Disclaimer: My translations are not official nor endorsed by 2OR, so please just treat it as a ‘fan-based’ translation based on my understanding of his teachings. The Buddha-Dharma is profound. No matter how you convey it, it won’t be completely perfect. Because the Buddha-Dharma is an experience, it’s an awakening 【佛法深奥无比，怎么写，都不会是究竟圆满。佛法是一种悟】. I am not an enlightened being like Master Lu, but I will treat his teachings with my utmost respect and do my best to convey and translate it to the best of my (limited) abilities for my friends and people who can’t read Chinese. Please enjoy, and I hope it serves as a good filler until the official English version comes out.
很多人问师父，观想是什么意思？观想就是一边想，一边用眼睛看。大家知道，观，不就是看吗，想，就是用脑筋想，观想就是常观常想，经常看，经常想。想什么呢？不是叫你们想自己，也不是叫你们想怎样发财，也不是叫你们想怎么生活好，而是叫你们想观世音菩萨。常观常想，培养观想的能力很重要。什么叫培养观想的能力呢？就是要培养一种我动不动就会想到观世音菩萨，这已经成为一种能力了。师父可以一想观世音菩萨，观世音菩萨就在眼睛前面。这就是培养出来的。经常要观想，师父希望你们常常观想。
Many people ask Master, “What is visualisation?” Visualisation is about imagining and looking at the same time. As everybody knows, visualisation requires us to see something visually and to use our brain to think. Visualisation is regularly looking and regularly thinking. Think about what? It’s not about thinking of yourself, nor how you’ll become rich, nor how you’ll improve your everyday lives, but to think about Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Regularly see and think, it’s very important to cultivate the ability to visualise. What does that imply? It’s to cultivate an unconscious behaviour of thinking about Guan Yin Bodhisattvas whenever something occurs; this is a kind of ability. Master can think about Guan Yin Bodhisattva, and She will immediately appear before me. This requires cultivating and training. Master hopes that you can regularly visualise.
实际上，师父在观世音菩萨的加持下现在的能力已经很大，很多人在梦中被鬼抓，他们叫，“卢台长，救我。”他也马上就会醒过来。电台节目中的案例很多，师父不要你们观想我，应该观想你们自己。什么叫观想自己？就是观想自己的法身。你们的法身是什么，你们知道吗？法身就是菩萨身。每个人身上都有自己的法身。法身很重要。照着镜子看看，这个是不是你，这个是不是我，我是这样的吗？再看着镜子想一想，我是菩萨。然后接下来就不要看镜子了。就用自己内在的眼睛来看自己的法身，我是菩萨，一定时间后，会看到边上有很多的护法神。
In fact, under the blessings of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Master’s power has become very great. Many people, when they encounter ghosts who try to catch them in their dreams, when they cry, “Master, save me,” they would immediately wake up. There are many cases like this in the radio programme, Master doesn’t need you to visualise him, but you should visualise yourself. What does that imply? It’s to visualise one’s dharma-body. Do you know what your dharma-body is? The dharma-body is the body of a Bodhisattva. Everybody possesses a dharma-body. It is very important. Look in the mirror and see, is that you? Is that me? Am I like this? Then look in the mirror again and think, “I am a Bodhisattva.” Afterwards, you don’t need to look in the mirror anymore. You can use your mind’s eye to see your own dharma-body, “I’m a Bodhisattva.” After a certain period, you’ll see many Dharma protectors besides you.
师父今天教你们的都是方法，其实禅定也是这样的。你要想到，我所相信的菩萨，我现在看到的菩萨是真实的。你们盯着观世音菩萨的佛像看，你们看到边上不是有光吗，包括山后面有个大圆圈，你们看得出吗，山上有个大圆圈，大光环，即使你们的肉眼看不见，你们也要用你们内在的眼睛说，我看见了。师父当场教你们这个方法。看见了吗？这个光环会不会动啊？会动。你就看见菩萨了。
Today, Master will teach you a method. Zen concentration is like this. You must think, “The Bodhisattva who I believe in and the Bodhisattva I see before me is real.” Focus your attention at the portrait of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, can you see that there’s a light emitting from the edges? Including the big image of the mountain behind, can you see it? The great circle of light above the mountain, although your physical eyes can’t see, you must use your mind’s eye to imagine that you can see it. Master teaches you this method. Do you see? Can you see the circle of light move? “Yes.” Then that means you saw the Bodhisattva.
