，你思维上的错误可能给你工作上造成很大的缺陷和麻烦。所以你们一定要好好地改，好好地修。
I’ve said before that, on average, an earthquake happens somewhere in the world every week — haven’t I? And now we’ve just seen another in New Zealand, and even one near Melbourne. This shows that disasters are constant and unceasing. Think about it — what kind of planet are we really living on? We live on an Earth full of danger, breathing air teeming with germs, and surrounded by a human world where the heart is often corrupted. Just look at how people treat one another these days — how many are truly kind? How many genuinely treat others with compassion? That’s why I tell you: when cultivating the mind, you must conduct yourself with care and integrity. Act with right intention. What do I mean by “right intention”? It means not straying from the path within your heart. You must recognise your moral bottom line and nurture a sense of inner purity. Walk upright — don’t cut corners, and don’t go astray. Any deviation will harm your spiritual practice. Even a small detour can lead to disaster. A single mistaken thought can give rise to many inner conflicts. One distorted view can cause serious difficulties in your work and daily life. That’s why you must constantly reflect, correct yourself, and cultivate diligently.
师父今天给大家讲几点。首先给大家讲，一切业果都不会成熟于外在的五行之上。什么叫“业果”？“业果”就是你所有造的业，不管是造的善业还是恶业，它绝对不会仅仅在你的五行（地水火风空）之上。实际上人是五蕴（行）假合之身，人的身体就是地、水、火、风、空。也就是说你造的业绝对不会仅仅在你的身体上出现，而是待在你的灵魂上面。那么很多人就会问师父了，“如果我今天造业了之后，我的腿痛了，我的头痛了，那是不是地水火风空呢？”对了，是的。但是根不是来自于你的身体上面，而是因为这个地水火风空它是来自于你的灵界，也就是说你的八识田中，是意识当中的东西。比如你今天做了一个善业，让你得到了快乐，实际上你这个感觉是从五蕴当中产生的，也就是说从你的总指挥部出来的，这个指挥部就是你的意识。听得懂吗？比如你的脸本来是不笑的，当你想到一个开心的事情时你的脸就笑了，实际上它是通过你的意识传递到你的肢体，让你脸上笑起来了。也就是说，你的业力已经影响到你的肉体，你的业力已经影响到你的灵魂，你的业力因果已经影响到你的所有的地水火风空了。虽然是五蕴假合之身，但是它毕竟还是有一个虚幻物质的存在。就像我们经常说的，这个世界上你看不见的东西存在吗？它是存在的。但是你是看不见这虚幻物质的，好像是有又好像没有。比如空气你是看不见的，对不对？你说有吗？有啊，也是存在的呀。细菌你看不见，但它也是存在的呀。实际上它也是假的，你也可以说没有。人的身体也是。你在生出来的时候有，等到死的时候就没有了，那也是假的。所以说人的身体是五蕴假合之身，就是说全部都是由地、水、火、风、空合在一起的，所以根不来自于你的身体。
Today, I’d like to share a few key points with you all. First and foremost: all karmic consequences do not simply manifest through the external elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. So, what are “karmic consequences”? They refer to all the karma you create — whether wholesome or unwholesome — and they absolutely do not arise solely through the physical makeup of the five elements. In truth, the human body is a temporary combination of the Five Aggregates. Our physical form is composed of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. This means the karma you create doesn’t only appear on your physical body — it resides within your soul.
Now, some of you may wonder, “If I’ve created negative karma and now feel pain in my legs or head, isn’t that connected to the five elements?” Yes, it is. But the root cause does not lie in the physical body—it originates from the spiritual realm. The elements—earth, water, fire, wind, and space—arise from your consciousness field, specifically from the ālaya-vijñāna, or eighth consciousness. For instance, if you perform a virtuous act today and feel joy as a result, that feeling arises from the Five Aggregates — in other words, from your inner command centre: your consciousness. Understand?
Let’s say you weren’t smiling before, but suddenly recall something joyful and start to smile. What’s happening is that your consciousness has sent a message to your body, triggering the smile. This shows that your karma is already influencing your physical form. Your karma is already affecting your soul. Your karmic cause and effect are acting on every aspect of your being — the earth, water, fire, wind, and space that make up your existence.
