不要去管世间的过。若真修道人，不见世间过。修心即为修正己过。什么叫修心？修心就是修正己过。我修今天的心，因为我过去做错很多事情，所以我要修正自己的过去、过失、过错。否则修什么心？修行就是我要修正自己的行为，我自己的行为很差，我必须要把行为修好；我过去做人很不道德，随地吐痰把细菌留给人家，我现在必须要把这个行为修正；我过去心里老想着对人家不好、人家对我不好，我觉得我这个是不对的，实际上也证明了我是错的，我就把自己这个概念修正过来，修正自己之过。学佛人就应该这样，要懂得经常反省自己，要有容人之量。我们做人要有容人之量，如果一个修心的人容忍人家的气量都没有，你这个人怎么修得好心呢？所以，要把好的东西全部吸收变成自己的资粮，要把不好的东西警惕戒掉。修行人每天做的必须都是好事。因为有观世音菩萨保佑不会错的、不会有灾难，就活得开心。天天开开心心， 心宽体胖，人与道合为一佛。也就是说，人在人间和学的佛道已经合成一体了，即人与道合成一体了，你这个人实际上在人间就是合佛道。合佛道是什么意思呢？就是跟佛菩萨合在一条道上了。我们今天能够做一天的合佛道，我们一天就是佛；我们做两天的合佛道，我们就是两天的佛。但有一个最重要的事情要记住，因为你合了佛道之后，如果你一天合了佛道，你这一天就是和佛菩萨走在一条道上，完全和佛菩萨一样，你就一天离开了六道。但是你们每一天都有可能活在六道里，因为当你生气的时候、你难过的时候、你生病的时候，实际上都是在地府里；你开心的时候，你在天上。如果你真正和佛菩萨的道合在一起了，你就在人间脱离六道轮回了；因为佛的道是远离六道，是脱离了六道的轮回。
Do not concern yourself with the faults of the world. As the saying goes: “A true cultivator does not see the faults of the world.” The very essence of cultivating the mind is to correct your own mistakes. What is “cultivating the mind”? It is the act of rectifying your own past failings. We cultivate our mind today because we’ve made many mistakes in the past, and we need to fix those errors, lapses, and faults. Otherwise, what is the point of cultivating the mind? Cultivation of conduct means we must correct our own behaviour. If our conduct has been poor, we must improve it. Perhaps in the past, we acted without integrity—even something as simple as spitting on the ground and leaving germs for others—we must now correct that behaviour. In the past, we might have constantly thought ill of others or felt they were out to get us. We now realise that was wrong; the facts proved us wrong. So, we must correct that mindset. As Buddhists, we must constantly reflect on ourselves and develop a broad mind—a capacity to tolerate others. If a cultivator doesn’t even have the temperament to put up with people, how can they ever hope to cultivate their mind well? We should absorb everything good as “spiritual fuel” for our spiritual journey and stay vigilant to cut out the bad.
A Buddhist practitioner should strive to do good every single day. With the protection of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, you won’t go astray or meet with disaster; you will live a happy life. When you are happy every day, your mind expands, and you become “one with the Path.” This means that your human existence and the Buddha’s Way you practise have merged into one. When you are “aligned with the Buddha’s Way” in this world, you are walking the same path as the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. If we can achieve this alignment for one day, we are a Buddha for that day. If we manage it for two, we are a Buddha for two. But there is something very important to remember: the moment you align with the Buddha’s Way, you are walking right alongside the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and for that time, you have stepped out of the Six Realms of Existence. Most days, you might still be drifting through those Six Realms—when you’re angry, miserable, or sick, you are effectively in the Underworld; when you’re joyful, you’re in the heavens. But if you truly merge with the Path of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, you have transcended the cycle of rebirth while still in this human world, because the Buddha’s Way is one that goes beyond samsara altogether.
师父曾经给大家简单地介绍过什么叫“相应法”。做任何事情是相对相应，相对相应有个互补。互补是什么？ 我的心怎么样和菩萨的心能够互补？因为相应法在人间可以消业障。实际上在人间我在改正自己的毛病、我在消除自己的孽障，就是相应法。你们必须要改掉自己身上的毛病，必须要消孽障。因为在人间有孽障、灵性，就必须要化解它、消除它，就是相应。比方说身上有一个瘤，医生说不好的，以后会病变的。什么叫相应法？我把它割掉， 割掉之后我就相应的身体转好了，我就能够适合在这个社会中生存，我就不会让这个瘤变成一个恶病。相应法就是将我身上的毛病改正它，消除它。
I’ve previously introduced the concept of the “Corresponding Dharma.” In everything we do, there is a sense of relativity and correspondence—a way of “complementing” one another. How can my heart complement the heart of a Bodhisattva? In this world, the Corresponding Dharma can help us eliminate karmic obstacles. Correcting your flaws and eliminating your negative karma is the Corresponding Dharma in action. You must correct your shortcomings and eliminate karmic obstacles. Since karmic obstructions and spiritual disturbances exist in the Human Realm, they must be resolved and removed—this is what it means to “correspond”. Think of it like a tumour. A doctor tells you it’s bad and could turn malignant. What is the Corresponding Dharma here? You have it removed. Once it’s gone, your body “corresponds” by getting healthy again, allowing you to survive and thrive without that tumour turning into a deadly disease. In the same way, Corresponding Dharma means correcting and removing the flaws within yourself.
