“理智”。理是人的本性，本性也有智。本性里面的东西本身就包含着智能。这就是师父经常给你们讲的“性”，即本性，原灵。理与智相合，就是真修为。当你的理和你的智能够合在一起的时候，你就有真的修为。
The term “wisdom and rationality” combines two essential aspects: “rationality”, which represents a person’s true nature, and “wisdom”, which is already embedded within that nature. Your true nature inherently contains wisdom—this is what I always teach you about “nature”, referring to your true nature and original spirit. When rationality and wisdom merge, this is true cultivation. When your rationality and wisdom become one, you have attained genuine spiritual practice.
接下来给大家谈谈“摩尼珠”。摩尼珠是一颗珠子，也可以称为如意珠。这颗珠子是非常如意的，是要什么有什么的珠子。但是并不是人手上拿着的那颗珠子。这是什么珠子啊？就是本性。本性就是你心中的一颗圆润的珠子。“六度万行体中圆”。“万行”并不是说只有一万个行为、一万个行动和一万件事情，“万行”是说像百千万恒河沙数一样。“体中圆”，是说在你的身体当中有一个圆润的东西。人不认识自己，不知道自己的能量，不知道自己的本事，不知道自己是怎么回事，就叫“人不识”。“人不识，人人皆有”，就是说你不认识自己的能量，你不认识自己拥有的先知先觉的能体悟出人间宇宙真理的一个聪明智慧的本源，这个本源体是人人皆有的。你虽然不知道，但确实是存在的。就像农村的老妈妈，她不知道有宇宙万物天地，什么都不相信，什么都不懂，但是它也是存在的。“个个不无”，就是说人人都有的，没有一个人没有的。“人人不知晓”，实际上你明明有这么好的东西，你自己不知道。你想到你这双手，你会画画，他会弹钢琴，那个人会打球，你知道你这双手个个不无，就是什么都能做。实际上没有一个人不可以做到的，就看你学了没有，就像你的脑子一样。师父今天有这个脑子，你们为什么没这个脑子？实际上就是你们没有把你们的本性挖掘出来。师父从天上下来，也经过了和你们一样的听大法师、大菩萨讲法，或者弘法传道在人间的几世当中，转啊转，转到上面去了，最后再下来救人。道理是一样的。所以人人皆具佛性。一个小孩子可以称为“小菩萨”，一个老年人可以称为“老菩萨”。你把他们都当成是菩萨，你就是菩萨。只不过很多人不配。你像不像一个菩萨啊？因为你的脏东西已经把你的摩尼珠遮住了，你肮脏的灵魂已经让人看不到你原来的本性了。
Now, let’s talk about the Mani Pearl. The Mani Pearl is a gem, also called the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl. This pearl is extraordinary—it can grant whatever you desire. But it is not a physical object you hold in your hand. So, what is this pearl? It is your true nature. Your true nature is like a smooth, perfect pearl residing within your heart.
“The Six Perfections and countless deeds form a complete whole within.” The term “countless deeds” does not mean merely ten thousand actions, ten thousand efforts, or ten thousand events—it signifies something vast, like the number of grains of sand along the Ganges River, boundless and infinite.
“A complete whole within” refers to something round and flawless that exists within you. Yet people fail to recognise themselves. They do not know their own energy, their own abilities, or even what they truly are—this is what we call “people do not see.”
“People do not see, yet everyone possesses it.” This means you fail to recognise the energy within you, the innate foresight and wisdom capable of comprehending the truths of the universe and the human world. This source of profound intelligence is something every person has.
You may not be aware of it, but it exists nonetheless. Consider an elderly woman in a rural village—she may not know about the cosmos, the elements, or the vastness of existence. She may not believe in any of it or understand it, but that does not mean it is not real. “No one is without it”—every single person has it; there is not one individual who lacks it.
“Yet no one realises it.” You possess this remarkable treasure, and yet you remain unaware of it. Think of your hands: you can paint, another person can play the piano, someone else can play sport—you understand that your hands are capable of anything. In truth, there is no one who cannot achieve something; it depends only on whether you have learned how. The same applies to your mind—why does my mind contain this wisdom, while yours does not? The reality is that you have not yet uncovered your true nature. I have descended from the heavens and, just like you, have undergone cycles of learning—listening to great Dharma masters and Bodhisattvas preach the Dharma, spreading the teachings over multiple lifetimes, and ascending once again, before descending again to guide and awaken sentient beings. This process follows the same principle.
Thus, every person possesses Buddha-nature. A child may be called a “little Bodhisattva,” an elderly person an “elder Bodhisattva.” If you regard them all as Bodhisattvas, then you yourself are a Bodhisattva. However, many do not live up to this. Do you resemble a Bodhisattva? The impurities within you have clouded your Mani Pearl, and your tarnished soul prevents others from seeing your original nature.
