萬佛聖城成立育良小學、培德中學、法界佛教大學，一律免收學費，成為義務教育。我告訴你們不收學費的因緣。

Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Developing Virtue Secondary School, and Instilling Goodness Elementary School at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas are all tuition-free and offer free education. Let me tell you the reason we don't charge tuition.

我的家住在東北雙城縣的山中，交通不大方便，村中又沒有學校，所以兒童多數失學，村民大多數是文盲。在我十五歲那年的秋天，才入私塾讀書，讀四書五經。到十七歲那年冬天，我把四書五經讀完，老師隨我所讀，便為我講解書中的義理，一共讀了兩年半的書。

“My family lived in the mountains of Shuangcheng County in Manchuria. Since public transportation was inadequate and there was no school in the village, most children didn't go to school and most of the villagers were illiterate. When I was fifteen years old, I went to an old-style private school to study the Four Books and the Five Classics. I finished studying them in the winter of my seventeenth year. As I studied those books, the teacher would explain them to me. It took me two and a half years to finish.

我到十八歲的時候，無書可讀，就輟學在家，研究醫術書籍，大約讀了十五、六本，明白「望、問、切、聞」的道理，知道「寒、熱、溫、平」的藥性，可以治病，但是就不給人家看病，因為我總覺得在一百個病人之中，縱能治好九十九個病人，只有一個病人的病，或者下錯藥，或者誤醫，還是有罪過，所以沒打算以行醫為業，又兼我一向對錢不重視，一直到現在，仍是這樣。

When I was eighteen, there were no books at school for me to study, so I stayed home and read Chinese medicine texts, about fifteen or sixteen of them. I learned to distinguish the nature of medicinal herbs as being cold, hot, warm, or mild, and understood how to diagnose a patient by observing them, asking questions, taking their pulse, and listening to them. I could have treated patients, but I didn't, because I always felt that if I gave a wrong diagnosis or prescribed the wrong medicine in one case out of a hundred, then even if I successfully cured the other ninety-nine, I would still have an offense. That's why I never wanted to be a doctor. Also, I have never cared about money, even to this day.

在這一年之中，我又看了相面的書，爻卦的書，批八字的書，算命的書，我對於醫卜星相等書，雖然不算精通，可是皆明白其理，不過，我也沒有做這種種行業，因為我不想賺錢，我常想「富貴花間露，功名瓦上霜」，都是無常。

“During the same year, I also read some books on physiognomy, divination, the eight hexagrams, and similar subjects. I was not an expert in those subjects, but I understood the principles involved. However, I did not take them up as a profession, because I didn't want to make money. I always thought of how "wealth is like morning dew on the flowers, and fame is like frost on the roof tiles." They are both impermanent.

是年的冬天，我見村中的兒童沒有機會讀書，實在可憐，乃發心成立義學，不收任何人的學費。當時有三十多個學生，由我一人擔任教學。因為學生的年齡不同，智慧不同，所以採取個別教學的方法。從早晨七點鐘開始上課，下午六時下課，在這中間沒有休息時間。學生認真學習，進步很快。冬天過去，學校結束了，學生的成績很好，認識了很多字，也會寫很多字，這是我辛苦換來的代價。

“That winter, I saw that the village children had no access to education. It was really pitiful. I decided to start a free school. There were about thirty students, and I was the only teacher. Since the students were of different ages and levels of intelligence, I tutored them individually. The school opened from seven o'clock in the morning till six o'clock in the evening, with no break in between. The students all studied very hard and made quick progress. When school ended after the winter, the students showed considerable achievement. They had learned to read and write many characters. That was the reward for my hard work.

所以育良小學、培德中學、法界佛教大學，也不收學費。有人懷疑，是不是太愚癡？不知錢好用？的確愚癡到極點，我承認這種評論，但我有個構想，教育良才，是人生最快樂的事。

The schools at the City are also tuition-free. Some people may wonder: "Are you people so stupid that you don't know how useful money can be?" Yes, it is extremely stupid, I have to admit. But I have this idea that teaching is the greatest joy in life.

育良小學：旨在教育世界優良的人才，教育世界良善的國民，教育世界盡善的孝子，所以叫作育良。

Instilling Goodness Elementary School: The goal is to develop students' talents and potential, teaching them to be good citizens and perfectly filial children. That's why the school is called "Instilling Goodness."

培德中學：因為人的本來德性不能圓滿具足，所以要栽培德行，提倡修福修慧。育良小學注重孝道，所謂「百善孝為先」。培德中學注重忠孝，忠於國家，孝順父母。愛護自己的國家，作為良善的公民，必須先把人格建立堅固，才經得起考驗。不向環境投降，所謂「家貧出孝子，亂世出忠臣」，這都是經得起考驗。有高尚的人格，有偉大的志願，有堅忍不拔、百折不撓的精神，有能做一番轟轟烈烈的大事業，這是培德中學的目標。

Developing Virtue Secondary School: Since people are not born with perfect and complete virtue, we should help them to develop virtue and to cultivate both blessings and wisdom. Instilling Goodness Elementary School focuses on filiality. It is said, "Among the hundred good deeds, filiality is foremost." Developing Virtue Secondary School empha­sizes loyalty and filiality--loyalty to one's country and filiality to one's parents. In order to protect one's own country and be a good citizen, one must first establish a strong character and be able to endure tests without succumbing to circumstances. It is said, "Filial sons come from poor families; loyal officials are produced from national turmoil." This describes people who can endure tests. With a noble character, great resolve, and a persevering and indomitable spirit, one can achieve great things. This is the aim of Developing Virtue Secondary School.

法界佛教大學：學生在培德中學把德行栽培圓滿，進入法界佛教大學深造，成為出乎其類、拔乎其萃的人才。希望你們能青出於藍，而勝於藍，將來到社會成為頂天立地的奇男子或奇女人。要有人溺己溺，人飢己飢的思想。這種抱負要盡虛空遍法界，永不變更。

Dharma Realm Buddhist University: After students have perfected their virtue in Developing Virtue Secondary School, they may enter Dharma Realm Buddhist University to further their studies and become outstanding people. I hope you will surpass your teachers and become preeminent men and women in society. Your  attitude should be: "When I see others drowning, it is as if I am drowning; when I see others starving, it is as if I am starving." This ideal should pervade space and the Dharma Realm and never change.

現在多數的學校，無論公立或私立，專在學生身上打主意，學費年年提高，令無錢的子弟，有望洋興嘆之感。萬佛聖城為解決這個難題，所以不收學費，以教育天下英才為宗旨。我希望在萬佛聖城受教育的學生，知道萬佛聖城用心良苦，乃是犧牲大量經費，教育你們成為國的棟樑，弘法的人才。你們不要辜負萬佛聖城培育之苦心，要用功讀書，所謂：「書到用時方恨少，事非經過不知難。」 你們現在如果不用功，將來到用時就後悔了。這是我今天要對你們說的話。

Nowadays most schools, both public and private, constantly scheme to make a profit off the students. Tuition increases every year, which frustrates the children of less affluent families. The City solves this problem by not collecting any tuition and taking the development of students' talents as its goal. I hope the students here will understand the sincere intentions of the City. We spend a lot of money to educate you so that in the future you may become pillars of society who are capable of propagating the Dharma. Study hard and don't disappoint the expectations placed upon you by the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. It is said,             Only at the time of actual application                do you realize that your knowledge is limited;             Not until you've tried something                 do you know the difficulties involved. If you don't study hard now, you will regret it when it's time to put your knowledge to use. That's what I wanted to say to you today.