执着是修持的大魔。如果一个人非常的执着，这个人一定会在修持上着魔。昨天有一个小女孩跑过来跟台长道别，她说：“台长，谢谢你把我领进了佛门，但是我现在要去修另外一个法门了，我一定要给你磕三个头。”而且是流着眼泪说的。哪有一个学佛的人是流着眼泪没有办法地去跟领她进另外一个法门的人走的？如果你们哪一天不想跟师父学了，我让你们笑嘻嘻地离开，不要给师父说“对不起”。因为我救人就是要救得让人家心里开心。她离开台长了，她觉得很悲伤，觉得对不起台长，这就是跟台长的缘不深。八万四千法门，你想怎么修你就怎么修。大家应该明白一个道理，一个人要有真修为，如果执着地去追求某一件事情，那一定是着魔了。如果自己没有这个能力，但一定要去做这个事情，就是着魔。比如我今天没有钱，我一定要去做有钱的事情，这就是着魔了。我今天没有这个能力，我拼命地想去做这个事情，这就是着魔。所以要摆正自己心中的位置。
Attachment is a great demon in spiritual practice. When a person is deeply attached, they are certain to fall into demonic affliction in their cultivation.
Yesterday, a young girl came to say goodbye to me. She said through tears, “Master, thank you for leading me into the Buddha-Dharma, but I am now going to practise a different Dharma door, and I must kneel and bow three times before I leave.” Why should a Buddhist practitioner feel such sorrow and helplessness when choosing to practise another Dharma door? If one day any of you decide not to continue learning with me, I would want you to leave with a smile, without feeling the need to say, “I’m sorry.” When I share Dharma and help awaken people, I want them to feel joyful in their hearts. The fact that she felt sorrowful and apologetic shows that her karmic affinity with me was not deep. There are eighty-four thousand Dharma doors—you may practise whichever one suits you. Everyone should understand this principle: It is true cultivation that matters most. If a person pursues a single goal with a stubborn attachment, they are certainly falling into demonic affliction. If a person lacks the ability to do something yet insists on doing it, that too is demonic affliction. For example, if I have no money but insist on living like a wealthy person, that is demonic affliction. If I lack the capacity yet desperately want to force an outcome, that is also demonic affliction. Therefore, you must place your mind correctly.
师父刚才给你们讲的就是尽量不要让魔来侵袭你的心灵，让你的心灵能够干净一点，能够多明白一点，少一点执着。你们现在告诉我，谁的心里没有执着？你们这些徒弟、这些弟子，你们想想看，你们心中谁没有执着？要么为孩子，要么为老子，要么为丈夫，要么为妻子，要么为自己，要么为钱，要么为名，要么为利等等。你们每一个人生活上都有执着。什么叫执着？放不下的事情就叫执着，执着就是魔。而执着在你心里时间长了你就被魔所侵占，被魔所侵占了之后，你就失去了更多，你的方向会走偏，你会越来越觉得失落。执着的人做一件事情一定会后悔一件事情，而真正心中没有执着的人做一件事情他会乐在其中。因为不执着的人他想做一件事情，他不会带来另外一个负面的影响。举个简单例子，我很喜欢吃蛋糕，明明知道自己有糖尿病不能吃甜的东西，但我就要吃，接下来糖尿病就发作了。而不执着的人，“我有糖尿病，我不能吃蛋糕，我吃一块面包”，这样就不会给你带来后果。而有魔执着的人，我非要做这件事情，接下来带来的就是他的伤痛。
What I have just explained is this: do everything you can to prevent demons from invading your mind. Keep your mind clean, clear, and less attached. Tell me—whose mind is completely free of attachment? You disciples, think carefully: who among you has no attachments in their heart? Some are attached to their children, some to their parents, some to their husband or wife, some to themselves, some to money, some to fame, some to profit, and so on. Every one of you has attachments in daily life. What is attachment? Anything you cannot let go of is attachment. Attachment itself is a demon. When attachment stays in your heart for a long time, you become occupied by demons. Once demons take hold, you lose even more. Your direction becomes distorted, and you feel increasingly lost. A person burdened by attachment will regret one thing after another. A person without attachment, however, finds joy in what they do. Why? Because someone without attachment acts without creating negative consequences. Take a simple example: I love eating cake, yet I know I have diabetes and should not eat sweets. If I insist on eating it anyway, my diabetes will flare up. A non-attached person thinks, “I have diabetes; I can’t eat cake, so I’ll eat some bread instead.” That choice brings no harmful result. But a person driven by demonic attachment insists on doing what they should not—and what follows is pain and suffering.
