师父今天给大家讲执著。执著里面分成几种。有些人对善良和恶都会执著。实际上执著不单单是执著恶的东西，也会执著善的。举个简单例子：孩子是你生的，你照顾孩子是应该的。但是你不停地对孩子好，让孩子吃呀吃呀，吃到最后孩子吃成一个胖子了，你这也是为孩子好呀？孩子饿了自己会吃的。就是因为你执著地认为小孩子多吃身体就会好、就会胖，所以你就不停地给他吃呀吃呀，最后把孩子胃撑大了，他就不停地要吃，结果孩子就吃成一个大胖子了。要明白这些道理。比方说很多人赌博，他把钱输进去了，但是输进去之后，他执著这个钱我能赢回来，“你看我差一点点，差一个数字，马上就要把它赢回来了”。他是这样想的。像这种情况很多人都会执著。还有恶的执著。比方说我很恨他，我就恨死他了。别人来劝说，“不要恨了，你们这都是前世的恶缘啦”。“我不管。他这辈子对我这样，我一定要对他那样。”这就叫不好的执著，就是不停地用恶念、恶语、恶言，然后把自己变成一个非常执著的人。其实就是想不通，想不过来啊，这都叫执著。
Today, I want to talk to you about attachment. There are different types of attachment; some people are attached to “good” things, while others are attached to “evil” things. In reality, attachment isn’t just about holding onto bad things—you can be just as stuck on the good. Take a simple example: you have a child. It is only natural that you want to care for them. But if you constantly feed the child, encouraging them to eat more and more until they become overweight, is that truly for the child’s benefit? When children are hungry, they will eat by themselves. Yet because you are attached to the belief that eating more will make them healthier and stronger, you overfeed them until their stomach stretches, and they can’t stop eating and eventually become severely overweight. You must understand the logic behind this.
Look at gambling. Someone loses their money, but they become attached to the idea that they can win it back. They think, “I was so close! I was only one number off; I’ll get it back on the next one.” This is a common form of attachment. Then there is “evil” attachment. For example: “I hate him so much.” Others may try to persuade them: “Don’t hate anymore. This is simply a negative karmic affinity from past lives.” But they reply: “I don’t care. Since he treated me like this in this life, I must treat him the same way.” This is a negative attachment—constantly using malicious thoughts and harsh words until you become deeply entrenched in it. It simply means you can’t let it go; you can’t see past it. That is attachment.
善和恶实际上都有执著，都是不好的。为什么善和恶的执著都是不好的呢？很简单，因你善念的时候，你一直想做某一件事情，你觉得我是很善良地去做，实际上这种执著就造成了你这个善良的不圆满。一个好事情如果过头了，它也叫执著；一个不好的事情过头了，也叫执著。“你这个人太怎么样了……”就是过分了、过头了，过分就是不好的。所以大家要明白这个道理。执著的意思就是过分了，“我一定要怎么样，一定要怎么样……”对某一个好事情，我是适可而止；我对某一个坏事情，我也是适可而止，你就永远不会把事情做得过分。这就是符合我们中国人讲的，叫“中庸之道”。对妈妈也好，对爸爸也好，对孩子也好，都不要太过分；对一个事情不好了，也不要过分。如果父母对自己不好的话，也不要过分地去恨他们，他们也有他们的苦衷。老板对你不好了，也有老板的苦衷。任何一个事情既然来到这个人间了，它们都有苦衷。有什么关系呢？无所谓的。想得开，无所谓，就没关系了。如果想不开，你把很多事情都执著了——这个事情我一定要做。举个简单例子，你说，“我一定要到西方极乐世界去”，你就能上去了吗？你现在把什么都抛开，“我就要到西方极乐世界去”，那你的家怎么办？你的孩子怎么办？你的父母怎么办？你所有拥有的一切在你还没有到要走的时候，你执著地说，“我要到西方极乐世界去”，去得成去不成暂且不说，这也是执著啊。
Both attachment to good and attachment to evil are problematic. Why? Because even when your intention is good, if you become excessively fixated on doing something, that attachment itself makes your goodness incomplete. If a good thing is taken too far, it becomes an attachment; if a bad thing is taken too far, it is also an attachment. When people say, “You’re being a bit much,” it means you’ve crossed the line. Going overboard is never a good thing. You must understand this: attachment means going to extremes—insisting that things “must” be a certain way. With a good thing, you should know when to stop; with a bad thing, you should also know when to stop. That way, you never push things too far. This is what we call the “Middle Way.”
