我们要懂得无常，要学会无我。要知道这个世界上没有一个东西是长久的，要学会没有自己，要无我你才能真正地做到有我。而这个“我”是宇宙般的我，那是真我，不是一个假我。师父教你们学佛，不是这个人间有肉体的“我”，而是真正的无我，是像宇宙般宽广胸怀的原始的真我，最终我们才能达到涅槃寂静。当一个人什么都不想的时候，他就没有痛苦了；当一个人真正放下的时候，他就没有痛苦了，他才能做到涅槃寂静，也就是说人真正的归宿和原来的一样了。
We must understand impermanence and learn the state of non-self. We must realise that nothing in this world is permanent; only by letting go of the self can one truly attain the “self”. This “self” is the universal self—the true self, not the false, illusory self. I am not teaching you to focus on the physical “me” of this human world, but rather on true non-self—the original true self with a mind as vast as the universe. Only then can we ultimately reach nirvana, characterised by quiescence. When a person thinks of nothing, suffering ceases; when a person truly lets go, pain no longer exists, and nirvana can be attained. This means that one’s true destination becomes one with one’s original source.
师父在写这些东西的时候，师父想到很多。我想到，周先生在痛苦之余他会带有绝望，因为他根本放不下。他过去跟我说他想通了，我看得出来。就是包括周太太她说想通了，我也看得出来。人就是这样，不到真的时候、无奈的时候，他总是有一种生存的希望。所以有时候我就想到，周先生等到要走的时候，他会慢慢地承受这些痛苦，慢慢地看见自己心爱的人，慢慢地看见自己的房子，看见一些东西即使舍不得，但还得要走——痛苦啊。等一走掉，就不知道往哪里去了。师父想到了这些就很可怜他，我就求观世音菩萨再慈悲慈悲他，但是这个慈悲也是建立在他过去的功德上的。因为在老电台的时候，他为了帮助筹建这个东方电台，那个时候他是真的付出了很多。这就是他的功德所为才造就了他现在有这个缘分，师父才能再帮他求。但是如果你现在的功德不够了，如果以后再碰到这些事情，师父再帮你求，可能就没有这个缘分了。道理很简单，不要吃老本，要立新功。立新功就是多做功德，对不对啊？你现在吃老本，还吃荤。你一定要痛改前非，痛定思痛。师父在写这些东西时很难过。
While writing these words, many thoughts came to me. I thought of how Mr Zhou, amidst his suffering, harbours a sense of despair because he simply cannot let go. In the past, he told me that he had understood and let go, but I could see the truth. Mrs Zhou said the same, and I could see it as well. Human nature is like this: until the moment of truth arrives—until one is truly helpless—there is always a lingering hope for survival. Sometimes I think about how, when the time comes for Mr Zhou to leave, he will have to endure that suffering slowly—gradually watching his loved ones and his home fade from view. Even if he is deeply reluctant to part with them, he will still have to go. It is agonising. And once he departs, he will not know where he is headed. Thinking of this, I feel deep compassion for him, and I pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to show him mercy once more. However, this mercy is built upon his past merits and virtues.
In the early days of the old radio station, he truly gave a great deal of himself to help establish 2OR Australia Oriental Radio. It is because of those past deeds that he now has the affinity for me to intercede on his behalf. But if your present merits and virtues are insufficient, and similar trials arise again in the future, then even if I plead for you, that affinity may no longer exist. The logic is simple: don’t rest on your laurels; you must continue earning your stripes. In this context, earning your stripes means consistently performing deeds of merit and virtue. Yet here you are, relying on your past merits and virtues while still eating meat. You must sincerely repent, reflect on your past actions, and reform yourself. As I write these words, my heart is heavy.
我们一定要懂得佛菩萨是智慧的象征。如果你们每一个人有智慧，你们就是佛菩萨。你们要对人间的一切都认为是无常的，什么事情都是假的，没有长久性的。人间的一切都是苦的，都是“无情识”的。知道什么叫“无情识”？就是没有情感的意识。如果你们带有情感的意识，你们就会受到伤痛。要用真正的大爱，而不要用情感识。明白了吗？夫妻在结婚之前好得如胶似漆，死的时候痛苦万分，这不是你自己在痛苦吗？很多人在还没有死就痛苦万分了，为什么？因为离婚了。对不对？孩子也是这样，夫妻也是这样。要把这个世界上的一切都认为是没有情感的意识，即无情识，就是无我。
We must understand that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are symbols of wisdom. If each of you possesses wisdom, then each of you is a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. You must view everything in the human world as impermanent; nothing is lasting, nothing is truly real. Everything in this world is suffering, and everything belongs to non-emotional consciousness. What is non-emotional consciousness? It is awareness free from emotional attachment. Once you let emotional consciousness take over, you will inevitably be hurt. Therefore, one must practise true, universal compassion—not emotional attachment. Do you understand? Before marriage, a couple may be inseparable; at death, the suffering is unbearable—is that not suffering created by oneself? Many people suffer intensely even before death—why? Because of divorce. It is the same with children and with spouses. One must regard all things in this world through non-emotional consciousness. This is non-self.
