現在的世界，是由許多的國家組織而成；一個國家，是由許多的家組織而成；一個家，又是由許多人組織而成。所以，每個人與世界所有的人，都有連帶關係。

The modern world is made up of many countries. Each country is made up of many families. Each family is made up of many people. Therefore, each person is very closely related to all the other people in the world.

世上的人心，若是清淨，沒有污染的思想，這世界一定和平無戰爭；反之，人人的心都染污，這世界也跟著壞了。這個道理，人人都曉得，可是不實行，明知故犯，實在可憐！

If the minds of the people in the world are pure and free of defiled thoughts, this world will certainly be peaceful and free of war. On the other hand, if every person's mind is defiled, the world will consequently go bad. Everyone knows this principle, but no one applies it. We all know it clearly and yet go against it. That's truly pitiful!

所謂好，要從心做起；
所謂壞，也從心做起。

That which is called “good” begins with the mind,
That which is called “bad” also begins with the mind.

現在的世界，已經到了朝不保夕的時候了。為什麼？因為地球快要爆炸，已經到萬分危險的程度。地球為什麼要爆炸？因為被「貪瞋癡」三毒的戾氣所壓迫的緣故。地球如果毀滅，我們人類當然也不存在。

The modern world has already reached the point of impending death, when one cannot be sure in the morning whether there will be an evening! Why is this? It's because the planet is on the verge of blowing up; the danger has reached an extreme. Why is the earth about to blow up? Because it has been oppressed by the violent forces of the three poisons: greed, anger, and stupidity. If the earth is destroyed, the human race will certainly not survive.

但是世人還不研究這個問題，終日醉生夢死在混光陰，猶不知危機重重。有人只顧目前的問題，不想將來的處境，他們擔憂人類一天比一天多起來，沒有飯吃，沒有衣穿，沒有屋住，沒有能源，認為這是嚴重的問題，其實這些問題是小問題，到時候，自然會解決。

But the people of the world still refuse to face this situation. They still pass their time in drunkenness and die in a dream, totally oblivious to the crisis. Some are only concerned about what lies before them and have no regard for the future. They worry that the human population is increasing daily, and that there are people with no food to eat, no clothes to wear, no houses to live in, and no energy supply; they think that those are the most serious problems. Actually, those are relatively minor problems which will naturally resolve themselves in time.

我們的「生死」，才是大問題。在這一分鐘有，在那一分鐘就沒有了，轉眼之間，生離死別之苦便降臨。可是人人對這嚴重的問題，反而冷淡，好像在作夢似的。「生從何處而來？死往何處而去？」這個問題一概不知。那麼，知道了又怎麼辦呢？唯一解救的辦法，就是「改惡向善」，改造自己，不要有自私自利，要有慈悲心，一切為眾生，學習菩薩的精神。

Our birth and death is really the big problem. One minute we're here, but the next minute we're gone. In the twinkling of an eye, the suffering of separation while alive or when nearing death comes upon us. But people all treat this serious problem with indifference, as if it were a dream. Where did we come from when we were born? Where will we go when we die? We have no idea. Even if we understood the situation, what could we do? There's only one way to save ourselves, which is to correct our faults and go towards the good, to reform ourselves. We shouldn't be so selfish and greedy for personal profit. Be kind and compassionate and do everything for the sake of other living beings. We should imitate the spirit of the Bodhisattvas.

每個人的行為，乃是由心念來支配，令他到十法界去。一念善，可以生天上；一念惡，可以墮地獄，所謂：

一念覺就是佛，
一念迷即眾生。

Each person's behavior is controlled by his thoughts, which cause him to enter the Ten Dharma Realms. With one good thought, one can be born in the heavens. With one evil thought, one can fall into the hells. It's said,

With one enlightened thought,
you are a Buddha.
With one confused thought,
you are a living being.

簡單說，一念利益眾生，就是菩薩；一念利益自己，就是眾生；一念能迴光返照，反求諸已，就是阿羅漢和辟支佛。選擇在你自己，背覺合塵是凡夫，背塵合覺是聖人，如反掌之易。

To put it simply, with one thought to benefit living beings, you are a Bodhisattva. With one thought to benefit yourself, you are a living being. With one thought of turning the light inwards to reflect on yourself, you are an Arhat or a Pratyekabuddha. The choice is yours. If you turn your back on enlightenment and unite with defilement, you are a common person. If you turn your back on defilement and unite with enlightenment, you are a Sage. It's as easy as turning your hand over.

