出家人，一定要把出家的基础建立起来。出家的基础是什么？就是严守戒律。要把《四分律》、沙弥戒、比丘戒、比丘尼戒、《梵网经》等，都要背熟，统统研究明白，才够资格做个出家人。

Left-home people must definitely build up their foundation. What is the foundation of left-home people? It is strict observance of the precepts and Vinaya (rules of discipline and training). The Four-part Vinaya, the Shramanera precepts (rules for novices), the precepts for Bhikshus, the precepts for Bhikshunis, the Brahma Net Sutra (Bodhisattva Precepts), and others, must all be memorized well and studied thoroughly. Only then do you have the qualifications to be a left-home person.

如果基础没有打好，一天到晚不是打财的妄想，就是打色的妄想，那就是“身虽出家，心不入道”，离道相差有十万八千里之远。这种出家人，只可称为佛教中的败类，不能承认他是出家人。

If a firm foundation is not established, then you'll either be daydreaming all day long about getting rich, or you'll be having fantasies of lust. Although you have physically left home, your mind is not on the Way. You are 108,000 miles away from the Way. Such left-home people can only be called the scum of Buddhism. They should not be acknowledged as left-home people.

出家人不可向这个攀缘，向那个攀缘，更不可单独一个人住茅棚，教居士们来护法。单独接受供养，这种行为不合乎佛制，若有这种行为的应该悬崖勒马，赶紧纠正，所谓：

施主一粒米，重如须弥山；
吃了不修道，披毛戴角还。

A left-home person must not exploit his connections with people, even less should he live all by himself in a hut and convince the laypeople to support his Dharma. If you accept offerings for yourself alone, your conduct is not in accord with the Buddha's regulations. Those who behave this way should quickly stop and reform before it is too late. As the saying goes,

One grain of the donor's rice
Is heavier than Mount Sumeru.
If you eat it and don't cultivate,
You'll have to repay it by wearing fur and horns.

古时真正修道的人住茅棚，是自耕自食，绝不务外缘。为了去贪心，所以住茅棚修行；或者闭关，是为了充实自己的学问和德行。若是真正为修道，可以单独住，但是不可单独接受任何居士的供养；否则将正法变成末法时代，也就是破坏佛教。

In ancient times, people who truly cultivated the Way did live alone in huts, but they also tilled the land to support themselves. They certainly didn't rely on external conditions. They lived in huts to cultivate because they wanted to eliminate greed. When they went into seclusion, it was to perfect their learning and their virtuous conduct. If it is truly for the sake of cultivation, you may live alone. But you may not accept offerings from laypeople exclusively for yourself. If you do, you are turning the Proper Dharma Age into the Dharma-ending Age, which is equivalent to destroying Buddhism.

现在修行人，欢喜单独住精舍。为什么？因为他不守戒律，没有人看见，犯规矩也没有人知道，能够随心所欲，没有人管，自由自在，可以说是无拘无束。自己在精舍里头招来一班居士，做个什么法会，实际是指佛穿衣，赖佛吃饭而已。

Nowadays, the typical cultivator likes to live by himself in a hermitage. Why? Because if he doesn't hold the precepts, nobody sees him. If he breaks the rules, no one knows. He can do whatever he wants, because no one is watching over him. He is completely free to do as he pleases. You could say he has no restrictions. Living all by himself in the hermitage, he invites a bunch of laypeople to hold some Dharma session. In reality, he is just living off the Buddha, depending on the Buddha for the clothes he wears and the food he eats.

有的出家人，利用居士所供养的钱，不做佛事，反而去购买华贵名牌汽车，作为私人代步的工具；或者购买电视机，天天看电视节目，而忘了作早晚课；或者购买电冰箱，保藏有营养的食物。总而言之，耽于享受，贪图舒服，这种风气现在正大行其道。将佛教的苦行完全变质了，真是辜负释迦牟尼佛当初一片苦心！

Some left-home people use the money donated by laypeople not for Buddhist affairs, but instead to buy a Rolls Royce for their personal transportation. Or they may buy a television, and sit there and watch TV every day, forgetting to attend the morning and evening recitations. Perhaps they purchase a refrigerator to store a lot of nutritious food. To sum it up, they indulge in luxury and they crave comfort. This is very prevalent now, and the Buddhist practice of asceticism has totally changed into something else. This is truly being ungrateful for the great pains taken by Shakyamuni Buddha!

