消除身上一切污垢，恢复真实的如来本性。如来，犹如在心中一样。如来佛就是自身佛。你们去庙里看看，如来佛的脸都是一样的。如果你们以后能到西方极乐世界去，你们在听阿弥陀佛讲法时，每个人的脸都是一样。因为你们都是佛呀，你们恢复了你们的本性，你们就得到了如来，就像过去一样。要消除累世所造的业，我们要把过去生中所造的业全部消除掉，我们就是真佛如来。比如本来这个人长的是这个样子，只是脸上长了很多雀斑，长了很多疙瘩，最后都没有人能认出来了，这个时候他就不是原来的他了。你们听得懂吗？等到把皮肤修整好了，疙疙瘩瘩都没有了，脸上黑的东西全部都擦干净了，他不就是跟如来（原来）一样吗？不就是跟过去一样吗？就像一个人化了妆之后就找不到本来的样子了，等她把妆一卸，“哦，原来是你呀”。就找到本来的她了，就找到本性了。人的本性是什么？是善良。而现在的人不善良。人的本性是诚实，而现在的人不诚实。
Eliminate all defilements from your body and restore your true Tathagata-nature. The Tathagata resides within your own heart—the Tathagata Buddha is your own Buddha. When you visit a temple, you’ll notice that the faces of the Tathagata Buddhas are all the same. Similarly, when you eventually reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and listen to Amitabha Buddha give teachings, everyone’s faces will appear alike. Why? Because you are all Buddhas. Once you restore your inherent nature, you return to your original Tathagata—just as it was from the very beginning.
To eliminate the karmic debts accumulated over many lifetimes, we must completely purify the karma we’ve created in the past. Only then can we return to the true Tathagata. Think of it like this: imagine someone once had a clear, beautiful face, but later, freckles and blemishes appeared until no one could recognise them anymore. At that point, they no longer resemble their true self. But once the skin is healed, the blemishes vanish, and the dark spots are cleansed, don’t they return to how they originally were? Isn’t that just like the Tathagata—returning to your true self? It’s like someone wearing heavy makeup: you can’t recognise who they truly are. But once the makeup is removed, you suddenly realise, “Oh, it’s you!” You’ve rediscovered their original face—you’ve found their inherent nature. And what is that inherent nature? Kindness. Yet many people today have lost much of their kindness. Our inherent nature is honesty, yet many are no longer honest.
我们要放下一切。因为我们没带来什么，所以我们愿意放下一切。我们来人间的时候，什么都没有带来；所以等我们走的时候，什么也带不去。既然带不去，也没有带来，还不如放下。犹如我们到别人家里去做客，没有给别人带来什么东西，在别人家里又吃又喝又睡，等到时间差不多要走了，不要再把别人家里的东西带走，其实我们也带不走别人的东西。因为你睡过的床、用过的东西都是别人的，不是你的，你是带不走的，你留下的是在别人家里的印象。如果你帮助别人做了很多好事情，等你走时别人可能会感恩你、感谢你。对不对？就像我们来到这个地球上是临时的家，我们又吃又喝又拿，到了最后要走的时候，“这个是我的，那个是我的，我都要带走”。人家会让你带走吗？这是人家家里的东西，是地球上的东西，你到地球上是临时住的，不要以为你是永久居民。既然不是永久居民，还不如早一点放下。所以在无奈间我们也会放下，万般无奈呀。不如早一点放下，给自己自在、安详，多好。既然带不走，就早一点放下吧。
We must learn to let go of everything. Since we bring nothing with us when we come into this world, we should be willing to leave everything behind when it’s time to go. When we were born, we brought nothing with us, and when we leave, we can take nothing away. Knowing this, why cling to things? It’s like being a guest in someone else’s home. You don’t bring anything with you, but you eat, drink, and sleep there. When it’s time to leave, you wouldn’t try to take their belongings with you. You can’t take them anyway—the bed you slept on, the utensils you used, they all belong to your host, not to you. What you truly leave behind is the impression you gave while you were there. If you helped your host and did many good deeds, they’ll remember you with gratitude when you leave, right? This human world is no different. The Earth is only a temporary home. We come here, eat, drink, and take from it, but when the time comes to leave, some people still cling to everything, saying, “This is mine, that’s mine, I’m taking it all with me.” But can you? Of course not. Everything here belongs to the Earth; it’s part of this temporary home, and you are not a permanent resident. Since we are not here forever, isn’t it better to let go early? Ultimately, whether we want to or not, we will have to let go. So why not start sooner? By learning to let go early, you give yourself peace, freedom, and serenity. Since you can’t take anything with you, the wisest path is to let go now.