师父继续给大家讲，平等就是佛法的意义。学佛要用平等心来待人。什么叫平等心？就是看人要平等，做事要平等。平等心就是四无量心，即慈悲喜舍。平等心就是不执着的心，就是没有什么可以攀比的，没有什么可以让我愤怒的，没有什么事情可以让我嫉妒的，没有什么事情可以让我放不下的。所有的佛法都是平等的，佛和法都是平等的，也就是说佛和法门都是平等。我们今天学的所有的佛、法为什么不平等？为什么你弘的法要让你的信众这样或那样？而台长没有叫信众这样或那样的，对不对？师父现在听到很多人拿着师父的名字在赚钱，师父有什么办法？和我有什么关系呢？现在他们这个因种下去了，以后总有果的。而这个果不是我来承受，是他本人承受。谁种因，谁受果，对不对？比如，你过去做的事情你承受果了吗？你现在做的事情你承受果了吗？如果你现在承受的是善果，大家都尊敬你，对你好，这就是你的善果，因为你种了善因。如果你过去不懂事，做了很多的恶因，所以你得到的是恶果。这恶果是师父替你背，还是你自己背？当然是你自己背了。就像现在你们徒弟装腔作势不好好学佛，跟我有什么关系呢？你们现在自己做，以后自己受，你们受的时候就叫自作自受。不改的人，永远自作自受。
Let’s move on. Equality is the very meaning of the Buddha-Dharma. To practise Buddhism, one must treat others with equanimity. What is equanimity? It means viewing people equally and handling all matters with equality. Equanimity is embodied in the Four Immeasurable States of Mind—loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Equanimity is also a non-attached mind: a mind with nothing to compare, nothing to become angry about, nothing to be jealous of, and nothing it cannot let go of.
All Buddha-Dharma is equal. The Buddha and the Dharma are equal; that is to say, the Buddha and all Dharma doors are equal. Then why is it that, today, some people treat the Buddha-Dharma as unequal? Why do some people, when propagating their Dharma doors, require their followers to behave in certain prescribed ways? I have never demanded that my followers act in any particular way, have I?
I hear that many people are now using my name to make money. What can I do about that? And what does it have to do with me? The causes they are sowing now will inevitably produce results. Those results will not be borne by me, but by the people who planted the causes. Whoever plants the cause bears the fruit— isn’t that right? Think about it: the things you did in the past—did you bear their consequences? The things you are doing now—are you bearing their consequences? If what you are receiving now are good results—people respect you and treat you well—that is because you planted good causes. If, in the past, you were ignorant and created many unwholesome causes, then what you receive now are unwholesome results. Will I bear those results for you, or will you bear them yourself? Of course, you will bear them yourself. Likewise, when you disciples put on airs and fail to practise Buddhism properly—what does that have to do with me? You reap what you sow. When suffering comes, it is called self-inflicted suffering. Those who refuse to change will continue to suffer the consequences of their own actions.
