今天地藏七开始，每年农历七月十五日（盂兰盆法会）至七月三十日（地藏王菩萨 圣诞），一连打两个地藏七，超度孤魂野鬼往生，祈祷世界和平，这是我们万佛圣城应尽的责任。

The Earth Store Recitation Session starts today. Every year from the fifteenth of the seventh month (Ullambana Dharma Assembly) to the thirtieth of that month (Birthday of Earth Store Bodhisattva) on the lunar calendar, we have two consecutive seven-day Earth Store Bodhisattva recita¬tion sessions to rescue the lonely souls and wandering ghosts and to pray for world peace. That is a duty the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas should perform.

希望大家专心一致来念“南无地藏王菩萨”的圣号，念到心口相应的时候，一定能有所感应。不可一心二用，要集中精神来念。要是不至诚恳切地念，虽然不能说没有功德，但是就少得多了。若能专一其心来念，便和地藏菩萨的圣号打成一片，念到“不念而自念”的境界时，心中自然清净而自在，什么烦恼也没有了。

I hope everyone will recite the holy name “Namo Earth Store Bodhisattva” with concentration. When you recite to a state wherein mind and body correspond with each other, surely you will have a response. You cannot have your mind on two things. You must concentrate all your attention and energy to recite. If you do not recite with utmost sincerity, then although I can’t say you won’t have any merit and virtue at all, there will be a lot less. If you can recite single-mindedly, you can become one with the holy name of Earth Store Bodhisattva. When you reach the state where the recitation continues automatically even when you aren’t reciting, your mind will naturally be pure and at ease, and free of all afflictions.

修道人不能自私，不要有“怀其宝而迷其邦”的思想。得到好吃的食物，大家吃；得到好穿的衣服，大家穿；得到好住的房子，大家住；得到好的感应，要和大家分享，供养大家。凡是所有的功德，一定要回向法界众生，否则，就是自私。

Cultivators can’t be selfish. Don’t have an attitude of “reserving your talent and not using it to serve your country.” When there’s good food, it should be shared by everyone; when we get comfortable clothes, everyone should have the same to wear; when we get a nice place to live, everyone should live in it; when we attain positive responses, they should be shared with and offered to everyone. All merit and virtue should be transferred to the living beings of the Dharma Realm. Otherwise, it would be selfish.

如果有人得到好的感应，应该供养大家；得到不好的感应，也应该向大家说清楚，不要往自己脸上贴金，说我有什么了不起的感应，更不可有微妙的感应就保留不说，有这两种思想的人，都是“自私”在作祟。

If you attain positive responses, you should offer them to all. If you get undesirable responses, you should also make them clear to all. Don’t brag about having extraordinary responses just to make yourself look good; on the other hand, if you do have a wonderful response don’t keep it to yourself. People who act in those two ways are motivated by selfishness.

现在大家要反省一下，我在佛教中应该尽些什么责任？是不是在佛教中不管事，你推我，我推你，谁也不肯做？

Now let us reflect for a moment: What is our duty to Buddhism? Should we ignore the work that is to be done, pushing it back and forth among ourselves so that no one ends up doing it?

我们人人要发心，以佛教为己任，佛教兴衰，人人有责。不是说，那是他的事，不关我的事，与我没有关系。

Every one of us should resolve to consider Buddhism our own responsibility. The rise and fall of Buddhism is everyone’s responsibility. You cannot say, “It’s someone else’s job, not mine. It has nothing to do with me!”

为佛教的利益，要牺牲一切，就是粉身碎骨，也在所不辞。要有这种精神，才是真正的佛教徒。不要作“依佛吃饭、赖佛穿衣”的假佛教徒，要尽其所能来拥护三宝，那就是没有自私心。

We should be willing to sacrifice everything, even our lives, for the sake of Buddhism. That is the spirit of a true Buddhist. Do not be a fake Buddhist－one who uses the Buddha’s name only to get food and clothing. To be totally unselfish requires that you do everything you can to protect the Triple Jewel.

不要有时时怕吃亏，刻刻怕上当的心理，总是把自己看得很高，认为了不起。要有为法忘躯的精神，才有资格作个佛教徒。

Avoid constantly worrying about suffering a loss or being cheated. Don’t think highly of yourself and consider yourself so special. Be prepared to forget yourself for the sake of the Dharma; then you deserve to be called a Buddhist.

一九八三年八月二十五日
地藏七开示于万佛圣城