Whether it is your relationship with your parents or your children, don’t go overboard. Even when things go wrong, don’t let your reaction go overboard. If your parents treat you poorly, don’t let yourself hate them excessively—they may have their own hidden hardships and struggles. If your boss is difficult, they may have their own struggles, too. Everything that manifests in this world comes with its own set of difficulties. So, what does it matter? It’s no big deal. If you can stay open-minded and realise it doesn’t matter, then you’ll be fine. But if you can’t let go, you become attached to outcomes—insisting “I must do this.” For example, if you say, “I must go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss,” does that mean you’ll actually get there? If you abandon everything right now—your home, your children, your parents—just because you’re obsessed with “getting there” before your time is up, that itself is an attachment. Whether you actually make it there is one thing, but the obsession itself is a hurdle.
有些人的父母脾气倔得不得了，会遗传给孩子的。父母无知愚昧，孩子也会愚昧无知。自己脾气这么倔，孩子怎么会不倔呢？等到孩子脾气倔起来的时候，“你怎么这个样子呀？”不就是因为你自己倔，孩子才会这样吗？这不就叫报应吗？所以对善、对恶都不能执著，这些执著会给你带来终生的伤害，因为这些执著会让你离开佛理越来越远。因为你不懂得佛教的理论，你不懂得佛法到底是怎么运作的。
Some parents have incredibly stubborn temperaments, and they pass this on to their children. If parents are ignorant, the children will often be ignorant, too. If you are this stubborn, how can you expect your child not to be? Then, when the child acts out, you ask, “How can you be like this?” Isn’t it because of your own stubbornness that the child turned out this way? That is simply karmic retribution. Therefore, you cannot be attached to either good or evil. These attachments will cause you lifelong harm because they push you further and further away from the Buddhist truths. This happens because you don’t understand Buddhist theory; you don’t understand how the Buddha-dharma actually works.
因为善恶是相对的，不是绝对的。绝对是什么？这个事情你说是善良的，我绝对是善的。这个事情是不好的，是恶的事情，绝对是恶的。恶的事情是什么？恶的事情是你认为这个事情对你不利的，你认为这个事情违反常理了，你认为这个事情伤害到你了，你认为这件事情就是恶的。问题是你自己站在什么位置上来考虑这个问题的，对不对？同样举个简单例子，什么叫恶？什么叫善？妈妈冲着你眼睛一瞪，“小女孩晚上不许出去”。你说她这是恶的吗？从小孩子的角度上来说，“人家的孩子晚上都可以出去玩，妈妈为什么从来不让我晚上出去玩呢？妈妈眼睛还瞪得这么大，恶狠狠的，这种妈妈我要都不要她”。你们小时候就会这么想。但是等你大起来的时候，当你自己有了孩子的时候，你会让你的孩子晚上出去吗？因为这个恶是站在你的角度上，在你还不明理、还不理解这个事物真实存在的原因的前提下，你认为是恶，所以你认为的事情它都有两面性的，善良的东西也有两面性。一个医生只管给病人吃药（开药方），不管病人吃的死活，这也是个好医生吗？“我很善良，我是为了帮助你，是为你好啊。”结果把人家看死了，这也叫好医生吗？所以善恶没有绝对的。在没有绝对的事情之下，你最好不要太追求这些虚假的执著的东西，所以要打破人间的执著。
Good and evil are relative, not absolute. What does “absolute” mean? It’s when you insist, “This is definitely good,” or “This is definitely evil.” But what is an “evil” act? Usually, you label something as evil because you feel it is disadvantageous to you, because it goes against common sense, or because it has hurt you. The real question is: from what position are you looking at the problem? Take a simple example: a mother glares at her daughter and says, “You’re not allowed out tonight.” Is she being “evil”? From the child’s perspective, she might think, “Other kids get to go out, why can’t I? Mum is glaring at me so fiercely—I don’t even want a mother like this!” You probably thought like that when you were little. But now that you’re older, or once you have your own children, would you let them out late at night? What you once saw as “evil” was only from your limited perspective, before you understood the truth behind the situation. Everything has two sides—even “good” things. For example, imagine a doctor who only prescribes medicine without caring whether the patient lives or dies. Can such a person still be called a good doctor? The doctor may say, “I’m trying to help you. I mean well.” But if the patient dies as a result, can that still be regarded as goodness? Therefore, good and evil are not absolute. Since nothing is absolute, you shouldn’t chase after these illusory attachments. You must learn to break free from worldly attachments.
