念念真诚念念通，
默默感应默默中；
直至山穷水尽处，
逍遥法界任西东。

Thought after thought is true and sincere;
thought after thought penetrates.
Working quietly, there's a response
in the midst of the quiet work.
Go straight to the place beyond the
mountains and streams,
And you will be free to roam the Dharma Realm,
going east or west as you please.

刚才所说的偈颂，大家能否了悟其中的真义？

Has everyone awakened to the true meaning of the above verse?

“念念真诚念念通”：第一个念，是心中所发出的念。第二个念，是有之于心，而形之于口，从口中发出的；若只存有第二念，口念的“念”，便不能算是真诚的念了，所以“心”、“口”俱要真诚，这是对念菩萨或念佛而言。我们要念到心口合一，一而不二。我们不可随便地念，也不可散乱地念，也不可夹杂其它的妄想来念，如果能做到这几点，便可以称为“真诚”了。

The first “thought” refers to the thought produced from the mind. The second thought comes from the mouth. It originates in the mind and takes form in the mouth. If you only keep the secondary thought of the mouth, it doesn't count as a thought of true sincerity. Therefore, the mind and the mouth must both be sincere in reciting the name of the Buddha or Bodhisattva. We should recite until the mind and mouth unite into one, and are no longer two. We should not recite casually or with a scattered mind, nor should we entertain idle thoughts while reciting. If we can fulfill these conditions, then we can be considered sincere.

有了真诚的意念，一定会有感应的，这感应是什么呢？就是凡夫的心和佛菩萨的光相通，所谓：

光光相照，
孔孔相通。

If our thoughts are sincere, we will certainly obtain a response. What kind of response? Our common mind will interpenetrate with the light of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, as in the saying,

The lights shine upon one another;
The holes mutually connect.

为什么会有这种感应呢？譬如打电话，号码打通了，对方一声“喂！”于是乎就可以畅所欲言，有了连络。念菩萨圣号也如同拨电话号码，到时菩萨就会问你：“善男子（善女人），你想求些什么？”于是你就可以有求必应了。若是没有诚心，这就好像是五个号码，你只拨三个号码就住手了，那又怎能把电话打通呢？念菩萨亦复如此。假使你念一会儿又不念了，这就没有诚意，那是一定不会通的。

Why will such a response occur? It's like making a phone call: after you dial the number, the other person answers, “Hello?” Then you can say what you need to say and communicate with each other. Reciting the Bodhisattva's name is like dialing the number. Then the Bodhisattva will ask you, “Good man (Good woman), what do you seek?” At that point, you will obtain whatever you seek. But if you aren't sincere, it will be like dialing only three digits of a five-digit phone number. How can the call go through? Reciting the Bodhisattva's name is the same. If you recite for a while and then stop because you lack sincerity, your recitation certainly won't go through.

这种光光相照的感应，是只有身受的人才能感觉到的。譬如打电话，也只有拿起听筒收听的人才能清楚对方的话，凡夫的肉眼是无法看到声波的去来，所以说：“默默感应默默中”。

The response of lights shining upon one another can only be felt by the people who personally do it. Similarly, when there's a phone call, you have to pick up the receiver in order to hear the caller clearly, because the eyes of ordinary people cannot see the sound waves. So it is said, “Working quietly, there's a response in the midst of the quiet work.”

“山穷水尽”是“百尺竿头重进步，撒手天空另有天。”的境界，念至山穷水尽时，简直是念而不念，打成一团、念成一片了，那时就可以“逍遥法界任西东”。若是我们要往生西方极乐世界，就可以应念而往；若想倒驾慈航，回来广度众生，也可以应念而回到极乐世界之东的娑婆世界，乃至一切法界，也皆可应念而往，所以说“任西东”，所谓：

一如意一切如意，
一自在一切自在。

“Beyond the mountains and streams” refers to the state of: “At the top of a hundred-foot pole, take another step. Let go in midair and another world appears.”

