清明临近的时候，灵性走动得很厉害，到处跑。大家稍不留神，稍不好好修，马上就惹祸、惹灾。灵界的事情是非常严重的事情，是绝对不能够开玩笑的。等到灵性上身的话，你就变成一个被灵性控制的精神病患者了。
As Qingming approaches, spiritual beings become especially active, moving about everywhere. If you’re not vigilant and don’t cultivate properly, you’ll quickly invite trouble and misfortune. Matters of the spirit world are very serious—they’re no joking matter. Once a spirit takes hold of you, you become like someone suffering from mental illness, completely controlled by that spirit.
师父今天给你们讲“无罪福”。什么叫“无罪福”呢？造恶得罪，就是一个人做了坏事，他就有罪孽。造善得福，就是你经常做善事，你就有福报。你做了恶，实际上不能够影响你的本性；你做了善事、福报，也不能够影响到你的本性。师父先给你们把题点出来。接下来你们会问，做善做恶不会影响到你的本性吗？你做坏事了，你做善事了，难道跟你的本性没有关系吗？道理就是本性本来的面目是没有罪和没有福的。举个例子，一张白纸，你把黑的涂上去了，你能说这张白纸过去是黑的吗？一张白纸，你填上去的是红色，你能说这张白纸过去是红颜色的吗？我们人的本性原始是非常纯洁的、善良的，所以我们的本质没有丝毫的改变，只是因为我们外界外层所造的业，造成了我们自己变色。你多做善事，你就多得福报，但是这个福报在你的本性当中实际上已经用掉了。举这个例子，一张白纸，你画上了最美好的图画，可以供人欣赏。这张图画得漂亮，可以卖钱，大家都喜欢。实际上这就是你的善。因为你画上去好的东西，你就得到善报了。但是这张白纸过去还是白纸一张，并不代表你画了美好的图而改变它们原来是白色纸张。如果你拿这张白纸画上了肮脏、罪恶的东西，你是不是作孽了？例如警察看见你这张写有污蔑人内容的纸张，找到你，把你判刑了，那么你说这张白纸是不是白的？而罪孽都是你自己画上去的。所以人的本性永远是善良的。
Today, I want to talk about “non-offence and blessings.” What does this mean? Committing evil creates karmic offences—when you do bad things, you accumulate negative karma. Doing good brings blessings—when you regularly perform kind acts, you earn positive rewards. But doing wrong doesn’t change your inherent nature, just as doing good and gaining karmic rewards doesn’t change your true nature either. Let me clarify this first. You might ask: “Doesn’t doing good or bad affect our inherent nature? Doesn’t it have some bearing on it?” The principle is this: our inherent nature, in its original state, carries neither karmic offence nor blessings.
Take a sheet of white paper. If you scribble black marks on it, can you say the paper was originally black? If you paint it red, can you say it was originally red? Of course not. Our inherent nature is originally pure and kind. Its essence never changes. It’s only through the karma we create in the external world that we take on different “colours.” When you do many good deeds, you receive karmic rewards. But in truth, those rewards are used up as they are received. For example, that same white paper can be painted into a beautiful picture that people admire and even pay money for—that’s your good deed bringing karmic reward. Yet underneath, it’s still just white paper. Creating a beautiful picture doesn’t change the fact it was originally white. On the other hand, if you paint something filthy or malicious, you’ve committed negative karma. If the police see it—say, it contains slander—and track you down and punish you, isn’t it still true that the paper itself remains white? The karmic offences are what you added, not the paper itself. Human nature is always inherently good.