师父给你们讲，要懂得自己所修的佛法。千万要记住，要把所有的法门及佛法都看成是平等的。不要以为自己所修的佛法是尊贵的，是天上的佛法，是最大的，是最准确的。这个就叫执着，听得懂吗？有些人学到了一点佛法、法门，以为自己学的多得不得了，以为自己书看了很多，包括师父的徒弟和弟子当中也有人过去看了几本书，就觉得自己很了不起了。你们懂什么？你们知道佛法是无量无边的，像恒河沙数一样，是我们人能明白的道理吗？只有把佛法说成白话，让大家在生活当中能够体验它、理解它，这才是佛菩萨最高的境界。佛菩萨用佛法就是来解脱众生在人间的苦难的，而这些苦难如果一旦被发现根源和解决的方法之后，实际上这个法门也就没有用了。就像一种药一样，当你有胃病的时候，你吃了胃药后胃好了。当你胃好了，这些胃药对你来讲就是没用了。听得懂吗？而有些人以为拿了这些胃药去研究，去分析它里面的成分、分子结构，等他懂得了这些道理，懂得了胃的全部的一些知识和常理之后，他以为这些胃药能帮助他，而这些药可能已经过期了。实际上这些人是最可怜的。胃药的目的就是让你胃好，而不是让你去研究和争夺它。师父现在用白话佛法，用这么好的佛教的方法来救度你们众生，就是让你们生活好、身体好、工作好，让你们脱离苦难，脱离烦恼。你们还需要什么？师父给大家讲，一定要懂事情，要明白道理。不能执着自己，“哎呀，我的这个法门最好。哎呀，我学的东西最好”，不能执着自己的观点来看世界上的一切法门。不要看人家，人家都是好的。
I tell you this: you must understand the Buddha-Dharma you are practising. Always remember to regard all Dharma doors and all Buddha-Dharma as equal. Never think that the Dharma you practise is superior, nobler, “heavenly”, the greatest, or the most correct. That is attachment—do you understand? Some people learn a little Buddha-Dharma or follow one Dharma door and then think they are extremely knowledgeable. They believe that reading a few books makes them accomplished. Even among my own disciples, some have read a handful of books and immediately feel superior. What do you truly understand? Do you know that the Buddha-Dharma is immeasurable and boundless, like the sands of the Ganges River? Is it something the human mind can fully comprehend? Only when the Buddha-Dharma is expressed in plain language—so that people can experience it and understand it in daily life—does it reach the highest realm of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas use the Buddha-Dharma to liberate sentient beings from suffering in the Human Realm. Once the root cause of suffering is identified and the method of resolution applied, that particular Dharma door has fulfilled its purpose and is no longer needed. It is like medicine. When you have a stomach illness, you take stomach medicine; once your stomach is healed, the medicine is no longer necessary. Do you understand? Yet some people take that stomach medicine and begin to analyse it, study its ingredients and molecular structure. Even after understanding all the theories and medical knowledge, they still believe the medicine will help them—when in fact it may already have expired. Such people are truly pitiful. The purpose of stomach medicine is to heal the stomach, not to be studied, argued over, or clung to.
I now use plain-language and accessible Buddhist teachings, along with effective Buddhist methods, to guide and awaken you sentient beings—so that your lives are good, your health is good, your work is good, and you are liberated from suffering and affliction. What more do you need? I tell you: be sensible and understand the truth. Do not cling to yourself, thinking, “My Dharma Door is the best. What I’ve learned is the best.” Do not use your own fixed perspective to judge the Dharma doors of the world. Do not judge others—everyone has their own goodness.
所以当这个女孩子掉着眼泪给师父磕头的时候，我给她说：“台长的法门永远都是敞开的。如果你学得开心了，你就在那里继续学下去。如果你哪一天学得不开心了，你回来，台长还是欢迎你。”她最后哭着给台长讲：“台长你早前就说过这句话，心灵法门的大门一直是敞开的。”师父希望你们不要执着，一执着就曲解了诸法平等、诸法无我。诸法平等是什么？诸法平等就是所有的法门都是没有什么特别的，都是劝人为善的，让人开悟的，不论你在哪个地方修学学佛都是平等的。所有的法都无我，没有自己的。因为你们学的是佛菩萨的法，学的是佛菩萨的道，你们是用本身的本性来学。实际上这个就是没有今世的我，而用的是你前世的我，这个我是没有的，而是菩萨的本性和良心。所以你忙了半天实际上就是在找回自己的良心和本性。并不是你在找，而是菩萨在找你自己的本性。你们听得懂吗？
So, when that young girl was weeping as she knelt and bowed to me, I said to her, “The door to the Guan Yin Citta will always remain open. If you are happy and progressing where you are, then continue practising there. If one day you are no longer happy and choose to return, and I will still welcome you.” In the end, she wept and said to me, “Master, you said this long ago—that the door to the Guan Yin Citta is always open.”