接下来师父给大家讲出离心。出离心就是要离开你的心，就是把你这个心走出去，就是离开六道轮回。要知道六道轮回的苦，要脱离六道轮回，就必须要有出离心。“我再也不要到人间来了，再也不要做人了，再也不要轮回吃苦了。”这叫离开六道。出离心是靠什么来维持的呢？是靠愿力。我经常讲，地藏王菩萨的愿力很大：地狱不空誓不成佛。阿弥陀佛有四十八大愿，每一个愿力都是为众生想的，都是帮助众生离苦得乐，没有一句是为了自己。如果你发愿往生西方极乐净土和四圣道，这个也叫愿力，因为你许了这个愿，不愿意再到这个人间来了，这个愿力就让你下辈子不再六道轮回，这个就叫“出离心”，明白了吗？很多人跟随师父修学，他们发的愿是我这辈子要度尽全世界有缘之人。这个愿力也是很大的。当你要度尽有缘之人的时候，你已经是佛了，佛就是回到佛的地方。佛的地方在哪里呢？就是西方极乐世界了、四圣道了，都是脱离六道轮回，对不对？如果你的境界已经到了这个境界，那么你所得到的果一定是这个境界的果。如果你发愿说：“我要慈悲众生，我要让更多的众生能够离苦得乐，我要劝化他们一起到西方极乐世界去。”你这个愿力也叫出离心。师父曾经给大家讲过愿力是很重要的。出离心就是有了自己修心的方向了。因为我不愿意再六道轮回了，所以我找到了自己的方向。如果没有出离心就不会懂得布施，不会懂得供养，不会懂得济世。为什么？因为还很贪恋这个世界上的一切，什么都不知道、不明白，你说怎么可能开悟懂布施呢？什么话都听不进，怎么懂得供养呢？什么东西都舍不掉，怎么会去帮助世界上的人呢？所以没有出离心一定不会供养、济世。虽然我们生活上满足了、富有了，但是没有出离心就永远脱离不了六道轮回。因为你不想离开六道轮回，因为你感觉今天自己吃得好，物欲充足很开心，满足了。当你满足的时候，你就不想往上走。觉得自己很满足，就一直满足下去了，下一辈子只能再来投人。听得懂吗？就像很多女人生孩子很痛苦，知道痛苦了之后，说我下一辈子再也不要做女人了。但是她还觉得做男人好，做女人痛苦。如果下辈子做了男人，也还是没有脱离六道轮回。所以只有你的境界很高，才能脱离六道轮回。
Next, I’ll explain the mind of renunciation. Renunciation means freeing your mind—allowing it to go beyond worldly attachments and ultimately escape the cycle of rebirth within the six realms of existence. You must first understand the suffering within the six realms. To break free from this endless cycle, you must develop a genuine mind of renunciation. This means firmly resolving: “I no longer wish to return to the human world. I no longer wish to be reborn as a human. I no longer wish to suffer through the cycle of rebirth.” This is what it means to transcend the six realms. How do we sustain this mind of renunciation? Through the power of vows. I’ve often spoken about the great vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva: “Until the hells are empty, I will not attain Buddhahood.” Amitabha Buddha also made forty-eight great vows—each one dedicated entirely to helping sentient beings escape suffering and attain happiness, never for personal gain. If you make a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land or within the Four Sagely Realms, that too is an expression of vow-power. By making this vow—not wishing to return to the Human Realm—your vow ensures that in your next life, you will not fall back into the cycle of rebirth within the six realms. This is the essence of renunciation.
Many disciples studying with me have also made vows, such as: “In this lifetime, I vow to help awaken all sentient beings with the affinity for Buddhism around the world.” Such a vow carries immense power. When you genuinely resolve to awaken all beings with affinity, you are already aligning yourself with the Buddha’s state of being. And where does a Buddha naturally return to? The Western Pure Land and the Four Sagely Realms—all beyond the six realms of existence. When your spiritual state reaches this level, the results you achieve will naturally correspond to that level. For example, if you make a vow like this: “I want to cultivate compassion for all beings, help them be free from suffering, attain happiness, and encourage them to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land,” this vow itself reflects a profound mind of renunciation. I’ve often reminded you that vow-power is essential. Renunciation gives you a clear direction for your cultivation. When you no longer wish to remain within the six realms, you naturally start to find your true path. Without renunciation, you won’t truly understand generosity, offerings, or helping others. Why? Because if you’re still deeply attached to everything in this world—confused and clinging to desires—how can you awaken to the spirit of giving? If you can’t open your heart to reason, how can you grasp the meaning of making offerings? If you can’t let go of anything, how can you genuinely help others? Without a mind of renunciation, there is no true giving, no true offering, and no genuine service to the world.