菩萨为什么下来救人？因为菩萨看到了人的本性还是善良的。但是很多人画得太肮脏了，已经没有办法把它擦掉了。那么谁来擦呢？那就是地府的官员。师父给你们讲得通俗一点：在人间有警察、有法官帮你擦；在小孩子的时候，有爸爸妈妈教育你，学校有老师帮你擦。擦到你已经要死掉了还没有擦干净，对不起，等人死掉下去之后就是阎王老爷给你擦。再擦不掉的时候怎么样呢？很简单，把你这张纸整个撕掉、烧掉，就是等你下到地狱，你这个人的本性就没有了，你原始的原灵就没了。因为太脏了，你这张白纸也作废了。
So why do Bodhisattvas descend to save people? Because they see that, at the core, the inherent nature of human beings is still good. But some people have layered so much filth over themselves that it’s nearly impossible to clean off. So who cleans it? Officials of the Underworld. Let me explain in simple terms. In the Human Realm, police and judges correct your wrongs. As a child, your parents discipline you; at school, your teachers guide you. If you reach the end of your life still uncleansed, then when you die, the King of Hell takes over. And if even then it can’t be cleaned? It’s simple: the paper gets torn up or burned. That means when you fall into Hell, your inherent nature—your original spirit—is destroyed. The paper is discarded because it’s too tainted.
如果你做好事的话，也是在你死之前全部报掉，这就是善有善报。这个报一定会报掉的。而且善事是在今世报掉，不会留到来世。只有功德可以带走，来世再报。希望你们知道，你们听一次课就少一次课，你们多听一点，实际上就是多增加你们的智慧，多洗涤你们的心灵。你们自己不听，自己就失去很多东西。这个是精神的东西，不是谁都能说的。今天我可以参加一个晚会，但是这个晚会你不能得到益处，但是你们听师父讲完之后，你直接受到益处。节目中有一位香港听众说，他每次听完台长的节目浑身发热，睡不着觉。这是能量。你们听课就是接受师父给你们的能量。家里有天大的事情，也要想办法克服一下。人就是这样的，要戒。师父给你们讲的都是佛法。所以人的本性是没有罪和福的。这就是说等一个人无罪了才能有福，所以叫“无罪福”。
If you do good deeds, the karmic rewards will come before you pass away—that’s what “good deeds bring good rewards” means. These karmic rewards will always arrive, but they are repaid in this lifetime; they don’t carry over into the next. Only merit and virtue can be taken with you into future lives. I hope you understand this. Every Dharma talk you attend is one fewer chance you’ll have left in future. So the more you listen, the more wisdom you gain, the more your heart and mind are cleansed. If you don’t listen, you miss out on so much. This is spiritual nourishment—something not just anyone can give you. You could attend a social event tonight, but would you gain any benefit from it? No. But by listening to my Dharma talk, you receive benefit right away. A listener from Hong Kong once said that every time he listened to my radio program, his whole body would feel warm and he couldn’t sleep—that’s energy. When you attend my Dharma talk, you are receiving the energy I share with you. Even if there’s something urgent at home, you must find a way to overcome it. That’s what discipline is about. Remember, what I teach you is the Buddha-Dharma. At its core, the human inherent nature carries neither offence nor blessing. That’s why we say: only when a person is free of offence can they truly receive blessings—this is what we call “blessings without offence.”