Although our body is a temporary combination of the Five Aggregates, it still possesses a kind of illusory material presence. Just as we often say: are there things in this world that are invisible yet still exist? Of course — they exist even if we can’t see them. Air, for example — you can’t see it, but it’s there. Bacteria — invisible, yet still present. In fact, all of these are ultimately illusory. You could also say they don’t truly exist in the absolute sense. The human body is the same — it exists when you are born, and disappears when you die. So in that sense, it is illusory too. That’s why we say the human body is a temporary, illusory combination of the Five Aggregates — a convergence of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. And so, the true root of karmic consequence does not lie in the body itself.
所以师父给你们第一句话讲的就是，一切业果都不会仅仅成熟于外在的五行之上。这就说明一点，你所做的善业也好，恶业也好，是不会成熟在外境。外境是什么？就是你的身体外在的环境。你身体外在的环境是什么？比如头痛了，腰痛了，肩膀痛了等。虽然最后的报应是达到让你头痛、肩膀痛，但是让你最痛的是你的精神。因为你做了这个恶业之后，你的精神先受到痛苦，然后再惩罚到你的肉体上。最后的体验是在你的肉体当中，但是最早的痛苦是在你的精神上面。比如你今天做了一个坏事，那么报应在哪里呢？比如摔一跤。这一跤是怎么摔的呢？因为你的意识当中已经受报了。你今天碰到一个事情，你的心神不定了，你才会摔一跤。那么什么事情让你心神不定呢？因为你做了某一件恶事，你担心会发生不好的结果。实际上这就叫外环境，让你摔一跤这就是外环境。而真正要消除的是内在的。所以说外环境的成熟也是由内环境造成的。比如今天你们生病了，今天你们身体不好了，并不是真正的身体不好，而是因为你们做了孽（业）了。你们前世做的孽和今世做的孽加在一起，促使它形成一个孽报，这才由身体来体现。听得懂吗？
So the first thing I want to share with you today is this: all karmic consequences do not manifest solely through the external five elements. This means that whether you create wholesome karma or unwholesome karma, its ripening does not take place only in the external environment. What is the “external environment”? It refers to the conditions surrounding your physical body—things like headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, and so on.
While the eventual retribution may appear as a physical ailment—such as a headache or shoulder pain—the true suffering begins in the mind. When you commit an unwholesome deed, it is your mind that suffers first, and only afterwards does the punishment reach your physical body. The final experience may be felt in the body, but the initial pain always arises in the mind. For example, let’s say you’ve done something wrong and then suffer a fall. Where did that fall come from? It happened because your consciousness had already been disturbed—you were already experiencing karmic retribution internally. You encountered a situation, became mentally unsettled, and as a result, you fell. What caused your mind to become unsettled? It was because you had done something unwholesome, and the fear of negative consequences disturbed your inner peace. That fall was merely a reaction from the external environment. What truly needs to be addressed, however, is the internal environment. This is why even the ripening of external conditions ultimately stems from internal causes. For instance, if you become ill or feel physically unwell, the true cause isn’t just the body itself. It’s that you’ve created negative karma. The karma from both your past and present lives has combined to produce this retribution, and your body is simply the channel through which that karma is expressed. Do you understand?
所以要记住，真正的不是体现在身体上，而是体现在心灵上。今天你心灵上高兴，非常的快乐，今天你的身体也会非常开心，心情非常好，那是因为你种下了善因。你的善因种的越多，你得到的善果也越多。但是得到的善果是体现是在你的表情上。心里很开心，笑了，吃东西也快了，日子好过了等，这是外在的。而真正的善因种下去的是由你内在的感应所促使的。因为你内在有法喜了，你今天做了善事了，你才会有这个感应。明白了吗？
That’s why you must remember: what truly matters is not manifested in the body, but in the mind. When your spirit is joyful and at peace, your body will also feel light and relaxed. Your mood improves because you’ve planted wholesome causes. The more wholesome seeds you sow, the more wholesome fruits you will reap. But those fruits are reflected outwardly—in your facial expressions, the joy you radiate, how quickly and cheerfully you eat, how much more ease you feel in daily life. These are the external manifestations. However, it is your inner response that motivates you to sow wholesome seeds. It is because you experience Dharma joy within that you perform a virtuous deed—and in doing so, that inner joy deepens and echoes within you. Do you see now?
