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楊校尊：法師在學校教課影響到自己的功課、任務、修行、拜佛等，有人認為拜佛更重要，教書影響他們的修行，是否請師父和弟子們談談，鼓勵他們有志於教育者，能找出一組人來，大家輪流做，男校有男界的法師，女校有女界的法師，能給這組人專門的訓練，教他們如何教書，讓他們回學校念書。訓練好之後，大概二、三年，這些人就可以把學校教職員的工作整個接收過來，那麼我們的教育便可達到義務教育的理想。但目前請師父得鼓勵他們，不然我說的他們不聽。
上人：不聽，不會吧！
楊校尊：他們可分批教書一年後，回去道場一年，然後另一批回來教書，彼此一兩年調換一次，並不影響他們的修行，是嗎？請上人跟我們講幾句話。
上人：我們這個學校辦得也可以說是不好，也可以說是不壞，普普通通的，我們應該精益求精，好裡頭更要好，不要得少為足，不要中道自畫，不要做了一半就覺得已經夠了。我們都必須要再接再勵，更上一層樓。
修行，樣樣都是修行
出家人能從事教育，這也是修行之一，我們不要以為不從事教育就是修行了，修行樣樣都是修行，不是就在一方面，你要樣樣都會，樣樣都通，要樣樣能拿得起，放得下，最低限度，譬如從事教育，我們能要自己知道怎麼樣去教小孩子，令他得到他所應該得的知識，要循循善誘，不是敷衍了事。一般的教學那麼教，教出來爾為爾，我為我，誰也不管誰，這是互不關心，這種教育，雖然有，也等於沒有一樣。我們必須要關心到每一個學生，他的成績怎麼樣？我們做老師的都要特別注意。若學生不用功，要想法子叫他用功；太過用功的，也叫他不要累壞了，所以這個期間就需要老師有一個明確的教誨，有一個負責任的思想。
愛國、愛家、愛身
我們現在在出家人裡頭，女界人這麼多，有學識的都可以自動出來，學習怎麼樣教學的方法。我們每一年挑選一次，挑出一批一批的人，培植出來都能教書，都能來從事教育，把學生培植出來，他能做一個國家的棟樑、國家有用之才，甚至於做佛教裡邊的有用之才，這才是我們真正的目的。我們目的就要培植多一點這樣的人，懂得怎麼樣做人，怎麼樣愛國、愛身、愛家這種的思想。那麼這是對國家也好，對社會也好，對家庭也好，對個人更是有相當的成就。我們繼續這麼樣子來培植人才，我們在學校裡頭也選拔能教書的，譬如他高年級就可以給他半工半讀，叫他教低年級的學生，我們要能這麼樣一路一路培植。我們這個學校，一天要比一大好，一年要比一年好，每一年都是蒸蒸日上，在這兒讀書的，小學升中學，中學又可以升大學，我們要趕快把學校辦好了它。
三個願力
因為我這一生出家，翻譯經典，這是我第一個願力；在佛教裡辦教育，這是我的第二個願力；第三個願力，那還是早呢！第三個願力就是要在美國把佛教的基礎建立起來，就是千秋萬載的，在西方都有佛教紮下根了，能以流傳後世，這是三個願力。你們各位到這兒出家的，都要先受戒以後，能從事教育幾年，這都是好的，要立這種志願。
楊校尊：啊，起碼有三年志願，不一定一直教三年，但要把時間留三年來，教一年休息一年，如果有那麼一組人，大家輪流，絕對沒問題。
立功立德培福培慧
上人：我們今年姜吉甫教授，他在臺灣那兒已經召集有四、五個，都是願意從事教育的，不過大約八月間才來。我們現在要各盡其責，不要把教育看成第二，看成沒有必要的，我們修道這是必要的，教育也是一樣地重要。所以在這裡頭你可以立功，你能把小孩子都教育成材了，這你功德就無量了、不可思議了，所以我們這兒為什麼要義務教育？義務教育也就是爲了補充我們的德性，道德的增厚，加強我們培植道德的觀念。修道的人，你若是能在這個地方培福培慧，做一些功德，做一些有意義的事情，那才能修行；不然你沒有功德，你修行會著魔的，那魔王會來找你，一找你，你沒有德行在那兒壓著，這個就是你修道的福德不夠，所以必須要立功立德，這一點是要緊的。你們各位無論敎師也好，出家人也好，都要培福培慧，立功立德的。
楊校尊：我們學校的老師、學生都要雙語敎授，一方面是尊重中國傳統教育，一方面學習美國敎育。
上人：這小學、中學、大學都要雙語，不能單語的。
楊校尊：從小學開始就學，學得特別快，大人就慢了。
上人：那個安安回來嗎？
楊校尊：回來了。她將是好的敎學人才。
上人：他們都跟著我很久了，從小孩子我就看著她長那麼大。
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Chancellor Yang: Dharma Masters who teach in the schools say their own cultivation and their other work and duties are affected by their teaching. Some think that bowing to the Buddhas is more important, and that teaching disturbs their cultivation. Master, could you please talk with your disciples, and encourage those who would like to be involved in education to form groups, so that everyone can take turns teaching. Male Dharma Masters can teach in the boys' school, and female Dharma Masters can teach in the girls' school. These people should be specially trained to teach. Let them go back to school to study. After two or three years, when they complete their training, these people can take over all work of the school faculty. Then we can achieve the ideal free education. But presently, will the Master please give them some encouragement, for they won't listen to what I say.
