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各位善知識，各位同學，各位同修，和各位同願：
修行人的絶症與良劑
我們生在這個娑婆世界，是最不幸運的人。這個娑婆世界，是無有眾樂，但受諸苦，人心不古，道德淪亡，人人都是自私、自利，你爭我貪，你搶我奪，你害我，我害你，甚至於至親骨肉也互相殘殺。很多國家，家庭破碎了，人也將要毀滅了，這樣的國而不國、家而不家、人而不人，所以這是我們最不幸的事。
可是雖然不幸運，我們在這個萬苦交煎，萬惡充滿的娑婆世界中，還有一線的希望。這一線的希望是什麼呢？就是佛法還在這個世界。佛法在世間，我們若能急流勇退，發大菩提，以至誠懇切的精神來修持佛法，那還有出離娑婆世界的機會；不然的話，我們還是在六道裡頭輪迴不息，這一種的苦難永遠脫離不了。
因為這樣，我們修道要發大菩提心，要了脱生死的苦，這樣才不負我們出家一場。否則我們還是照樣穿衣服，吃飯，睡覺。和在家人雖然穿的有所不同，吃的不一樣，可是心還是煩煩惱惱，爭爭吵吵的。一天到晚妄想紛飛，不是想東就是想西，不是求名就是求利，這樣子是空過光陰，自己把精神都散了。若盡向外馳求，到外邊去找真理，這樣就是找到盡未來際，不改自己的習氣毛病，是出離不了娑婆苦的。因為這樣，我們每一個人應該立定目標，認清自己所應該行，所應該做的事。
我們在修道的時候，最重要是不爭；不爭是不和任何人爭長論短，爭是爭非。可是，我們不能不知道真理，要知道何去何從，知道怎麼樣改變自己的毛病；不要把自己弄得一天不如一天，習氣毛病一天比一天多，這樣生出了分外的貪求，總也不知足，在什麼境界上都覺得是煩惱的。所以才說「知足常樂，能忍自安」，知足才能常樂，我們不要不知足，若不知足，就是常苦。就像烙餅似的，烙餅的火過了，越烙越糊，越糊越烙，烙得餅都變成火炭了，這根本不能充飢的。
你若吃這一種火炭的餅到肚裡，就好像把火炭吞到肚裡去一樣，甚至覺得四肢發燒，沒有精神，為什麼？就因為你不懂得衛生的道理，把火炭也吃了下去。什麼叫火炭呢？貪心就 是火炭。所以我們無論什麼也不要貪，要知足，要能忍，但這個無上妙法，人人都把它忽略了。所以不爭、不貪就能福壽無邊，你要是爭、貪、攪、 擾，就罪孽不少，要想出離三界，也是無有是處的。
所以我們修道，就是要去除無始劫以來的習氣毛病，這是要緊的。為什麼我盡和人爭論是非長短好壞？我是幹什麼呢？要這樣的反求諸己，省察自己的行為到底如何。不要說是說非，爭長論短，在這兒沒有是非卻製造一個是非，沒有煩惱又增加煩惱，如此就是不懂得修行，不懂得出家的重要性。我們每一個人若能這樣子，這一線的希望還不至於斷絕；若你還是照常爭貪，這可以說是絕望了，可以說是等於生了「絕症」、「癌症」、「愛死病 」、「肺炎」一樣。
背道而馳，災劫橫生
現在有個新品種的肺炎，還有愛死病；這「愛死病」等都是一種劫運。所謂有刀兵劫、水火劫、瘟疫流行劫。而這些劫，是屬於瘟疫流行劫。現在不僅是單單一個國家這樣子，在全世界這種病都是蔓延不可救藥。不但普通人沒有辦法，就連醫生也是照死不誤。誰要接近肺炎病人就連呼吸都可以傳染。
愛死病和肺炎病是有連帶關係的，生愛死病和同性戀也有密切的關係。什麼密切的關係呢？現在的人都是欲愛橫流。今天有人用欲愛情來對對聯，也正是說到愛死病的要害。生愛死病就是因為同性戀不合乎陰陽造化的道理；這是亡國滅種的行為，是互相摧殘的行為，是互相暗殺的行為。它的害處，說不能盡，可是竟有這些妖魔鬼怪，在世界上興風作浪，提倡同性戀。我雖沒有計算過，可是我知道全世界，大約最少有一半的人類是有同性戀的趨向。全世界幾十億的人口裡頭，就每一個國家，都有一半的人有這樣的傾向。這是一種破壞國家的行為、破壞個人的行為、破壞所有家庭的行為。這種行為是違背造化、違背陰陽道理的。本來一陰一陽之為道，偏陰偏陽之為極；偏陰或者偏陽，是一定會有絕症生出來的。我們這些人，都在這兒縱欲貪愛，為所欲為，連禽獸都不如了。
你看看那些禽獸，牠是沒有搞同性戀的；如果說把同性老鼠關在一起，牠也會搞同性戀。那只是你逼著牠，叫牠那麼做而已，牠沒有辦法才搞同性戀。而你這些人類，沒有人逼著你搞同性戀，為什麼你又搞同性戀呢？這就是違背造化的一種理，才會生病。這些病就是給人的一種警告，叫你不要做這些事，你做這些事就會面臨滅亡的。可是人還不醒悟，也不覺悟，在這兒一天不如一天。所以現在愛死病還不夠厲害，而又另生出一種叫肺炎的病。以前的肺炎病還有藥可醫，但這種肺炎病，它的媽媽是愛死病，就是由愛死病而產生了這種肺炎病。說它是肺病，其實這是死症，要病死的。這個死病一生，無藥可醫，醫生也束手無策，甚至於醫生給你看病，也因同你一握手，這個肺炎就傳到他那兒去。同你一說話，呼吸時傳到醫生那兒去了，連醫生也都死了。所以護士、醫生都沒有自禦防衛辦法了。說戴上口罩，那呼吸氣也一樣的出入，還是一樣的傳染，口罩也不保險，這就是眾生的業障到了，疾病來的時候就是同歸於盡。
如何行持方是道？
什麼樣的人可以不死呢？就是真正修道的人。真正信佛的人，蒙佛的保護力量，才能免於這一些災難。免於災難是為了什麼？是為了留住世界人類的種子。但如果在佛教裡不自愛，還是會和一般人一樣，沒法子生存。除非住在山裡頭的老修行，看不見人，距離人所住的地方很遠，這樣的人才有機會存在。所以我們現在的人類不要「求」，這個「求」是求些什麼呢？就是求男求女；男貪女愛的，這都叫求，向外馳求，總到外邊去找快樂，找到了快樂，就是找死，是和死神來往了。
【編註：上人於今年八月十六日在洛杉磯金輪寺開示時，再度談及愛死病造成的新肺炎，並教導大眾勤誦大悲咒，庶幾於瘟疫劫中求全。】
還有是不自利。我們為什麼打妄語，說大話呢？就是因為想要自私、自利。你若沒有自私、自利，不會打妄語、說大話來騙人，巧言令色，把話說得很動聽的。孔子曾說：「巧言令色鮮矣仁」，巧言令色是沒有仁德心。
所以我們修道的人，一定不要自滿，不要自誇。為什麼不要自滿呢？所謂「滿招損，謙受益」，你若自滿，覺得自己了不起，那就有所損了；謙受益，對人要謙恭一點，對誰都要慈心下氣，恭敬一切；你若是對人不謙虛，這就是貢高我慢。你謙虛，還要用真誠的心，但不須要太過謙虛。太過了，盡拍馬屁，給人戴高帽子，這裡頭又懷欺詐，也都不是謙了。所以什麼事情恰到好處，不要太過，也不要不及。所以你要能不自私，就不會打妄語、不會講大話、不會盡那麼虛假不實。我們修道的人，無論誰，有什麼境界，都不要自以為是境界。
我在三十多年以前，曾經這麼說過：我說人啊！將來都不是人了。現在的人身體皮膚都在換；有的人皮膚壞了，就拿狗皮膚來貼上，時間久了，就變了狗，因為你與這隻狗合夥了。甚至，馬、牛、羊、雞、犬、豬等之皮。人就像一輛汽車似的，機件可以換；心、肝、脾、肺、腎將來都可以換。比如人換了一個狗的心，那行為和思想，就跟狗差不多了，所以這是很危險的，不要以為這個世界是好世界，好裡頭藏著種種的危機。
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All Good Knowing Advisors, fellow students, fellow cultivators, and those with the same vows:
| The Fatal Illness and Beneficial Medicine For Cultivators |
We who are born in the Saha world are most unfortunate. This Saha world doesn't bring us any happiness; it only makes us undergo suffering. The minds of people today are not like those of the ancients; there is a drastic decline in morality. Just about everyone is selfish and self-benefitting. That is, you fight and I am greedy; you grab and I snatch; you harm me and I harm you; even to the point that blood relatives kill and harm each other. Many countries and many families are breaking up. Individuals are being destroyed. It is reaching the point that nations are no longer nations; families are no longer families and people are no longer people. This is our great misfortune. But although we are unfortunate, in the midst of the heat of these myriad sufferings, and the myriad evils that fill up this Saha world, there is one thread of hope. What is it ? It is that the Buddhadharma is still in the world.
