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宣化上人曾開示：「萬事萬象，根本都是從佛性中，自有化無，自無化有，生生不息，化化無窮。若沒有佛性，一切都毀滅了。唯有佛性是歷千古而不滅，經萬世而長存，所以由佛性裡變化出十法界。……所以人是由佛性變的，而畜生是由人墮落而成的。」
兩年前的夏天，果蠅麇集到我們的廚房來，也不知是從哪裡跑來的，有幾百萬隻，到處都是。我們很小心不留一點水果在外面，並且吃過東西後，馬上收得拾乾淨；可是這些果蠅還是出現。真叫人頭疼，因為有這麼多，他們無所不在，我們簡直不知該怎麼辦才好！最後大概是我這麼說：「嘿！非得用蒼蠅拍才行。」這並不是件樂事。
我十六歲的兒子洋洋說：「不行！我先試試別的辦法看！」他的辦法是寫一封信給這些果蠅說：「你們大概已經住到我們家來了，而且顯然你們在這裡找你們愛吃的東西。這是我們家，我們付房租；你們可沒有！而且，外面食物多得是！在我們的堆肥裡盡是你們歡喜的美食，你們能吃，我們不能！這裡的食物我們可以吃，顯然你們也能吃。不過你們有旁的食物可吃，就不該吃這些；否則這就不公平……。
還有，我們不能再忍受下去了。祝福你們和你們的子子孫孫，都可享用最多汁的牛糞堆、和世上最美味的堆肥，祖上常受庇蔭。總之，就是請你們離開吧！」
他真的寫了一封這麼好的信，還畫了一張廚房的地圖，標明哪裡是窗戶說：「今晚我們會把窗子打開，並且一心希望明天早上，你們都已從窗戶離開了。否則就……」﹙他畫上蒼蠅拍﹚。洋洋把這條子貼在牆上向著窗戶。然後以他非常優雅悅耳、一本正經的口吻，站在椅子上大聲宣讀。然後我們出去散步。一切照常打點妥當，就上床去睡––窗子是開著，第二天早上起床。牠們都走了，一隻也不剩。真的！再也沒回來過！除了一間房間，打開看時裡面還滿是果蠅，因為一扇窗戶也沒開，房門又是緊閉的。於是第二天，他又重演一次全部的過程。又見效了，牠們都走了！
他興高采烈，洋洋得意。幾個禮拜後，有幾隻黃蜂飛進來，他又如法泡製一番，卻不管用。大概他對黃蜂沒轍吧！又過了一段時間，我們有了一些貓，養在車庫裡。在餵貓的地方，有一隻浣熊和一隻負鼠常嚇著這些貓。他也下條子給牠們！給浣熊的那張寫得真不錯！就在浣熊進出車房的地方，貼著「浣熊不得進入，會有嚴重後果！」。牠們沒再出現，也不再吃貓食。這是真的！連我都驚訝呢！
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The Venerable Master Hua has said, "The myriad phenomena basically come from the Buddha nature. They arise and cease to be, undergoing ceaseless transformations. If there were no Buddha nature, everything would be extinguished. Only the Buddha nature exists eternally without ever being extinguished. Thus, from the Buddha nature, the ten Dharma realms come into being....People come into existence from the Buddha nature, and animals are human beings who have fallen."
--Editors' Note
Two summers ago, we had an infestation of fruitflies in our kitchen. I don't know where they came from. They were there in the millions; they were everywhere. We became very careful about not leaving any fruit out and cleaning up everything right away. but they still persisted. And they really were a pain because there were so many of them everywhere and we didn't know what to do. So I believe it was me who finally said, "Well, we gotta get a fly swatter." It wasn't a great joy.
Ocean, our son, then 16, said, "No way! Let me try something first." So what he did was he wrote a letter to the fruitflies:
"You seem to have taken residence in our house. Evidently, you're finding something you like to eat. This is our house; we pay rent here and you don't! Furthermore, there's lots of food outside! We have a compost pile that is full of delights for you that we can't eat that you can! And the food here, we can eat, and you evidently can also, but it's not fair that you should when there is other food that you can eat." And so forth.
"Furthermore," he said, "we're not gonna put up with it. So I wish you and all your generations to come all the juiciest cow dung patties, all the most wonderful compost piles in the world and the blessing upon your ancestors. But, will you please leave!"
He was greatly elated by this and somewhat swell-headed. A few weeks later, when some wasps showed up, he tried the same thing, and it didn't work. He didn't seem to have the knack with wasps. But then some time later--we have cats and we feed them in the garage--a raccoon and a possum were in the cat-feeding area and scaring the cats, and he put up the notes to them! The one to the raccoons was great. Right where the raccoons would enter the garage, a sign said "No Raccoons Allowed! Extremely Severe Repercussion!" They stopped showing up and eating the cat's food. It's true. Amazing to me.
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