各位！你們現在聽到《華嚴經》上說：佛示現百千億種音聲，為眾生演說妙法。我們應該覺悟世界所有一切的聲音，皆在說法。所謂：

溪聲盡是廣長舌，
山色無非清淨身。

You all have heard that in the Avatamsaka Sutra it says, “The Buddhas manifest hundreds of thousands of millions of sounds to proclaim the wonderful Dharma for living beings.” We should awaken to the fact that all the sounds in the world are speaking the Dharma. It is said,

The sounds of the brooks are all simply
the vast, long tongue.
The hues of the mountains are none other
than the pure body.

溪的聲音好像佛的廣長舌相，演說妙法；青山的顏色，都是清淨法身，令視者生歡喜心。若能明瞭這個道理，世上一切的一切，都在說法。

The sounds of the streams and creeks are just like the vast, long tongue of the Buddha, proclaiming the wonderful Dharma. The hues of the green mountains are all the pure Dharma-body, delighting those who see them. If you understand this principle, then absolutely everything in the world is speaking the Dharma.

善人給你說善法，惡人給你說惡法，馬給你說做馬的法，牛給你說做牛的法，令你明白為什麼做馬和做牛的因緣。原來馬、牛在前生的時候，不孝順父母，不恭敬師長，或者不願聽父母或師長的訓誨，把身轉過去，脊背向著父母或師長，所以，今生做了畜生，也大同小異。

Good people speak good Dharma for you, and bad people speak bad Dharma for you. Horses speak the Dharma of being a horse, and cows speak the Dharma of being a cow, enabling you to understand how they got to be horses and cows. As a matter of fact, in their previous lives, horses and cows were probably people who were unfilial to their parents and disrespectful to their teachers. Perhaps they refused to listen to the admonishments of their parents and teachers, so they turned their backs to them. Now that they have become animals in this life, they are pretty much the same.

總而言之，持五戒、行十善，便生人天之界，有了貪瞋癡之心，便墮三惡道。

In general, if you observe the five precepts and practice the ten good deeds, you can be born in the human realm or the heavens. If you have greed, anger and stupidity in your mind, you will fall into the three evil paths.

貓捕鼠、虎捉兔，弱肉強食，皆在說法。各有各的因果，各有各的立場，各說各的妙法。教授說教授的法，學生說學生的法。比丘說比丘的法，比丘尼說比丘尼的法。有情在說法，無情也在說法。若能認識，青山白雲，黃花翠竹，都在說法，萬事萬物皆在說法。

Cats catch mice, tigers prey on rabbits, and the weak are eaten by the strong─these are all speaking the Dharma. Each has its own cause and effect, its own standing, and its own wonderful Dharma. Professors speak the Dharma of professors, and students speak the Dharma of students. Bhikshus speak the Dharma of Bhikshus, and Bhikshunis speak the Dharma of Bhikshunis. Sentient beings are speaking the Dharma, and insentient things are also speaking the Dharma. If you can recognize this, then the green mountains, the white clouds, the yellow flowers, and the green bamboo are all speaking the Dharma. All the myriad things and creatures are speaking the Dharma.

土匪去搶人家的錢財，因為在往昔，被他人所搶過，所以現在來討債；若是從前沒有被人搶過，如今去搶人家的財物，將來他要被人所搶，這是還債，這是因果循環報應真實的哲理。

Robbers loot the wealth and property of other people because those people robbed them in previous lives, and they are now collecting the debt. If they weren't robbed in the past, and they rob the wealth and property of others now, they will be robbed in the future in order to pay their debt. That's the principle of retribution in the cycle of cause and effect.

所以人做事情要正大光明、大公無私，不可處處想佔便宜，不肯吃虧，所謂「吃虧就是佔便宜」，切記！切記！不應該佔方便，硬要去佔方便，這是虧本。本來應該佔方便，而不去佔方便，這就是存款。

Therefore, people should act in an upright way, be altruistic and unselfish. Don't try to take advantages. If you gain advantages by forcing it, you are actually taking a loss. It is said, “To take a loss is to gain an advantage.” Keep that in mind, and don't forget it! If you're not supposed to gain an advantage, but you insist on getting it, you will just lose capital. If you're supposed to gain an advantage, and you don't try to get it, then you are putting a deposit in the bank.

所以人要各正其位，各盡其職，不貪意外之財，不飲過量之酒，這也是說法。

Thus, each person should stand in his proper place and do his best to fulfill his obligations. You should not be greedy for unexpected wealth, nor should you drink too much alcohol. This is also speaking the Dharma.

青青翠竹總是法身，
鬱鬱黃花無非般若。

The emerald-green bamboo is just the Dharma-body.
The thriving yellow flowers are nothing but Prajna.

所以我們對於一切，應當如是觀。明白了，就放下；不明白，就執著。

That's how we should contemplate them. If you understand, you can put it down. If you don't understand, you will be attached.