如来藏和摩尼珠是一不是二。就是说摩尼珠是本性，它和如来藏是融为一体的，是菩萨给我们最原始的本灵。师父给你们讲这些东西是希望你们快点开悟，我们没有时间像过去的和尚那样到庙里去从一本经一本经学起，师父要直接开发你们的智慧。因为时间不多了，师父要让你们开悟，把你们心里的摩尼珠擦亮，把你们的本性擦亮，让你们自己来感悟，让你们的本性来开启自己的智慧和良知，不要去做任何的恶，不要去想任何不好的东西。摩尼珠是本性清净，如来藏是本性与无明的和合。如来藏实际上就是如过去我们所拥有的最原始的东西一样，重新在你心中恢复之后，你就拥有本性，它会有一些外层的东西，就是无明。无明是什么？就是本来没有，后来粘上去的东西。一辆车洗得干干净净，一个星期开下来就脏了；一件衣服洗得干干净净，一个月穿下来臭不可闻了。现在你们身上的本性，前几世最原始的时候是干干净净的，几十世这么轮回下来，你们已经是到了腐烂不堪的地步了。师父现在很可怜，帮你们在腐烂不堪的地方一丝一丝地在捋干净，一个星期就捋这么一次。想想看，一个星期七天，一天二十四小时，你们连做梦都想发财。人的生命是最宝贵的，最宝贵的东西最容易失去。你以为钱最宝贵，实际上钱是宝贵，但是它失去得也快，它可以叫你一夜间变成穷人，它也可以叫你自杀。钱要实实在在地去赚。所以真如本性的东西，是从里面发出来的。摩尼珠比如来藏还要重要。
The Tathāgatagarbha and the Mani Pearl are not two separate entities. This means the Mani Pearl represents your true nature, seamlessly integrated with the Tathāgatagarbha. It is the original spiritual essence bestowed upon us by the Bodhisattvas. I am sharing these teachings with the hope that you will awaken swiftly. We no longer have the luxury of spending years in monasteries, studying scripture one text at a time as monks did in the past. Instead, I wish to directly help you awaken your wisdom—because time is running out. I want you to polish your Mani Pearl, to restore the clarity and purity of your true nature, so that you may realise it for yourself. Let your true nature awaken its own wisdom and conscience. Do not engage in evil; do not even allow unwholesome thoughts to arise. The Mani Pearl represents a pure and untainted nature, while the Tathāgatagarbha is the union of one’s true nature and ignorance. The Tathāgatagarbha is the most original, innate essence we once possessed. When it is reawakened in your heart, you rediscover your true nature. However, over time, external layers have formed around it—these are ignorance. And what is ignorance? It is something that was not originally there, but has since attached itself to you.
Imagine a car freshly washed—spotless and shining—but after just a week on the road, it’s already covered in dirt. Or a clean shirt—after being worn for a month, it becomes soaked in sweat and odour. In the earliest of your lifetimes, your true nature was completely pure. But after dozens of cycles of rebirth, it has become deeply stained and decayed. I feel great compassion for all of you. I am patiently helping you clean away the layers of decay, bit by bit—week by week. But consider this: there are seven days in a week, twenty-four hours in each day—and even in your dreams, many of you are still chasing wealth. Human life is the most precious thing—and yet, ironically, the most precious things are often the easiest to lose. You might think money is most valuable, and in a sense, it is—but it can vanish overnight. It can turn a wealthy person into a beggar, or push someone to the brink of despair. True wealth must be earned through honest effort. Your true nature is something that arises from within. And the Mani Pearl—it is even more important than the Tathāgatagarbha.
摩尼珠是最原始的一个本性、本灵。在菩萨的经文里，本性称为摩尼珠，但是菩萨又把它保存为如来藏。你如果真修，菩萨已经在你的摩尼珠里面开始运作，然后有外层的东西进去了，去恢复你的本性，就是如来藏。有什么理由让你们来知道这些东西？如果你不认识摩尼珠可在如来藏中求，如果你不懂本性的东西可以在后来所创造的、所运用的、所运转的东西当中求到（实际上就是洗涤你的心灵），你一定就会看到灾难。就是说你在挖土的时候，如果你不知道这个地方有石油，但你挖下去一定能够挖到石油。但在挖掘中是很痛苦的，稍不留神就会带来灾难。因为你不知道你身上有一颗这么好的珠子，你不知道你拥有无穷的智能可以使用，你不知道你有多大的能量。当人不知道自己的能量时，你的灾难才会来临。要理解、要明白自己身上的摩尼珠可以在如来藏中求。因为如来藏中已经按照人的命运一个一个轮回在走了，你这个最好的东西摩尼珠一定在里面的。
The Mani Pearl represents the most primordial aspect of your true nature and original spirit. In the Bodhisattva’s teachings, one’s true nature is called the Mani Pearl. However, the Bodhisattvas also preserve it within the Tathāgatagarbha. If you truly cultivate yourself, the Bodhisattvas will activate the power of the Mani Pearl within you. Yet, external layers of ignorance may still exist, and restoring your true nature requires purification—this is the function of the Tathāgatagarbha. How can you recognise this? If you do not know that your Mani Pearl can be sought within the Tathāgatagarbha, or if you do not understand your true nature can be acquired from things created, employed or set in motion—this means purifying your heart and mind, you will inevitably encounter disasters.
