南無薩怛他 蘇伽多耶
阿囉訶諦 三藐三菩陀寫（三遍）
各位善知識：
今天叫宣化來對大家說法，可是宣化不但不會說法，連話也不會說。雖然如此，不會說話，因為大家這麼誠意，來要我說法；尤其這些個青年同學們，這樣地殷勤請法，所以我雖然不會說話，可是也不得不說話。既然說話，說個什麼話？為什麼我說我不會說話呢？
我今天先對你們大家說明白一點，因為我一說話，就要說真話。在這個世界上，就沒有人願意聽真話，都願意聽假話，都願意聽揄揚、讚歎的辭句。這一類揄揚、讚歎的辭句，我根本就不知道從何說起，所以因為這個，我要你們各位先要有心理的準備。不要等我講了不好聽的話了，你們再不願意聽。由一開始，你們就要有心理的準備，預備無論我講的是法、非法，也都要特別小心，不要上了當。這是我要對你們先說的話。
你們各位聽我說話，都聽得懂嗎？（大眾說：聽得懂！）我這個不會說話的人說的話，你們也都聽得懂，啊！這不奇怪吧？那就不要翻臺灣語了，也不要翻英語了，節省時間，好不好？（大眾說：好！）
我所要說的，人啊！樂極會生悲，不要樂極了，不要快樂到極點；快樂到極點，悲極就來了。你們大家相信這個道理，我也這麼說；不相信這個道理，我也這麼說。因為我要說的話，我不管人信不信，我一定要說我所願意說的話，就是你們認為我不會說話，我也要這樣說。因為我到這來，我不能盡給各位揄揚之辭啊，讚歎之語啊，這一類的言語。因為我知道你們各位，不論老的同願、中年的同願，和青年的同願，聽這一類的話聽得很多了。我現在給你們換換口味，說一點你們不願意聽的話，所以叫你們不要追求快樂。
這快樂，什麼叫快樂？真正的快樂，不是世間的快樂，不是人間的快樂，那是一種自己心裡邊時時有一種快樂，不需要向外馳求，不需要到外邊去找去。你到外邊找的，都不是究竟的快樂。你想究竟的快樂，你必須要有相當的修養、相當的學識、相當的造詣，自性裡頭平安，這才是真快樂。你到外邊去找快樂，一天到晚追求快樂。追求得到了，這是快樂的一時；得不到，這是煩惱的重重。你貪而無厭，又患得患失，這都不是真正的快樂。真正的快樂，是無求的，「到無求處便無憂」。你無所求，這才是真正的快樂，真正自性的穩定、平安。
你到外邊去找，找到什麼地方也找不到真正的快樂。我們人間所追求的吃喝玩樂這些享受：坐最值錢的汽車，或者買飛機，或者買輪船，到處去遊一遊船，這是快樂？這簡直地都是浪費你的精力、浪費你的智慧。你真正的智慧不是在外邊這些個東西。真正的享受，是你自在快樂，這是我們人人都有的，你不要向外去找去。你盡向外馳求，啊！你爭我奪，你虞我詐；你欺騙我，我欺騙你，結果就會得到自己這個不真實的快樂，這真是可憐愍者，佛所謂的這一類的人是可憐愍者。不要捨本逐末，不要倒行逆施。我所說的這個話，都是人不願意聽的。
我所說的這個快樂是什麼呢？你不爭是快樂，不貪是快樂，無所求這是快樂，你不自私這是快樂，你不自利更是快樂，你不打妄語，這才是真正快樂。你打妄語，你於心就會有愧，覺得這是騙人了。你就算不覺得，在你良心上，也覺得有了污點了，對不起良心了。你若是一個沒有良心的人，那就又當別論啦！所以現在人心不古、道德淪亡、世風日下，在這種情形之下，我們要趕快醒悟。怎麼樣醒悟呢？我們做學生的，要好好讀書，朝於斯，夕於斯，這個「昔仲尼，師項橐」，要能「如負薪，如掛角」，「囊螢映雪」，這樣子，才夠上一個讀書的人。不是那麼整天就想自在，想安樂，想不讀書，追求快樂去；這不是快樂！
現在我告訴你們一句你們或者還不知道的話，不但美國，西方的教育完全破產了。可是他們還在掩耳盜鈴，說還可以維持現狀。怎麼說西方教育破產了呢？它因為都去人倫，無父子了，也沒有老，也沒有小。西方的教育，兒子叫爸爸不稱爸爸，叫什麼？叫名字，直呼其名，簡直地，這個長幼尊卑已經錯亂了。
還有它的家庭都破碎了，家庭怎麼破碎呢？美國人百分之九十九都結婚以後，就再離婚，這家庭就破碎了。破碎了，生了小孩子，小孩子隨著爸爸養，爸爸就整天說：「你媽媽以前怎麼壞怎麼壞，她若不壞，我不會和她離婚。」就這樣子。這小孩子說：「喔！媽媽這麼壞，我對女人真討厭到極點了。」你看！小孩子就討厭女人。那麼有的跟著媽媽養的，這媽媽就灌輸他，說：「你爸爸怎樣壞怎樣壞，所以我和他離婚了。」這樣一來，這個小孩子又討厭爸爸，一見到男性就討厭了，說：「男人都這樣地壞。」
你算算！因為夫婦間離婚了，把小孩子養得對男女互相有仇恨的這種思想，結果長大了就怎樣呢？變成問題兒童了。討厭爸爸的，見到男人就把他殺了，一槍就把他打死；討厭女人的，就想要把女人給打死，見到女人都是和眼中釘一樣。你算算，它這個社會怎麼會好？這是從根本上已經壞了。不過這種情形啊，美國人本身還不知道，他們不曉得這是一個最大的問題，他們還覺得他們國家有那麼多財產，物產豐富，什麼都不缺，這是一個好國家；他們不知道已經裡邊都爛了，就像那個樹木，心都爛了，根都沒有了，把根都給刨了。所以這是離婚的問題，男女都是結婚了之後，一定要再離婚，覺得再找一個新鮮的，這個舊的夠了，再找新鮮的。其實找新鮮的，還不如那個舊的。啊！越搞越糟，越搞越糟，這問題兒童就出現了，家庭也破碎了，這是中國的五倫八德完全失去作用了。所以我們中國人，你們不要以為西方的文化怎麼好怎麼好，它從根本上已就破產了。
還有它這個男女結婚了，就不離婚嘛，男的也要另外找一個情人，女的也要另外找一個情人，因為互相不滿意，就互相報復。所以搞得家庭也是七零八落的，家不成一個家，家庭破碎了，那麼這不離婚的是這樣子。還有一些懂得道理的，還沒有這個現象，不過是少數，多數的人是在那兒盡離婚。
我覺得我們中國人現在也趨向這種的行動了，所以我願意把這個根本的厲害先對大家講一講。我們大家要快一點把這個迷夢喚醒了它，你們不要再作西方的夢。我當初以為西方––這個美國有什麼了不起，我到那個地方我才知道––講真話給你們聽，現在也有美國人在這兒，我不怕他們反對我––我覺得他們是很愚癡的。對這個你們大家有什麼意見？你們是不是聽過美國這種風氣？ |
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NA MO SA DAN TUO SU QIE DUO YE E LA HE DI SAN MIAO SAN PU TUO XIE
(3x)
All Good and Wise Advisors!
