所谓“烦恼即菩提。”有人问：“不种烦恼，是不是没有菩提？”不是的，烦恼的本身就是菩提。怎样是菩提？就是不生烦恼，所以烦恼即菩提。要是只生烦恼，烦恼的本身仍旧是烦恼，菩提仍旧是菩提，大家不要会错意。

We say, “Afflictions are Bodhi.” Some people ask, "Does this mean that without afflictions there is no Bodhi?" No. Affliction itself is Bodhi. How come? Well, if you don’t generate afflictions, then afflictions are Bodhi. If you breed afflictions all the time, then affliction is affliction and Bodhi is Bodhi. Don’t get this wrong.

对任何人不可以发脾气，不但在外边没有脾气，就是在内边也要没有脾气，到了这种境界，才算是真正没有脾气的人，敢怒不敢言，那也是发脾气。偶尔发点小脾气，无伤大雅，还可以的，但你如果假借名堂，故意发脾气，那就不对了。

Don’t lose your temper at anyone. If you reach the state of having no temper, not only externally but also internally, then you are truly without hostility. If you are angry inside but don’t dare to show it, this is also considered losing your temper. If you occasionally lose your temper in some small and harmless way, that’s alright. However, if you make excuses about having big fits of temper, that’s wrong.

如果自己真正没有烦恼了，没有无明了，没有妄想了，没有欲念了，到这种境界，虽然有点小脾气，情有可原，但最好当然是没有脾气，与人和睦相处，一团和气，令人有亲切感。

If you reach a state where you truly have no afflictions, no ignorance, no idle thoughts, and no desires, it would be forgivable to have a little temper. Of course the best thing would be to have no temper at all, and get along harmoniously and amiably with people.

修道人要用德行来感化人，不要用势力来压迫人，对任何人要讲道理，令人心服口服，真正佩服你有才干、有道德、有学问、有慈悲，否则落在名利上，那就离佛道十万八千里了，这一点要特别谨慎。

Cultivators should use virtue to teach and transform people, not oppress them with force. Cultivators should be reasonable with everyone. Let people be sincerely convinced, let them respect and admire your ability, virtue, knowledge, and compassion. Otherwise, if you fall for fame and fortune, you’ll be a million miles away from Buddhahood. You should be very careful with this.

出家修道修什么道？就是修忍辱的道。谁若发脾气，那就与道相违背，永远不会与道相感应。发脾气是一件丑事，是障道的因缘，希望大家谨慎，千万不要犯这种毛病。

What is the Way that those who renounce the householder’s life cultivate? The Way of patience. Whoever loses his temper is opposing the Way and will never have a response with the Way. Losing your temper is disgraceful. It’s an obstacle to the Way. I hope all of you will be cautious and never make this mistake.

出家修道，没有把根本的问题抓住，就如同用沙蒸饭，蒸多久的时间，也不会成饭。若是没有无明火，欲念就会停止，为什么？你有欲念，就因为有火气，觉得这也不行，那也不行，很多“不行”的问题跟着来了。所以修道人要把烦恼断了，才能没有一切的麻烦。

Renouncing the householder’s life in order to cultivate without understanding the basic questions is like cooking sand in hopes of getting rice. No matter how long you cook it, sand will never become rice. If you didn’t have the fire of ignorance, your desires would cease. You have desires because you have this fiery energy. You feel this is wrong and that isn’t right, and as a result there are many more problems. So in order to be free of their troubles, cultivators must cut off afflictions.

一九八三年七月廿五日开示