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本來，這佛法是一代不如一代，一代 就衰微一代，可是萬佛城的佛法，一代超過一代。以前出家的比丘、比丘尼還沒有這麼認真，可是以後的沙彌、沙彌尼，凡是在萬佛城出家的都要一個頂十個，十個頂百個，百個上千個，千個上萬個，一定要出乎其類，拔乎其萃，一定要青出於藍，而勝於藍，這是一定的。不是我要求過高，而是佛法衰敗得太厲害，你要是沒有大善知識、大修行人，不能把佛教再復興起來。
萬佛城是西方佛教的基礎，要在萬佛城培育法門的龍象、佛教的棟樑，將來向全世界去發揚佛教，讓佛教到每一個角落，每一個國家去紮下根去，生枝長葉開花結果，將來佛教要遍滿全世界，遍滿法界，不論比丘，比丘尼。都有佛教的棟樑在那兒弘揚佛法。現在我向這條路線上發展，因為全世界都陷於水深水熱中，全世界的人現在都走到死亡的道路上，全世界的人性幾幾乎就毀滅了。你看看現在弱智兒童，全世界充滿這種可怕的病症，不可治的病症，瀰漫著全世界；這種天災人禍意外，也是充滿全世界。這種時代是一個生死存亡的時代，我們要把佛教能發揚光大，把這黑暗的世界給照亮了。
這種責任，每一個人都要負起；不要說，「這等著旁人去做，與我沒有關係，我只是全世界的一份子。」要知道，我這一份子沒有好，那全世界就不要希望好了；想要讓全世界好，由我身上先做起。
我要怎麼做起呢？這是要清淨身口意，息滅貪瞋癡；你把自己染污的念頭收拾乾淨了，戒定慧充滿了，貪瞋癡自然就消滅了，所以我們每一個人都有責任的。勤修戒定慧，息滅貪瞋癡，要是真能這樣子，這世界上的光明才會出現，黑暗的世界才會照亮。
你們各位看看，現在全世界到處都有同性戀，到處都充滿這種邪惡罪行的存在。這種行為是一個亡國滅種的行為，這種行為是一個違悖天理的行為，可是到處都有；甚至於在佛教裡也各處都是隱藏著這類的人物，這是最可悲的。這一類的人物都是妖魔鬼怪、山妖水怪來轉到這世界來毀壞佛教，所以各位到了萬佛城這來，都要好好的收拾身心，不要為一點點小問題就發脾氣，就打妄想，要真正知道我們的責任是什麼。我們不但要救我們自己的父母，也要救我們生生世世的父母；我們不單要救我們生生世世的父母，我們也要救世界上所有眾生的父母，所有眾生的兄弟姊妹。
我們的思想要把它擴大，要「老吾老以及人之老，幼吾幼以及人之幼」；不要單單只知道我們的姊妹是我們的姊妹，我們要以世界所有和我年齡差不多的，都是我親姊妹一樣。「大道之行也天下為公，選賢與能，講信修睦；故人不獨親其親，子其子，使老有所終，壯有所用，幼有所長，矜寡孤獨者，皆有所養……」我們要抱定大同世界的宗旨，發揮佛教的精神；我們要救人類在水深水熱死亡的邊緣，把他們的生命搶回來，所以這一點是我們每一個人的責任，應盡的義務。我們不要眼光看得那麼近，思想那麼狹窄，就看見這是我的父母、朋友、親戚，那是我們六親眷屬。我們要看世界無論哪一類的種族都是我們的父母、朋友、六親眷屬，都是一樣的公平；要把我們的思想擴大了，不要心狹氣窄就只認識自己的六親眷屬，其他的人都和我不相干的。我們無量劫以來，在六道裹不單是人類是我的親戚、眷屬，一切的眾生也是我們過去的父母、未來的諸佛，所以我們的心量要擴大了。
萬佛聖城是法界佛教總會，心裏要像法界那麼大，可是在法界裏頭，好的也有，不好的也有。這是冤親平等，遠近平等，老少同堂。我們大家向前努力，這是我們大概的一個目標，我們出家的本懷。我們要成就全世界，全人類，從黑暗世界把它變成光明世界。什麼叫「黑暗世界」？就是大家愚癡了，就是黑暗世界；什麼是「光明世界」？就是大家都智慧了，就是光明世界。
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Typically, the Buddhadharma declines with the passing of every succeeding generation. The Buddhadharma represented by each new generation at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, however, supercedes the previous generation. The Bhikshus and Bhikshunis were never this earnest in the past. Each upcoming shramanera [novice monk], shramanerika [novice nun], and anyone who joins the monastic life at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas must be able to stand in for ten people. Ten of you must stand in for one hundred. A hundred of you must stand in for a thousand. A thousand of you must stand in for ten thousand. You must be the outstanding ones among your class and stand out from the crowd. You must surpass your teacher; be even better than your teacher. That's for sure. I'm not making too high of a demand; it's just that the Buddhadharma has degenerated much too severely. Without excellent advisors and cultivators, Buddhism cannot flourish again.
