你们要知道，你们这个师父很辣，不是甜的，有时辣到我的弟子眼泪、鼻涕一股脑儿都跑出来了。告诉你，我怎样学得这么辣？

You know this teacher of yours is very “acerbic,” not sweet. I am so acerbic that sometimes I bring tears to my disciples’ eyes. Let me tell you how I came to be so acerbic.

我十六岁便开始为人讲《金刚经》，经上讲忍辱仙人被歌利王割去四肢，也不生瞋恨心。从那时候我便发愿效法，一心去修这个忍辱法门。我知道自己生来性情那么辣，这么刚强，最适合修忍辱法门。一旦下了决心，考验就从四面八方蜂涌而来。本来不骂我的人也骂我，本来不打我的人都打我；本来对我最好的朋友，结果专门来攻击我。于是我自己就想：“我为别人讲《金刚经》，说忍辱仙人被割截身体而不生瞋恨。现在这些人只是骂骂我、攻击我，还不致于割断我的四肢，我若是不能忍辱，还讲个什么《金刚经》？”

I lectured on the Vajra Sutra when I was sixteen years old. That Sutra talks about the Patient Immortal, who endured being dismembered by King Kali without giving rise to anger. When I read that story, I vowed to emulate the Patient Immortal and wholeheartedly devote myself to the practice of patience. I had always had a harsh and stubborn character, and the practice of patience was just what I needed. Once I made up my mind, challenges came from all directions to test my resolve. I was scolded by people who had never scolded me before, beaten by others who had never struck me before, and assaulted by friends who previously had treated me well. I thought to myself, “I explained the Vajra Sutra to people, and that Sutra says that the Patient Immortal didn’t feel hatred even when his limbs were chopped off. I have only been scolded and assaulted, but no one has chopped my limbs off. If I cannot endure this, how can I be qualified to explain the Vajra Sutra to others?”

于是就下定决心要忍辱，无论谁对我不客气，甚至要害我，也都忍受了，结果终于能够不为境界所动。其实，这些人并不是要来害我，而是反面来教化我，看看我是否能接受这种考验。谁骂我，我便向他叩头；谁打我嘛！我就睡着了给他看看！在家的时候便时常受这种打击；出家之后，善知识更是往来不绝，左右前后的出家人，没有一个瞧得起我，都视我为眼中钉，都给我气受。有个出家人看我上一炷香，便破口大骂：“你出什么家？连一炷香也不会上，真笨！还说出家！”

Thus, I resolved to be patient. No matter who bullied me or tried to harm me, I endured it. I learned to remain unaffected by external states. Instead of harming me, these people were teaching me by testing me out. I bowed to those who scolded me and lay down when I was beaten. I encountered frequent tests like this as a layman, and I was never short of “good advisors” after I left the home-life either. All the other monks looked down on me and bullied me, considering me a thorn in their flesh. One monk saw me light incense and railed, “What kind of monk are you that you don’t even know how to light incense? What an idiot! How dare you talk about leaving home!”

这时我心里想：“嗯，考验又来了。忍辱仙人被歌利王割去肢体，也不生瞋恨，现在我尚不致如此。好吧，向他叩个头！”于是就向这个人叩头，谢谢他帮助我。那时候，无论出家、在家的善知识，都不断地来帮助我，但我对他们不曾生出丝毫瞋恨心。每次都是这样回光返照：“一定是我在往昔没有帮助他们，现在他们反来帮助我，应该感谢他们才对。”

I said to myself, “Here it comes again. The Patient Immortal didn’t feel anger even when King Kali cut off his limbs. This isn’t half as bad as that. Fine, I’ll just bow to him.” Then I bowed to the monk and thanked him for his help. Both left-home and lay “good advisors” constantly came to “help me,” and I never got angry at them. Each time I would reflect: “I must not have helped them in past lives. Now they’re coming to help me, so I ought to thank them.”

诸位现在明白了吗？你们的师父就是这样的一个师父，是专门修忍辱行，专门受人家气的师父，专门忍人不能忍，让人不能让。这样的人，有什么出息呢？可是你们很不幸，遇上这么样一个没有出息、这么愚痴的师父，还要跟我来学习。既然要跟我学，我就不能不把我过去的经历和盘托出，我是从修“忍辱行”这条路走过来的。

Do you understand now? Your teacher is one who specializes in practicing patience when he is bullied by other people. I specialize in bearing what others cannot bear, and in yielding where others cannot yield. What use is this kind of person? You all are pretty unfortunate for having encountered such a useless and stupid teacher and deciding to study with him. Nevertheless, since you came to study with me, I have to tell you about my past. I travelled the path of patience.

诸位学佛，不要听了很多佛法而不去实行，要躬行实践，依照佛所教的去身体力行。耶稣提倡“爱敌”，越对他不好的人，越要去爱他。佛教是提倡“怨亲平等”，对谁也是一视同仁，不分亲疏厚薄。学佛的人要是不能躬行实践，那么学到什么时候也只是皮毛，不能得到真正的大利益！

When you study Buddhism, you should not only listen to the teachings, but also put them into practice in your own lives. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, to be especially kind to those who mistreat us. Buddhism teaches us to regard loved ones and enemies equally. We should treat everyone the same way, not regarding some as closer than others or favoring certain people over others. If students of Buddhism cannot put the teachings into practice, then their learning is superficial and they cannot gain real benefit.

切记！切记！学佛的初步，一定要修忍辱！就算他人真地要把你杀了，也不应该生出瞋恨心。我们甚至要比忍辱仙人所修的行门，更进一步。但也不是说：“忍辱仙人被人割断四肢而不生瞋恨，现在你可以割去我的身体，我也不生瞋恨！”这是跟人学的，不是出于自己，又落到第二义了。要真正依教修行，不要说单割断四肢，甚至粉身碎骨，我也不生瞋恨！所以往往有人毁谤我，或者对我不客气，我也不生瞋恨心。

Remember, the first step in studying Buddhism is to practice patience. Even if someone wants to kill you, you shouldn’t get angry. We should go one step further than the Patient Immortal in practicing patience. However, that doesn’t mean saying, “The Patient Immortal didn’t get angry when his four limbs were severed. Now you can hack up my body and I won’t get angry.” That’s still copying someone else; it doesn’t come from yourself, so it’s already second-rate. Not only should we feel no anger when people chop our limbs off, we shouldn’t resent it even if they pulverize our body. That’s why, when people slander me or treat me rudely, I don’t get angry.

一九八○年十二月一日开示