人本来就是平等的。这个世界本来就是若有若无，似有似无的。好像这个事情存在，过一天就没有了。比如昨天吵架，今天又好了；今天好了，明天又吵架了。这个事情好像有，好像没有。就像商场里的东西，好像有；过几天卖完了，又没有了；没有了之后又进货了，又有了；过几天又没有了。师父在前几天不是给你们说会有一个大地震吗？结果不是来了？接下来还会有。师父给你们讲的话我不要验证，我只是提醒你们，这个世界永无宁日——是永无安宁的，没有一天是安宁的。所以在这个世界你想找到一条平平安安的路，你只有好好修心修行，你只有把自己看开一点，看空一点。我什么都没有，我本来就没有的，若有若无，时有时无。而且世界本来就是平等的。如果你不修心的话，你跟人家没有什么是不平等的。生出来大家都是平等的，老了也是平等的，每个人都是要老的；生病也是平等的，每个人都会生病的。不管你是什么人，你现在有钱的人、你现在没钱的人，或你是王妃也好，你是皇帝也好，都是要生老病死。谁能逃过这个呢？这就叫平等。只有修心之后，你才能真正地改变。
Human beings are fundamentally equal. This world is essentially “now you see it, now you don’t”—it is there, yet not there. Something seems real today, but it’s gone tomorrow. You might have a massive fight yesterday and be best friends today; then you’re fighting again the day after. It’s like stock in a department store: it’s there, then it’s sold out; then they restock and it’s there again.
I told you a few days ago there would be a major earthquake, and didn’t it happen? There will be more. I don’t say these things to prove myself; I say them to remind you that this world is never at peace—there is not a single day of true tranquility. If you want to find a path of peace in this world, the only way is to cultivate your mind and practise diligently. You have to learn to let go, to appreciate the empty nature of things. In truth, you originally possessed nothing. Everything in this world comes and goes—here one minute, gone the next.
The world is fundamentally equal. If you don’t cultivate your mind, you are no different from anyone else. We are born equal, and we age equally—everyone gets old. Falling ill is equal—everyone gets sick. It doesn’t matter who you are—whether you are rich or poor, a princess or an emperor—everyone must face birth, old age, sickness, and death. Who can escape this? That is true equality. Only through cultivating your mind can you truly change.
善恶本来就是因果的一种。因为当你得到果的时候，你感觉对你好了，实际上这就是你种下的善因，所以得到一个善果。但是这个因和这个果，它本来只不过是善恶的一种，并不代表好和坏。这个问题很简单，没有什么特别的。比如你对人家好，人家就对你好，你觉得是一种回报，是一个善事。实际上它并不代表是善事，只是说你对人家好了，你得到的回报是好，并不代表这个事情的本身是个善事，因为它也是自私的。你对他好了，他给你回报是好的。你也没有对全世界的人好呀？这本身不能说明它是一个善事。善事是对全人类、对全世界、对所有的众生都要有利益的事情。
Good and evil are simply forms of cause and effect. When you receive a positive result, it feels good, but in reality, you are just reaping a wholesome seed you planted in the past—receiving a wholesome fruit. However, causes and effects are merely one aspect of good and evil—they do not necessarily represent absolute good or bad in themselves. It’s actually quite straightforward. For example, if you treat someone well and they treat you well in return, you may regard this as a reward or as a good deed. In truth, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is a truly virtuous act; it just means you did something and received a positive return. There is still an element of selfishness in that. You were good to them, and they were good back—but you weren’t good to everyone in the world, were you? This alone doesn’t make it a true “good deed.” A genuine good deed is something that benefits all of humanity, the entire world, and all sentient beings.