有人说：“生在这个时代，应当看看电视，知道国际新闻，否则将成为盲聋之人。”你知道外面的事又怎样？知道外边事，到时候死不死呢？

Some people say, "Since you're born in this age, you ought to watch television to keep up with the international news. Otherwise, you'll be like a blind and deaf person." If you know what's happening out there, so what? If you know what's going on out there, when it's time to die, will you still have to die?

有人说：“修行人，难道可免得一死吗？”你修行，到时候也一样死，可是呢？死的时候，明明白白、清清楚楚，绝对没有牵肠挂肚的烦恼事，能安详而逝。你不修行，到时候也是死，可是死得 糊涂，又挂南朝，又念北国，心不清净，含恨而死。这就是不同的地方，你明白了吗？

Someone says, "Well, can cultivators really avoid death?" If you cultivate, when the time comes, you die just the same. But when you die, you understand what's going on, you are totally clear and lucid. For sure, you will not be afflicted with deep distress and anxiety, and you will go peacefully. If you don't cultivate, when the time comes you will also die, but you will die in confusion, worrying about this and thinking about that. Your mind will not be clear and pure, and you will die with anguish. That's the difference. Do you understand now?

告诉你！修行人在死的时候，来明去白，知道自己是怎样来的，又明白自己是怎样去的，清清楚楚不糊涂，没有把本来面目忘掉。不修行的人，来时糊涂，去时 糊涂，糊涂一辈子，也不知为什么而来？也不知为什么而去？来从何处来？去往何处去？完全不知道。

I tell you! When cultivators die, they are perfectly clear. They know how they came, and they understand how they will go. They are very lucid and unconfused, and they have not forgotten their original face. People who don't cultivate are muddled when they come, and muddled when they go. They are muddled for their whole lives, without knowing why they have come, or why they have to go. Where have they come from? Where will they go? They have no idea.

出家的目的，是为了生脱死，而不是为了享受。既然出了家修行，又何必贪图物质享受呢？有贪享受的心，又何必出家呢？所以我主张，无论是谁，愿意单独一人住小庙，那还不如还俗好了。为什么这么说？因为还俗总比单独住小庙好得多，不会造出那么多的罪业，这一点，希望你们大家特别注意。

The goal of leaving home is to end birth and death, not to enjoy oneself. Since you have left the home-life to cultivate, why should you be greedy for material comforts? If you crave material comforts, why did you leave the home-life? Therefore, I propose that anyone who wants to live in a small temple all by himself, might as well return to lay-life. Why do I say that? It's because returning to lay-life is much better than living alone in a small temple; he won't commit as many offenses. I hope everyone will pay attention to this point and be careful!

修行人，单独住在一个地方，他的目的不在修行，而是贪图受人供养。我说这话，一定有人不愿意听，可是呢？我不管你愿不愿意听，我是为着佛教的前途着想，所以说出令人讨厌的话。再说一次，凡是讲究享受的出家人，对于修持方面，根本谈不到，不过是挂着假名而已。希望道友们互相勉励，互相警策，不要睁着眼睛说瞎话，做掩耳盗铃的事。

If a left-home person lives all by himself, most likely his aim is not to cultivate, but rather to hanker for offerings from people. When I say this, some people will definitely not want to hear it. But I don't care if they want to listen or not; I'm speaking out against the issue, not the people. I'm saying these annoying words out of concern for the future of Buddhism. Let me repeat: any left-home person who is finicky about comfort does not have any skill in cultivation to speak of and is merely using a false name. It is my hope that all of you fellow cultivators will encourage and urge each other on, and that you will not rashly tell lies or do things to fool yourselves.

一九八三年十一月十一日开示