师父今天给你们讲的是，为什么你要发出慈悲心去救人家？最要紧的是人要有慈悲心。当你去救人的时候，你不懂得人的原始的原灵，也就是人的本性是干净的，你就不可能去救他。因为你会很恨他，因为你看到这张白纸上全部是黑的字，你会很厌恶他。但是当你看到了这张纸，“哦，它原来也是白纸啊，他不当心弄脏了，多可惜”，就像我们的衣服一样，很漂亮的一件衣服弄脏了之后，你会不会把这件衣服扔掉啊？你会不会把它洗一洗、擦一擦？你们周围很多的人，身上都有墨汁，都有很多脏东西，你们应该把它擦擦干净，看到它本来是一件很好的衣服，所以为什么现在不能救救他呢？你有这个洗涤剂，人家没有。这个洗涤剂就犹如你有这个法门，有这个佛法，你为什么不去救人家？有了这种想法才能救人。师父讲法，最大的特点就是用比喻，还有白话佛法，谁都听得懂。他原来是好的，那你就原谅他做错的很多事情。你知道多少教育学家去教育学生的时候，当他看见一个坏孩子，他首先想到这个孩子本来也是一个天真无邪的好孩子。
Today, I want to explain why you must cultivate compassion to help others. The most important thing is to develop a compassionate heart. If you try to help someone without understanding that their original spirit—their true nature—is pure, you won’t be able to help them. Instead, you might feel hatred or disgust, seeing only the black marks on the page. But when you realise, “Oh, this paper was originally white—it just got stained, what a pity,” your attitude changes. It’s like a beautiful piece of clothing that has been dirtied. Would you throw it away? No—you would wash it clean. Many people around you are covered in “ink” and dirt, but you should help clean them, recognising that they are originally good. Why not help them now? You have the “cleaning agent”—the Dharma Door, the Buddhist teachings. Others don’t. So why not use it to help and awaken them? That way of thinking is what enables you to truly help others. My teachings stand out because I use analogies and plain-language Dharma that anyone can understand. If someone was originally good, you can forgive their mistakes. That’s also the approach of many educators: when they see a “bad” child, their first thought is that this child was once innocent and pure.
六道轮回非本性轮回。你们都知道人是有本性的，对不对？本性就是最原始的东西。那么六道轮回中最原始的东西、最本性的东西，它是不是属于本性在轮回呢？实际上惩罚的还是你自己身上的孽障，得到回报的善事还是你身上的善果。把你们的本性作为一面镜子，上面有黑的东西，也有红色的东西。你把黑色的东西慢慢擦干净了，镜子不就亮了吗？那红色的东西是善事，慢慢地也会全部报掉了，并不是说红的东西就不报了。黑的东西你要擦。给你擦的就是警察、老师、家长，或者一切执法单位，都是在擦你身上肮脏的东西。包括那些鬼神可以把你的灵魂拖到地下去先惩罚你。抽筋就是一种惩罚。平时做恶梦、害怕都是灵性对我们的惩罚。所以要记住，只有这面镜子还是干净的才能保持本性的纯洁。而善因是红色的东西，会全部受善报；恶因是黑的东西，慢慢地也会受恶报，你的本性还是一面镜子。实际上六道轮回中轮回的还是你们非本性的原灵啊。
The cycle of rebirth within the six realms is not the rebirth of your true nature. You all know that people have a true nature, don’t you? That true nature is the most original, pure essence. So within the six realms, is it really your true nature that undergoes rebirth? In reality, what is being punished are the karmic obstacles you carry, and what is being rewarded are the good deeds you’ve done. Think of your true nature as a mirror. On its surface there may be black stains and red marks. If you slowly wipe away the black stains, doesn’t the mirror shine again? The red marks represent good deeds, and they too will eventually be repaid—it’s not that they remain untouched. The black stains must be cleaned away. Who does the cleaning? Police, teachers, parents, or other authority figures are “wiping off” the dirt you’ve accumulated. Even spirits and deities can drag your soul down into the Underworld for punishment. Muscle cramps, nightmares, or sudden fear can also be punishments from the spiritual realm. So remember: only when this mirror is clean can your true nature remain pure. Good causes (the red marks) bring good rewards; bad causes (the black stains) bring bad consequences. But your true nature? It remains a clear mirror. What cycles through the six realms is the soul, weighed down by karma—not your true nature.