We have a chance to courageously climb out of that treacherous current. We can bring forth the great resolve for Bodhi and cultivate the Buddhadharma with the utmost sincerity. In that way we have the opportunity to leave this Saha world. Otherwise, we will remain in the six paths turning without cease and never getting liberated from that suffering. In light of that, when we cultivate the Way we must bring forth the great resolve for Bodhi. We must end the suffering of birth and death. Then we will not have left the home-life in vain.
Otherwise, we are just wearing clothes, eating, and sleeping like anyone else. Although what we wear and what we eat is not the same as lay-people, our minds will remain afflicted just the same as theirs, so that we will quarrel and fight and be full of false thinking all day long. If our thoughts are not flying off to this place, they will be floating off to that place; if we aren't seeking fame, then we will be seeking benefit. We would just be wasting our time. We would just scatter our energy by always seeking outside and going outside to seek for true principle. You can seek to the ends of time, but if you don't change your afflictions and problems, you will never get out of this suffering Saha world.
Thus we should all set our goals and clearly recognize exactly what we should be doing. The most important aspect of our cultivation is not to fight. We should not fight with anyone, not quarrel over people's long points and shortcomings, or gossip about people's rights and wrongs. We can't fail to know true principle. We must know where we came from and where we are going. We should know how to change our faults, rather than just becoming worse every day. If instead we let such habits and faults grow more and more numerous each day, giving rise to greed and seeking for what is external, we will never be satiated. No matter what the situation is, we only know how to get afflicted. And so it's said:
Knowing contentment, one is always happy;
Being patient, one is always at peace.
Knowing contentment you will always be at ease. So we should not fail to know contentment. If we don't know contentment, then we will always suffer. It's like frying a pancake. If the fire is too high, then the more the cake is turned the more it gets burned. And the more it burns the more you want to turn it. You keep turning it until the cake is burned to a crisp. It won't satisfy your hunger.
If you eat this cake that's burnt to a crisp it will be just like swallowing hot coals. You will even feel that all your limbs are fire, and that you have no energy at all. Why?
It's because you don't know how to preserve your life. What are the hot coals? Greed is like hot coals. Therefore we should not be greedy for anything at all. We should know contentment. We should be patient. This is the unsurpassed wonderful Dharma. But all of us neglect it. By not fighting and not being greedy one will have boundless blessings and long life. If you contend, are greedy, and are always inviting trouble, then you will have a lot of karmic offenses. Even if you wanted to leave the Saha World there would be no way for you to do so.
And so we must cultivate the Way and get rid of our afflictions and faults. We must get rid of the habits and problems that have gone on for beginningless kalpas. This is very important.
Ask yourself, "Why am I always arguing with people about rights and wrongs and long points and shortcomings? About good and bad? What am I doing?"
You should turn back and seek within yourself and investigate your behavior to determine what you are really like. Don't gossip. Don't speak about rights and wrongs where there are no rights and wrongs. Don't stir up afflictions where there are no afflictions. If you do that, then you don't understand how to cultivate, and you don't understand the importance of being a left-home person.
If each of us can be like this, then this thread of hope will not be broken. But if you contend and are greedy as usual, then there is no hope to speak of. Then you could be considered terminally ill - you have cancer or AIDS. You have the new pneumonia.
| When the Way is Opposed, the Disasters of the Kalpa Appear |
Now there's a new kind of pneumonia, in addition to AIDS.
AIDS and the other illnesses like it are disasters which occur towards the end of a kalpa. We speak of the disaster of wars, the disaster of floods and fire and the disaster of epidemics. This disaster falls into the category of epidemics. Now not just one nation is like this. The entire world has been infected by this illness. It has spread to such an extent, and it is incurable. Not only do we ordinary people have no way to resist it, even doctors aren't immune, and die from it. Whoever gets near someone who has this pneumonia will catch the pneumonia from the air he breathes.
AIDS and new pneumonia have a connection. AIDS and homosexuality are very closely related. What is this close relationship? People of this age are drowning in the river of love and desire. Today someone used love and desire in matching his couplet. He gave an accurate description of how fatal AIDS is. AIDS comes about because of homosexuality, which does not accord with the principle of
yin and yang. This behavior will destroy our nations and bring about the extinction of humankind. This behavior is a kind of mutual abuse. It is mutual assassination. One can never finish describing the harm that this behavior brings. But still the weird creatures and deviant demons continue to stir up trouble in this world. They come to promote homosexuality. Although I have not counted the number of homosexuals in the world, I know that at least half the people in the world have a tendency towards homosexuality. In this world with its population of several billions, half of the citizens of every country have homosexual tendencies. This behavior destroys nations. This behavior destroys individuals. This behavior destroys families and homes. This behavior goes against the principle of
yin and yang. Originally one yin and one
yang make the Way. Too much yin or too much
yang becomes an extreme. Extreme yang will definitely bring about a terminal illness and extreme
yin will also bring about a terminal illness. People are indulging in excessive lust, greed and love, doing whatever they want. Their behavior is not even up to that of animals.
