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我們學佛的人啊，不要跑空路，跑了一輩子佛教的道場，然後是一無所得。經也不會講，佛也不會念，懺也不會拜，為什麼呢？拜懺也沒有專心，在這兒拜啊就想著，啊！我要到另外的道場去，那個地方也拜懺，我到那個地方也試一試，看一看。
你們打念佛七，譬如念佛，在這裡打了兩天半，說啊！另外那個地方也是打念佛七呢！我到那地方再參加兩天半，那麼兩天半兩天半就去了五天了，那麼最後就剩兩天。啊，另外還有一個地方在打佛七，我去參加兩天都好的，不要在一個地方種善根啊，我各處都種一點，各處看哪個地方生了，我都有善根。啊！你看這一邊念佛，一邊貪心這麼大，啊，要做這個遊擊司令，遊擊隊的司令，不單自己各處這麼打遊擊，還叫旁人跟著我去打遊擊，因為人一多了，這個夥計多了，這個幫就大了，到什麼地方都有勢力，一看！這個遊擊隊長來了，帶了這麼大一班部隊，哦！這個地方就特別歡迎，特別招呼，到處都受人歡迎，受人招呼，吃齋也吃得好，什麼什麼都好，到哪個道場都是另眼相看他，啊！都看他這是大護法，你看這遊擊隊長來了，這不得了，他有一大班人，要把他拉住啊，那麼這一班的隊伍都來了。你看！這個念佛是這樣子，拜懺是這樣子，講經也是這樣子，哦！從這個地方跑到那個地方，從那個地方跑到這個地方，結果是一無所成。念佛、聽經、拜懺，無論幹什麼，你專一在一個地方好好拜。譬如你在什麼地方拜，你就在什麼地方拜。可是，你要有擇法眼，你要認識哪個是真的，哪個是假的，哪個是正的，哪個是邪的，要懂得這個，你懂了這個，你到什麼地方都是正確的；你若不懂得這個，你各處亂跑亂跑的，跑了一輩子，那是一無所成的。
這是我和你們講真理，你們不要以為我到多一點地方就種多一點善根，結果一個地方也不出，這個善根都種到灰堆上了，沒有東西長出來了。你要把那個善根種在那個肥沃的土地裡頭。什麼是肥沃的土地？就是那真正修行的地方。我這兒不敢說我是真正修行。你到各處去看，哪個地方若有比萬佛聖城，比金山聖寺更好的地方，你們大家都去，我都不留的。可是你們要睜開眼睛看，不要盲目盲從，以為到什麼地方，人家對你們好，講幾句給你們戴高帽子，或者給你們吃點好齋菜，或者有一點什麼甜頭給你吃，你就認為這個就是了。
真正佛教的地方，不誘惑任何人，不是說：「啊！你到我們這兒來了，我們這兒怎麼好怎麼好。」我們這兒什麼也不好，什麼都是不圓滿的，因為我們正在學習期間呢！這是我今天告訴你們的幾句話。你們認為我講得真的也好，假的也好，你聽也好，不聽也好，我盡了我的心了。我在什麼地方，我不怕沒有居士，不怕誰不到我這兒來，我什麼也不怕，我怕什麼呢？就怕我是騙人的，我不是真的，我若不騙人，人都有眼睛的，不要怎麼說好，他也往這兒跑。你們信不信啊？
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In studying Buddhism, don't pursue futile paths. You may spend your entire life going from one Buddhist temple to the next, only to find in the end that you haven't gotten anything out of it: you haven't been able to really lecture the Sutras; you haven't been able to really be mindful of the Buddha; you haven't learned how to bow repentances—or when bowing them you can't be singleminded. Why? While bowing, you think, "I want to go to another temple. That place is also bowing a repentance. I think I'll go there and try it out, take a look."
For another instance, in reciting the Buddha's name, you spend two-and-a-half days here reciting, but then you say, "Oh! That place is also holding a recitation session. I'll go there to recite for another two-and-a-half days." Two-and-a-half plus two-and-a-half makes five days, with two days left. "Ah, there's yet another place holding a recitation session, so I'll go to participate for a couple more days. I don't want to plant good roots in just one place; I'll plant good roots all over the place. Then wherever they grow, I'll have good roots." Oh! Do you see? On the one hand you are being mindful of the Buddha, while on the other hand you have such massive greed and go around acting like a guerrilla commander. Not only are you running around yourself, you convince others to do the same. The more people there are, the bigger the band, and the greater the aid. Everywhere you go, you have influence. As soon as people see that the guerrilla commander has arrived, and has brought such a large gang, immediately they give you a special welcome and special treatment. Wherever you go, you are welcomed and treated well. You are served the best vegetarian food, and given the best of everything. At every temple you go to, you are regarded with distinction: "That's a great Dharma Protector! The Commander-in-Chief has arrived! Wow! He's got a big gang of followers, so we want to keep him here."
So all those followers come. You see! Whether it's being mindful of the Buddha, bowing repentances, or lecturing Sutras--it's all the same: they go from this place to that place, and from that place to another place. And they end up with nothing at all. Whether it's reciting the Buddha's name, listening to lectures on the Sutras, bowing repentances, or whatever else you might be doing, you should do it in one place and do it singlemindedly. But you must use the Selecting-Dharma Eye. You must recognize what is true and what is false; what is proper and what is deviant. You must understand this. Once you understand, then wherever you go will be right. If you don't understand this, you may go running around at random for your entire life to no avail.
I am speaking true principle for you right now. Don't think, "I should go to more places and thereby plant more good roots," for in the end there is no growth anywhere, and the good roots planted in a pile of ashes will not produce anything. You should plant good roots in fertile ground. What kind of ground is fertile? Places where genuine cultivation takes place. I don't venture to say that ours is a place of true cultivation. You yourself go anywhere else and see if you can find a place that is better than the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas or Gold Mountain Monastery. I don't try to hold people. But you should take a good look. Don't let it become a case of the blind leading the blind, where you think people are good if they say a few nice words to you, flatter you, offer you some delicious vegetarian food, or lure you with a bit of sweetness.
Those who reside in a genuine Buddhist place do not try to get on the good side of anyone. They would never say, "If you come to my place, we have all kinds of good things." At our place, nothing is good and everything is imperfect, because we are all still learning. This is what I wanted to tell you today. If you think what I have said is true, that's fine. If you think it's false, that's fine, too. Whether or not you listen, it's fine. I have done what I think I should do. Wherever I am, I am not afraid that no laypeople may come. I'm not afraid that people won't come here. What am I afraid of? I only fear that I might cheat people, that I might not be true. If I am not cheating people, people all have eyes, and without this place being praised, they will come here. Do you believe what I've said or not?
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