在这个社会上，有很多人说了很多话，可是话说多了，大家听着反而不注意。为什么？因为社会上的风气形成人与人之间，不敢说真话，尽说一些假话。为什么不说真话？因为说真话，没有人欢喜听；对于法嘛，也是这样，一般人欢喜花和叶，不欢喜果实。

In this society, many people do a lot of talking—so much talking that people do not really pay attention to what's being said. Why? Because it has become the norm within society that people dare not be truthful with each other. No one likes to listen to the truth. This is also the case with the Dharma. The dharma that most people like to listen to is the dharma of flowers and leaves; but when you get to the actual fruit, people don't want to hear about it.

好像水果树，在开花的时候，放出一股清香的气味，令嗅的人觉得比吃果实还要高兴；等到水果成熟时，反而没有那样大的吸引力。这种道理，就好像社会上的人愿意听假话，不愿意听真话。假话好像树开花，拐弯抹角说些浮靡不实的漂亮话，可是却很多人愿意听，听得津津有味。若是老老实实说如何守戒律，如何守规矩，怎么样不争、不贪、不求、不自私、不自利、不妄语，怎样做个真正的佛教徒，如果这样说，不但教外的人不愿意听，就是教内的人听了也觉得刺耳，心里不舒服。为什么？因为忠言逆耳，这些话对自己所行所做不方便的缘故。

Take fruit trees, for example. When they're in bloom, they exude an alluring fragrance and people enjoy smelling the blossoms even more than eating the fruit. By the time the fruit ripens, they are no longer as interested. This is an analogy for people in the world who only like to hear false things and don't like to hear the truth. The false talk is like flowers. If you embellish and speak pretty words that have no real substance, many people are willing to listen. But if you tell them the plain truth, such as how to hold the precepts, how to follow the rules, how to avoid greed and contention, how not to seek, how to be unselfish and not be self-indulgent, how to be a real Buddhist and so forth, not only do non-Buddhists not want to listen, but even Buddhists find it irritating and feel uncomfortable. True words are hard on the ear; when people hear them, they feel that they can no longer act as they please.

因为这个缘故，释迦牟尼佛在灵山法会时，舍利弗尊者请佛演说《妙法莲华经》的真理。佛说：“止止不须复说。”这样说了之后，舍利弗又再请法。佛又说：“止止不须说，我法妙难思。”舍利弗尊者如此殷勤三请，最后终于感动佛怜愍众生，故为大众演畅开权显实的道理。可是当佛告诉舍利弗：“你现在要专心一致，洗耳恭听，我当为你们详细解说。”这时会中就有五千人退席。你们看！这些人，有的弟子跟佛修道多年，也有新来学佛法的，都同时离开法会，不愿意听佛所说的妙法。

For these very reasons, when Shakyamuni Buddha was on Vulture Peak and his disciple Shariputra implored him to speak the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, the Buddha said, “Stop! Stop! Say no more. My Dharma is wonderful beyond conception.” Although the Buddha refused to speak, Shariputra entreated him three times. Finally, the Buddha, moved by his sincerity and out of great pity for living beings, “opened up the provisional and revealed the actual.”

He told Shariputra, “Pay attention and listen well, for I shall now explain in detail for you.” But right after the Buddha said this, five thousand people walked out of the assembly. Take a look. Some of them had followed the Buddha for years, while others were new disciples, but none wanted to hear the wonderful Dharma the Buddha was about to speak, so they left.

由此证明，世人愿意听假话，不愿意听真话。所以我今天对你们大家所说的话，都是假的，不是真的，你可以把它忘掉，但要记住自己愿意听的法，愿意行的法。

From this incident we can see that people don't want to hear the truth, but are quite willing to accept what's false. Therefore, what I have spoken to you today is all false. You can forget all about it. Just remember the Dharma that you wish to hear, and then cultivate according to it.

凡是来到万佛圣城的人，都要遵守万佛圣城的规矩。无论是住城的人、外来的人，一律不准吃肉、吸烟、饮酒，更不要吸毒；还要注意！不要互相说“谢谢”两个字，因为“谢谢”这两个字是社会上的应酬话，万佛圣城是佛教的圣地，不要存着社会上应酬的习气，希望大家将社会上的应酬话都收回。这是我今天所说的话的重点，不管你们愿意听、不愿意听，反正我是这样说了。

Anyone who comes to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas must follow the rules of this Way-place. Whether you are a resident or a visitor, you have to eat vegetarian food while on the premises, and not smoke, drink, or use drugs or intoxicants. Moreover, you can't say “thank you.” Those two words are small talk and have no place in the holy ground of this City. There's no need for frivolous speech here. I hope that all of you will cut down on the small talk. That's what I wanted to say today, whether you care to hear it or not.

一九八三年六月廿六日开示
于万佛圣城