自然界是归于复始，因为自然界的宇宙空间全部都是归于自然开始的。举个简单例子，唐山地震了，整个唐山都没了，重新造出一个新的唐山。对不对？一个人从小长到大，最后死了，重新再投胎又出来一个新的人。对不对？一切都是这么轮轮回回，周而复始。师父今天给大家讲的都是人间感情的事情，师父本来都是给大家说佛法的。因为如果今天不能把周先生劝醒的话，就会是两条人命，我心里很难过。今天总算让他老人家能够醒过来了，他马上就有救了。只要相信观世音菩萨，菩萨一定会救他的；他不相信那就救不了他了。现在他吃医生开的药，拼着命地好好念经修心，过几个月指标一定会降下来的。
The natural world operates through cycles of return, for the entire universe is governed by the law of returning to its origin. Take a simple example: when the Tangshan earthquake struck, the entire city was destroyed, yet a new Tangshan was rebuilt. Is that not so? A person grows from childhood to adulthood, eventually passes away, and is then reborn as a new person. Everything follows this pattern—cycles upon cycles, endlessly repeating.
Today, I have been speaking to you about human emotions, even though I usually focus on the Buddha-Dharma. I have done this because if I had been unable to awaken Mr Zhou today, two lives would have been at stake. My heart was heavy with worry. Thankfully, he has finally come to his senses, and now he can be saved. As long as he has faith in Guan Yin Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva will certainly save him; without faith, salvation is impossible. Now, he must follow his doctor’s instructions while devoting himself wholeheartedly to reciting sutras and cultivating his mind. In a few months, his medical indicators will certainly improve.
师父希望你们一个个把自己身上的毛病克制住，把自己身上的孽障去除掉。每个人都好了师父多开心啊。你们知道师父今天看到周先生他们俩答应我这个事情的时候，我有多开心。师父为什么要做这些事情你们明白吗？想一想，一个配偶，一对夫妻，一个孩子，所有人跟人的感情都是来之不易的，要珍惜啊！要控制啊！师父天天给你们讲，月月讲，年年讲，给你们讲就是教你们要学会克制，要知福、要知足啊。都不容易啊。师父很知足。东方电台节目做得越好，听的人就越多，就算是有人听其他节目，也是很精彩的。很多人就是听了师父的广播节目之后，才开始学佛修心的。师父今天给青年团的人讲，也是在拼命做功德。功德其实是争来的，很多功德真的要自己去做，不做真的没有功德。如果没有功德，等到灾难来的时候你们就无法躲过、逃脱。所以该做的就要做，而且要抢着做。不是叫你们人和人的关系抢着做，而是让你们做利于众生的事情。利众才能利己。学佛做人就是要克制自己的脾气，改掉身上的恶习。恶习会转化为恶气。身上恶气缠身，何来好运可言？犹如身上病痛缠身，何来健康身体可言？
I hope that each of you will learn to restrain your own flaws and eliminate your karmic obstacles. If everyone improves, how happy I will be. You have no idea how much joy I felt today when Mr Zhou and his wife gave me their promise. Do you understand why I do these things? Think about it—the bond between spouses, the love for a child—every human connection is hard-won. You must cherish them! You must exercise self-control! I speak to you day after day, month after month, and year after year to teach you self-restraint, and to help you recognise your blessings and find contentment. None of this is easy. I myself am very content. The better our programs at 2OR become, the more people will listen. Even those who tune in to other segments find them wonderful. So many people have begun their journey of Buddhist practice only after hearing my broadcasts.
Today, while speaking to the Youth Group, I too am striving to accumulate merit and virtue. In truth, merit and virtue must be actively accmulated; you must take the initiative to do the work, or you will have no merit and virtue at all. Without merit and virtue, when disasters strike, you will have no way to escape or protect yourself. Therefore, when there is work to be done, you should step forward—indeed, you should even compete to do it. I do not mean competing in human relationships, but striving to do things that benefit all sentient beings. Benefiting others is the only way to truly benefit oneself. To practise Buddhism is to learn how to restrain your temper and eliminate your bad habits. Bad habits transform into negative energy. If your body is shrouded in negative energy, how can you expect good fortune? It is just like being afflicted with illness—how could you be healthy?
用知足来开悟，用慈悲来化解人间一切烦恼，学会真正的生活。每一天是给你人生的新希望，是给你走出六道的一个力量。我们每天想想，我今天做的事情是在六道中的吗？是否还会在六道中轮回呢？上班、回家、交友、学习……在人间的一切都要用佛法来严格要求自己，人生才不会有偏差。否则真会失去人身。人身难得，佛法难闻。珍惜生命，珍惜时间，珍惜慧命，做一个人间的菩萨。在人间就过着菩萨的生活，用菩萨的智慧救度自己，救度众生。
Use contentment to attain awakening; use compassion to dissolve all worldly afflictions. Each day brings new hope to your life and provides the strength to transcend the Six Realms of Rebirth. We should ask ourselves every day: “Are the things I am doing today still binding me to the Six Realms? Will they cause me to remain trapped in the cycle of rebirth?” Whether you are working, at home, meeting friends, or studying, everything in human life must be measured strictly against the Buddha-Dharma, so that one’s life does not go astray. Otherwise, you truly risk losing the precious human form.
Human rebirth is difficult to obtain; encountering the Buddha-Dharma is even rarer. Cherish your life, cherish your time, and cherish your wisdom-life. Strive to be a Bodhisattva in this world. Live the life of a Bodhisattva here and now, and use the wisdom of a Bodhisattva to liberate both yourself and all sentient beings.