學佛的人，有人歡喜參禪，有人歡喜學教，講經說法，有人歡喜研究律宗，有人歡喜密宗，有人歡喜淨土宗。無論歡喜哪一宗，你都要專心致志，用功修行，才能達到目的，成就自己的希望。

Among the students of Buddhism, some like to investigate Chan; some like to study the teachings, speak the Dharma, and lecture on the sutras; some like to investigate the precepts; some enjoy cultivating the Secret School; and some like to practice the Pure Land School. No matter which school you like, you must concen-trate single-mindedly and cultivate with diligence. Then you will be able to achieve your goal and realize your hopes.

若不專心致志，學什麼也等於沒有學一樣。參了二天半禪，就想去念佛；念佛念了半天，又想去學律；學律不久，又想學密。常把自己的目標弄亂，而不能專一。為什麼不能專一？就因為向外馳求，腳踏兩條船，不知到江北好？或江南好？這樣就會自誤一生。

But if your mind isn't concentrated, then no matter what you study, it's the same as not studying. So after investigating Chan for two and a half days, you decide to recite the Buddha's name; after reciting the Buddha's name for half a day, you wish to study the Vinaya (moral code). After studying the Vinaya for a while, you decide to study in the Secret School. Since you keep changing your goal, you cannot concentrate. The reason you cannot concentrate is because you are seeking outside. You have your feet in two boats, and you can't decide whether you want to go north or south on the river. In that way, you end up wasting your whole life.

所以參禪就要時時刻刻精進，一分一秒也不躲懶偷安。參到：

山窮水盡疑無路，
柳暗花明又一村。

In investigating Chan, you must be vigorous at all times; don't be lazy for a single minute or second. You should investigate until:

The mountains disappear and the waters vanish, and you doubt there is a road ahead.
Beyond the dark willows and the bright flowers is another village.

就別有洞天，別有一種天然妙趣。但必定要參到極點，到登峰造極，然後才有一點點希望，但並不多。雖有一點點的希望，也不要抱著希望，否則又變成頭上安頭。 參禪，就是要老實用功。

At that point there is another heaven, another natural paradise. But you must investigate to the utmost point and reach the summit. Then there's a bit of hope, but not much. Although there's a tiny bit of hope, don't hang onto it, because that would be superfluous (adding a head on top of a head).

首先，要把腿練得聽話，不搗亂也不痛，怎麼腿會不痛？是否有個咒可以念一念，腿就不痛了？或者吃個什麼藥令它不痛？不是的。必須要經過這個痛，然後它才聽話不痛。你要是忍不住，一痛你就要換腿，休息一下，那麼腿永遠不會聽話，因你已慣壞它。它一痛，你就哄它，好像哄小孩子似的，小孩知道父母怎樣也捨不得他受苦，所以將來他就什麼苦也不能受了。腿也像小孩子一樣，你若怕它痛，它什麼時候都會痛，痛時也要痛，你不想痛時也要痛，就都因為慣壞了它。

你把腿練得聽話，把腰也練得聽話，不痠也不痛。眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意也都聽話，六根不向外馳求，不被色、聲、香、味、觸、法所轉，六根不為六塵所轉，而能轉回來，這就是聽話了。所謂：

眼觀形色內無有，  
耳聽塵事心不知。

You must train your legs and your back to be compliant, so that they won't ache or hurt. When your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and mind are all compliant, so that they don't seek after sights, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, or dharmas; when you are not influenced by the six sense organs and six sense objects, and you can turn your attention inwards, that's true obedience. As it is said,

The eyes see forms, but inside there is nothing.
The ears hear sounds, but the mind does not know.

要常常迴光返照，不向外馳求，總是抓住自己的根本法門：「念佛是誰？」抓住根本，就是「但得本，莫愁末」，對於枝末的問題，也不用再憂愁了，這樣一點一點慢慢都會明白的。

You constantly reflect within instead of seeking outside, and you always stick to your basic Dharma-door: "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" Holding to what is basic, you "only attain the root, and don't worry about the branchtips." There's no need to worry about unimportant matters; bit by bit, everything will become clear to you.

你修參禪法門，不要連坐都還未練好，也不能結雙跏趺坐，連單跏趺坐都結不起來，就想學怎樣參，又如何如何？你的基礎都未打好呢！參禪要先打地基。

In cultivating the Dharma-door of investigating Chan, you shouldn't try to learn the details of how to investigate when you haven't learned how to sit in full lotus, or even half lotus. You haven't finished laying the foundation yet! To investigate Chan, you must first lay the foundation.

