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問：我想智慧和愚癡之間一定有連帶關係，其中一個發生作用時，另一個一定也減少作用。
上人：（伸手示其掌面）這是智慧，（伸手示掌背）這是愚癡，愚癡和智慧在什麼地方分開界線呢？這是我的愚癡見解。我給你們作個宣傳廣告，說說我這愚癡從什麼地方來的？我的愚癡從小就跟著我，我的智慧也是跟著我。我想把愚癡不要了，卻丟不了，想把智慧收起來，也沒地方收。我也不管是愚癡是智慧。從十二歲開始，我覺得對父母很不孝，我要盡孝，但在一個貧寒窮家境沒有錢，沒什麼可對父母表示，所以我就想，我唯獨能做得到的就是天天給父母親叩頭，悔過認錯，找父母親的好處。叩了一段時期，我又想給世界各國所有的大聖人叩頭，乃至世上的大善人，大孝子、節夫、 義婦、大英雄、大豪傑，都天天給他們叩頭。他們知不知道我不管，我就盡這愚癡的心。之後，我覺得佛說一切眾生皆有佛性，皆堪作佛，又說是男子皆是我父，是女子皆是我母，這一推想，盡虛空遍法界，無非是我父我母，都應該給他們叩頭，所以向世間一切眾生，包括畜生、飛禽、甚至大惡人，大壞人叩頭，希望他們改過向善。我也希望馬、牛、羊、雞、犬、彘（豬）這六畜都改善種善根，將來好修成佛。那時愚癡至此程度，還願意和最細微的螞蟻、蚊蟲作朋友，給它們叩頭。我就想自己和它們差不多，不要弄得自己唯我獨尊。我一生下來就這麼愚癡，至今無論何事我都盡義務，不求報酬，這是我愚癡又愚癡的行為，誰看見誰笑我，我也喜歡他們笑我，越笑我越高興。各位都想不到三藩市有個小蚊蟲，小螞蟻吧！
問：我們怎麼知道自己多渺小，怎麼知道自己有足夠的力量做大事，是不是自己做了大事但卻自認是小事？
上人：事情沒有大，沒有小，「小」若多了就是大，「大」若少了就是小，這沒有什麼界線來分大小的。你能做多少就做多少，也不要論事情大小。你要盡算這個賬，一定睡不著覺。
問：我和基督徒談話時，常沒有辦法解答“靈魂”這問題。他們不相信有輪迴。
上人：小學生他不懂中學課程，中學生他也不明白大學課程，大學生他知道了小學、中學的課程，大學課程正在學習。等到了大學，你不說他也懂了。這信不信是時間問題，是人沒有成熟，這都無須憂慮的。
問：今早上人說吃太多就不會有智慧，為什麼佛像都是胖胖的，肚子大大的？
上人：我沒看見佛，我不知道。
司儀：謝謝今天的演講人，謝謝各位聽眾，後會有期。
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Q: I think that between wisdom and stupidity there must be a relationship. When one engages, the other must decrease.
Ven. Master Hua: This is wisdom, (showing the palm of his hand); this is stupidity (showing back of the hand). Where do you draw the dividing line between stupidity and wisdom? This is my stupid point of view. Now I'm going to advertise to you, talking about where my stupidity comes from. My stupidity was with me ever since I was small. My wisdom also followed me. These two followed me. I thought to get rid of the stupidity, but I couldn't lose it. I thought to keep my wisdom, but I had nowhere to keep it. That being the case, I ceased to care if I was stupid or wise.
From the age of twelve, I felt I was very unfilial to my parents, and I wanted to be filial. But since I came from a poor family, I had no money, I had no way to express it to them. So I thought to do something I could afford, and began to bow to my parents every day, repenting of my faults, admitting my mistakes, discovering how nice my parents were. After a while, I started thinking that I should bow to the great sages of the world, and all the great worthy ones of all nations, the good people, the great filial people in the world, men with integrity, women with righteousness, great heroes, great people too, I should bow to them every day. Whether they knew this or not I didn't care. I just wanted to exhaust my stupid mind. Later I remembered what the Buddha said about all living beings having the Buddha-nature, and all could become Buddhas. He also said all men are my fathers, all women are my mothers. After I considered this, that to the exhaustion of empty space and throughout the Dharma realm there are none who have not been my father and there are none who have not been my mother, I then bowed to all of them. So I bowed to all the living beings in the world, including animals in the air and on the land, also to the greatly evil people: I hoped they would change their faults and go towards the good. I also hoped the six kinds of animals, horses, cows, sheep, chickens, dogs, and pigs, could change their faults and go towards the good too; and that they will plant good roots so that in the future, they can cultivate and become Buddhas. At that time I was stupid to that degree. I was willing to be friends with the smallest like the ants and mosquitoes, so I bowed to them. I felt that I was about the same as mosquitoes and ants. I don't want to project myself as though, "I alone am honored."
So I was stupid ever since I was born. All my life till now, no matter what I do, I fulfill my responsibilities without seeking rewards. This is my stupid-within-stupid behavior. Whoever saw me would laugh at me. I alse like them to laugh at me. The more they laugh, the happier I am. I bet you never expected to find such a small mosquito or tiny ant in San Francisco.
Q: How one realizes how small you are, or how are you able to have the strength to do the great things? Is it that you see the great things you do as being very small in themselves?
Ven. Master Hua: There's no great or small things. Many small things make up something big. When there are a few great things, they become small. There's no borderline between great and small. Do as much as you can. Never mind if they're great things or small things. If you want to tally up this account, then, it's for certain you can't sleep.
Q: When I talking to people from the Judeo-Christian religion, there isn't a way to resolve the question of the soul. They think that there's no such thing as reincarnation.
Ven. Master Hua: The elementary school student, they won't comprehend the high school curriculum. The high school students, they won't understand the content of the college curriculum. The college student, he understanding the elementary school curriculum and high school curriculum, and he's studying the college curriculum. When he goes to college, he'll know without your telling. So, whether people believe it or not is only a matter of time. It is also a question whether or not people are mature. So, there's no need to worry about this question.
Q: This morning we heard if you eat too much you cannot attain wisdom. Why is the Buddha depicted with overweight and a fat stomach?
Ven. Master Hua: I have not seen the Buddha, I don't know.
Moderator: Thank you distinguished speakers, and thank you all for coming. Please come again.
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