我是鄉下人出身，所受的教育很少，所以知道的不多，這就是為什麼要大家聚集一堂。所謂「集思廣益」，用大家的智慧，來討論問題，誰有寶貴的意見，可以提出來，做為改善教育的參考。

I was born in a rural area and received little schooling, so I don’t know very much. That’s why I want to gather everyone together, so that we can “canvass many opinions and benefit from them.” Let’s use everyone’s wisdom in discussing the issues. If you have an opinion, please bring it up. We’ll take it into consideration in our effort to improve education.

我在出家之後，發覺佛教每況愈下，一天不如一天，就想要改良。又覺得教育也是一日不如一日，所以我也希望能改良，願盡一點力量，令人受點利益。因為這個志願，所以在萬佛聖城成立法界佛教大學、培德中學、育良小學，並且統統免費教學，就是實現我的願望。

After I left the home-life, I found that the state of Buddhism was deteriorating day by day, and I wanted to do something about that. I also felt that education was deteriorating day by day, and hoped to bring about some improvements in that area. I resolved to put my efforts into doing something beneficial for others. Consequently, I have established Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Developing Virtue Secondary School, and Instilling Goodness Elementary School at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. And to fulfill my resolve, I have declared these schools to be tuition-free.

為什麼要這樣做呢？是不是為沽名釣譽，想別開生面？不是的。我的用意，是希望把學店的制度糾正過來，令專為錢而辦教育的人，改良這種不正確的思想，要以「教育良才」為宗旨。學店雖然已經根深蒂固，一時不容易改變過來。但是，我願大家同心協力來做這種事業，慢慢感化所有學店的主辦人，令他們良心發現，認識教育是神聖的工作，得天下英才而教育之，乃是一件快樂之事。如果仍然迷而不悟，為賺點臭銅錢，不惜誤諸學子的前程，其罪真是不可寬恕，將遺恨萬年。要知道錢是身外之物，生帶不來，死帶不去。所謂「萬般帶不去，只有業隨身」，生前所做的業障，跟著你墮地獄，去受無間苦，屆時悔之晚矣！

Why have I done this? Is it because I’m hoping to get famous, or because I want to do something different? No. My intention is to change the idea that schools should be run like businesses; I hope to reform the attitude of people who regard education as a profit-making venture, and help them see that the true purpose of education is to help students become good people by developing their talents and potentials. Although the idea that schools are businesses is deeply ingrained and cannot be changed overnight, I hope everyone will join in this endeavor and gradually influence profit-seeking educators to examine their consciences and realize the sacred nature of education and the joy of being able to teach the nation’s young generation of budding talents. If such deluded educators continue putting students’ futures at stake in order to make a few stinking dollars, their offense will truly be unpardonable and they will be plagued by eternal regrets. We should realize that money is superfluous. We didn’t bring it with us when we were born, and we can’t take it along when we die. As it’s said, “You can’t take anything along (at death) except your karma, which follows you wherever you go.” The karma we created in our life will follow us down to the hells, where we will undergo uninterrupted suffering. At that time, our regrets mean nothing!

五月廿七日(一九八四年)，是法界佛教大學舉行畢業典禮的日子，將頒發同學修學期滿、品學兼優的學位證書。一般大學的畢業生，在典禮時戴黑色四方帽，無論是學士、碩士、博士，一律戴這種四方型的帽子，世界公認之。

The Commencement Exercises of Dharma Realm Buddhist University will be held on May 27, 1984. Diplomas shall be awarded to students who have completed their course of study and who have demonstrated excellence of character and scholarship. Generally, university graduates wear square black caps. This style of cap is worn whether one is receiving a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, or a Doctoral degree, and it is recognized the world over.

法界佛教大學畢業生所戴的帽子，有所改良：學士戴四方帽，碩士戴五方帽，博士戴六方帽。為什麼要這樣呢？因為各有不同的涵義。四方代表四海之內皆兄弟也，兼有四通八達之意，又可表四無量心：慈。悲、喜、捨。五方代表五行：金、木、水、火、土，或五根本戒：殺、盜、婬、妄、酒，或可代表五洲：歐、亞、非、美、澳。六方代表六度：布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧，或可代表東、南、西、北、上、下六方，也可說是代表六藝：禮、樂、射、御、書、數。這是我的意見，希望大家提出意見，研究決定。

The caps worn by the graduates of Dharma Realm Buddhist University, however, will have an improvement: There will be square caps for Bachelors, pentagonal caps for Masters, and hexagonal caps for Doctorates. Why is this? The shape of each cap has its own significance. The square represents that all people within the four seas are brothers; it also signifies the four quarters, or the four unlimited aspects of mind (kindness, , joy, and giving). The pentagon symbolizes the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth; the five basic precepts (not to kill, not to steal, not to engage in sexual misconduct, not to lie, and not to take intoxicants); or the five continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia. The hexagon represents the six perfections of giving, morality, patience, vigor, concentration, and wisdom; the six directions of east, south, west, north, above, and below; or the six arts of rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. These are my opinions. I hope you will bring up yours so that we can discuss them and come to a decision.

有人說：「一般大學所有學位之畢業生，皆戴四方帽，是傳統性。」但依我的看法，如果有優良的辦法不用，卻仍用舊的辦法是墨守成規，那未免太固執，也可說是愚癡。

Someone says, “The graduates of all other universities wear square caps; that’s the tradition.” My point of view is that if there is something better and we don’t use it but insist on sticking to the old way, then we’re just being stubborn, or you might say, stupid.

在西方世界，我尚未遇見真正佛教大學畢業的人。佛教在此是剛開始，還沒有一定的制度。法界佛教大學是盡虛空、遍法界，廣大無邊的。現在暫時無人知曉，但將來會有很多人模仿本校的制度。所以我現在提倡在家人大學畢業生戴黑色的帽子，出家人大學畢業生戴黃色的帽子。這個建議不知有價值否？

In the West, I have yet to meet a graduate of a genuine Buddhist university. Buddhism has just begun here. It doesn’t have a fixed system yet. Dharma Realm Buddhist University pervades all of space throughout the Dharma Realm; it is boundlessly vast. Although very few people know about it at the present time, in the future many people will take our university system as their model. So I suggest that the lay graduates wear black caps while monastic graduates wear yellow ones. I don’t know if there is any value in this suggestion.

一九八四年四月二十日開示