Today you have asked Hsuan Hua to speak the Dharma for everyone. However, Hsuan Hua not only doesn’t know how to speak the Dharma, he doesn’t even know how to speak. But since everyone is so sincere in asking me to speak the Dharma, especially these young students, I am obliged to speak even though I do not know how to speak. What shall I say? Why do I say that I do not know how to speak?
Let me explain. It is because I only speak the truth, and no one in this world likes to hear the truth. Everyone likes to hear phony talk and words of praise. I don’t even know how to begin speaking hypocritical flattery! Therefore, you should all be psychologically prepared. Don’t wait until I say something unpleasant and then decide you don’t want to listen. Be psychologically prepared, so that no matter if I speak in accord with the Dharma or not, you are especially careful not to take a loss. This is what I want to tell you in advance.
Do you all understand what I said? [Assembly: “Yes.”] So you all understand me even though I don’t know how to speak? Isn’t that strange? [Applause] So we will not translate to Taiwanese or English, in order to save time. Is that all right? [“Yes!” Applause]
What I want to say is, “Too much happiness leads to sorrow.” If you become extremely happy, you will feel sad afterwards. Whether or not you believe this principle, that is what I say. I say what I feel like saying regardless of whether people believe it or not. This is what I will say even if you consider me someone who doesn’t know how to speak. I haven’t come here just to flatter you with words of praise. I know that all of you who share the same vows, whether you are elderly, middle-aged, or young, have heard a lot of that kind of talk. Now I’ll give you something that tastes different and say some things that you don’t like to hear. I will tell you not to pursue happiness.
What is happiness? True happiness is not worldly happiness. Rather, it is a happiness that is always present in your own mind, which you need not look for outside. If you seek outside, you won’t find the ultimate happiness. If you want the ultimate happiness, you must have considerable cultivation, considerable learning, and considerable attainment. Only then will there be peace and joy in your own nature, which is the real happiness. If you seek for happiness outside, you may attain it, but it will only last for a moment. If you fail to attain it, you will be full of afflictions. If you are insatiably greedy, you worry about getting things, and then you worry about losing them. None of this is true happiness. True happiness comes from not seeking anything. When you reach the state of seeking nothing, you have no worries. Seeking nothing, you have true happiness, and your nature is stable and tranquil.
