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（接上期）
日中一食家聲揚
吃的東西，我們吃的菜，我不怕你們各位笑，是人家不要的。在菜市場人家不賣的，掉到垃圾堆裡，我們到那垃圾堆裡去撿菜回來，洗淨了來吃。這麼多年是這樣的，乃至到現在萬佛城還常常到那個菜市場，人家不要的菜，我們去撿回來。所以你們大家都不知道，我們因為菜也買不起，米，沒有缺過，也還都可以。因為沒有錢，所以我們一天只吃一餐。這吃一餐，不是說早起吃、中午吃，就叫吃一餐；早起吃，中午也吃，這叫持午，過午不食，到下午就不吃飯了。吃一餐，是早起也不吃，也甚至於連水都不喝，中午吃一餐，晚間也不吃。所以我和這個臺灣來的蔡居士講，我說你找遍全世界，所有的出家人都吃一餐的，你找不到的，只有萬佛城這麼一些個傻小子、傻小姐，上了我的大當，跟著我吃一餐。他們也都餓得受不了，餓得覺得很難過的。不過當初說了，跟著我出家要吃一餐，所以也不好意思再吃兩餐了。大約是這樣，就是這樣。
盡形壽宣演正法
以前我一個人天天講經說法。前幾年我病了，病了這麼久的時間，經也沒人講了，法也沒人說了，我看這種情形，這還是不應該死，所以我活過來。我在三十一號要到洛杉磯去，今天是二十九號，我給你們還繼續說法，明天晚間也還繼續說法。有人來聽我也說，沒人來聽我也說。你們願意在家過年就過年，願意過月就過月，不勉強。不用師父講經，我要去，我不去不好意思。不要有一個不好意思，這我們先說明白。因爲我以前說過這個話，我說我有這口氣啊！就要講經說法，等這口氣斷了，那我就不說了。所以人問我，你病怎麼樣了？我說到今天爲止還沒有死呢！這是我的答覆。就是醫生問我，我也這樣答覆；不是醫生問我，我還是這樣答覆。你看我這一病，這麼多的徒弟，都是龍多侍靠，在這兒等著。大概他們想我們不講，師父病就一定要好的。我們若一講，他就跑了怎麼辦？你們是不是這樣想啊？
我從六八年，每天晚間是講經說法，有人來聽，我也講；沒人來聽，我還講。是颳風我也講，下雨我也講，下雪也講；無論怎麼樣子，沒有停止過。沒有說我今天 lecture（講經）不講了，從來對講經就沒有累過，因爲我出家，我就要像一個出家人。出家人所應該做什麼，我就要做什麼；不應該做的，我是不去做的，應該做的我都去盡我的能力去做。受十方善信的供養，受十方善信的恭敬禮拜，如果我若不做一個法布施，怎麼能還得了這個債。所以我不敢躲懶偷安，不敢在這個佛敎裡頭來混吃等死。無論如何我要盡上我自己應做的責任，自己應盡的責任，這是我今天想對你們大家說的。你們各位認識我很久了，我不講或者你們也都會有一個耳聞，所以今天再和你們講一講，今天講不完的話，留著明天講。你們各位若願意聽呢，就忙裡偷閒聽一聽；如果不願意聽，就當我沒說，不要浪費你們的時間，因爲你們的時間也都很寶貴的。我們很少互相談話，明天晚間不妨我留二十分鐘來接受你們每一個人提問題，來解答你們的問題。你們要是有興趣就問，沒有興趣的，我們就早點散會了。
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(Continued from last issue)
One Meal A Day: The Custom is Carried On
As for the food we ate — I don't care if you all laugh — it was the food that others didn't want, the discarded produce that didn't get sold at the supermarkets. They were dumped in the garbage heap, and we went there to pick them out. After we brought the vegetables back, we would wash and eat them. We did this for many years, and even now people from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas often bring back the unwanted produce from the supermarkets. None of you knew about this. We couldn't even afford vegetables. As for rice, we were never short on that, and we could still get by. Because we have no money, we only eat one meal a day. "One meal a day" does not mean eating when we get up in the morning and again at noon. That's called "not eating past noon," not taking food in the afternoon. "Eating one meal a day" means when we get up in the morning, we don't eat and we don't even drink water. We eat one meal at noon, and we don't eat in the evening. So I told Upasaka Tsai from Taiwan, "You can look all over the world, but you won't find a place where the left-home people all eat one meal a day, except the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The foolish boys and girls there have taken a great loss in following my example of eating one meal a day. They are all so hungry they hardly stand it. It's really hard for them to take. However, it was announced in advance that those who leave home under me have to eat one meal a day, so they probably feel embarrassed to eat two meals.
Devoting My Life to Proclaiming the Proper Dharma
In the past, I alone would lecture the Sutras and speak the Dharma everyday. In these last few years, during my long illness, no one lectured on the Sutras or spoke the Dharma. Seeing this situation, I decided it still wasn't time to die, so I came back to life. I will be going to Los Angeles on the 31st.
Today is the 29th, so I will continue to speak Dharma for you. Tomorrow evening I will also speak the Dharma. If people come to listen, I will speak; if nobody comes to listen, I will also speak. If you all want to celebrate the New Year at home, then celebrate the new year. If you wish to celebrate the new month, then celebrate the new month. Nothing is forced. You don't need to say, "The Master is going to lecture, and I should go. It'd be improper not to go." Don't think that it's improper. Let's get this straight. I have said before that as I6ng as I have a breath left, I will lecture on the Sutras and speak the Dharma. When my breathing stops, I will stop speaking. When people ask me, "How is your illness?" I reply, "Up to today, 1 haven't died yet!" That's my answer. That's what I reply when the doctor inquires after me. I also give this reply to someone who is not a doctor. You see, when I became sick, all my disciples ganged together and just waited. They were probably thinking, "If we do not lecture, then the Master will definitely recover from his illness. But if we start to lecture, he will leave, and then what would we do?" Is this what you were all thinking?
Starting from 1968, I lectured on the Sutras and spoke the Dharma every evening. I gave my lecture whether people came to listen or not. I lectured despite the wind, the rain, and the snow. No matter what happened, I never quit. I never said, "Today I won't give a lecture!" I have never been weary when it comes to lecturing on the Sutras. This is because I have left home, and I want to act like a left-home person. I want to do whatever a left-home person is supposed to do. I won't do what should not be done, but I will do my very best to do what ought to be done. After receiving the offerings, respect and homage of the faithful of the ten directions, if I fail to offer the Dharma, how can I repay this debt? Therefore, I don't dare to "eat myself into a stupor and wait for death" in Buddhism. No matter what, I will do my best to fulfill my rightful duties. This is what I wish to tell you all today. You have known me for a long time, and even if I didn't speak, you must all have heard this before. So today I spoke about it again. What I can't finish saying tonight can be left for tomorrow. If you want to listen, you can spare some time from your busy affairs to listen a bit. If you do not want to listen, just treat it as if I hadn't spoken, and don't waste your time, for your time is very valuable. We seldom talk together, so these two nights I might as well save twenty minutes to answer your questions. If you would like, you may ask questions. If you have no interest in it, we can end the meeting a little sooner.
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