自己要了解自己。一个人必须要自己了解自己。恶的来了，“哎呀，这是我的果报”。善的来了，“哎呀，我有好事情了，我感谢观世音菩萨，感谢观世音菩萨给我过去、给我现在，让我有机会能闻到佛法”。很多人就是自己不了解自己。在自己快要生气的时候，他也是不知道的，因为当一个人生气的时候，他的大脑是失控的。在发脾气的时候，他是顺着这个大脑以外的思维，因为这个时候已经不是他自己的思维了。而这些大脑以外的思维是怎么来的呢？就是因为经常的执著，因为你曾经想过这个事情是这样的，认为是对的，然后你又看这个事情的时候，你就会想到这个事情是糟糕的，然后你越想越不开心。举个简单例子，你们开车经常走这条路的时候觉得堵车，看见边上有一条路可以走的，但是你从来没有走过。在你每次开车经过的时候总想，“我可能从这条路走进去就不会塞车了，可能会走到前面”。你每一次开过去的时候你总是看见这条路，好了，在你的意识当中就有这条路的存在。所以当你脑子里有一天实在恨得不行时，觉得“怎么又塞车了？我就开这条路”，没有想到一开进去是一条死胡同，还得开出来。这就是为什么师父给你们讲：发脾气的时候，实际上你的思维已经在你平时的意识当中有这种共识，就是意识当中有这种共识。因为有了这个共识，你才会发脾气。举个简单例子，你们很多老妈妈今天看见这个地方弄脏了，今天不讲话；明天看看这个地方怎么又脏了，再不讲话。等到有一天实在看不过去了，因为她一次、两次……她每一次接一点气，接一点气。等到她的气胀的时候，她开始发脾气了，“你们把这个地方怎么弄得这么脏呀？”。所以大家要明白，实际上在你发脾气的时候，是你长期积累的意识的发泄，而这个长期积累的意识实际上已经是孽障了，这跟师父讲的“爆发”是一样的。孽障的激活，爆发成为灵性，实际上灵性也是一种爆发点。
You must know yourself. A person must truly know themselves. When something bad happens, you should think, “Ah, this is my karmic retribution.” When something good happens, you should think, “I have been blessed. I am grateful to Guan Yin Bodhisattva for allowing me, both in the past and present, to have the opportunity to encounter the Buddha-dharma.”
The problem is that many people don’t know themselves. When they are about to get angry, they aren’t even aware of it because, at that moment, their mind is out of control. At that moment, they are no longer following their own rational thinking, but rather thoughts arising from outside their normal state of mind. Where do these external thoughts come from? They come from long-standing attachments. Because you’ve held onto certain views, convincing yourself that your views are correct, every time you encounter a similar situation again, those negative impressions resurface. The more you dwell on them, the more upset you become. Take a simple example. Suppose you often drive along a road that is heavily congested. Each time you pass, you notice another side street and think, “Perhaps if I turn there, I can avoid the traffic and get ahead faster.” Over time, that road becomes fixed in your consciousness. Then, one day, you’re so fed up with the traffic that you finally snap and turn into that street—only to find it’s a dead end and you have to crawl all the way back out.
This is why I tell you that when a person loses their temper, it is because certain patterns of thinking have already formed in their consciousness over a long period of time. Those habitual thoughts have become a kind of shared inner assumption. Their temper flares up because that assumption already exists within them. Take many of our elderly ladies in the audience for example: today they may notice that a place is dirty but choose to say nothing the first time. The second time they see it dirty again, they still choose to say nothing. But each time, they silently absorb more frustration—accumulating toxic energy. Eventually, when they can no longer tolerate it, they explode: “How could you leave this place in such a mess?!”