The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is the foundation for Buddhism in the West. We must develop movers and shakers in the Dharma and leaders for Buddhism. In the future, you must propagate Buddhism throughout the entire world so that Buddhism is in every corner of the world. You must strengthen the roots of Buddhism in every country so that it branches out, grows, blossoms, and bears fruit. Buddhism must prevail throughout the entire world in the future. Leaders of Buddhism, whether Bhikshus or Bhikshunis, must propagate the Buddhadharma throughout the entire Dharma Realm. We're now moving toward this direction because the entire world is in hot water. The human race is on its way to death. Human nature is nearly extinct. Look, the world is full of children with learning disabilities and other frightening and incurable diseases. Natural disasters and accidents caused by men also fill the world to its brim. Survival of the fittest best describes this era.
We have the responsibility to propagate Buddhism and make it shine upon this world of darkness. Each of us has to shoulder this responsibility of making the world a brighter place. You shouldn't say, "This has nothing to do with me. I'll just wait. Somebody else could do the job. I'm just one person out of the entire world." You should know that if you as an individual refuse to contribute, there will be no hope for a better world.
"I want to make the entire world a better place. Let me begin with myself. How should I start?" You must purify your body, mouth, and mind; quell your greed, hatred, and delusion. Once you clean up your tainted thoughts and fully possess the precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, then greed, hatred, and delusion will naturally be extinguished. Each and every one of us has the responsibility to diligently cultivate the precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, and to quell greed, hatred, and delusion. If you can really do it, this world of darkness will become bright.
Look, homosexuality is everywhere in the world. This type of improper behavior exists everywhere. This type of behavior is the type of behavior that ends nations and extinguishes races. This type of behavior is the type of behavior that defies principles of the universe. Yet it is everywhere. Such characters also conceal themselves within Buddhism, which is most pathetic. Such characters must all be demons and phantoms. They are goblins from the mountains and monsters from bodies of water who came to this world to ruin Buddhism. For all of you who have come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you must put your body and mind in order. Don't become angry or strike up false thoughts over the tiniest problems. You should really know what our responsibilities are. Not only should we save our parents in this lifetime, but we should also save our parents throughout every one of our lives. Not only should we save our parents throughout every one of our lives, but we should save the parents of all beings, the siblings of all beings. We must expand our frame of mind, to "take care of others' parents as if they're our parents, to take care of others' children as if they're our children." Not only should we treat our sisters by blood as our own, but recognize that every one in our age group around the world are our real sisters.
We must hold on to the goal of peace in the world. "To practice the great Way is to treat the world as belonging to the public; to select the worthy and capable; to be trustworthy and to harmonize; to not only take good care of one's own parents and children but also make sure that all elders and young ones are taken care of; to ensure that adults are employed and young ones are nourished; to see that widows, widowers, and the solitary all have a home to go to and are protected..." We must put the spirit of the Buddha into practice and save the human race from the deep end of the water, from the brink of death. It is our personal responsibility to restore their lives. Don't be so myopic and narrow-minded as to see only my parents, my friends, and my relatives. We must treat all races in the world equally, consider them all as our parents, friends, and relatives. We should expand our frame of mind. Don't be so narrow-minded as to recognize our own relatives and friends only while disregarding everyone else. Having transmigrated in the six paths for limitless eons, not only are humans beings our friends and relatives, but all beings have been our parents in the past and will be Buddhas in the future. Accordingly, we must broaden our horizons.
The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is under the auspices of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. We must have minds as large as the Dharma Realm. Of course, there are positives and negatives within the Dharma Realm. We must treat the good and the bad equally.
We ought to be impartial toward enemies and friends, toward those near and far, young and old. We must advance vigorously. This is our goal in general, which should be a basic attitude for monks and nuns. We must save the entire world and the entire human race. We must turn the world of darkness into the world of brightness. What is a world of darkness? It's one where everyone is foolish. What is a world of brightness? It's one where everyone is wise. That would be a brighter world. |