You can search outside all you want, but you won’t find true happiness anywhere. The enjoyment we pursue in this world—eating, drinking, making merry, driving an expensive car, owning a plane, or buying a ship and taking a cruise—is this happiness? This is just wasting your energy and wasting your wisdom. True wisdom cannot be found in these external things. True joy comes from being carefree and happy. We all have this within us, and we need not search outside for it. But people always seek outside themselves, and end up cheating, flattering, and fighting one another in order to obtain an artificial happiness. The Buddha said such people are to be pitied. They are lamentable. So do not forsake what is fundamental to pursue the superficial. Do not act in an up-side down way. What I’ve just said is something no one likes to hear.
What do I call happiness? Not fighting is happiness. Not being greedy is happiness. Seeking nothing is happiness. Not being selfish is happiness. Not wanting to benefit yourself is happiness even more. Not telling lies—that’s true happiness. If you lie, you will feel remorse in your heart because you know you have deceived someone, and there will be a stain on your conscience. If you are a person with no conscience, that’s another story. People’s minds are not the way they were in ancient times; morality has perished; and the world deteriorates day by day. In this situation, we must quickly awaken. How can we awaken? If we are students, we should apply ourselves diligently, studying in the morning and in the evening. In the past, Zhong Ni (Confucius) took Xiang Tuo as his teacher. We must pursue our studies as earnestly as the woodcutter who put his book on a log he was hauling, the oxherd who hung his book from the horn of the ox he was riding, the student who studied at night by the light of fireflies collected in a pouch, or the boy who read by the moonlight reflected off the snow. Only then can we be considered true students. We should not just seek ease and comfort all day long and enjoy ourselves instead of studying. That is not happiness.
Now I want to tell you something that you may not be aware of yet. In the United States, and in the West generally, education is totally bankrupt. However, like the person who plugs his ears and steals a bell thinking that other people will not hear the bell, they claim that their educational system can still manage. Why do I say that Western education is bankrupt? Because Western educators have discarded the ethics of human relationships. Parents and children do not know their place, and the old and the young do not know their roles. In the West, children do not address their father as “Father.” Instead, they call their fathers by name. The order between elders and the young, and between superiors and subordinates, has been messed up.
Broken families are widespread; ninety-nine percent of the marriages in America end in divorce. If the children live with their father, all day long they hear him rant about how terrible their mother was. “If she hadn’t been so bad, I wouldn’t have divorced her,” the father tells them. The children think, “Oh, how awful my mother is! How I hate women!” So you see, those children end up hating women. If the children live with their mother, she keeps telling them how awful their father was. “That’s why I divorced him,” she says. The children end up hating their father. They get annoyed whenever they see a man, because they think every man must be that terrible.
Think it over. As a result of their parents’ divorce, the children learn to hate men or women and grow up to become troubled teenagers. If they hate their father, they will want to murder any man they see, finishing him off with one shot. If they hate women, they will want to shoot women. They see women as thorns in the flesh. Under these circumstances, how can the society function well? It is rotten at the core. Nevertheless, Americans have not yet realized the seriousness of this problem. They still think, “Our country is so rich in natural resources and material goods, and doesn’t lack anything. This is a good country.” They do not realize that it is already rotten inside, just like a tree whose trunk is rotten and whose roots are gone. This problem is caused by divorce. After a man and a woman get married, they are almost certain to get divorced, because they will get tired of each other and want to find new partners. The new partners turn out to be worse than the original ones, and the more they do this, the more of a mess it becomes. As a result, there are troubled children and broken families. This is because the five kinds of human relationships and the eight virtues are no longer functioning. Chinese people should not think that Western culture is so great, for it has become bankrupt at the very roots.
Furthermore, even if a couple stays married and does not get divorced, the man will find a lover and the woman will also get a lover, out of revenge. They become dissatisfied with each other and mutually want to take revenge. They disturb the family until it breaks up and is no longer a real family. That’s what happens if they don’t get divorced. There are still some people who understand principle and do not get divorced or find lovers, but they are in the minority. The vast majority of the people are constantly getting divorced.
It seems to me that Chinese people are also picking up this trend. That’s why I want to speak about the importance of the fundamentals of being a human being. We should quickly awaken from our confused dream. Don’t dream about the West anymore. I used to think the West—the United States of America—was really great. But when I got there, I found out—I’ll tell you the truth, and I’m not afraid if the Americans here oppose me—I think they are very stupid. What do you think? Did you hear about this trend in the United States before?
◆臺灣臺北工業技術學院法會現場
The Dharma Assembly at the Taipei Institute of Industrial Technology
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