現在舉行這個觀音七，是八萬四千法門裡的一個法門。所謂一門深入，由這個法門裡深入，你把這一個法門修的成功了，其他的法門也就圓滿了。所謂：
自性入虛空，真妄在其中。
悟得個中理，一通一切通。
你念觀音菩薩，行住坐臥，都是在念觀世音菩薩。念得你聽這颳風的聲音，也是在念這觀世音薩；你聽這流水的聲音，也是在念觀世音菩薩，你聽這所有的聲音都是在念這觀世音菩薩。無論是有情或是無情，都是在念觀世音菩薩，所有一切的聲音，都是在那兒念觀世音菩薩，所有你看一切的境界都表示觀世音菩薩的現身說法。在這個時候你一個妄想、一點懷疑心都沒有了。覺得前後左右、四維上下，都是在觀世音菩薩的光明照耀之中。
觀世音菩薩就在我們的性裡面，我們都在觀世音菩薩的性裡面，互相合而為一。觀世音菩薩就像一個大海水似的，我們每一個人就像大海外邊的細流一樣，由細流同歸一海。所謂：「百川匯海」，都合而為一。也不知道有我，也不知道有觀世音菩薩。我、和觀世音菩薩都空了，沒有了，你若能到這個程度啊，那只是在佛教裡頭，得到一點點少的部份，不是全的。可是你由這一點點由淺入深，由近即遠，由少而多，久而久之，你就會成就這個念觀世音菩薩的三昧了。
念一句觀音菩薩，你是看不見的，就會有一道光明現出來，消除這個世界上很多惡業，救了很多的眾生。我們這兒念觀世音菩薩，這也就是補世間上不足的正氣，多一個人念觀世音菩薩，就多一股光明，少一股黑暗的氣。
我們這兒念觀世音菩薩，在加州就沒有一切的天災，一切的人禍。為什麼呢？就因為我們這兒念觀世音菩薩的人很多。多一個人念觀世音菩薩，這個地方就消去很多的災難。因為觀世音菩薩，他是大慈大悲的，你念觀世音菩薩，有什麼所求，他就遂心滿願，滿足你的這種求願。
你們各位都是沒有注意：你看看！這近幾年來，美國的東部和中部，不是風災就是雨災，這個旋風吹倒了很多房子，死了很多人。這是因為在水裡頭有一些個怪物，牠要來害這世界上的人，但是牠就沒有辦法到加州來。在加州很少這個災難，這都是我們在這兒念觀世音菩薩的感應，大家在這兒用功辦道的感應，我們在這兒修行，就是感應世界上沒有一切的災難。所以我們念觀音菩薩不是單單為自己有什麼好處，我們求觀音菩薩，感應這個世界上，災難都沒有了。我們的誠心有多大，感應就有多大。因為這個，所以我們在這兒用功念觀世音菩薩，要為整個世界上的人來祈禱，求觀音菩薩，令整個世界消除一切的災難，所以我們法會這個是非常重要的法會。
你們因為不懂佛法，所以不懂念觀世音菩薩的重要性，念觀音菩薩「恚怒生歡喜，死者變成活。若言此是虛，諸佛不妄說。」恚怒；你能念觀世音菩薩，一般的眾生，恚怒、發脾氣的時候，仗著菩薩得力量，他很快就生歡喜心。死者變成活；就要死的人，你能給他念觀世音菩薩，他會活過來就不死了！你若說這個不對的，諸佛不妄說；這諸佛呀！他不打妄語的，不說假話的。這種感應道交的力量，是不可思議的。因為這個我們大家聚在一起打觀音七的時候，一分一秒也不要把它空過去，不可以隨隨便便的去亂講話。你亂講話不要緊啊，但其他人看見你講話，他也要講話，另外一個人也要講，那麼就把道心打失去了、退了，沒有道心了。所以這一點，我們不修行不要緊，不要也影響其他人不修行，不要到這個道場裡來造罪業，明知故犯，那是佛也不能原諒你的。 |
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We are now holding a Guanyin Recitation Session, which is one of the 84,000 Dharma doors (methods of practice). If you can deeply enter one Dharma door, then when you cultivate it to perfection, you will also have perfected the other doors. As it is said,
The inherent nature is like space, containing both the true and the false therein.
If you awaken to this principle, then when you understand one, you will understand all.
In reciting the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, you should recite whether you are moving or still, sleeping or awake. Recite to the point that you can even hear Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name in the sound of the wind and water. Every sound you hear is just the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva. All sentient beings and insentient things are reciting Guanyin’s name. All sounds are Guanyin Bodhisattva's name; all states are Guanyin Bodhisattva manifesting to speak the Dharma. At that point, you have no idle thoughts or doubts at all. Everything above, below, and all around you is illuminated by Guanyin Bodhisattva’s light.
Guanyin Bodhisattva exists within our nature, and we exist within Guanyin Bodhisattva’s nature; we join and become one with Guanyin Bodhisattva. Guanyin Bodhisattva is like a great sea, and each person is a stream flowing into the sea. All streams unite in the sea. There is no longer any awareness of a self or of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Both the self and Guanyin Bodhisattva are empty. In Buddhism, this is still a very small state of accomplishment; it is by no means complete. Yet, starting with this little bit, you can gradually go from the shallow to the deep, from the near to the far, from a little to a lot. Eventually, you will attain the Guanyin recitation samadhi.
Each time you recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name, a ray of light shines forth, dispelling a great deal of bad karma and saving many living beings in the world. Reciting Guanyin’s name helps to restore the proper energy in the universe. Each person who recites helps to increase the light and decrease the darkness.
As we have been reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name, the state of California has not experienced any natural or manmade disasters. Why not? Because there are so many people reciting here. Each person who comes to recite Guanyin’s name reduces the number of local disasters. Why is this? Guanyin Bodhisattva is greatly compassionate, and if you recite his name, he will fulfill all your wishes.
Take a look at how many tornadoes and floods there have been in the Eastern and Midwestern United States during the past few years. Many people have been killed and many houses have been blown away by the tornadoes. These disasters are caused by malicious sea monsters. However, California has been relatively free of such calamities, because those monsters don’t dare to come here. This is a response gained from everyone reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name and working hard at cultivation. With our cultivation we hope to influence the world and make it free of calamities. We are not reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name only for ourselves; we are praying to Guanyin Bodhisattva to dispel the world’s disasters. The response we gain will be as large as the amount of sincerity we can muster. For this reason, we should vigorously recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name and pray for Guanyin Bodhisattva to make the whole world a peaceful, disaster-free place. This Dharma session is an extremely important one.
Since you don’t understand the Buddhadharma well, you don’t realize how important it is to recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name. When you recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name, “Anger gives way to happiness, and the dead come back to life. You may say this is false, but the Buddhas do not lie.” If you recite Guanyin’s name upon encountering an angry person, the person’s anger will soon turn into happiness. If you recite Guanyin’s name for someone who is dying, he will be able to live on. If you don’t believe this, you should know that the Buddhas do not speak falsely. The power of such responses is inconceivable. During the Guanyin Session, we shouldn’t waste a single second with idle chatter. If you start talking, other people will start talking, and pretty soon everyone will retreat from their resolve to cultivate. If you yourself don’t cultivate, that’s okay, but don’t influence others to not cultivate. Don’t create offenses in the Way-place. If you deliberately break the rules, then even the Buddha has no way to forgive you.
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