再举个例子，这面镜子是不锈钢，也很亮，但是因为上面全部是黑的，人家一看，这么脏的东西，“啪”的一下扔到垃圾堆里了。也就是扔到地府里，或者扔到地狱里去。如果是一面好的镜子，上面都是美妙的图画，它就会被放到博物馆去，这也是受到它的善报。所以六道轮回是惩罚你自身作恶得到的报应，而不是惩罚你的本性。因为人的本性都是佛性，怎么会惩罚佛性呢？师父讲到你们的本性、本质，虽有罪福，它也暂时离开你的本性了。然受福，本性不增加丝毫。就是说，当你有福报来的时候，你的本性还是这样；当你受罪的时候，本性也没有损害丝毫。一个小孩子很善良，可是做错了事情，你能说他是一个坏孩子吗？你会把他送到警察局去吗？当一个孩子做了善事的时候，你是不是积极地表扬他？这并没有牵扯到他的本性。任何善业恶业都是你本性外面的装饰与灰尘。
Here’s another example. Imagine a stainless-steel mirror, nice and shiny. But if its surface is completely covered in dirt, people will say, “So dirty!” and throw it straight into the rubbish. That’s like being cast into the Underworld or even Hell. But if the mirror’s surface is adorned with beautiful images, it might be placed in a museum—that is its good reward. So the cycle of rebirth within the six realms is simply the karmic consequences of your actions, not punishment of your inherent nature. Our inherent nature is Buddha-nature, so how could Buddha-nature itself ever be punished? What I’m teaching you is that although your inherent nature may appear to be touched by blessings or karmic offences, they don’t stick to it permanently. When you receive blessings, your inherent nature hasn’t increased in any way. When you undergo punishment, your inherent nature hasn’t been diminished. Think of a kind child who does something wrong—do you call them a bad kid? Do you send them to the police? Of course not. And when a child does something good, you praise them, don’t you? That doesn’t change their inherent nature either. All good and bad karma is just like decorations or dust on the surface of your inherent nature.
本性是空的，是无智体的。什么叫空的？本性本来就是没有的，是没有体积的。修得好，什么都看得见；修得不好，什么都看不见。就像我们做人一样。你有文化、有知识，你就是一个有修养的人。虽然修养本身是看不见的，但是你懂得什么事情能做，什么事情不能做。没有修行等于睁眼瞎子，等于不懂法，才会被抓进去，懂法的人不会这么做。你们知道，你们现在学佛法了，你们才不会违反佛法啊！你们不懂佛法的话，你们才会造孽。等到要死了，浑身都是罪孽，这时怕死了，来得及吗？本性是空，是无智体的，是清净寂灭的。人的本性是非常干净的，是安静的，是非常纯洁的。“寂”就是很安静的，慢慢地就像没有一样。当一个人死的时候，他人生的路程走完了，他就寂灭了。所以佛法讲叫“圆寂”，就是非常圆满地安静下来，没了。“恶寂”有没有？有。像烧死、烫死、压死、痛死等，这全部都是不好的寂灭。
Our inherent nature is empty—it is without a fixed substance. What does “empty” mean? It’s not something you can hold or measure—it doesn’t exist in a physical sense. If you cultivate well, you see everything clearly; if you don’t cultivate, you see nothing at all. It’s the same with being human. If you have education and knowledge, you become a person of refinement. Refinement itself is invisible, yet it guides you—you know what can and cannot be done. Without cultivation, you’re like a blind person with open eyes, ignorant of the Dharma and easily led astray. Now that you are studying Buddhism, you avoid creating negative karma. But if you don’t know the Dharma, you’ll just keep accumulating karmic offences. When death comes, weighed down by a lifetime of karma, you’ll be terrified—but by then it’s too late. Your true nature is empty, without a fixed substance. It is pure, tranquil, and still. The inherent nature of a person is extremely clean, quiet, and pure. “Stillness” means a quiet peace, gradually fading into a state as if it were not there. When a person dies, their life journey is complete—they enter this stillness. In Buddhism, this is called nirvāṇa—a perfect and peaceful stillness, a complete passing away. But is there such a thing as “bad stillness”? Yes. Things like burning to death, being crushed, or dying in pain—those are all forms of negative stillness.
