有人问我：“这次庆祝观世音菩萨成道法会，会有多少善信参加？”我说：“也许有三、四个人吧！”今天我统计来参加法会的人，大约有四百多人，这人又问我：“是不是一个人当做百人？”我说：“我不懂。”

Somebody asked me how many Buddhists would attend this celebration of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Accomplishment of the Way. I said, “Well, maybe three or four!” Today I counted about four hundred people in attendance. The same person asked me again, “Did you take a hundred for one?” I said, “I don't understand.”

今年观音法会，大众比往年诚心，往年法会在吃饭的时候，大家都高谈阔论，不守斋堂的规矩；吃完饭，在碗中剩下很多菜饭，丢到垃圾桶内，或者吃完饭后，也不随喜功德就走了。今年的情形大有改善，不但不讲话，也不糟蹋食物，很少人赶着回 三藩市，这是很可喜的事。

This year, people who attended the Guanyin Dharma assembly were more sincere than in previous years. In the earlier Dharma assemblies, people talked during meals and didn't follow the rules of the dining hall. A lot of leftover food was thrown into the garbage, and people left after the meal without finishing the Dharma assembly. This year the situation has improved a lot. Not only was there no talking during meals, but food was not wasted, and very few people rushed back to San Francisco. This is very good.

以后再有法会时应该提醒大家：“吃饭时不要讲话，饭后不要糟蹋东西，要爱惜食物。”有古诗云：

In the future, whenever there are Dharma assemblies, we should remind people not to talk while they are eating, and not to waste food. We should cherish our food. An ancient verse says,

锄禾日当午，
汗滴禾下土；
谁知盘中餐，
粒粒皆辛苦。

As the farmer tills the field
Under the midday sun,
His perspiration falls upon the soil;
Who understands the toil involved
In producing each grain of rice on the plate?

一般人不知道粒粒皆辛苦的道理，所以任意暴殄天物，随便糟蹋食物。要知道世上没有饭吃的人，都是因为在往昔糟蹋食物，所以今生才受没有饭吃的果报。这个浅显的道理，必须告诉大家，让大家明白之后，才不会糟蹋东西。

Most people do not realize how much toil it takes to produce every single grain of rice, so they waste food carelessly. You should understand that people who have nothing to eat now are undergoing the retribution for having wasted food in past lives. I'm telling you this simple principle, so you won't be wasteful.

管理厨房的人，为大众预备饮食，要运用智慧，要有营养，又合卫生，为大众服务的功德是无量的。每天要检查冰箱，容易坏的食物要先吃，不易坏的食物，则妥善保存。不可将食物糟蹋，丢到垃圾桶中，这简直是造罪业，大家要谨之！慎之！

Those who manage the kitchen should use wisdom in preparing food for the assembly. They should prepare nutritious food in a hygienic manner. By serving the assembly in this way, they can create boundless merit and virtue. The refrigerators need to be checked every day, and perishables should be consumed first. Things that do not spoil easily should be carefully kept. Don't waste food or throw it into the garbage. That is truly creating offenses. Please be careful about this.

管理大众的饮食，调和恰当，就有功德；若是调和不好，马马虎虎，也是有罪过的。立功容易，只看你怎么去做，合乎法度，就是功；不合乎法度，就是过。总而言之，功过操在做者的手中，爱惜食物，就有功；糟蹋食物，就有过。

If the assembly's diet is prepared properly, this will result in merit and virtue. But if it is handled in a sloppy manner, this will result in offenses. If things are done properly and in accord with Dharma, there will be merit; otherwise, there will be offenses. Whether one creates merit or offense depends on oneself. Conserving food creates merit; wasting it creates offenses.

一九八三年七月廿四日
开示于万佛圣城

A talk given on July 24, 1983 at
the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas