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……各處都要建立佛教安老會、佛教青年會，令一般人都得到佛教的好處，這是我們現在最要緊的一件事情。那麼在「佛教講堂」和「中美佛教會」、〈金剛菩提海〉這些個人，他們這一班人做這三件事情，三件事情又分出來無量無邊那麼多的事情。你們現在都是基本人才，所以各位都要特別注意這些個問題。將來世界的眾生都等著你們去救度，所以一分鐘也不能懶惰。就是這樣，不知有多少眾生等著你們去度他，你現在一懶一分鐘，他那兒或者就晚了一個大劫也不一定，所以這絲毫都不能懶惰的，也不能自私。說是，「哦！我不管他，我現在放逸一點，也不要緊。」你就不救度眾生，你也應該救度自己無量劫以來生生世世的父母啊，六親眷屬啊，這些個人也都等著你度呢！所謂「一子入佛門，九祖升天。」你現在都入佛門了，你若做得好，你那九祖都會升到天上去；但是你若做得不好，那就沒有什麼好處了。
方才說要做佛教的安老院和佛教的青年會，那麼前幾天我不是說菩薩送給我們一個大building（房子），我們可以利用這個地方，在樓下 first floor（一樓）做佛堂和禪堂、飯堂，二樓我們就做安老院，請一般老人到我們這兒來住。那麼老人來，不是叫他們吃飽了就睡覺，睡飽了又吃飯，不是這樣子；要教他們念佛，我們一定定出功課來，一天念幾支香佛。二樓是念佛，first floor（一樓）就是參禪，我們禪淨雙修。老人最好念佛，老人因為他離死的日子近了，念佛好求生西方。
這個三樓呢，我們就叫佛教青年會；這個佛教青年會就又念佛又參禪，又幫助這些個老人。我們現在人人都做一個大孝子，有這麼多老人，這像我們自己的爸爸媽媽一樣，我們可以孝順孝順他們。總而言之，令他比在他自己家裏好百千萬倍。那麼我們請幾個護士，nurse照顧這些個老人；他有什麼病呢，有毛病就送他到醫院去，在那有人管理他。在我們這兒呢，我們就給他念佛，這是一個。
我想這個事情是很好的。我因為對老人很有興趣；我現在已經老了，那麼我提倡這個，也希望你們來孝順我一點……。
1970年12月6日
……將來成立這個男人的安老院，女人的安老院；男女分開，這個安老院，……不能就在那就這麼住，要念佛，要吃齋。……在這個老人院方面，也不分中國人，也不分日本人，也不分新加坡人，馬來亞，Thailand（泰國），是德國，所有世界的老人，他願意來，我們都歡迎，我們都照顧他，給他吃得好好的，住得好好的。我們每一天要選一個做院長的，安老院的院長；這安老院的院長是做什麼的呢？就是做大家的兒子的，給這些個老人做一個真正孝順的兒子。每一天要去看看老人，哪一個有病啊？哪一個沒有病啊？哪一個有什麼問題？哪一個沒有什麼問題？然後再要用一個護士，每天給老人檢查檢查身體，探探熱啊，看看他有什麼意外，有什麼毛病沒有。這樣子照顧這些個老人，就像比他在他自己家裏，比他自己的兒女對他還好。那麼，這些個老人呢，他一歡喜就念佛了。老人不是就那麼閒著的；老人沒有旁的事情可幹，就念佛求生西方淨土，這叫安老念佛堂，這是老人方面的。
我們再成立一個佛教青年會，這佛教青年會就是想辦法怎麼樣來令佛教發揚光大。因為佛教的責任寄託在青年人的身上，青年人來發菩薩心，怎麼樣子能使令佛法能深入社會，深入人類各方面裏邊，令一般人都明白佛法，發菩提心，行菩薩道，我們這是要緊的。那麼我們現在這些個佛教的青年，你們都要發菩薩心，行菩薩道來護持三寶。
現在，我和你們說過好幾次，你們因為以前都發願跟著我來的；好像果護似的，發願永遠要跟著師父。你今生發這個願呢，在前生已經發過這個願了，所以現在又碰在一起……。
……一邊成立男青年會，一邊成立女青年會，這個男青年會和女青年會，男安老院和女安老院互相比賽，看看哪一邊的成功最高，最有成績；哪一邊成績最高，就選哪一邊的人做長老……。
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Presently, it is crucial to set up Buddhist elders homes and Buddhist youth groups everywhere so that most people reap some benefit from Buddhism. Those of you at the Buddhist Lecture Hall, Sino-American Buddhist Association, and Vajra Bodhi Sea are working in these three areas. These three areas involve an infinite number of activities. You are the core group for everything right now, so you must pay particular attention to these issues. Future living beings in the world are waiting for you to save them. Therefore, don't be lazy or selfish for even a minute. No one knows how many living beings there are waiting to be saved by you, so you can't be a bit lazy. If you're lazy for a minute, they might miss the opportunity by a great eon. If you say, "Oh, forget them! I'm going to relax a bit. It'll be okay." If you meant to save living beings, yet you decided not to save them, then at least save your parents and relatives throughout infinite eons past. If you are successful, nine generations of your ancestors will enter the heavens. However, if you are unsuccessful, you will not have gained much.