I hope all of you can let go of attachment. The moment attachment arises, you distort the teachings that all dharmas are equal and all dharmas are without self. What does “all dharmas are equal” mean? It means that all Dharma doors are fundamentally the same. They all encourage people to do good and lead people towards awakening. No matter where you study or practise Buddhism, it is all equal. What does “all dharmas are without self” mean? It means that all dharmas are free of a “self”. You are studying the Dharma of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; you are following their path, and you are practising through your inherent nature. In truth, you are not using the “self” of this present lifetime. You are drawing upon the self of past lives—but even that “self” is ultimately empty. What is truly operating is the Bodhisattva’s inherent nature and conscience. Therefore, everything you are doing is simply the process of recovering your own conscience and inherent nature. It is not that you are seeking it; rather, the Bodhisattvas are guiding you back to your own inherent nature. Do you understand?
大家要明白，如果一个人比较执着的话，他就会忘记诸法平等的内涵，也是自赞毁他的。自赞毁他是什么意思？我很执着，我一定讲自己好，讲人家不好；我一定讲自己的法门怎么怎么好，人家的法门怎么怎么不好，所以执着的最后就是让你造口业。师父经常讲所有的法门都是好的，师父都很尊敬它们。法门是什么？法门是一个道路，是你通向彼岸的一个道路。这个道路泥泞一点，这个道路坎坷一点，这个道路好走一点，实际上它都是一个道路。你不能说他愿意坐马车，就说他马车不好。那人家说我上飞机晕机怎么办呢？坐船我晕船怎么办？他愿意坐马车就让他去坐马车好了。他愿意坐汽车，他还一路欣赏风景呢。坐飞机什么都看不见，就看见云，他还不开心呢。你为什么要强求他呢？
You must realise that when a person becomes attached, they forget the profound meaning of the equality of all dharmas. They fall into praising themselves and disparaging others. What does this mean? When I am attached, I will inevitably praise myself and criticise others. I will praise my own Dharma door as wonderful and speak poorly of other Dharma doors. In the end, attachment leads to the creation of negative karma of speech. I often tell you that all Dharma doors are good, and I respect them all. What is a Dharma door? A Dharma door is a path—a path that leads to the other shore. Some paths are muddy, some are uneven, some are smoother, but they are all paths. You cannot say that because someone chooses to travel by horse-drawn cart, that cart is inferior. Another person might say, “I get airsick on planes,” or “I get seasick on boats.” If someone prefers to ride in a cart, let them ride in a cart. If someone prefers to travel by car, they may enjoy the scenery along the way. Someone who flies sees nothing but clouds and may not enjoy it at all. So why force them?
师父给大家讲“法性无异”。佛法和本性本来都是出自一个地方的，叫“法性无异”。佛法和本性是同一个的。想想看，你学了半天的佛法，你最后的心不就是这个吗？叫“法性无异”。同法门中只是因缘中的殊胜不同。大家好好听好了，这句话的意思是在同法门的当中，只是殊胜的因缘不同。什么意思呢？你们都是在修心灵法门的人，都是跟着师父在修的，对不对？但是修心灵法门的人，为什么有的人修得好，而有的人修得不好呢？是因为你过去生中的因缘让你这辈子同样跟着师父修，修得好或修得不好，这就是为什么有些人修得就好，而有些人就修得很差。为什么有的人修得就能活下来，而有些人就活不下来了？为什么有些人修得就能延寿，而有些人修了就没有延寿呢？第一，根据他累世的这种因缘果报，他本身的缘分够不够。为什么有些人在师父边上学习一段时间就没有长性了，而有些人打死他也不走，这也叫殊胜的因缘呀。因为你有了这个缘，你才能把这个事情圆下去。如果你连这个缘分，这个佛法、这个法门殊胜的缘分都没有，你想想看你怎么能够修得好呢？怎么能把这个缘分圆下去呢？你怎么能够找到佛缘呢？这就叫因缘，这就叫果报。大家明白了吗？
I want to teach you the principle of “the Dharma-nature is without difference.” The Buddha-Dharma and one’s inherent nature arise from the same source—this is what is meant by “the Dharma-nature is without difference.” The Buddha-Dharma and inherent nature are essentially one and the same. Think about it: after all this time practising the Buddha-Dharma, isn’t this the ultimate state your mind returns to? That is what is meant by “the Dharma-nature is without difference.”