这就是相信。我必须相信你，我才能得到这些东西。你要想到，菩萨的光环会动的。我相信，菩萨是真实的，然后就想到菩萨在你的头顶上。千万要记住，像我们这种凡人肉胎，不要把菩萨直接印到自己的身上来。菩萨不会进来的，因为你们身上很肮脏啊。明白了吗？如果一个很干净的人，就可以把菩萨完全印到他的身体上。但是，像你们脑子里贪嗔痴，想乱七八糟的东西多，千万不要说把菩萨的形象完全印到自己的身体上来。只能想到菩萨在你的头顶上。
That is faith. “I must have faith in you so that my prayers are granted.” You must imagine, that the Bodhisattva’s halo can move. “I believe it, Bodhisattvas are real,” then imagine that the Bodhisattva is above your head. You must take note, for us mortals, don’t imagine the Bodhisattva to enter directly into your body. Bodhisattvas wouldn’t come otherwise because your body is filthy. You understand? If a person is very pure, then they can imagine the Bodhisattva to enter into their body. But, with your mind that’s defiled by greed, hatred and delusion, and have many distracting thoughts, you must never imagine the image of the Bodhisattva to imprint into your body completely. You can only imagine the Bodhisattva to be above your head.
你们经常听到很多人讲，“下降头”。在玄学中，应该叫“下降头”。降下来的东西，降到你的头上，就麻烦了。但是，在你的头上，你自己观想着菩萨，那就是你真实的东西。人家给你下来的东西，就是降头。不知道你们是否听得懂？要记住，当人家要在你头上放些什么东西的时候，实际上，这个东西已经麻烦了。自己修炼出来的菩萨，在你的头上，那是真的东西，就能顶住这些不好的“降头”，让它消除。
You may have regularly heard of ‘descent upon one’s head’ (known as black magic). In metaphysics, it’s called that way because the spellcaster cast something to descend on your head and that is troublesome. But if you can visualise the Bodhisattva to be above your head, it becomes realised and can resist the black magic. Do you understand? Take note, when somebody wants to put something on your head, in fact, this is already troublesome. If you can cultivate a Bodhisattva and visualise it above your head, that becomes something real, so it’s able to resist black magic and diminish it.
只有头上有佛，磨难都是无法下在你身上的。你要这么想，磨难就不会在我的身上下降。大家明白吗？因为磨和难本来就是两个不好的东西。磨上你身了，好不好？难上你身了，好不好？加在一起，磨难来了，你就倒霉了。所以要想到，磨难离我身。因为我是干净的，所以我不会把这些磨难弄到我身上来。大家明白了吗？你们要想像，你就是菩萨。虽然菩萨在你的头顶上，但是你想像，你就是菩萨。而且你要想像，我周围都有很多的菩萨，是护法神。当然，这个想最好是白天想，晚上不要想。还有，在观音堂可以想，在其他的地方，我不知道。如果在任何的庙里，在尼姑庵里，如果有菩萨在的话，你可以想。问题是如果没有菩萨在，你就麻烦了。或者有时拜的是什么类型的因，会给你带来什么类型的果。
Only when there’s a Buddha above your head, would tribulations unable to get near you. You must think that way; then tribulations will not descend on us, you understand? It’s because when you encounter tribulations, you become plagued with misfortune. That’s why you must imagine that it leaves you. “Because I am pure, tribulations won’t get close to me.” You understand? You must imagine that you’re a Bodhisattva. Although you have imagined the Bodhisattva to be above your head, you must also imagine that you’re a Bodhisattva, Plus also imagine that you are surrounded by many Bodhisattvas and Dharma protectors. That is best done during the day, not at night time. Also, you can do this in Guan Yin Hall, in other places, Master advises not to. In any temples or Buddhist convents, if you can feel the presence of Bodhisattvas there, you can do it. The problem is if there are no Bodhisattvas there, then it’s troublesome. Or sometimes when you’re paying respects to a certain being (cause), it would bring a certain consequence.