Ven. Master: They don't listen? I doubt that.
Chancellor Yang: They can divide into groups. After one group teaches for a year, it can return to the temple, and another group will take over. They can rotate every one or two years, and that won't affect their cultivation, right? Could the Venerable Master please say a few words?
Ven. Master: You could say our schools are neither good nor bad. They are just ordinary, run-of-the-mill schools. We should strive to improve, and when we are good, we should try to become even better. We should not gain a little bit and be satisfied with that. We should not limit ourselves, nor do things halfway and feel that it is enough. We should continuously try our best, and try to ascend to a higher level.
EVERYTHING IS CULTIVATION
If left-home people can teach, this is also a form of cultivation. Don't presume that it is cultivation only if we do not teach. Everything is cultivation. Cultivation is not just one thing. At the very least, you should know how to do everything, understand everything, be able to take on anything, and be able to renounce it if necessary. For example, in education, we ourselves have to know how to teach the children, and impart to them the knowledge they ought to have. You have to teach them step by step, and not just do a sloppy job of it, the way most schools do. The result of negligent teaching is that the children become selfish, caring only for themselves and not for others. They show no concern for one another. This kind of education is totally useless. We should be concerned about each and every student. We as teachers should pay particular attention to each student's achievement. If a student goofs off, how can we get him to work hard? As for those who work too hard, we should tell them not to exhaust themselves. So, in this period, we need teachers who give a bright and proper teaching, and who have responsible attitude.
LOVE THE COUNTRY, CHERISH THE FAMILY, AND ESTEEM YOURSELF
Presently, in our circle of left-home people, there are a lot of women. All those who have been educated can come forward and learn how to teach in the schools. Every year, we can choose teams of people and train them so that they can teach in the schools. We should groom the students so that they can become strong pillars of the country, productive talents of the country, and also productive talents of Buddhism. This is our true goal. Our goal is to train and produce more people like this, people who understand how to be a person, and who know to love the country, cherish the family, and esteem themselves. This is good for the country, good for society, good for the family, and beneficial for each individual as well. We must continue our efforts to foster people's talents. In our schools, we can select those who can teach. For example, those in the higher grades can be on a work-study program and teach the students in lower grades.
If we can continuously train people this way, then our schools will improve day by day, year by year. Every year there should be improvement. The students who are studying here will graduate from the elementary school to the secondary school, and from secondary school to the university. We must quickly organize our schools properly.
THREE VOWS
In my whole life after leaving home, my first vow has been to translate the Sutras. My second vow has been to set up education in Buddhism. And my third vow .... this is still too early to discuss, but it is to build up the foundation of Buddhism in America, so that for thousands of years, after Buddhism has taken root in the West, it can be passed down to future generations. These are my three vows. Those of you who have left the home-life, after you have received the precepts, if you can work in education for a few years, that would be good. You should make that kind of vow.
Chancellor Yang: You should make a resolve for at least three years, but that doesn't mean you have to teach for three years in a row. However, you should save three years for teaching. You can teach for one year and rest for one year. If we can have such a group of people, with everyone taking turns, then there surely wouldn't be any problem.
ESTABLISHING MERIT AND VIRTUE DEVELOPING BLESSINGS AND WISDOM
Ven. Master: This year, Professor Ji-fu Jiang has already recruited four or five people in Taiwan who are interested in teaching. They will probably come in August. We should now each do as much as we can. Don't treat education as secondary and unimportant. It is necessary for us to cultivate. Education is also just as important. It is here that you can establish merit. If you can educate the children to be talented, then your merit and virtue are limitless and inconceivable. So why is it that we have this free school? Voluntary teaching is a way for us to increase our virtue and strengthen our conception of morality. Cultivators, only if you can cultivate blessings and wisdom here, and do some work of merit and virtue, will you be able to cultivate. Otherwise, if you have no merit and virtue, you will meet demonic obstacles in your cultivation. The demon king will come and look for you, and you will not have enough virtue to hold out. This is cultivating without sufficient blessings and virtue. Therefore we must establish merit and virtue. This point is very important. Whether you area teacher or a left-home person, you should all cultivate blessings and wisdom and establish merit and virtue.
Chancellor Yang: In our schools, the teachers and students should be bilingual. On the one hand, this is to respect the traditional Chinese way of education, and on the other hand, we want to learn the American way of education.
Ven. Master: The elementary school, secondary school, and university should all be bilingual, not monolingual.
Chancellor Yang: If they start from elementary school, they will learn very fast. Adults are much slower.
Ven. Master: Has An-an come back?
Chancellor Yang: Yes. In the future she will be a very talented teacher.
Ven. Master: They have all followed me for a long time. Since they were little kids, I have seen them grow up to be so big.
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