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我們人生第一件大事就是能皈依三寶。皈依三寶這件事，你要把它重視一點，不要那麼輕舉妄動。第一，你要選擇一個真正的明眼善知識來皈依，以後有什麼不懂的道理，都可以得到正確的指導，正確的開示，悟入佛之知見，不要投到旁門左道，聽邪師說法。邪師外道不單現在各處都有，就是在佛住世的時候，也是非常之多。那時候就有九十六種外道，七十二個旁門左道，比這個正法還興旺得多。往往人不懂得真理，就容易投入旁門左道去了。投到旁門左道，害處是很多的，因為你會很容易就誤入歧途，走到錯的路上去。你一走到錯的路上去，就想要得到利益，反而受了害處，這都是很危險的一件事，所以你們皈依三寶，投入正法眼藏，涅槃妙心。
要尋訪善知識，就是在出家人裡頭也是龍蛇混雜，分子不齊，你誤入旁門左道，那害處大；你誤投到邪師說法裡頭，這害處更大。
所以，你們各位學佛法的，不要想要往上升，反而墮地獄了；想要得到快樂，反而受了無量的痛苦。所以我說皈依是第一件大事，這比什麼都重要，要看得特別重要才對。所以在我這兒受皈依的，你必須要考慮清楚，你必須要認清了門路。
你們每一個人要拿出萬分萬分的至誠懇切心，在佛前來懺悔以往的罪業，懺悔已竟。誠心懺悔，你罪業就都可以消除了，善根就可以增長了；你若不誠心來懺悔，那罪業還是罪業，善根也不能增長。所以就看你個人的至誠懇切心、專一其心，不要有雜亂心，不要有癡心妄想，狂心野性。
皈依三寶，是要憑真誠兩個字，沒有真誠，你就是那麼敷衍了事，苟且塞責，這是沒有感應的。
正式皈依三寶，如果你信心堅固，行為清淨，乃至成佛，一定沒有什麼困難的；你若信心不堅固，行為不清淨，那麼就不要希望成佛了。你就成一個人都不容易的，不要說你們各位在家人；就出家人他若不修行，也一樣要墮地獄的，所以你們各位在家人要好自為之，特別努力，不要這麼對佛教不專心、不恭敬，要恭敬三寶，供養三寶，信仰三寶，要終身地來奉事三寶。你這樣子才能有所感應道交；你若不這樣，就皈依之後，還像沒有皈依以前那樣子，那是不會有感應的。
你每天一早，在醒來之後，要對佛前發這四弘誓願，這是每一個菩薩都應該發的誓願。早晨要發，晚上要問一問自己，眾生無邊，我度了沒度呢？煩惱無盡誓願斷，我斷了沒斷煩惱呢？我如果沒有度，我要度眾生。沒有斷煩惱，我要斷煩惱。法門無量誓願學，我學了沒學呢？沒學！我應該學無量無邊的法門，我忙裡偷閒也要讀誦點經典，看看佛書之類的，這叫法門無量誓願學。佛道無上誓願成，我現在還是個凡夫，還沒有成佛，我要趕快修行，才能成佛的。每一天都要做這一種的觀想，早晨要發願，晚上要檢討自己是不是滿自己這個四弘誓願了？
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The greatest thing in our life is to take refuge with the Triple Jewel. You have to be serious about taking refuge with the Triple Jewel. Don't treat it casually and don't act on a whim. First of all, you have to choose a real Bright-Eyed Good and Wise Teacher to take refuge with. That way, when there is some principle you do not understand, you will receive proper guidance that will allow you to gain insight into the Buddha's knowledge and views. Don't go and join the non-ultimate sects and listen to the instructions of deviant teachers. It is not only now that non-ultimate sects and deviant teachers have become so widespread. They were also very numerous when the Buddha was in the world. At that time, there were ninety-six non-ultimate sects and seventy-two heterodoxies, and they flourished much more than the Proper Dharma. People joined these non-ultimate sects simply because they did not understand truth. Non-ultimate teachings can do a lot of harm, because they can easily lead you down the wrong road. Once on the wrong road, you may want to gain some benefit, but you will only suffer harm. This is very dangerous. On the other hand, when you take refuge with the Triple Jewel, you get a share in the Treasury of the Proper Dharma Vision and the Wonderful Mind of Nirvana.
You must look for good and wise teachers. The wise and the unwise are intermingled, even among the left-home people. They are not all the same. When you mistakenly join a non-ultimate sect, there is great harm; however, if you blindly follow the Dharma spoken by a deviant teacher, the harm is even greater.
Therefore, all of you Buddhist disciples, don't let it happen that you seek to ascend but end up falling into the hells instead. Don't let it be that you wanted to get happiness, but suffer boundless misery instead. That's why I said that taking refuge is a matter of the highest priority; nothing is more important. You must treat it as especially important. When you take refuge with me, you have to consider clearly and really know the path.
Each of you must bring forth the utmost earnesty to repent before the Buddhas of your past offenses. If you are really sincere in repenting, then the karma of your offenses will all be eradicated, and your good roots will grow. But if you do not repent with sincerity, the karma of your offenses will still remain, and your good roots will not grow. So, it all depends on your sincerity and concentration; do not let your mind get distracted, avoid stupid and false thoughts, and restrain your wild mind and nature.
You must be true and sincere when taking refuge. If you simply go through the routine in a perfunctory manner, there will be no response.
In formally taking refuge with the Triple Jewel, if you have solid faith, then it will be easy for you to practice purely and even become a Buddha. If your faith is weak and your conduct is impure, then you can forget about becoming a Buddha. You have a hard time just being a person. Ah, not to mention you laypeople, even left-home people will fall into the hells if they do not cultivate. Therefore, all you laypeople should do your best and work hard. In Buddhism, don't be someone who is absent-minded and disrespectful. Revere the Triple Jewel, make offerings to the Triple Jewel, believe in the Triple Jewel, and serve the Triple Jewel all your life. Then you will have a response in the Tao. If you cannot do this, then even after you take refuge, it is like you have not taken refuge at all, and you will not get any response.
Every morning when you first get up, you should make the Four Vast Vows before the Buddha. These are the vows which every Bodhisattva should make. You should make these vows in the morning, and in the evening you ask yourself, "Living beings are limitless. Have I saved them? I vowed to cut off the endless afflictions. Have I cut them off? Ah, if I haven't, I must cut them off. If I haven't saved living beings, then I must save them. If I haven't gotten rid of my afflictions, I must eradicate them. I vowed to learn the boundless Dharma-doors. Have I learned them? No? I must learn the boundless Dharma-doors. However busy I am, I have to spend some time to recite a Sutra or read a Buddhist book -- that's what is meant by vowing to learn the boundless Dharma-doors. I vow to accomplish the unsurpassed Buddha Way. I am still an ordinary person and haven't become a Buddha. I must hurry and cultivate." You should do this contemplation every day, making the Four Vast Vows in the morning and reflecting to see whether you have fulfilled them in the evening.
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