Even if your life is comfortable and you’re wealthy, without a mind of renunciation, you’ll never escape the six realms. Why? Because you don’t want to leave them. You think: “I’m living well, eating well, enjoying life—why change anything?” This sense of satisfaction leads to complacency, and complacency keeps you from striving upwards. As a result, you remain within the six realms and will return in your next life to human rebirth. It’s like many women who find childbirth agonising and say, “I never want to be a woman again in my next life!” But then they think being a man would be better, as if that would spare them pain. Even if they are reborn as a man, they are still trapped in the six realms. Only when your spiritual state reaches a truly elevated level can you break free from the cycle of rebirth altogether.
觉悟一切有情众生的苦。就是必须要觉悟、要明白所有的有情众生。包括猫、狗等都是我们的有情众生，因为你不知道这个猫、这个狗跟你前世是什么关系。很多人养的狗或猫说不定前世是你的奶奶，或是你的外婆，或是你的孩子……你都是不知道的。它们都是有情众生呀，当它们生病时跟人一样难过，身上流血时的痛跟人是一样的呀。你要理解所有的有情众生，这就是学佛。我们要度化众生，解除众生的痛苦。
You must awaken to the suffering of all sentient beings. This means developing genuine understanding and compassion for every living being. Cats, dogs, and other animals are also sentient beings, and you never know what karmic connection you may share with them from your past lives. That cat or dog you see today might have been your grandmother, your aunt, or even your child in a previous life—you simply don’t know. They are sentient beings just like us. When they fall ill, they suffer just as humans do. When they bleed, they feel the same pain. To truly understand and respect all sentient beings—this is the essence of practising Buddhism. Our purpose is to help all beings, guiding them towards liberation and relieving them from suffering.
都说时间像海绵，你不挤它，里面的水永远不会出来；你挤它，它就出水了。时间是靠挤出来的。你忙，大家都忙。别人挤出时间念经了，别人家里就平安了；你不念经，家里就不平安了。人家四点钟就爬起来念经了，而你整天忙得不得了，不念经，你能得到什么呢？你什么都得不到。嘻嘻哈哈过一生很可怜的，等到走的时候什么都得不到，是在无为的困惑当中、烦恼当中度过悲惨的一生。等到人要死的时候是最惨的，因为躺在床上，不知道自己要到哪里去？最惨的是会问自己“我真的要离开人间了吗？”难过呀。看见那么多熟悉的脸，看见那么多爱过自己的人，看见还有那么多物质的东西等等，不舍得呀，离不开呀。但是无奈瞬间什么都没了。为什么要跟着师父学呀？就是要学永久的东西。心中的拥有胜过一切。心中的富有，胜过你生活当中的富有；心中的知足，胜过你在人间得到的任何知足。
People often say that time is like a sponge. If you don’t squeeze it, the water will never come out; but if you do, you’ll find there’s always more inside. Time must be “squeezed out.” Everyone is busy—you’re busy, and so is everyone else. Yet some people make time to recite sutras, and as a result, their homes are peaceful. If you don’t recite, your home won’t be peaceful. Some people wake up at four in the morning to perform recitation, while you claim to be “too busy” and never make time—so how can you expect to receive blessings? In the end, you’ll gain nothing.
To drift through life, laughing and joking without any spiritual cultivation, is truly pitiful. By the time death arrives, you’ll find yourself empty‑handed, having wasted an entire life in confusion, affliction, and suffering. And the most painful moment comes when you’re lying on your deathbed, not knowing where you’re going next. You may ask yourself: “Am I really leaving the Human Realm?” You’ll feel reluctant to let go—seeing familiar faces, loved ones who once cared for you, and all the material things you cherished. Yet in an instant, it’s all gone. Why learn Buddhism with me? Because you are learning something eternal. What you hold within your heart lasts far longer than anything in the material world. The richness of the heart outweighs any wealth you can possess, and the contentment of the heart surpasses any satisfaction you might find in worldly life.