Look at animals: they do not indulge in homosexuality. Some people say that if mice of the same gender are put together they will practice homosexuality. But that's because you are forcing them to behave in that way. They engage in homosexual conduct because they have no other recourse. But why are you indulging in homosexuality? Since this principle goes against what is natural, illnesses arise. These illnesses are warnings, telling people not to engage in this behavior. If you engage in this behavior you face death. But people still have not awakened. Every day they are worse than the day before. AIDS was not severe enough, so now this new pneumonia has come about. The original pneumonia was curable. But this new pneumonia's mother is AIDS. The existence of AIDS enables this pneumonia to occur. Although we call it a disease of the lungs, actually this sickness is terminal. When you contract this pneumonia, it is incurable. Doctors can't deal with it. Their hands are tied. It's even reached the point that if the doctor sees the patient and so much as shakes hands with him, the pneumonia is transmitted to him. Or the patient might speak to the doctor and pass the disease to the doctor through the breath. And the doctors also die. Doctors and nurses have no way to protect themselves from this illness. They wear masks but the breath can still pass through the mask. It can still be transmitted just the same. Masks are no insurance against this disease. This is a case of living beings' karmic obstacles arising. When this kind of illness occurs, it is destined to wipe out the entire human race.
| How can we cultivate the Way? |
Which people won't die? Those who truly cultivate and truly believe in the Buddha will receive the Buddha's aid and protection, escape the disaster, and then what? They will be prepared to sustain the seeds of the human race. But Buddhists who do not respect themselves can also catch this disease. They will also die of the fatal illness. They will have no way to remain in this world. Only those who live in the mountains and don't meet up with people, those who live far from the human population so that within a year they might not even meet another person, might still have a chance to remain in the world, because they do not draw near to others. So we of the human race should not seek. What is seeking? Seeking refers to seeking men and seeking women. It refers to the craving men feel and the love women feel. That's what is meant by seeking – seeking outside, always seeking happiness from outside. Finding this kind of happiness, you have found death. You become friends with death.
(Editor's remark: When Ven. Master Hua went to Gold Wheel Monastery, he talked about this issue again and instructed disciples to vigorously recite the Great Compassion Mantra in order to be protected from epidemics.)
Not benefitting oneself. Why do people lie and make false claims? It's because they are selfish and seek self-benefit. If you weren't selfish and seeking self-benefit, then you wouldn't lie and cheat people. You wouldn't use clever words and an ingratiating appearance to move people. Confucius said: "Clever words and an ingratiating appearance are seldom associated with humaneness." Using clever words means saying things that people like to hear. Crafty words and flattering expressions are seldom humane.
As cultivators, we certainly cannot be arrogant and boast about ourselves. What is meant by arrogance? Why shouldn't we be arrogant? It's said, "If you are arrogant, you will harm yourself. If you are humble, you will attain benefit." If you are
arrogant and think that you are fantastic, then you will harm yourself. Being humble, you will receive benefit. If you are humble towards other people, then you will be compassionate, agreeable and respectful towards all. If you are not humble towards other people, then you will be arrogant and haughty. But you must truly be humble. You can't go overboard. If you go overboard, then you end up flattering others and putting them up on a pedestal. If you are like that, then you are being deceptive instead of modest. So no matter what it is, you have to do it just right -- don't go too far and don't stop short. If you can refrain from being selfish, then you won't lie or boast. You won't be phony and untrue. No matter who we are, when we experience a special state in our cultivation, we shouldn't look upon it as a special state.
Some thirty years ago, I said that in the future people will not be people. Now, people can have skin-grafts; a person might have some of his own skin replaced with skin from a dog. After a long time, that person will become a dog because he has already become partners with the dog. The same holds true for the skin from pigs, horses, cows, sheep, and frogs. The human body is like an automobile with parts that can be replaced. In the future, the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys will all be replaceable. So many parts get transplanted. For instance, after a person's heart has been replaced with a dog's heart, his thoughts and behavior will become dog-like. This is a very dangerous practice. You shouldn't think that this world is a good one. Hidden inside what seems good, there are all kinds of crises.
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