怎么能在本性当中加罪福呢？很多人想：在我的本性当中多加些福报进去，是不是我的本性会变得更好一点呢？实际上这是加不上去的。做多少功德报应多少。举个例子，师父手上有个球，这个球就是一个灵体、气体。在气体上面加这加那，你们说有没有啊？能够在这个气体上加东西吗？它是空的。就像我们吹出一口气，你能够在这空气上加上什么东西吗？所以好的东西，它留不住；坏的东西，也留不住。比如说这个气球，气里面是没有东西的，在外面不是有个橡皮球吗？如果这个球是坏球，“砰”，太重了掉下来，橡皮球破了；如果是好的气球，就会往上升。气球外面那一层实际上就是好的东西，它把你裹起来，往上升，实际上就是往天上跑。但是氢气球跑到一定的地方就上不去了，如果硬往上拉，就会炸掉，因为大气压太强。
So how can blessings or offences be added to the true nature? Many people think: “If I keep adding blessings into my inherent nature, won’t it become better?” In fact, you can’t add anything to it. The amount of merit and virtue you accumulate determines the reward you reap—nothing more. For example, suppose I hold a balloon in my hand. This balloon represents a spirit, a body of energy. Can you attach anything to the gas inside the balloon? No—it’s empty. Just like a breath of air you exhale—can you add something onto it? No. Good things won’t stick, and bad things won’t stick either. The gas inside is empty, right? What surrounds it is only the rubber skin. If the balloon is faulty, it bursts or falls when too heavy—that’s like being dragged down by karmic burdens. But if it’s a good balloon, it rises upward—that’s like ascending to the heavens. Still, even a hydrogen balloon reaches a point where it can’t rise further. If you force it higher, it bursts because of the intense atmospheric pressure.
你们的灵魂就是气球里面的东西。做太多坏事后，等于外面包了一层铁，在飞机上往下放，就会摔下来。无业障往生犹如升上去的气球，能升到初禅天、忉利天等。在天上好像很好了，可是飞啊飞，也会“砰”的一声爆炸。因为到了最高的地方和境界，就是说超出三界、不在五行中的时候，它连这个形体都没有了，它完全融化在一种超自然的空气当中，所以氢气球也升不上，氢气因为还是有“气”。而到超过三界后，这个“气”它想有，它就聚集出来一个形象；它不想有，它就没有。这才叫修到最高最高的境界。师父要你们完美地把自己的这个氢气修成功，连氢气球都不要。这是你们一生当中的氢气，只有这个氢气可以上天，但入不了地。因为氢气是往上跑的，肮脏的浊气是往下跑的。最本性的东西是最清净、最纯洁的东西，是一直能在天上的。其实修的就是我们一颗善良的心，而这颗心是无形、无相、无色、无味，什么都不知道的。实际上就是师父刚才给你们讲的“空”，是无智体。
Your soul is like what’s inside a balloon. When you commit too many wrongdoings, it’s as though the balloon is wrapped in iron—if it’s dropped from a plane, it will crash straight down. A life without heavy karmic obstacles is like a balloon rising upward, able to reach realms such as the First Dhyāna Heaven or the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Up there, it seems wonderful, but eventually it too will burst with a “bang.” Why? Because when you reach the highest states—beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements—there is no longer even a form to hold onto. Everything dissolves into a supernatural state. At that level, even a hydrogen balloon can’t rise any higher, because hydrogen is still “gas.” Beyond the Three Realms, that “gas” can take form if it wishes, or remain formless if it doesn’t. That is the highest level of spiritual practice. I want you to perfect your cultivation so well that you don’t even need the “hydrogen balloon.” This “hydrogen” represents your very essence in this lifetime. Only this pure energy can rise to the heavens; it can never descend to the earth, because hydrogen always rises, while foul and polluted air sinks downward. Your truest nature is the purest, most pristine essence, always able to remain in the heavens. What you’re really cultivating is your kind heart—a heart that is formless, shapeless, colourless, without taste, and beyond ordinary knowing. This is exactly what I explained earlier: “emptiness”—it is without a fixed substance.