眾生的根性，是善根多，還是惡根重，佛都知道；眾生的欲念，是多是少，佛也知道，所以佛為一切眾生指示種種的妙道。

The Buddha can perceive the amount of goodness and evil in each living being’s disposition. He also knows whether a living being’s desires are many or few. Knowing this, the Buddha taught living beings a variety of wonderful ways to practice.

什麼是妙道？淺而言之，就是日常所行之道，我們天天所用的道、所行的道、所經過的道，都是妙的。若不注意去研究它，便不知它的妙處；若注意去研究它，那麼無論什麼，都是妙，妙不可言。譬如，我們日常所用的東西，是從什麼地方來的？來處很妙。又怎樣去？去處也很妙。總之，都是妙道。

What is the wonderful Way? It’s simply the Way that we practice every day. The Way that we practice, use, and experience every day is wonderful. If we don’t look into it carefully, we won’t perceive its wonder. But careful scrutiny will reveal how everything is wonderful beyond words. For instance, where do the things we use every day come from? Their origin is wonderful. Where do they go? That is wonderful too. In either case, it’s the wonderful Way.

我們一天所遇到的境界，這就是妙道。好像不吃飯肚子餓？為什麼要餓？這就是妙。吃東西就飽了，這也是妙。乃至穿衣服，或是喝茶，都是一樣地妙。如果不妙的話，為什麼要去用它？就算用它之後，也不會長久，只是暫時而已。你說這不是妙嗎？

The events of our daily life are also the wonderful Way. For instance, when we go without food, we feel hungry. Why? That is wonderful. After we eat, we get full. That is wonderful too. Even getting dressed and drinking tea are wonderful. Otherwise, why would we do them? Even though we engage in these activities, they don’t last long. They are only temporary. Wouldn’t you say that’s wonderful?

有人說：「啊！這個道理，誰都懂。」可是你所懂的是皮毛而不究竟，妙處你就不知道了。為什麼想吃好東西？這是個妙。為什麼想穿好衣服？這是個妙。為什麼想住好房子？這是個妙。

“Anyone could understand this principle!” someone is thinking. But your understanding is quite superficial, not ultimate. You haven’t seen the wonder of it. Why do people like good food? That’s wonderful. Why do they want to wear nice clothes? That’s also wonderful. Why do they like to live in fine houses? That’s wonderful as well.

妙的意思，就是不太明白它，不太瞭解它。換言之，明白了就是妙，不明白就是不妙。好像三步一拜的行者，在大路拜時，褲子破了，不能遮體。這時，在路邊就出現一條褲子！這是個妙。有人用玻璃瓶打他們，卻打不中，這也是個妙。講起妙的意思，那太多了。

Their wonder lies in the fact that we don’t understand them. If we understood, it would be wonderful. Since we don’t understand, it’s un-wonderful. For example when one of the “three steps one bow” cultivators was bowing on the highway, his pants ripped open and left his body exposed. Just then a pair of pants appeared on the side of the highway. That was wonderful. When some people threw bottles at them and missed, that was also wonderful. There is too much to say about the wonderful.

一九八○年十一月五日開示