出家修道人要发愿，发愿是精进修道，发愿是警惕自己改过迁善；修道不发愿，等于开花不结果的树，无有是处。若已经发愿，最好天天再发一遍，因为“温故而知新”，记得自己曾经发过什么样的愿？

After you have left home, you should make vows to spur yourself on in cultivation. Making vows reminds you to correct your faults and strive towards goodness. If you don't make vows, you cannot cultivate; you'll be like a tree that blossoms but doesn't bear fruit.

应该要做什么事才不会发空愿，不会自欺欺人，也不会把所发的愿忘记了？过去诸佛菩萨因为认真发愿，才证得无上正等正觉的果位；未来诸佛菩萨也是发愿，才能证得无上正等正觉的果位。

If you have made vows, you should review them every day, so that you can remember what you ought to be doing. Then your vows will not be in vain. You won't forget them, and you won't be cheating yourself or others. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the past attained supreme enlightenment because they made earnest vows; the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the future will also attain supreme enlightenment as a result of making vows.

佛有大智慧，我们有大愚痴。所以我们要学佛，学佛的大智慧，以佛心为心，以佛愿为愿，时时学习“慈悲喜舍”四无量心，刻刻修持难忍能忍，难行能行的法门。一切真实，才能感应道交，所以发愿这件事，要诚心诚意，不可以有欺骗或贪慕虚荣的行为。这一点，希望大家特别注意！

The Buddha is very wise, while we are extremely stupid. And so we want to learn from the Buddha's great wisdom. We want to take the Buddha's mind as our own, and his vows as our own. We should constantly harbor boundless kindness, compassion, joy, and renunciation—the Four Boundless Qualities. We must endure what is difficult to endure and practice what is hard to practice. If we want to obtain a response, we must be honest in all we do. Our vows have to be sincere and whole-hearted. We cannot cheat people or covet empty glory. I hope everyone takes note of this!

阿弥陀佛因为发四十八大愿，才能成就极乐世界，摄受一切众生，离苦得乐，了生脱死。我们要效法过去诸佛菩萨，赶紧发愿，发愿才能成就佛果。

As a result of his forty-eight great vows, Amitabha Buddha realized the Land of Ultimate Bliss. He can gather in living beings and enable them to leave suffering, attain bliss, and end birth and death. We should emulate the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the past, and make vows. Only then can we attain Buddhahood.

假如有毛病，要痛改前非，不要文过饰非，覆藏己过，应该坦白在大众前忏悔，否则这也是罪过。跟着习气毛病跑，就是背觉合尘；如果改过向善，就是背尘合觉。

发愿是防止罪过，忏悔是消灭罪过，所谓“弥天大罪，一忏便消。”从今天开始，我们要重新做人，古德说：

If we have faults, we should earnestly change them and repent in front of the assembly. If we try to cover them up, they become offenses. If we follow along with our faults and bad habits, we turn away from enlightenment and join with defilement. If we change our faults and strive to be good, we turn away from defilement and join with enlightenment. By making vows, we can avoid offenses and mistakes. By repenting, we can eradicate our offenses and mistakes. It is said, "Great offenses which fill the skies are eradicated in a single repentance." Starting today, we should become new people. An ancient virtuous one said:

从前种种，譬如昨日死；
以后种种，譬如今日生。

Regard the events of the past
 as if you had died yesterday.
Regard the events of the future
 as if you were born today.

发愿与忏悔，虽然名词不同，可是涵义是大同小异的。

Making vows and repenting are actually very similar in meaning.

若能把习气毛病改掉，就是勇于改过，勇于认错，勇于面对现实，经得起考验，不会被境界所转。不要“我见”太深，不要“我相”太重，要晓得我们的圆明觉性，是光明磊落的，所谓“圆陀陀，光灼灼”，什么习气毛病也没有！

If we can bravely correct our faults, admit our mistakes, and face reality, we will pass the test and not be influenced by circumstances. We should not be too deeply attached to our opinions and our ego. We should realize that our enlightened nature is true, perfect, and radiant, devoid of faults and bad habits.

一九八三年九月十九日开示