要不断地看着自己的法相。师父粗略地给你们讲，你们开始可以看着镜子中自己非常善良的形象，然后就慢慢想自己的脸，再想自己头上的观世音菩萨，再想着想着，就不要想自己的脸了，要想到自己的法身，想到自己的法相，就是很端庄。每个人的脸都会很端庄的。再会开玩笑的脸，也会端庄起来。一个人严肃起来，这个就叫法相。一个人疯疯癫癫、嘻嘻哈哈的时候，他这个人就不是他原来的人。当一个人有法相的时候，他不会笑，他很庄严。你看看菩萨，三分眼睁，七分眼闭，菩萨永远是这么看世界的。实际上，我们讲叫慈悲眼看世界，因为这个世界真是太可怜了。
You must constantly be aware of your dharma form. Master will roughly expound this. You can begin looking at your kind-hearted form in the mirror, then gradually shift your focus towards your face, then imagine Guan Yin Bodhisattva to be above your head, and focus on it. Then shift your visualisation from your face do your dharma-body, visualise it as looking very dignified. Then your face will look dignified. Even while laughing, it still looks dignified. When a person looks strict, that’s their dharma-form. When a person is crazy and laughs uncontrollably, then that person is no longer who they originally were. When a person manifests a dharma-form, they won’t laugh, they appear dignified. Look at the Bodhisattva; their eyes are thirty percent opened and seventy percent closed. They permanently look mercifully at the world like this because this world is very pitiful.
那么刚才所教你们的如何看自己的法相，讲到最后目的是什么呢？百毒不侵。我们周围有很多毒啊。举个例子，在我们的生活中，一般的人要骗你的话，先要让你开心，先要说笑话说得你开心，先要请你吃饭、送东西，让你先去掉警戒心，然后他就能骗你了，一般都是这样的。说笑话把你说得开心、逗乐，然后他就用他的方法跟你讲话了。那么，如果你用你的法相，比如说，他再跟你说怎么样怎么样，你看你会不会上当。这个就是你需要维持的，人间讲叫“尊严”。法相就是你的法身。
Just now I taught you how to look at your dharma-form, so what is our ultimate goal? It’s to be completely immune to all poisons. We are surrounded by many poisons. (The poison here refers to sources of the three poisons: greed, hatred and delusion) Master will use an analogy, in our everyday lives, typically when somebody wants to cheat you, they would first make you happy. They’ll make jokes to make you feel happy; then they’ll treat you to meals and send you gifts so that you lose vigilance. Then they could cheat you. Typically the process is like that. They will make jokes to entertain you, make you happy, and then they will use their methods to speak with you. If you manifest your dharma-form, for example, when they say this and that, do you think you can be lured? That requires to be maintained, in the human realm this is called dignity. The dharma-form is your dharma-body.
接下来，跟大家越讲越深。一个人如果不想被人家骗的话，首先他的仪表要庄严，人家就不敢骗他。如果你疯疯癫癫、稀里糊涂的，人家就会来骗你。骗子都会看，你这个人容易不容易被骗。那么这个法相就很重要了，明白了吗？如果一个人的法相不庄严，就会给别人一种容易被骗的感觉。如果一个女人不常笑，很庄严，人家就不会过来骗你。明白了吗？
Next, let’s discuss deeper into it. If one doesn’t wish to be cheated, first, one’s appearance must be dignified; then others won’t dare to cheat you. If one appears to be erratic and foolish, then others will target you. Swindlers know how to see whether you are somebody who is easy to cheat or not. That’s why a dharma-form is very important, you understand? If a person’s dharma-form isn’t dignified, then it gives others a sense that they are an easy target to swindle. If a woman doesn’t regularly laugh and looks dignified, then others won’t approach them with an intent to cheat. You understand?
