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這一年是很緊急的一年，我們所有的出家人天天都很沒有時間休息的，新戒和老戒，都要勇猛精進；新戒和沒受戒的人，必須要把五十三小咒都熟讀能背得出。出家人不受具足戒，就等於在家人一樣的。所以在今年想要出家的，一定要受具足戒，這才是真正佛的弟子。
今年誰願意受戒的沙彌、沙彌尼，都可以在今年受戒，從今年以後，就不能這麼樣方便了，為什麼呢？因為要出家，必須要受過三年的磨練，然後才落髮，落髮後再經過兩年的禮佛、拜懺、誦經，才可以受具足戒，這一次是特別方便中的方便，就給沒受戒的先受戒。
佛教裡頭是講平等的，不是講階級的觀念。受戒後，對沙彌，沙彌尼就擺起一個比丘、比丘尼的架子，這是完全大錯而特錯的。以前有一些沙彌到這兒來都要做苦工，比丘就擺架子，支配沙彌做這做那，不可以這樣子；比丘尼亦復如是。也不可以以為自己受了比丘尼戒，就高過一切；高過一切的，是你的行為要高過一切，是你的思想要高過一切。
你要躬行實踐，要以身作則，要給旁人做一個榜樣。譬如你自己沒有做，盡叫沙彌（尼）去做苦工。你叫沙彌（尼）吃不好的飯，自己就吃好的，這都不是修道的人所應該有的行為。不用口頭上來給人下命令，比丘尼亦復如是。你要是令沒受戒的人退失菩提心，這你造無量的罪啊！你雖然是出家人，你沒能做人的一個真正的好榜樣，這你對不起父母，對不起師長，對不起佛，對不起菩薩，你也對不起道場。你受了具足戒之後，要吃人所不能吃的，受人所不能受的，忍人所不能忍的，讓人所不能讓的，不是說別人都要聽我的招呼。這樣子，會令沒發菩提心的人，不發菩提心；已發菩提心的人，退失菩提心。那你修什麼行門，也不能成就的；將來還要墮地獄，去受無量劫的苦。所以，你不要以為受了具足戒就了不起了，要做一個祖師爺的樣子，這完全是大錯特錯的。
一般人都說萬佛城裡是一些修道的人，若你在道場裡邊還是妒忌障礙，滿揣著一肚子鬼胎，這樣簡直是混吃等死，無所事事。
所以從現在開始，我們在萬佛城的人，大家天天要問問自己到這兒來是幹什麼的。要把自己的立場、身分弄清楚，不是隨梆唱影，人家幹什麼我也幹什麼，躲懶偷安，或假裝病。真有病可以的，誰有病，都免不了要告假。要沒有病裝病，這是佛教敗類的行為，自己要尊重自己。如果常住沒事時，可以稍為自由一點，但也不能睡大覺，或裝模作樣打坐。打坐是懶的一個別名，人家做什麼事都不去做，坐在那地方裝老修行；真正修道的人，不需要給人家看一個樣子，你給人看個樣子幹什麼？你又不是替人修行。你說修行要打坐，但在萬佛城，人家沒打坐，你也不要打坐，人家做什麼，你就要做什麼，要隨眾。不能出眾，你不能做一個特別的樣子。
我們萬佛城打禪七，人家來看，都不是打禪七，是在打睡七，睡魔還沒趕跑呢！打七的期間，時時都要提起精神，端然正坐，不能把頭低下，或者睡覺；若睡覺，一定被打香板的。所以打七不是這麼隨隨便便，願意幹什麼就幹什麼，誰也不可以睡覺，要打起精神來，趕跑睡魔。
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This year has been full of crises. All the left-home people have been very busy everyday with no time to rest. Both the new and the old preceptees must cultivate with courage and vigor. The new preceptees and those who wish to receive the precepts should memorize the fifty-three small mantras and be able to recite them. A left-home person who has not received the complete precepts is equivalent to a layperson. For those who wish to leave home this year, they will have to take the complete precepts before they can be considered true disciples of the Buddha.
Shramaneras and Shramanerikas who wish to receive precepts this year may do so. But after this year, it will not be so convenient. In the future, those who want to leave home will be required to undergo three years of training before being allowed to shave their heads. Then they must go through two years of bowing, repentance and reciting sutras before they can receive the complete precepts. This Ordination platform is a special expedient for those of you who haven't taken precepts yet. We talk about equality in Buddhism. There's no concept of class distinction as a left-home person. So, it is a grave mistake to be haughty and arrogant to the Shramaneras and Shramanerikas in your role as a Bhikshu or Bhikshuni.
In the past, some Shramaneras were made to do hard work when they came here, and the Bhikshus started to order them around. This is not permissible. Similarly, the Bhikshunis cannot think that because they have received the Bhikshuni precepts, they are higher than anyone else. What do you mean by the word "high"? Is it that your attitude is high, or that your thinking is "high"? You yourself should honestly practice, and be a model for others. For example, suppose you're always telling the Shramaneras to do hard work, but you never do any. You tell the Shramaneras to eat the bad food, while you eat the good food. This is not the conduct of a cultivator. You should not order people around. Bhikshunis, if you cause those who haven't received precepts to retreat from their Bodhi resolve, you are creating limitless bad karma. Although you are a left-home person, if you cannot be a true and good model for others, then you will let down your parents, teachers, the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, and the Way-place. After receiving the complete precepts, you have to eat what others cannot eat, take what others cannot take, be patient with what others cannot be patient, and yield what others cannot yield. It doesn't mean other people should follow your instructions. That would cause those who haven't brought forth their Bodhi mind to not do so, and those who have brought forth their Bodhi mind to retreat. If you make people retreat, then no matter what Dharma door you cultivate, you won't be successful. In the future, you will fall into the hells and undergo endless aeons of suffering. So, don't think that you are something great after you've received the complete precepts, and go around acting like a patriarch. This is a huge mistake.
Everyone says that the people at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas are cultivators. But if you are always jealous and obstructive, with a ghost in your stomach, then you are simply coming here for the food, and passing the time until you die. So, from now on, we in the City should ask ourselves everyday, why did I come to the city? You have to be clear about your own position, and not only echo what others say. Don't be lazy and avoid your work, or pretend to be sick. If you are really sick, you can rest, but if you are only pretending to be sick, then you are acting like a scoundrel in Buddhism. You have to respect yourself. When there isn't much work to do in the Way-place, you can relax a bit, but you can't just go to sleep, or sit there posing as if you are meditating. This "meditation" is another name for laziness. When there is work to do, you don't join the others, but just sit there pretending to be an old cultivator. Real cultivators don't need to put on an act for others. Why must you show off to others? You are not cultivating for other people. You say you need meditation to cultivate, but at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, if nobody is meditating, you shouldn't either. You have to follow along with whatever people are doing and not do something special. Many people come to the City to join the meditation session but what they see is a sleeping session. The sleep demon hasn't been chased away yet. During a session, we must constantly strike up our spirits, sit upright and not let our heads drop down to sleep. If you sleep, you will be hit with the incense board. In a session, you cannot simply do whatever you like. Nobody should fall asleep. You have to get your spirits up and drive away the sleep demon.
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