另外，做梦实际上也是相应法。因为你白天做不到的事情，你晚上梦中做到了。有的人白天很想做一件事情， 没有做成，但是在梦中实现了，这也是相应法。还有一种，在感觉上的相应法。就是这件事情我明明没有做到， 但是我感觉上做到了，这也是一种相应法。能够适应它， 然后再来改变它，就是相应法。做梦就是这样，我明明这个事情做不了的，但是通过做梦之后，我慢慢地适合它了、适应它了，哪怕能够在梦中解决它，这实际上也是种相应法。还有感觉上，明明这个人一直对我很不好，我用相应法来改变自己。可以在心中想：“这个人不会对我不好的，也许我对他也不好，我的脸板着，感觉上他怎么会对我好起来了呢？”因为你脑子里想什么，你的脸看出去人家就会感觉到什么。实际上人家对你没有意见的，因为你不懂相应法，比如你只要脑子一感觉，这个人他会对我有意见，你马上看他的脸就不一样了。实际上你给人家脸难看，接下来人家给你的脸也难看，是相对应的。如果你对他笑，人家看你笑了，一会儿人家也冲你笑笑。
Dreaming is also a form of the Corresponding Dharma. Something you couldn’t achieve during the day, you achieve in your sleep at night. If someone desperately wants to do something but fails while awake, they might see it fulfilled in a dream—this is correspondence. There is also a “perceptual” version of this Dharma. Even if I haven’t physically achieved a goal, I feel as though I have. To adapt to a situation and then change it—that is the Corresponding Dharma.
Take your dreams: I might feel a task is impossible, but after dreaming about it, I slowly adapt to the idea and find a way to handle it. Even resolving a problem within a dream is a form of correspondence. It works with our feelings, too. If someone has always been “difficult” with me, I can use the Corresponding Dharma to change myself first. I can think: “Maybe they aren’t actually against me; perhaps I’ve been too cold or standoffish myself, so how can they respond warmly?” Because whatever is in your mind will be reflected on your face for others to feel. If you don’t understand the Corresponding Dharma, you might just “sense” that someone has a problem with you, and your expression will immediately sour when you look at them. In reality, once you give someone a “sour look,” they will naturally give you one back—that is the correspondence. But if you smile at them, they see your warmth, and before long, they’ll be smiling back at you.
相应法又称相对。如果你有佛的相应法，就是说你把你的身心全部成为佛菩萨一样，你再来感应世界上的任何事物，你所得到的都是佛的感应。也就是说你在用佛的心去对所有的人，你得到的反馈就是佛心。因为你布施出来了佛心，所以你得到的一定是佛心。要明白在用相应法的时候，你的意念就是佛的感觉。因为你那个时候都是用佛的意念来思考问题的，所以想出来的一定是为人家想的， 你一定是佛念，你的行为举止就是佛的举止。因为你脑子里、你的意念里、你的概念里都是学佛，都是怎么样来救度众生，所以你出来的行动也是照顾人家、帮助人家、劝慰人家，你的动作出来一定是很高尚的，也是佛的举止， 这就叫相应。如果你在梦中想要得到相应，你是能够控制梦境的。比如你在梦中能够想到：我要赶快念经了，有个灵性来了。这个时候你能够马上想到菩萨，你马上就会醒过来，灵性就会离开你。你们大家都做到过这样的梦，如果能够在梦中控制你自己的梦，实际上这就叫相应法。做任何事情我们要有感应，要相应气场，要懂得我们这个气场好不好，感觉好不好，实际上就叫感应。师父所以把这两个字“相应”先讲一个头，是因为想慢慢展开给你们讲。一个人运气好的话，他就不会怎么疲劳的，也是一种相应法。因为好事情来的时候，它是情绪振奋、开心、激动，所以他就不会感觉疲劳，这也叫相应法。
The Corresponding Dharma is also about relativity. If you apply the Buddha’s Corresponding Dharma—meaning you align your body and mind entirely with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas—then every interaction you have with the world will result in a “Buddha-response.” When you treat everyone with the heart of a Buddha, the feedback you receive will be that same Buddha-heart. Because you have put that energy out there, that is exactly what will return to you. You must understand that when practising the Corresponding Dharma, your very thoughts take on the “feel” of a Buddha. Because you are using a Buddha’s mindset to process problems, your conclusions will always be for the benefit of others. Your thoughts become “Buddha-thoughts,” and your conduct follows suit. Since your mind and concepts are entirely focused on the Dharma and saving sentient beings, your actions naturally involve looking after people, helping them, and comforting them. Your movements become noble—the conduct of a Buddha. This is what we call correspondence.