如果你观想，会想到一些形象出来，包括想自己的形象，想自己头上的菩萨，想着想着，会出来一些东西。如果一看是观世音菩萨，很多人会很开心，“哎呀，我看到观世音菩萨了。”对不对？现在我们有很多听众，念经的，经常说，“我眼睛一闭，看见菩萨了。”那么，要是这个菩萨不是观世音菩萨呢？而是一个魔变的呢？你们怎样来辨别啊？如果你们眼前出现了这些情景，而不是真的菩萨，就像很多人耳朵里跟你讲，“我是观世音菩萨，我叫你怎么做，你就怎么做。”那你会不会相信？这就要靠两个方法了。
If you begin to visualise, then you’ll start to imagine many different things, including your appearance. You must visualise that there’s a Bodhisattva above your head, keep focusing your thoughts about it, and things will start to appear. When a person sees Guan Yin Bodhisattva, many people will be joyous about it, “Oh I saw Guan Yin Bodhisattva.” Am I right? Right now, many listeners recite sutras, and they regularly say that when they shut their eyes, they can see the Bodhisattvas. Then, what if these Bodhisattvas are not Guan Yin Bodhisattva? Or maybe it’s an illusion created by our inner demons? How do we differentiate it? If a certain image appeared before your eyes and it’s not a real Bodhisattva, you might hear a voice that tells you, “I am Guan Yin Bodhisattva. I’m telling you to do this so you must follow.” Would you believe it? There are two methods to differentiate it.
第一个方法，就是你们要靠你们的师父。师父是干什么的？实际上，师父的法名很重要。师父的法名你们可以叫。因为师父一般都会有心咒。叫心咒比较好。但是师父今天想了一下，要不要把心咒告诉你们，师父想还是不外传。因为师父还在人间，如果师父把心咒告诉了你们，好人会用，坏人也会弄师父。你们还是可以叫师父，如果你们拜过的人，你叫师父，天上地府马上就会知道，你是师父的徒弟。如果没有磕过头的，你就是叫师父，这个师父就变成一种尊称了，你们可以做试验的。师父讲一句很重要的话给你们听，如果看见观世音菩萨，你想知道是真是假，你们如果叫了师父名字之后，你看看这个形象走没走，如果这个“观世音菩萨”走掉了，那就是假的；如果这个观世音菩萨还没走，就是真的。因为你们是学师父教的法门，就是观世音菩萨法门，观世音菩萨当然不会去，所以师父教你们这个方法，明白了吗？
The first method is to depend on your Master. What does Master do? In reality, Master’s dharma-name is very important. You can call Master’s dharma-name. It’s because Master has a Heart Mantra (a mantra that is unique to calling for the blessings of Master’s dharma-form). Let’s call it Heart Mantra for now. But Master has pondered whether or not to share Master’s Heart Mantra with you and decided it’s better not to disclose it publicly. It’s because Master is still in the human realm. If Master shared his Heart mantra with you, good people would use it, but conversely, bad people can target Master. You can call Master if you have officially become a disciple, and you say, Master, then the heaven and the underworld will immediately know that you’re a disciple of Master. If you haven’t and you say, “Master,” then the name Master becomes a kind of honorific. You can conduct a test; what Master says here is important. If you see Guan Yin Bodhisattva and you want to know whether it’s real or fake, then proclaim Master’s name. See if the image has disappeared or not. If this Guan Yin Bodhisattva has disappeared, then it’s fake. If this Guan Yin Bodhisattva still hasn’t left, then it’s real. It’s because the Buddhist practice that you’re learning from Master belongs to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, that’s why Guan Yin Bodhisattva won’t disappear of course. That’s why Master teaches you this method, you understand?
