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我們在講法的時候不可以罵人；臺上不是罵人的地方，不是講是講非的地方。所以說法要心平氣和，要有涵養，要有道心，不能在講臺上邊來講是講非，用無明在這兒大發脾氣；要是這樣子，不可以上臺來說法，在什麼地方也不可以。你們各位要注意這一點。
你對常住管事的人，他就是對或者不對，大家平時可以談論，在講臺上不能講這個是非的；要是有這樣的，就是違反說法的規矩。因為講法的地方，不是一個講是講非的地方，尤其有神經病的人不明白自愛，也應該尊重自己。臺上不可以有這樣的人上來，有神經病的人不可以上來；有神經病的人在道場裡，本來就是妨礙大家的修行，已經是不共住的了。可是大家原諒你，你就應該愛惜自己，不可以跑到講臺上來講是講非。尤其帶著脾氣講法，這是等於殺人一樣的，等於犯戒殺人，因為你有一股殺氣在你心裡頭。這一點，我們每一個聽法的人都應該有擇法眼，應該知道孰是孰非。
方才講的這十種的不怕，很有道理，我們修道的人學佛的時候，都應該用它來做借鏡。你有這十種的不怕：不怕困難，不怕對我沒有益處，你能有這種心，與道能夠相應。所以你們各位聽法的人，主要是要有擇法眼；你有擇法眼，就知道是法非法，是道非道。是道則進，非道則退；是法我們就學習，不是法就把它忘了。這是學佛的人很要緊的一點。
再有，說法臺上兩邊各有兩個人，或者是四個人，都可以的。弄一個小桌子就可以，不用那麼大桌子。我們這兒道場裡邊要盡量樸素，盡量節省。雖然是莊嚴佛土，但是太過莊嚴了、未免近於浮華。所以我們要實實在在，老老實實的，一切都樸素，一切都不奢侈，不浪費，兩邊擺兩個小桌子就可以了。我已經說過好幾次了，可是大家還沒有把它改過來，這是不合法的。
尤其這個說法，到其他地方，只是一個法師坐一個講臺，旁邊都沒有座位。這是我為的有翻譯，為的訓練其他的人來講法，所以旁邊設上兩個旁座。這個旁座，簡簡單單就好，不用那麼樣子華美。因為我們說法，越樸素越好，越節省越好，不要浪費物質，浪費金錢，又浪費地方，這有種種不對的地方。設那麼大個地方佔了很多位置，行路也都不便，這也都是屬於浪費。在旁邊的旁座，你不管這個主法的法師他來沒來，天天都要早一點坐在上邊。
上邊說法的要說法又要翻譯，不是誰都可以上來的。這一些也不會說話，也不懂得修行的人，不可以上講臺來亂講亂說的，這是每一個人都要知道這種常識。女界尤其要特別注意，不能發狂的人，發瘋的人，也跑到臺上來亂講亂說的，這是犯規矩的。
你們女界都是管什麼的，就這麼隨便？這個說法的人來不來，你們都應該坐那個地方等著，不是要說法的人坐在那兒等著你們。你們這樣就是差之絲毫，謬之千里。你們學佛的人，要懂得先學這個規矩；規矩禮法都不懂，這不能學佛的。
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We shouldn't yell at people when we are giving a Dharma talk. The stage is no place for yelling at people, criticisms or judgements. Instead, we should be calm and magnanimous as well as have resolve for the Way. You shouldn't become really upset because of your ignorance. If so, you shouldn't be talking on stage, or anywhere for that matter. Every one of you must pay attention to this point.
You may discuss anything done correctly or incorrectly by the supervisors of the monastery, but you shouldn't talk about them on stage. If you do that, you violate one of the rules for giving a Dharma talk. The place for giving a Dharma talk is no place for critiques of individuals. People who are mentally ill should be kept away from the stage; they should at least respect themselves if they don't know to cherish themselves. People who are mentally ill keep everyone from cultivating, which already excludes them from being members of the community in residence. Since everyone is forgiving of you, you should have some self-respect. You cannot run up on stage to say this is right and that is wrong. You are basically committing murder, particularly if you give a Dharma talk out of anger. Since you harbor this intent to kill, it is the same as if you have violated the precept against killing a human being. Everyone listening to the Dharma should recognize this. The audience has to have the ability to select the right Dharma and be able to distinguish right from wrong.
The Ten Kinds of Fearlessness that we talked about earlier make good sense. Cultivators who study Buddhism should consider them warnings. If you have these Ten Kinds of Fearlessness, such as not being afraid of hardship and disadvantage, then you will connect with the Way. Hence, anyone who listens to Dharma talks must have the ability to select the right Dharma. That's most important. If you have such an ability, you will know which Dharma is correct and which Dharma is incorrect, what is the Way and what isn't the Way, and know to advance if it is the Way and retreat if it is not the Way. We must learn it if it is the Dharma; we must forget it if it is not the Dharma. This is a critical point for people who are studying Buddhism.
In addition, it's okay to have two people or four people on either side of the stage. You can just bring out a small table though, you don't need to use such large tables. We must try to keep everything simple here in the temple. We try to save. Although we try to adorn the Buddhaland, excessive adornment becomes ornate extravagance. That's why we try to be straightforward and honest, keeping everything plain and simple. We don't go overboard with anything or waste anything. Two little tables for both sides will do. I have told you this several times, but you still haven't made the changes. This does not accord with the Dharma.
Typically, there is only one Dharma Master at the podium when you're lecturing elsewhere. There are no other seats on the side. Since I have to have a translator and want to train people to give Dharma talks, I have two seats next to me. The simpler these seats are, the better. You don't need to waste any item, any money, or any space. There is a number of things wrong with having such a large setup. You take up so much space that it becomes inconvenient to walk even. This is also considered a waste. People who sit on the sides must get there early every day, regardless of whether the Dharma Master giving the main talk has arrived or not.
People who go up to give a Dharma talk must know how, and must be able to translate. Not everyone can come up. Those people who don't know how to talk and don't understand cultivation can't come up on stage to talk gibberish. Everyone ought to have common sense. The women's side must pay attention to this in particular. People who are insane and crazy cannot just run up on stage to chatter on about nonsense. That would be a violation of the rules. What kind of management do you women have that you're so casual? You should be sitting there waiting for the Dharma speaker, rather than to have the Dharma speaker sit there and wait for the rest of you. When you are off by an inch at the start, you miss wide of the mark at the end. People studying Buddhism must first learn this rule. If you don't even understand the rules of propriety, you can't possibly learn Buddhism.
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