世界好或壞，乃由一念心而起。這是必然的道理。「人人心善，世界永住；人人心惡，世界毀滅。」佛教是勸人向善，暸解因果，多做善功德，也就是不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語，世界自然轉危為安，所謂「一切唯心造」。心能造世界，心能毀世界，心能造天堂，心能造地獄。

Whether the world is good or bad also depends on a single thought. If every person's mind is good, the world will abide eternally. If every person's mind is bad, the world will be destroyed. This is the law of nature. Buddhism exhorts people to go toward the good, to understand cause and effect, to create abundant wholesome merit and virtue. That is, if people refrain from contention, greed, seeking, selfishness, self benefit, and lying, the danger in the world will naturally become peace. It's said, "Everything is made from the mind alone." The mind can create the world, and it can destroy the world. The mind can create the heavens, and it can create the hells.

家由人而成，人由妄想而成。要是能將惡的妄想改為善的妄想，就是好人；要是將善的妄想改為惡的妄想，就是壞人；這是好人與壞人的關鍵。

Families are made up of people, and people are made up of idle thoughts. If you change evil idle thoughts into good idle thoughts, you become a good person. If you change good idle thoughts into evil idle thoughts, you become a bad person. That's the pivotal point between being a good person and a bad person.

我們修行人要「勤修戒定慧，息滅貪瞋癡」，這是基本條件。學佛法的人，首先要「諸惡莫作，眾善奉行」，這也是基本條件。如果人人能如此去實行，世界就會轉好，瑞氣增多，戾氣減少。宇宙若充滿祥瑞之正氣，地球就不會爆炸了。

Cultivators should diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi and wisdom, and put greed, anger, and stupidity to rest. Those are basic requirements. People who study the Buddhadharma should first of all abstain from all evil, and offer up all good conduct. That is a basic requirement. If everyone can really practice in that way, the world will become good, the auspicious energy will increase, and the violent energy will decrease. If the universe is filled with auspicious proper energy, then the earth will not blow up.

怎樣令世界安穩？唯一辦法，來正法道場學佛法，悔過自新。人人改惡向善，世界就沒有三災八難，人人和睦相處，無爭無貪，成為大同世界。

How can we make the world peaceful and stable? There is only one way: to come to a Way-place of the Proper Dharma to study the Buddhadharma, reform your faults, and renew yourself. If everyone mends his ways and becomes good, the world will be free from the three calamities and the eight difficulties, and all people will live together harmoniously, without greed or contention, in a world of Great Unity.

希望沒有宗教信仰的人士，為家為國為世界，放下貪心，多為社會做點有福利的事業，要知道「財是身外之物」，生帶不來，死帶不去。

I hope the people who have no religious faith will, for the sake of the family, the country, and the world, renounce greed and do some work for the welfare of society. You should realize that money is an external thing which you did not bring with you at birth, nor can you take with you when you die.

惡人借著善人的光，這世界才沒有三毒的戾氣，才不至毀滅。這個道理雖然很淺，但用功很深，才能有效果。各位！要從「心」著手，改造世界，化干戈為玉帛，令世界平安。

If the light of the good people can counteract the darkness of bad people, this world will be free of the violent forces of the three poisons and will not be on the verge of extinction. Although this principle is very simple, it requires a profound effort to apply it successfully. All of you! You must begin with the mind and reform the world, changing hostility into harmony and bringing peace to the world.

每個人的領袖，就是「心」。心若壞了，身體就疾病叢生，或遭意外災難。我們要反省，要檢討，如有罪過，趕緊懺悔！所謂：

彌天大罪，
一懺便消。

The master of each person is his mind. If the mind is corrupt, the body will be plagued with sickness and prone to accidents and disasters. We must reflect within and examine ourselves. If we have faults we should hurry and repent! It is said,

Offenses that fill up the skies are dissolved by a single thought of repentance.

可是要有誠心來懺悔，才能消災，不可當作兒戲，白天做惡事，晚間懺悔，認為可以消災。如果有這思想，罪不但不能消，反而更加一級，為什麼？因為知法犯法，不可饒恕。

But you must sincerely repent if you want to quell disasters. You can't treat it as a joke, doing evil during the day and repenting at night, thinking you can quell disasters. With that kind of attitude, instead of getting rid of your offenses, you only increase their severity. Why? It's because you deliberately break the law, and therefore, you cannot be forgiven.