现在的世界，是由许多的国家组织而成；一个国家，是由许多的家组织而成；一个家，又是由许多人组织而成。所以，每个人与世界所有的人，都有连带关系。

The modern world is made up of many countries. Each country is made up of many families. Each family is made up of many people. Therefore, each person is very closely related to all the other people in the world.

世上的人心，若是清净，没有污染的思想，这世界一定和平无战争；反之，人人的心都染污，这世界也跟着坏了。这个道理，人人都晓得，可是不实行，明知故犯，实在可怜！

If the minds of the people in the world are pure and free of defiled thoughts, this world will certainly be peaceful and free of war. On the other hand, if every person's mind is defiled, the world will consequently go bad. Everyone knows this principle, but no one applies it. We all know it clearly and yet go against it. That's truly pitiful!

所谓好，要从心做起；
所谓坏，也从心做起。

That which is called “good” begins with the mind,
That which is called “bad” also begins with the mind.

现在的世界，已经到了朝不保夕的时候了。为什么？因为地球快要爆炸，已经到万分危险的程度。地球为什么要爆炸？因为被“贪瞋痴”三毒的戾气所压迫的缘故。地球如果毁灭，我们人类当然也不存在。

The modern world has already reached the point of impending death, when one cannot be sure in the morning whether there will be an evening! Why is this? It's because the planet is on the verge of blowing up; the danger has reached an extreme. Why is the earth about to blow up? Because it has been oppressed by the violent forces of the three poisons: greed, anger, and stupidity. If the earth is destroyed, the human race will certainly not survive.

但是世人还不研究这个问题，终日醉生梦死在混光阴，犹不知危机重重。有人只顾目前的问题，不想将来的处境，他们担忧人类一天比一天多起来，没有饭吃，没有衣穿，没有屋住，没有能源，认为这是严重的问题，其实这些问题是小问题，到时候，自然会解决。

But the people of the world still refuse to face this situation. They still pass their time in drunkenness and die in a dream, totally oblivious to the crisis. Some are only concerned about what lies before them and have no regard for the future. They worry that the human population is increasing daily, and that there are people with no food to eat, no clothes to wear, no houses to live in, and no energy supply; they think that those are the most serious problems. Actually, those are relatively minor problems which will naturally resolve themselves in time.

我们的“生死”，才是大问题。在这一分钟有，在那一分钟就没有了，转眼之间，生离死别之苦便降临。可是人人对这严重的问题，反而冷淡，好像在作梦似的。“生从何处而来？死往何处而去？”这个问题一概不知。那么，知道了又怎么办呢？唯一解救的办法，就是“改恶向善”，改造自己，不要有自私自利，要有慈悲心，一切为众生，学习菩萨的精神。

Our birth and death is really the big problem. One minute we're here, but the next minute we're gone. In the twinkling of an eye, the suffering of separation while alive or when nearing death comes upon us. But people all treat this serious problem with indifference, as if it were a dream. Where did we come from when we were born? Where will we go when we die? We have no idea. Even if we understood the situation, what could we do? There's only one way to save ourselves, which is to correct our faults and go towards the good, to reform ourselves. We shouldn't be so selfish and greedy for personal profit. Be kind and compassionate and do everything for the sake of other living beings. We should imitate the spirit of the Bodhisattvas.

每个人的行为，乃是由心念来支配，令他到十法界去。一念善，可以生天上；一念恶，可以堕地狱，所谓：

一念觉就是佛，
一念迷即众生。

Each person's behavior is controlled by his thoughts, which cause him to enter the Ten Dharma Realms. With one good thought, one can be born in the heavens. With one evil thought, one can fall into the hells. It's said,

With one enlightened thought,
you are a Buddha.
With one confused thought,
you are a living being.

简单说，一念利益众生，就是菩萨；一念利益自己，就是众生；一念能回光返照，反求诸已，就是阿罗汉和辟支佛。选择在你自己，背觉合尘是凡夫，背尘合觉是圣人，如反掌之易。

To put it simply, with one thought to benefit living beings, you are a Bodhisattva. With one thought to benefit yourself, you are a living being. With one thought of turning the light inwards to reflect on yourself, you are an Arhat or a Pratyekabuddha. The choice is yours. If you turn your back on enlightenment and unite with defilement, you are a common person. If you turn your back on defilement and unite with enlightenment, you are a Sage. It's as easy as turning your hand over.