Seeking the Mani Pearl is like excavating the earth in search of oil. You may not know oil lies beneath, but if you persist, you will uncover it. However, the process of digging is arduous, and a moment of carelessness can bring disaster. Why? Because you do not yet understand that you possess such an invaluable treasure within you. You are unaware that you have an immense reservoir of wisdom, and you do not realise the boundless energy you possess. It is precisely this ignorance—this unawareness of your own power—that attracts calamity into your life. Therefore, you must recognise and understand that your Mani Pearl can be sought within the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha has already operated through lifetimes of reincarnation, aligning with your karmic path. Within it, your most valuable treasure—the Mani Pearl—is always present.
那么笑，你要如来藏笑，也是无明笑。你们知道如来菩萨是哪位吗？看见过吗？在禅宗里面叫大日如来；在净土宗叫佛陀；西方教中就叫上帝。大日如来菩萨就是无形无相，天上最大最大的一位。你们不知道的事情太多了。什么叫无明笑？无明习气？无明就是不知道、不明白。自己不明白，才会笑别人。而这些不明白、不知道是自然地在你身上的。比如说这个孩子从小跟着他爸爸长大，他爸爸脾气很坏，慢慢地这种无明习气就会上到孩子身上，实际上就是孩子沾染上了他爸爸的无明习气。这个孩子从来不知道抽烟不好，他妈妈天天抽烟，他觉得没什么不好，他也抽烟。古时候讲女人笑不露齿，走不动裙。这就是人的档次、人的气质。师父教你们的都是学人本来里面所产生的东西，而不要学外面的东西，外界的东西就叫无明。如来藏笑，笑人生、笑天地，笑的是你累世带来的不好的东西，是你带来了。举个例子，一个农村人刚下船，到你家里来了。你看到他穿着破旧的衣服，背着烂包袱，你就笑他了，这就叫“如来藏笑”。为什么？你还把你身上这么多肮脏的东西全部带来，你还以为我这里没有啊？我家里什么都有，你还把这些无明的习气全部带来，叫“无明笑、笑无明”。你不懂，才被人家笑啊；你懂了，人家就不会笑你。再举个例子，很多人去喝咖啡，那个调羹是干什么的？如果给你调羹喝咖啡的话，为什么调羹这么小啊？其实调羹是用来搅拌的，然后开始喝咖啡。有听众曾经看见过一位女士用这么小的调羹把一大杯咖啡全部吃光，他就在旁边无明笑。因为她不懂这个调羹的用法，所以才被人家笑。很多人就是不懂。师父现在给你们上课，教你们懂佛法、懂道理、懂礼貌。女人要有女人的样子，男人要有男人的样子。看人的眼睛要正、要直，看人时眼睛打转、含情脉脉，那已经是犯贱了。看人要实实在在地看。该看的就看，不该看的就不看，看到不好的东西就不要去看。汽车上那么多广告牌，有些人嘴巴里骂着，但眼睛还要看，这就是无明习气啊。人很傻的。实际如来藏笑和无明笑，就犹如大肚弥勒佛一样。你们要好好听师父的开示，听了一遍再听一遍，可以听出很多道理来。
When it comes to laughter, if you laugh from the Tathāgatagarbha, it’s also the laughter of ignorance. Do you know who the Tathāgata Bodhisattva is? Have you ever seen Him? In Chan Buddhism, He is called Mahāvairocana . In Pure Land Buddhism, He is known as the Buddha. In Western religions, He is referred to as God. Mahāvairocana Bodhisattva is formless and without appearance—He is the greatest and most supreme being in the heavens.
There are too many things in this world that you do not yet understand. What is the laughter of ignorance? What are the habitual tendencies of ignorance? “Ignorance” means not knowing, not understanding. When you do not understand, that is when you laugh at others. Yet, this ignorance is naturally embedded within you—you are unaware of it. For instance, imagine a child growing up with his father. The father has a fiery temper, and over time, that habit of ignorance rubs off onto the child. In truth, the child picks up his father’s ignorant tendencies. The child does not even realise that smoking is harmful. But because his mother smokes every day, he thinks there is nothing wrong with it, so he starts smoking too. In ancient times, it was said: “A woman does not laugh with her teeth showing, nor does she walk with her skirt swaying.” This reflects a person’s refinement, dignity, and class. What I teach you is about cultivating what is innate within you—your true essence. You must not be influenced by external distractions—because external influences are rooted in ignorance.