If you seek this correspondence in your dreams, you can actually learn to influence your dream state. For instance, if a foreign spirit appears in a dream and you immediately think, “I need to recite my scriptures,” or if you instantly think of the Bodhisattva, you will wake up right away and the spirit will leave you. Many of you have had dreams like this. Being able to maintain self-control within a dream is a practical application of the Corresponding Dharma. In everything we do, we should strive for this resonance. We need to correspond with the energy field around us—sensing whether the energy is good or bad. This is resonance (response) in action. That’s why I introduced this concept of “Correspondence” first—to gradually expand on it for you. Even someone’s “luck” is tied to this; when good things happen, you feel energised, happy, and excited, so you don’t feel tired. That, too, is a form of the Corresponding Dharma.
很重要一点，是怎么样来掌握这个相应法。大家说我们都很喜欢相应法，为什么？我能够用佛的心去照亮人家，人家马上用佛心回报我。哎呀，这个办法太好了。如果我好心，一定会得到好报。如果不相应法呢？你好心， 人家就给你坏的回报，你就不开心了。但是你知道怎么样来保持你的相应法呢？很重要的一点是加持力，如果没有加持力的话，你得不到这个相应法。比如我想对人家好， 如果你自己没有一种坚强的毅力和菩萨给你加持力，你能对人家好几天？就算我今天给你们讲了，你们很多人不笑的脸现在笑嘻嘻了，过一会儿走出去能坚持几分钟？告诉我，你们相应得了吗？走出去的时候全都是菩萨，五分钟之后全部都是你们自己本人了。加持力是很重要的。一靠加持，二靠本性，三靠本身的护持力。加持是什么意思呢？菩萨给你加持，我要坚定这个信心。护持力是什么？ 是巩固自身的力量。你们今天很多人做生意也好、做人也好，不就是靠着这三种力吗？第一个本性的力量：本性的力量是我很善良，我愿意跟你好。第二个加持力：我知道要对你好，你这个人才会对我好。有了这两种力了之后， 还有一种护持力。护持力就是师父经常给你们讲的，犹如一个国家，夺取政权是容易的，巩固政权是困难的。这个护持力就是说今天有愿力：观世音菩萨我开始修心了，我明天就吃素，我明天就放生……很多人都有这种毛病，一碰到事情，“我一定，我一定……”感动得不得了，痛哭流涕。过几天人都不见了，愿力也没了。他就是没有一种叫护持力，他不懂得根源，他没有真正从根上了解这些事物的本来面目，就是什么都不懂。
An important question is: how do we master the Corresponding Dharma? People say, “We love the Corresponding Dharma! If I treat people with a Buddha-heart and they immediately respond in kind, that’s a brilliant way to live.” If I have a good heart, I’ll get a good result. But what if you aren’t “corresponding”? You might be kind, but receive a poor response in return, which makes you unhappy. So how do you maintain your correspondence? A crucial factor is Blessing Power. Without it, you cannot sustain this state. For example, you might want to be good to someone, but without strong willpower and the blessings of the Bodhisattvas, how many days can you keep it up? I’m talking to you now, and many of you who weren’t smiling are grinning away—but once you walk out that door, how many minutes will that last? Tell me, can you keep the correspondence going? You might walk out of here like a Bodhisattva, but five minutes later, you’re back to being your old self.
This is why Blessing Power is vital. You need three things: Blessings, Inherent Nature, and your own Protective Power. What does “blessing” mean? It’s the blessing from the Bodhisattva that helps you strengthen your faith. Protective Power means the strength to guard and consolidate your progress.
When you are going about your business or in your daily dealings, you rely on these three forces. First is the power of your Inherent Nature—the natural kindness that makes you want to get along with others. Second is Blessing Power—the conscious awareness that if you treat others well, they will eventually treat you well. Once you have these two, you need Protective Power. I often use this analogy: it is much easier for a new group to overthrow the old establishment and take power than it is for them to actually govern and keep that power long-term. This Protective Power is your power of vow—it is your spiritual “staying power.” Many people have this flaw: the moment they hit a crisis, they are moved to tears and cry, “Guan Yin Bodhisattva, I’m starting my cultivation! I’ll go vegetarian from tomorrow, I’ll perform life liberations!” But a few days later, they’ve vanished, and their vows have withered away. They lack that Protective Power because they don’t understand the root of the matter; they haven’t truly grasped the reality of how things work from the ground up.