Within the same Dharma door, the only differences lie in the varying degrees of extraordinary karmic conditions. Listen carefully—this means that among practitioners of the same Dharma door, there are differences in the extraordinary nature of karmic conditions. What does this mean in practice? You are all cultivating the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door and practising under my guidance, aren’t you? Yet why do some practitioners cultivate well while others do not? It is because the karmic causes and conditions from past lives determine whether, in this lifetime, even under the same teacher, one cultivates well or poorly. That is why some people progress smoothly, while others struggle. Why is it that some people, through cultivation, are able to make it through, while others are not? Why can some people extend their lifespan through cultivation, while others cannot? First and foremost, it depends on the karmic causes and effects accumulated over many lifetimes—whether their karmic conditions are sufficient. Why do some people stay by my side for a period of time and then lose momentum, while others would never leave no matter what? This, too, is a matter of extraordinary karmic conditions. Only when you have such conditions can you see things through to completion. Without these extraordinary karmic conditions with the Buddha-Dharma and with this Dharma door, how could you cultivate well? How could you bring this affinity to fulfilment? How could you encounter true Buddhist affinity at all? This is what is meant by cause and condition, and karmic result. Do you understand?
所以要记住同法门中因缘的殊胜不同，能力越大，责任就越大。一个人的能力越大，他的责任就越大。现在师父的能力大不大？师父的责任大不大？我现在的能力能让全世界几百万人都在修学这个心灵法门。虽说师父的这个能力大，但是师父的压力大不大？我几乎每天都要做开示，几乎每天都要很努力地工作，每天只睡几个小时。我就是在家里，也是在改稿子呀。责任是怎么来的？是你的能力而来的。你没有这个能力，你哪来的这个责任呢？这个就叫哲理。比如你今天能够管理这么一个店，因为你现在有这个能力了，所以你才能管理这个店。想想看，是不是你有这个能力？如果你没有这个能力，你哪来的这个责任呢？你们现在学佛有没有责任？因为你们是师父的徒弟，你们帮助不了师父救度众生，你们就没有这个责任了。你们想做师父的徒弟，你们就要配这个职称啊，就要出去救人啊，就有这个责任啊。你们就要家里时间少一点，佛法弘扬要多一点。否则你们做我徒弟干什么？师父收了这么多弟子，每一个都是菩萨。你们知道他们这些菩萨每天在救多少人吗？而你们现在就每星期三来一来，平时你们做了些什么我不知道。自修自得，切勿浪费时间！
So remember this: within the same Dharma door, there are differences in the extraordinary nature of karmic conditions. With greater ability comes greater responsibility. The more capable a person is, the greater their responsibility becomes. Isn’t it true that my ability has grown immensely? And isn’t it also true that my responsibility has become correspondingly heavy? Today, I have the ability to enable millions of people around the world to practise the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. Yet even though my ability is great, isn’t it true that the pressure has increased as well? I give Dharma talks almost every day, work tirelessly almost every day, and sleep only a few hours each night. Even when I am at home, I am revising my Buddhist teaching materials. Where does responsibility come from? It comes from ability. If you do not have the ability, how could you shoulder that responsibility? That is a fundamental principle. For example, you are able to manage a shop today because you have the ability to do so. Isn’t that right? If you did not have that ability, how could you bear that responsibility?
So do you now bear responsibility as Buddhist practitioners? If you cannot help guide and awaken sentient beings, then you do not yet carry responsibility. But if you wish to be my disciples, you must live up to that title. You must go out and awaken people, and you must shoulder that responsibility. This means spending less time on personal matters at home and more time propagating the Buddha-Dharma. Otherwise, why be my disciple at all? I have taken on many disciples, and every one of them is a Bodhisattva. Do you know how many people these Bodhisattvas help and awaken every single day? And yet, you only come here on Wednesdays. What you do on the other days—I do not know. You gain what you cultivate.. Do not waste time.