You must understand that when you lose your temper, it is actually the venting of a long-term accumulation in your consciousness. This accumulation is, in fact, karmic obstacles. It is exactly like what I describe as an “eruption.” When karmic obstacles are activated, they erupt into foreign spirits; essentially, a spirit can be understood as a form of karmic eruption.
没有一个人会无缘无故发脾气的。如果这个人突然之间发脾气了，是因为对这个事情太看不惯了，他才会发出来。所以不要以为自己发脾气是好事情。实际上发脾气就像人家牙神经痛一样，今天痛一点，明天痛一点。不喝热水的时候，牙齿不痛，一会儿突然之间牙又痛一点了；喝凉水了，牙又开始痛了，不开心了；过一会儿忘记吃药了，牙又开始痛了；等到五六次痛之后炎症出来了，没有办法，只能去拔掉了。所以世界上的事情都是一样的，都是平等的。所以要把自己这些明明以后要造成你发脾气的孽根要砍断，最重要的是要在你的思维中形成一个善意的概念。我今天有一个不好的想法，我马上要把它灭掉；我最容易发脾气的地方，我必须要有一个方法把它灭掉。比方说老公今天又抽烟了，你马上就想，“哎呀，这人怎么搞的，我再劝劝他吧，他也是已经上瘾了，会减少抽烟次数”。过几天你又看见他抽烟了，你又要发脾气了，“算了，我再想办法跟他谈谈”。就是把你这个火气当时来了就当时灭掉，不要让它积累，因为积累是一个很麻烦的事情。就像你们的房间一样，没有一间房间不是堆得脏、乱、差的，因为很多人的毛病就是不舍得扔掉，所以把这个东西放在家里，把那个东西也放在家里，最后自己家里连走路的地方都没有，这就叫积累。所以不要去把自己心中每一点点的不开心让它积累起来，要马上把它忘记，没有什么可以积累的。积累善的，种善因；积累恶的，种恶因。善恶之报，人为之。
No one loses their temper for no reason. When someone suddenly snaps, it’s because they have reached a point where they can no longer tolerate a situation. Do not trick yourself into thinking that venting your anger is a good thing. In reality, losing your temper is like a toothache: it throbs a little today and a little more tomorrow. When you aren’t drinking hot water, it feels fine; then suddenly, the pain flares up again. You drink something cold, and the pain returns—making you miserable. You forget to take your medicine, and it starts aching once more. After five or six bouts of pain, the inflammation becomes so bad that you have no choice but to have the tooth pulled.
The same principle applies to everything in the world. Therefore, you must cut off these karmic roots that will inevitably cause you to lose your temper. Most importantly, you must cultivate wholesome thoughts within your mind. The moment a negative thought arises, you should immediately extinguish it. You must find a way to eliminate the specific triggers that cause you to lose your temper. For example, if your husband starts smoking again, you might immediately think, “Oh, for goodness’ sake! What is he doing?” But you should quickly pivot your thinking: “I’ll try to talk to him again; he’s addicted, so I’ll just help him focus on cutting down.” A few days later, you see him smoking again and feel your temper rising. Again, tell yourself, “It’s alright, I’ll find another way to discuss it with him.” In other words, the moment anger arises, extinguish it immediately. Do not let it accumulate, because accumulation is where the real trouble begins. It is like many people’s rooms—cluttered, messy, and untidy—because they cannot bear to throw things away. They keep this, they store that, and eventually, there isn’t even enough room to walk. That is the result of accumulation.
You must not let every little bit of unhappiness pile up in your heart. You must learn to forget it immediately; there is nothing worth hoarding. If you accumulate wholesome thoughts, you plant wholesome seeds. If you accumulate malicious thoughts, you plant malicious seeds. Whether we experience a reward or a retribution depends entirely on our own actions.