众生的根性，是善根多，还是恶根重，佛都知道；众生的欲念，是多是少，佛也知道，所以佛为一切众生指示种种的妙道。

The Buddha can perceive the amount of goodness and evil in each living being’s disposition. He also knows whether a living being’s desires are many or few. Knowing this, the Buddha taught living beings a variety of wonderful ways to practice.

什么是妙道？浅而言之，就是日常所行之道，我们天天所用的道、所行的道、所经过的道，都是妙的。若不注意去研究它，便不知它的妙处；若注意去研究它，那么无论什么，都是妙，妙不可言。譬如，我们日常所用的东西，是从什么地方来的？来处很妙。又怎样去？去处也很妙。总之，都是妙道。

What is the wonderful Way? It’s simply the Way that we practice every day. The Way that we practice, use, and experience every day is wonderful. If we don’t look into it carefully, we won’t perceive its wonder. But careful scrutiny will reveal how everything is wonderful beyond words. For instance, where do the things we use every day come from? Their origin is wonderful. Where do they go? That is wonderful too. In either case, it’s the wonderful Way.

我们一天所遇到的境界，这就是妙道。好像不吃饭肚子饿？为什么要饿？这就是妙。吃东西就饱了，这也是妙。乃至穿衣服，或是喝茶，都是一样地妙。如果不妙的话，为什么要去用它？就算用它之后，也不会长久，只是暂时而已。你说这不是妙吗？

The events of our daily life are also the wonderful Way. For instance, when we go without food, we feel hungry. Why? That is wonderful. After we eat, we get full. That is wonderful too. Even getting dressed and drinking tea are wonderful. Otherwise, why would we do them? Even though we engage in these activities, they don’t last long. They are only temporary. Wouldn’t you say that’s wonderful?

有人说：“啊！这个道理，谁都懂。”可是你所懂的是皮毛而不究竟，妙处你就不知道了。为什么想吃好东西？这是个妙。为什么想穿好衣服？这是个妙。为什么想住好房子？这是个妙。

“Anyone could understand this principle!” someone is thinking. But your understanding is quite superficial, not ultimate. You haven’t seen the wonder of it. Why do people like good food? That’s wonderful. Why do they want to wear nice clothes? That’s also wonderful. Why do they like to live in fine houses? That’s wonderful as well.

妙的意思，就是不太明白它，不太了解它。换言之，明白了就是妙，不明白就是不妙。好像三步一拜的行者，在大路拜时，裤子破了，不能遮体。这时，在路边就出现一条裤子！这是个妙。有人用玻璃瓶打他们，却打不中，这也是个妙。讲起妙的意思，那太多了。

Their wonder lies in the fact that we don’t understand them. If we understood, it would be wonderful. Since we don’t understand, it’s un-wonderful. For example when one of the “three steps one bow” cultivators was bowing on the highway, his pants ripped open and left his body exposed. Just then a pair of pants appeared on the side of the highway. That was wonderful. When some people threw bottles at them and missed, that was also wonderful. There is too much to say about the wonderful.

一九八○年十一月五日开示