第一個禮拜，就是在整地。造房子先要整一整地，等到地差不多平了。

During the first week, you can clear the land. When you want to build a house, you must first make the land level.

第二個禮拜就可打樁。打樁須費一番功夫，就是修忍，忍痛、忍餓、忍飢、忍寒，什麼都要忍，這是很費力的，雖然費力，但這是必經之路。必須把地基打好，立好樁，否則造出的房子必不堅固，風一吹就倒，雨一沖也就散了，這都是因為樁未打好，基礎沒建立好的緣故。

In the second week, you can drive in the stakes. Driving in the stakes requires some effort--this is where you must cultivate patience and endure the pain, hunger, and cold. You must endure everything, and it takes a lot of strength. It's arduous, but you must travel this path. You have to lay a good foundation and drive in good stakes. Otherwise, your house will not be sturdy; the wind will blow it down and the rain will wash it away. That's the consequence of not driving in the stakes well and not setting a good foundation.

第三個禮拜才把樑、棟、柱腳石等都安好，把所有的柱子都豎建起來。

In the third week, you can put up the beams, rafters, column bases, and columns.

第四個禮拜就可以造牆、裝門、安窗戶、蓋上屋脊。所以是一點一點地造起來，不是「一鍬就挖個井」，不是一下子就可以成功的。

During the fourth week, you can erect the walls, install doors and windows, and put up the ridgepole. That's how a house is constructed, step by step. You can't "dig a well with one thrust of the shovel"; there's no instant accomplishment.

參禪如此，念佛是如此，學教、修密、習律也是如此，都要念茲在茲的，把心弄老實，不教它好高騖遠，不要聽人說密宗好啊！就跑到密宗。我們人不要迷得死不開竅，食古不化。明明眼前都擺著事實，還迷頭迷腦地密密密，密來密去也不知怎麼就死了，這真是密！這不是「密」，是「迷」－－糊里糊塗！

This is true not only of investigating Chan, but also of reciting the Buddha's name, studying the teachings, cultivating the Secret School, and practicing the Vinaya－ in any of these, you must devote your full attention to the task at hand. Make your mind honest, and don't yearn for what is lofty and distant. Don't run over to join the Secret School just because you hear someone talk about how wonderful it is. We shouldn't get so deluded that we obstinately refuse to see the truth and rigidly hold onto old ways. The facts are right in front of us, but with addled brains, we still chase after what's "secret, secret, secret" until we die for no apparent reason. That's truly secret! Actually, it's not secret, it's confusion; it's totally muddled.

各位信佛的人，要研究真理，不要盲從。要「親近有德，遠避凶人」，凶人就是專門欺騙人；有德之人就是不欺騙人。無德的人專用奸詐手段，所以德存不住；唯獨不欺騙人的人，才能日積月累地修功立德，故其德行存在。所以你們觀察人就是從這兒著眼。不是單單在表面上看，說：「我看這人有德，是善知識。」根本沒有確實的標尺。你必須要設身處地，真正了解那人才算。末法時代，人都犯了一種通病，就是好高騖遠，以耳代目，聽人家說什麼好，就往那兒跑。跑到那兒，好不好也不知道，甚至被人騙了還不醒覺。學這種迷信財色，迷信風水，是非常可憐的。

Buddhists should study true principles. Don't blindly follow others. You should draw near virtuous people and stay away from bad people. Bad people are those who do nothing but cheat others. Virtuous people do not cheat others. People without virtue use all sorts of fraudulent means－that's why they can't preserve their virtue. Only those who don't cheat people can store up the merit and virtue they cultivate over the days and months. That's why their virtue endures. Pay attention to this when you observe people. Don't just judge by appearances and say, "That person looks virtuous; he seems to be a Good and Wise Advisor." You don't have any real way to determine that. You must really get to know him thoroughly before you can make such a statement. In this Dharma-ending Age, we all have the same problem, which is that we like to seek what is lofty and distant. Instead of using our eyes to see, we let our ears do the "seeing" for us. When we hear someone say something is good, we rush over. When we get there, we have no idea of whether it's really good or not, and without realizing it, we get duped. People who confusedly put their faith in wealth and sex and in geomancy are really pathetic!