有一句话叫：“经百千劫，所做业不亡”。经过百千万劫就是说你们投胎了，死掉了，又投胎了，又死掉了，而且一生当中有很多的劫。凡是有劫那就叫百千亿劫。为什么劫这么多呢？因为你的前世的前世、前生的前生，就这么轮回，再加上这些事情，叫“经百千劫”。“所做业不亡”，也就是说你死掉了，重新活了，再死掉了，又重新活了，但是你所有做的业障它不会没有的。所以让你们不要做坏事，不要去做孽障就是这个道理。因为你做了孽障之后，经百千万劫你都不能消除你的业障。听得懂吗？孽障、业障只要在身体里，进去了它就出不来了。你今天所做的善业进入了你的身体里，它不会出来了；你今天所有做出的坏事进入了你的心田里，它也不会出来了。知道为什么吗？很简单，因为“业不亡”。业是不会亡掉的，因为这个世界就是有业才会转。犹如我们从小学开始就会有个档案，这个档案是跟着我们走的。对不对？如果我们不出国的话，这个档案就一辈子跟着你自己。你们每一个人从小做了什么善事，做了什么坏事，哪怕是做过一点点的坏事，它全部都给你记录在上面。虽然你们以为现在可以没有这个档案了，但学佛人知道，在你们的意识当中，在第八意识当中（也叫八识田中），你们已经有一个灵界的档案了。这个档案更麻烦，因为这个档案是菩萨看，是地府官员看。你到了该惩罚的时候，他一翻就能够惩罚你；到了该你享福的时候，他一翻就能让你中六合彩。
There is a saying: “Through hundreds of thousands of kalpas, the karma created does not perish.” What does “hundreds of thousands of kalpas” mean? It refers to the endless cycle of birth and death—you are reborn, you die, and then you are reborn again, over and over. And within each lifetime, you experience many karmic trials and tribulations. All these hardships and disasters across lifetimes are what we refer to as “hundreds of thousands of kalpas.” Why are there so many kalpas? Because your past lives stretch back endlessly, through lifetime after lifetime, and each one brings its own trials. That’s what “through hundreds of thousands of kalpas” truly means.
“The karma created does not perish” means that even after you die and are reborn—and die and are reborn again—the karma you have created never simply disappears. That is why I urge you not to do bad things and not to create karmic obstacles. Once a karmic obstacle forms, it cannot easily be removed—even after hundreds of thousands of kalpas. Do you understand? As soon as karmic obstacles enter your body or consciousness, they won’t leave. If you perform wholesome deeds today, that positive karma will remain within you. And if you commit unwholesome acts, that negative karma will also become embedded in your mind—and it won’t come out. Why is that? It’s simple: karma does not perish. Karma doesn’t just vanish.
In fact, the world keeps turning because of karma. It’s like when you begin school as a child—you receive a student record, and that record follows you throughout your school life. Unless you leave the country, that record stays with you for life. In the same way, everything you’ve done—every good deed, every mistake, even the smallest misdeed—is recorded in your karmic ledger. You might think that no one is keeping tabs anymore, but as a Buddhist practitioner, you should understand that within your own consciousness—specifically your eighth consciousness (also known as ālaya-vijñāna)—there already exists a record from the spiritual realm. And this karmic record is even more important, because it can be accessed by the Bodhisattvas and by the officials of the Underworld. When the time comes for you to be punished, they need only open that record to carry out your retribution. And when the time comes for you to receive blessings, they’ll open that same record—and you might suddenly win the lottery.
中国很多伟人说“意识形态”。为什么说意识是形态呢？因为它看不见。但是它有没有形状呢？它有。那么形态是什么意思呢？就是这个形状、这个态势、这个样子能够表现你的意识。最终这个意识是怎么来的呢？因为你所做出来的动作代表了你的思维的意识。你今天看见一样东西非常喜欢，是从你的意识当中喜欢的，人家是看不见的。但是从你的眼睛里，从你的动作当中就看出来了你的意识是喜欢这个东西的。听得懂吗？就像我们经常讲的音乐有形象。音乐哪有什么形象呀，对不对？音乐就是音乐了，抓不住，摸不着的。为什么说音乐有形象？师父讲给你们听，就像许多抗战片的电影里，你只要一听到那种特别的音乐，你就知道是坏人来了，对不对？只要英雄人物出现了，音乐就刚劲有力，对不对？这就是音乐有形象。因为你听到了音乐，你的意识当中就会想到是什么人物，意识中的形态就会出来，所以叫“意识形态”。你们学了多少年的知识，你们听到过师父讲的这些东西吗？师父给你们讲的就是这些学佛高深的理念，教你们知道怎样从意识当中来彻底地洗干净自己的心灵。明白了吗？
Many great figures in China often spoke of “ideology” (literally, “ideological form”). Why is consciousness described as a form? Because it’s invisible. But does it have a shape? Yes, it does. So what does form mean in this context? It refers to the shape, posture, or outward expression that reveals your inner consciousness. Ultimately, where does this consciousness come from? It is expressed through your actions, which reflect your inner thoughts. For example, when you see something you really like, that feeling arises from your consciousness. Others can’t directly see what you’re thinking—but by observing your eyes, facial expressions, and body language, they can tell that you like it. Do you see?