When you recite to the point that the mountains and streams have vanished, you are basically reciting, yet not reciting. You are reciting with a single mind, in a state of uninterrupted mindfulness. At that time, "you will be free to roam the Dharma Realm, going east or west as you please." If we want to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the West, we can recite and obtain the response of being reborn there. If we want to turn the ship of kindness around and come back to save living beings on a vast scale, we can also recite and obtain the response of returning to the Saha world, east of the Land of Ultimate Bliss. In general, we can recite and obtain the response of going to any Dharma Realm. So the verse says, “going east or west as you please.” It is said,

When one wish is fulfilled,
all wishes are fulfilled.
When we are at ease in one place,
we are at ease everywhere.

所以我们学佛，处处要真诚，不然便是虚伪，虚伪便会“开谎花，不结果”，所以学佛切记不要自己骗自己。

Therefore in studying Buddhism, we must always be sincere. If we are false, then we are nothing but “sterile blossoms that don't bear fruit.” So in the practice of Buddhism, take care not to cheat yourself.

其次，古人也说：“君子求诸己，小人求诸人。”我们不可有依赖心，应知感应是自己所招，并非从外得来的。有人说：“念佛得生净土，是仗佛力所接引。”此话可以说是对，也可以说是不对，为什么？因为“接引”这个说法，只是对机而言；因为众生的贪，都是希望能用力少而收效大，好像放高利贷，放出的少，而收入的多，所以圣人随机应变，说出了佛力接引的话，目的是叫一切众生努力去念。其实他们念佛、菩萨的名号而能往生净土，也是全凭自己的力量，怎么说呢？

Furthermore, the ancients have said, “The superior person makes demands on himself. The petty person makes demands on others.” We should not be dependent on others. We should recognize that responses result from our own efforts; they don't come from outside. Someone objects, “When we recite the Buddha's name to be reborn in the Pure Land, we rely on the Buddha's power to lead us there.” You could say that statement is right, but you could also say it's wrong. Why? Saying that the Buddha leads us there is only a provisional explanation spoken for greedy living beings who hope to put in a little effort and obtain a lot. This is like loan sharks that give a little and take in a lot. The sages accommodated the potentials of living beings and said that the Buddha's power leads us, with the goal of making living beings recite vigorously. In reality, when they recite the names of the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, they are relying on their own strength to obtain rebirth in the Pure Land. How is this the case?

念佛是佛替你念的吗？你念菩萨的那个念，是菩萨生出来的吗？如果不是，又岂能说是仗他力？譬如佛菩萨放光加被你，这也是你自己念佛菩萨的功德所感。再拿打电话作一个例子，如果你自己不打电话，又有谁来接你的电话？所以念佛也是这个道理。

When you recite the Buddha's name, does the Buddha recite for you? Does the thought of reciting the Bodhisattvas' names come from the Bodhisattvas? If not, then how can you say you rely on an external strength? For example, when the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas bestow aid by shining their light on you, that's also in response to your efforts in reciting the names of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Consider the analogy of a phone call again. If you don't make the call, then who's going to answer the phone? The same principle applies to reciting the Buddha's name.

其实有这种希望仗佛力接引而生净土的心，就是贪心，就是依赖，是要不得的。我们修行要仗自力，打起精神，鼓起勇气，勇猛精进，应知果报并不是人家能够赐与的，所以念佛也可以说不是仗佛力所接引。

Actually, hoping the Buddha's power will lead us to rebirth in the Pure Land is just greed and dependency, and we don't want that. In cultivation, we want to rely on our own strength, rouse our spirits, pluck up courage, and vigorously advance. Know that rewards and retributions cannot be given to you by others. Therefore, when we recite the Buddha's name, we're not really relying on the Buddha's power to lead us.

古人又说：“将相本无种，男儿当自强。”我们学佛，也要挺起胸膛来这样说：

佛陀本无种，
众生当自强。

The ancients also said, “No man is a general or prime minister by birth. One must rely on his own effort to obtain such a position.” We who study Buddhism should stand up tall and say,

No one is a Buddha by birth.
A living being must rely on his own
effort to achieve Buddhahood.

若是不这么样，整日依赖佛力接引，犹如富家子弟依赖父兄遗业，终会把自己害了，大家应该赶快猛醒啊！

If you don't do this, but instead rely on the Buddha's power all day long, you are just like the children of rich families who depend on what they inherit from their parents and older brothers. In the end, you only hurt yourself. Everyone should quickly wake up!

一九五八年六月十六日下午开示