今天從報紙上轉載大陸福建某地，有六個小孩子集體跳海自殺去成仙。這為什麼呢？就因為邪說把人迷住了，說人做壞事就要做鬼，做好事就成神仙。什麼叫好事呢？就是不怕死。在鄉下地方，小孩子天真純樸，聽了什麼也就容易入腦。說好人不怕死，死了會成仙，所以這六個小孩就要集體自殺成仙去，「以前有八仙，大概是集體自殺的，我們現在也要集體自殺成六仙，免去六道輪迴。」所以他們一起自殺想成仙。

In today's newspaper, there was an article about six children in the Fukien province of China who committed suicide together by jumping into the sea, hoping to become immortals. Why did they do that? They had been misled into believing that people who do evil become ghosts, and people who do good turn into immortals. And what did "doing good" mean? It meant not being afraid to die. Children in rural areas are quite naive and will believe whatever they hear. Since someone told those six children that good people are not afraid to die and will become immortals after death, they decided to kill themselves as a group and become immortals. They thought, "The Eight Immortals of the past probably committed suicide together. Now we can commit suicide together and become the Six Immortals and escape the cycle of rebirth in the six paths." Then they killed themselves, hoping to become immortals.

他們成不成仙呢？我可以證明沒有。為什麼不成仙？因為他們太迷了。成仙的人都很聰明的，沒有這麼愚癡，不懂真理，是非不辨的。怎麼會一起死去就成仙呢？成仙若是這麼容易，那麼大家不如快點死了，都去成仙。這真是無有是處，這種鄉愚太可憐了，盲從迷信邪說，令小孩子都失去了方向，這是很可憐的一件事。

Well, did they become immortals? I can guarantee that they didn't. Why? They were too confused. People who become immortals are very intelligent. They aren't as foolish as these children, who had no understanding of true principles and couldn't tell right from wrong. How could they all die together and become immortals? If becoming immortal were that easy, everyone should just hurry up and die and become immortal. But that's impossible. How pitiful those foolish villagers are, blindly following this superstitious and deviant theory and leading their children astray. This is very sad.

話又說回來，為什麼小孩子寧可死也不怕，而說要去成仙呢？這也可以說是環境壓迫而成，他們覺得人活著還不如死，做人如行屍走肉沒什麼意思，於是找個大解脫，一起去死。小孩子在他們的筆記簿上，寫「死」字寫了一千多個，天天死死死，一天到晚念死。所以這些童男童女無知，受迷信之蠱惑，而失去真正的目標和方向。

But why were those children so eager and unafraid to die, saying they were going to become immortals? You could say their environment forced them to feel that life wasn't worth living, that it would be better to die than to be living corpses. So seeking liberation, they all went to their deaths together. The children had written the word "death" over a thousand times in their notebooks. Every day, it was "death, death, death." They thought of death from morning to night. In their ignorance, those boys and girls were seduced by super-stition and lost their true goal and direction.

所以我們信佛的人，不應該迷信，要破除迷信。什麼是迷信？就是糊里糊塗地亂信，別人說什麼就信，信迷了。「迷信」還不打緊，最怕是「信迷」，信那迷亂顛倒的外道。有人自作聰明，真的他不信，假的他反而去信，這就是「迷中之迷」，不認識真理，拿真當假，把假當真。好像這六個小孩，本來「找死成仙」是一種虛假騙人的方法，而他們卻相信。若是教他們要修行才能成仙，恐怕他們就不相信了。所以世界上可憐的人很多，可憐的事也很多，一言難盡！

Buddhists should not believe in superstition. You must break through superstition. What is superstition? It is being reckless and confused in your belief. You simply believe anything people say, and you end up all muddled. Being confused in your belief is still not that serious. It's only to be feared that you believe in confusion, that you believe in the confused, upside-down teachings of externalist ways. Some people try to be clever; they don't believe in what is true but instead believe in what is false. This is a case of being confused within confusion. They don't recognize true principles. They take the true to be false, and the false to be true. For example, in the case of the six children, the theory that "death leads to immortality" is actually just a false claim meant to cheat people, but they believed it. If someone had told them they have to cultivate before they can become immortals, they might not have believed that. There are many pathetic people and many woeful situations in the world; we could never finish speaking of them!

一九八二年十一月廿八日晚間開示