It’s just like when we say music has imagery. But how can music have form? Music is intangible—you can’t hold it or touch it. So why do we say music conveys imagery or form? Let me explain: in many war films, the moment you hear a particular kind of ominous music, you instantly know the villain is about to appear, right? And when the hero arrives, the music becomes strong and uplifting. That’s what we mean when we say music has imagery or form. When you hear music, your consciousness links it with a certain character or scene, and a mental image forms. This is what we call ‘ideological form’—the way your consciousness takes shape or is expressed. You’ve spent many years studying—have you ever heard anyone explain it this way before? What I’m sharing with you are deep Buddhist insights, helping you understand how to truly purify your heart through the workings of consciousness. Do you understand?
因缘聚合时，果报还自受。因为你的业不亡，所以因缘聚合时，果报还自受。比如你对人家做过一件善事，等到哪一天人家飞黄腾达了，人家做了高官了，那个时候人家想到曾经帮过我的人，说不定这个因缘和合的时候，他一提升你，你就鸡犬升天了。如果你曾经害过这个人，等到哪一天他做大官的时候，他一想起你，你就惹来了杀身之祸。这个就叫因缘聚合时，果报还自受——果报来了还是你自己受。你今天骂人，你今天打人，你今天骗人，最后还是你自己在受。如果你今天骗人了，你以后自己会受这个业报的；你今天害了人了，你以后也会受到这个业报的。不是不报，是时候未到。因缘聚合的时候就是果报开始的时候。比如两个人谈恋爱的时候，因缘还没有形成。如果两人是相互欺骗的。我骗你，是想把你骗到家里，她骗你是为了得到你的什么什么。好了，等到因缘和合了，两个人结婚了，接下来吵架开始了。这个果报是你自己受。因为你在谈恋爱的时候装出来欺骗人家，整天在家里做饭、洗东西呀、刷呀，努力得不得了，等结婚之后你不做了，你不动了。好了，对方开始骂了。那不是因为你做出来的吗？你有本事在结婚之前就不要这样做，结婚之后还是这样，就不会吵架了。因为在结婚之前拼命地表现自己，对他怎么好怎么好，这是种下了因，等到结婚之后果报出来了。明白了吗？我举这个小小的例子，你们就能够从中悟出因缘聚合时为什么果报还自受的道理了。
When causes and conditions come together, you alone will bear the resulting karmic retribution. Because karma never disappears, when the conditions ripen, the consequences will return to you. For example, if you’ve done a good deed for someone, and one day that person becomes successful or rises to a high position, they may remember the help you once gave them. When causes and conditions align, they may repay your kindness—and you, too, could rise to great heights. But if you had harmed that person in the past, and they later become a powerful official, the moment they remember what you did, you could bring misfortune upon yourself. This is what is meant by: “When causes and conditions converge, you alone bear the retribution.” Karmic consequences always come back to the one who created them. If you scold, hit or deceive someone today, the consequences will eventually return to you. If you deceive someone now, you will bear that karmic consequence in the future. If you harm someone today, you will still have to face the result later on. It’s not that there is no retribution—it’s simply that the time has not yet come. The moment causes and conditions gather is when karmic retribution begins.
Take this example: when two people are dating, the karmic conditions haven’t yet fully formed. If the relationship is based on mutual deception—say one person is trying to lure the other home, while the other is only after some benefit—then once the relationship ripens and the two get married, arguments will soon follow. That karmic retribution is yours to bear. Perhaps before marriage, you pretended to be someone you’re not—cooking, cleaning, doing everything around the house. But after marriage, you stop making an effort. Then the arguments begin. Isn’t that the consequence of your own actions? If you had shown your true self before marriage and continued behaving the same way afterwards, there wouldn’t be fights. But because you went to great lengths to impress your partner before marriage—treating them with affection and kindness—you planted a karmic seed. After marriage, that karmic fruit ripens. Understand? Just this simple example should help you see why, when causes and conditions converge, you must bear the result.