The laughter of the Tathāgatagarbha mocks human life, mocks everything in this universe. It laughs at the negative things you’ve carried through countless lifetimes—things you’ve brought with you. Let me give you an example: a villager from the countryside arrives at your home after getting off a boat. You see him in tattered clothes, carrying a worn-out sack, and you laugh at him. That’s what’s meant by “Tathāgatagarbha laughter.” Why? Because you think “you’ve brought all these dirty things with you —all these dirty habits—and you think I don’t have them here? My home has everything already, yet you still carry all this ignorance with you” That’s “ignorance laughter, laughing at ignorance.” When you don’t understand, others laugh at you; when you do understand, they no longer have reason to.
Let me give you another example. Many people drink coffee—do you know what the little spoon is for? If it were meant for drinking, why is it so small? The coffee spoon is used for stirring, and only then do you drink the coffee. A listener of my radio program once saw a woman using the tiny teaspoon to finish an entire large cup of coffee, spoonful by spoonful. He stood by and laughed at her out of ignorance. She did not understand the proper use of the coffee spoon, which is why she was laughed at. Many people are like this—they simply do not understand. That is why I am teaching you now—to help you understand the Buddha-dharma, life’s principles, and proper etiquette. Women should carry themselves with dignity, and men should do the same. When looking at others, your gaze should be upright and direct. If your eyes dart around or linger with deep emotions, you are already demeaning yourself. Look at people properly—if it is appropriate to look, then look; if not, then don’t. If you see something inappropriate, do not keep staring. There are so many billboards on the streets. Some people curse at them under their breath but still can’t stop gawking. This is ignorance at work. People can be so foolish. The laughter of the Tathāgatagarbha and the laughter of ignorance are like the smiling Maitreya Buddha. You should listen to my teachings carefully—listen once, then listen again— there’s so much wisdom to uncover if you keep listening.
师父接下来给大家讲，贪瞋痴慢疑这些都是从如来藏里来的。如来藏就是你们本来带回来的那个本性，也就是说你们前世没修好，你又带回来了过去的本性。如果谁还愿意下辈子再投人的话，他这个人下辈子肯定有这辈子的烙印。他这辈子疯疯癫癫的，下辈子出来还是有疯疯癫癫的样子。一个人啊，50 岁时，“我就是这个样子了”；60岁时，“我就是这个样子了”；到了 70 岁，“我还是这个样子”。不要这样，要改啊！师父现在就是对你们这些学佛徒弟着急。现在很多事情师父都放下了。师父过去也是大侨领，三天两头见报的，你们看看现在报纸上有没有师父的消息？师父不要，师父舍去了，为的是救度全世界有缘众生。你们今天跪在观世音菩萨面前谁敢发大愿？师父的愿很大，真的。观世音菩萨会给师父更多的时间来救度众生。就是像去完成任务一样的。举个例子，大本营让你去做这个任务，你任务完成了，归队。但是这个任务没有完成之前，你跟领导申请还要去救什么什么，你的愿发得越大，那你就留得越长，吃的苦也会越多。
Next, let me talk about greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt—they all come from the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha is the true nature you were born with, but it is also what carries the remnants of your past lives. This means that if you did not cultivate properly in your previous life, you carry the same tendencies into this one. If someone is willing to be reborn as a human in their next life, they will still bear the imprint of this life. For example, if someone is wild and mentally unstable in this lifetime, in their next life, they may still carry traces of that wild streak. You hear people say it: at 50, “This is just who I am”; at 60, they say, “This is just who I am.” By 70, they are still saying, “This is just who I am.” This should not be the case—you must change! I am truly anxious for all of you as my Buddhist disciples.
There are many things I have already let go of. In the past, I was a highly respected leader in the overseas Chinese community; my name was constantly in the newspapers. But now, do you see my name in the papers anymore? No, because I have chosen to give that up in order to dedicate myself to guiding and awakening sentient beings around the world who have an affinity with Buddhism. Today, when you kneel before Guan Yin Bodhisattva, who among you dares to make a great vow? My vow is enormous—it is real. Guan Yin Bodhisattva is granting me more time to save and awaken sentient beings. It is like a mission that must be fulfilled. Think of it this way: imagine the headquarters assigns you a mission— once it’s done, you report back and return to your position. But before the mission is done, you request permission from your leader, saying, “I need to go and save more people.” The greater your vow, the longer you will be allowed to stay, but the more hardship you will endure.