在这个世界上奇奇怪怪的事情，多得数不过来那么多，为什么有这么多奇怪的事情呢？因为人的心里好奇。人有一种好奇的思想，所以世界上奇奇怪怪的事情就出来了。一旦出来，就诱惑人，令你失去真正的主宰，令你把主人翁丢了。没有主人，不管是家也好、国也好，一切就都乱了。

There are all kinds of strange occurrences in this world, too many to count. The reason there so many weird events is that people are curious. Due to people's curiosity and liking for strange things, all the bizarre things appear in the world. Once they appear, they fascinate and delude people, causing them to lose control and forget who they are. Once they forget themselves, their families, countries, and everything else fall into disarray.

这一乱，这些标异现奇的人就各显神通，令人东奔西跑，颠颠倒倒，各处去找奇妙的事情。贪神通，找灵验，这都是被境界所转了。为什么会被境界转呢？因为有好奇的心。

Once there is chaos, sensationalists start manifesting spiritual powers, causing people to run around in a frantic and deluded search for supernatural phenomena. People who crave spiritual powers and seek spiritual experiences are simply being influenced by external states. They are influenced by these states because of their curiosity.

好奇心，根本就是一个贪心。这些奇奇怪怪的事发生，你若追究它的根本，也是由贪心而现出一种奇怪的样子；若是没有贪心，就不需要标异现奇，让人看他有什么灵验和异端。而人也因为有贪心，才被这种奇怪的事情所吸引、所摄持。奇怪的异端，是不正当的事情。不正当的事情，就属于魔业；正当的事情，就是佛业。所以现在有很多人失去正知正见，你对他讲真正的法，他听得格格不入，总听不进去，甚至左耳听进去，右耳就出去了。可是你对他说邪僻的事情，邋遢的事情，他就永远都记得，不会忘了，这就是证明人的贪心在作怪。正经的事情，为何人都不记得？因为他觉得没有什么好处，对他没有利益，其实这才是真正的利益。

Curiosity is nothing but greed. Whenever something bizarre happens, if you look into its origin, you'll find that it's simply greed manifesting in strange forms. Someone who is not greedy won't need to act special to show people that he has spiritual skill and can do miracles. People are mesmerized by these strange events out of greed. Strange events are not proper. Demons do improper things, while Buddhas do proper things.

Nowadays, many people have lost true knowledge and views, and if you speak true Dharma, they cannot accept it. It goes in one ear and out the other. On the other hand, if someone talks about perverted and defiled things, they will always remember it. This is their greed acting up. Why doesn't anyone remember the respectable things? Because they think such things won't benefit them in any way. Actually, these are the things that bring true benefit.

我们人在世界上都是认假不认真，认贼作子。所以你对一个人说几句忠言实语，他不愿意听；你对他拍马屁，他就很高兴。所谓：

In this world, we all pay attention to what is false and overlook what is true. We mistake a thief for our son. If you speak honestly, people don't listen. If you flatter them, they are pleased.

忠言逆耳利于行；
良药苦口利于病。

True words are hard on the ear,
 but help one's cultivation.
Good medicine is bitter to the taste,
 but cures the illness.

多数人都是不接受忠言，都不肯吃良药。良药苦了一点，他便把眉头一皱，说：“这真难吃！”可是你觉得难吃，病也就不会好。这个时代就是这个样子，我们现在讲佛菩萨的事情，人不愿意听。若讲魔里魔气的话，譬如男女不要守规矩，可以随便，放任自在，规矩是最不好的，人听了便很高兴，因为他们不愿意守规矩。这就是下流的思想。

Most people are not receptive to the truth, and they do not want to take good medicine. If the medicine is a little bitter, they grimace and complain, "This tastes awful!" But if you don't take the medicine, you won't get well. That's how it is in this day and age. When we discuss the doings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, some people don't want to listen. If we were to talk like demons, saying, for instance, that men and women can be promiscuous and that rules are abominable, some people would be very happy to listen, because they don't want to follow the rules. But these are vulgar ideas.

所以有些人到万佛圣城，受不了住不下，就跑了。为什么呢？他就是没有这种牺牲性，没有真正为法忘躯的思想。真正为法忘躯的人，你撵他，他也不走；你打他、骂他，他也不走。因为他觉得这儿是正法住世的地方，他要接近正法。我们现在所研究的〈五十阴魔〉，对于这个时代是最有用的。我们想要弘扬佛法，就要做大牺牲，不要贪小便宜，看见人家封一包果仪，就眉开眼笑，这真是太没出息了！

Some people come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, but find that they cannot take it, so they run away. They don't want to devote themselves to the Dharma. People who wish to dedicate their lives to the Dharma will not leave even if you scold, beat, or kick them. They feel that the True Dharma is here, and they want to be near it. The Fifty Skandha-demon States which we are investigating is extremely important in the present time. If we want to propagate the Buddha's teachings, we must be truly dedicated and not be greedy for petty gains. If we smile with delight when someone gives us an offering, we have no self-respect.

一九八三年四月十九日开示