Just now I said that we want to set up a Buddhist elders home and a Buddhist youth group. Well, a few days ago I also said that the Bodhisattvas gave us a large building. We could use the first floor of this building for Buddha Hall, meditation hall, and dining hall. The second floor could be the elders home. We could invite senior citizens to live here. The elders will not just come to eat and then sleep, sleep and then eat. We will teach them to recite the Buddha's name. We will set up a schedule for several periods of recitation a day. The second floor is for reciting the Buddha's name. The first floor is for meditation. We cultivate both meditation and the Pure Land practice. It's best that elders recite the Buddha's name since they are approaching the time of death. Reciting the Buddha's name make rebirth in the Western Pure Land more likely.
The third floor will be for a Buddhist youth organization. Buddhist youth will recite the Buddha's name and meditate, as well as help the aged. Each of us may be a filial son or daughter. We can practice filial respect towards all these elders who are just like our mothers and fathers. In general, they will be living much better than they would at home by a million times. We could hire a few nurses to take care of these elders. If they get sick, we can send them to Focus on Education the hospital. While professionals take care of them there, we recite the Buddha's name for them here. That is one thing.
I believe this is a good thing. I am very interested in the elderly because I am now old. I encourage this type of work and hope that you will be somewhat filial to me in the future.
December 6, 1970
In the future, let's set up an elders home for men and an elders home for women. The men and women will be separate. People will not simply live in the elders home, but they will also recite the Buddha's name and be vegetarian. This elders home will make no distinction among the Chinese, Japanese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Thai, German, and other nationalities. Elders from around the world are welcome. We will take care of them and provide them with good food and lodging. We will elect a director for the elders home, and this director will be a filial child to all of the elders, looking in on them daily to see who is in good health and who is sick. We will also have a nurse check the physical condition of these elders everyday, taking their temperature and checking to see if any of them have any accidents or problems. We will take better care of these elders than their own children would at home. As a result, these elders will be happy and start to recite the Buddha's name. Elders shouldn't be idle. If they have nothing to do, they should recite the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This is called Caring Elders Buddha Recitation Hall for Elders. This is in the area of elders.
We will also set up a Buddhist youth association. This associa- tion will come up with ways to propagate Buddhism and make it flourish. Since the responsibility of Buddhism rests upon young people, young adults aspire to seek enlightenment and think of ways to incorporate Buddhadharma into all levels of society and humanity in the most profound sense. It's most crucial to let the average person understand the Buddhadharma so that he or she will resolve to reach Bodhi and practice the Bodhisattva way. You young Buddhists now must all make the resolve for Bodhi and practice the Bodhisattva path in supporting the Triple Jewel. As I have said to you a number of times before, you are all here because you have made vows in the past to follow me, just like Guo Hu who vowed to follow me forever as a teacher. The vows you make in this lifetime were made in past lives gone by; that's why we meet again.
The young men's association will be on one side and the young women's association will be on the other. The young men's and young women's associations, as well as the senior men's and senior women's associations, will compete against each other to see which side is most successful. We will choose a leader from the side that accomplishes the most.
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