今天只能给大家讲到这里了。希望大家要明白，我们今天在社会上、世界上生存的空间实际上是越来越小了。举个简单例子：我们经常讲一句话：“哎呀，这个世界怎么这么小？我在中国从来不认识你，跑到澳洲突然间认识了你。”你们每一个人都会有这种感觉。实际上这就是缘分的周转期越来越快了。也就是说，过去生中你对他好了，很快地就回报你；你过去生中对他不好的，也很快就来报应你。我就碰到过好几个人了，其中一个过去他们本身就是好朋友认识的，在澳洲碰到后，“哎呀，我们在中国都没有好好交往”。两个人好得不得了，两个人就像镶嵌的工艺品一样，一起投资开公司，后来钱全部被他骗去了。师父一看就是来讨债的。也就是说末法时期报应越来越快。快到什么程度呢？快到上辈子你可能在中国投胎欠了他了，你这辈子跑到澳洲，他照样也会跑到澳洲来讨债。很多投胎的孩子更厉害。从天上的，从地下的，全部全方位地进攻，你只要一怀孕，不管你移民到哪里他都会跟着你过来，生出来就来讨债了。就像有的父母，在中国被孩子讨债，现在父母到澳洲来了，远隔千山万里，他孩子吵着也要移民，也能追到澳洲来，继续讨。报应越来越快，逃不掉的。所以告诉大家越报越快，赶紧学佛修心修行，千万不要再傻傻地以为活在这个世界上我有时间、我有钱、我有名、有利。我告诉你们，一切都是虚无缥缈的。想想看，你们有什么？你们什么都没有，你们走的时候也什么都没有。你们现在没有，你们过去没有，你们永远是没有的。你们在人间这个色空法界想找出真的东西， 那是不可能的。都是假的，是空的。就像一个气泡一样， 吹一个气泡泡在灯光下会五颜六色，过一会儿“嘣”，什么都没有了。你们在假的当中想找出真的东西，可能吗？ 给你们一堆翡翠、珍珠、玛瑙，告诉你里面全是假的，你还要在里面拼命地找一个真的珍珠出来，可能吗？我们人间的东西全都是虚妄的、全都是假的、是永远带不走的。所以，只有“借假修真”是唯一出路。
That’s all we have time for today. I hope you all understand that the room we have to move in today’s world is actually getting smaller and smaller. We often say, “Gosh, isn’t it a small world? I never knew you in China, but suddenly here we are in Australia, meeting for the first time.” You’ve all had that feeling. In reality, what’s happening is that the “turnover period” for our karmic affinities is getting faster and faster. If you were good to someone in a past life, the reward comes quickly now; if you were unkind, the retribution hits you just as fast. I’ve met several people recently in this exact situation. One pair were old friends back in China; they met again here in Australia and said, “Oh, we never really got to know each other properly in China!” They became inseparable—like two pieces of a matched set. They invested together and started a company, only for one to disappear with all the money. When I looked into it, I saw clearly: he had come to collect a debt.
This is the nature of the Age of Dharma Decline—karmic retribution is accelerating. It’s reached the point where even if you owed someone in China in a previous life, they will follow you all the way to Australia in this life just to collect. And the children being reborn now are even more persistent. Whether they come from the heavens or the lower realms, they launch a full-scale offensive. The moment you become pregnant, no matter where you’ve immigrated, they will find you. They are born specifically to settle the score. I’ve seen parents who were hounded by their children’s debts in China; they moved thousands of miles away to Australia, only for the child to clamour for a visa, chase them down here, and continue the cycle. Retribution is getting faster and faster—there is no escape. So, I’m telling you: because it’s catching up with us so quickly, you must hurry and practise Buddhism to cultivate your mind and conduct. Don’t be foolish enough to think you have plenty of time, money, fame, or status. I’m telling you now: it is all an illusion. Think about it—what do you really have? You have nothing. You brought nothing with you, and you’ll take nothing when you go. You don’t have it now, you didn’t have it then, and you will never truly “own” anything. In this Form-Emptiness Dharma Realm, it is impossible to find anything permanent. It’s all false; it’s all empty. It’s like a bubble—when you blow one under the lights, it glows with every colour of the rainbow, but a moment later—pop—it’s gone.
Is it possible to find something real within an illusion? If I gave you a pile of emeralds, pearls, and agates but told you they were all fakes, would you still spend your life desperately trying to find one real pearl in the heap? Everything in this human world is a delusion; it’s all temporary and can never be taken with us. Therefore, “cultivating the truth through illusion” is our only way out.