世界好或坏，乃由一念心而起。这是必然的道理。“人人心善，世界永住；人人心恶，世界毁灭。”佛教是劝人向善，暸解因果，多做善功德，也就是不争、不贪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄语，世界自然转危为安，所谓“一切唯心造”。心能造世界，心能毁世界，心能造天堂，心能造地狱。

Whether the world is good or bad also depends on a single thought. If every person's mind is good, the world will abide eternally. If every person's mind is bad, the world will be destroyed. This is the law of nature. Buddhism exhorts people to go toward the good, to understand cause and effect, to create abundant wholesome merit and virtue. That is, if people refrain from contention, greed, seeking, selfishness, self benefit, and lying, the danger in the world will naturally become peace. It's said, "Everything is made from the mind alone." The mind can create the world, and it can destroy the world. The mind can create the heavens, and it can create the hells.

家由人而成，人由妄想而成。要是能将恶的妄想改为善的妄想，就是好人；要是将善的妄想改为恶的妄想，就是坏人；这是好人与坏人的关键。

Families are made up of people, and people are made up of idle thoughts. If you change evil idle thoughts into good idle thoughts, you become a good person. If you change good idle thoughts into evil idle thoughts, you become a bad person. That's the pivotal point between being a good person and a bad person.

我们修行人要“勤修戒定慧，息灭贪瞋痴”，这是基本条件。学佛法的人，首先要“诸恶莫作，众善奉行”，这也是基本条件。如果人人能如此去实行，世界就会转好，瑞气增多，戾气减少。宇宙若充满祥瑞之正气，地球就不会爆炸了。

Cultivators should diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi and wisdom, and put greed, anger, and stupidity to rest. Those are basic requirements. People who study the Buddhadharma should first of all abstain from all evil, and offer up all good conduct. That is a basic requirement. If everyone can really practice in that way, the world will become good, the auspicious energy will increase, and the violent energy will decrease. If the universe is filled with auspicious proper energy, then the earth will not blow up.

怎样令世界安稳？唯一办法，来正法道场学佛法，悔过自新。人人改恶向善，世界就没有三灾八难，人人和睦相处，无争无贪，成为大同世界。

How can we make the world peaceful and stable? There is only one way: to come to a Way-place of the Proper Dharma to study the Buddhadharma, reform your faults, and renew yourself. If everyone mends his ways and becomes good, the world will be free from the three calamities and the eight difficulties, and all people will live together harmoniously, without greed or contention, in a world of Great Unity.

希望没有宗教信仰的人士，为家为国为世界，放下贪心，多为社会做点有福利的事业，要知道“财是身外之物”，生带不来，死带不去。

I hope the people who have no religious faith will, for the sake of the family, the country, and the world, renounce greed and do some work for the welfare of society. You should realize that money is an external thing which you did not bring with you at birth, nor can you take with you when you die.

恶人借着善人的光，这世界才没有三毒的戾气，才不至毁灭。这个道理虽然很浅，但用功很深，才能有效果。各位！要从“心”着手，改造世界，化干戈为玉帛，令世界平安。

If the light of the good people can counteract the darkness of bad people, this world will be free of the violent forces of the three poisons and will not be on the verge of extinction. Although this principle is very simple, it requires a profound effort to apply it successfully. All of you! You must begin with the mind and reform the world, changing hostility into harmony and bringing peace to the world.

每个人的领袖，就是“心”。心若坏了，身体就疾病丛生，或遭意外灾难。我们要反省，要检讨，如有罪过，赶紧忏悔！所谓：

弥天大罪，
一忏便消。

The master of each person is his mind. If the mind is corrupt, the body will be plagued with sickness and prone to accidents and disasters. We must reflect within and examine ourselves. If we have faults we should hurry and repent! It is said,

Offenses that fill up the skies are dissolved by a single thought of repentance.

可是要有诚心来忏悔，才能消灾，不可当作儿戏，白天做恶事，晚间忏悔，认为可以消灾。如果有这思想，罪不但不能消，反而更加一级，为什么？因为知法犯法，不可饶恕。

But you must sincerely repent if you want to quell disasters. You can't treat it as a joke, doing evil during the day and repenting at night, thinking you can quell disasters. With that kind of attitude, instead of getting rid of your offenses, you only increase their severity. Why? It's because you deliberately break the law, and therefore, you cannot be forgiven.