第二个方法，就是用你们的正思维。正思维实际上就是正智慧。用智慧来辨别他跟你说什么话。举个例子，听众麦考当时耳朵里有一个声音跟她讲，“我是XXX。”也经常有很多听众跟师父讲，“观世音菩萨跟我讲话了。”那观世音菩萨跟你讲什么呢？有一个人告诉师父说，观世音菩萨告诉他到楼下面去玩，有很多人，很好玩。你说你有没有智慧来辨别这句话？你听到这句话，你认为这是观世音菩萨吗？如果你傻傻的，当时被他控制住了，你照样会跳下去。这就是为什么现在修心修到后来很多人走火入魔，就是这个道理。因为他不知道什么是真佛法，什么是假佛法。这就是师父讲的迷信不是正信 。实际上，佛法真的不能迷信。佛法是正信，它是真正教育人、帮助人的佛法。
The second method is to use the right intentions. Right intentions are right wisdom. You must use wisdom to analyse what it’s saying to you. Here’s an example, a listener called Michelle heard a voice talking to her, “I’m xxx.” Also, many listeners have mentioned that Guan Yin Bodhisattva is communicating with them. What then, did Guan Yin Bodhisattva tell you? A person told Master that Guan Yin Bodhisattva told him to play downstairs, there were many people there, so it’s fun. May I ask whether you’ve used wisdom to analyse what was said? When you hear something like that, do you think Guan Yin Bodhisattva would say it? If you’re foolish, and you were controlled, you would jump down as usual. That is why many people who cultivate their mind become deviated as a result, that’s the principle. It’s because they don’t know what’s the true Buddha-Dharma and what’s a false Buddha-Dharma. That is what Master refers to as superstition, not right faith. In reality, one really mustn’t be superstitious when it comes to the Buddha-Dharma. One must possess the right faith in the Buddha-Dharma, it can truly educate and help people.
净空法师提倡佛法是教育，是有道理的。要记住，好的东西一定带有教育的成分。它要让人好，要不要教育你？要治愈你心灵的创伤，要不要教育你？小孩子犯错了，想不通了，师父在帮助你心灵返朴归真的过程中，要不要教育你？实际上，宗教又可以称为教育，也是心灵的治愈剂。很多人说，“台长啊，你比心理医生还厉害。”因为一个要自杀的人，一个生癌症后绝望的人，进来见师父时很痛苦，只要和师父谈上半小时或者一个小时，他离开的时候会开开心心。这是因为每个人自己身心当中有一种特殊的能量，这个能量实际上就是菩萨的原灵。师父可以把他的这个原灵启动出来，让他可以抵抗自己身心疾病把所有一切肮脏和不好的东西全部放下、全部忘记。你们谁要是能够这样做，你们就是菩萨。
Venerable Master Chin Kung promotes Buddhism as education, and that has justifications. Take note, anything good will also have an educational aspect to it. If something wants to help improve your well-being, doesn’t it have to educate you? If something wants to treat the pain inside your soul, doesn’t it have to educate you? A child made a mistake, and they couldn’t think clearly, when Master wants to guide their soul back to its original innocence, doesn’t Master have to educate them? Many people said, “Master, you’re even better than psychiatrists.” Whenever a person wants to commit suicide or if they developed cancer and are in the midst of hopelessness, when they first encounter Master they are under a lot of pain, but when they talk with Master for 30 minutes to an hour, when they leave they come out bright and cheerful. It’s because everybody possesses special energy within them, and this energy is a Bodhisattva’s primordial soul. Master can activate their primordial soul so that they can start counteracting against their physical or mental illness, get rid of all contaminants and unwholesome thoughts, and forget about it. If you can do this, then you’re a Bodhisattva.
刚才讲了用智慧去辨别这个形象的真伪。如果他叫你去折磨自己的肉身，不合理的就不要去做。麦考当时那个灵性就跟她说，你不要站起来，她就一直蹲着，捂着肚子痛。她当时在师父的办公室里讲了一句话，师父一听这句话，就知道不是麦考讲的。师父就用意念跟那灵性讲，“你不要再弄她了。你离开她吧，原谅她做错了。我会叫她好好念经超度你的。” 麦考嘴巴里马上就说，“台长，他说没那么简单。他永远不会离开我。” 麦考的朋友当时也在边上。师父叫你们好好相信这些事情。
Just now Master mentioned using one’s wisdom to differentiate the truth and false of an image. If it tells you to torture your physical body and do anything unreasonable, then don’t do it. When Michelle heard the spirit told her not to stand up, she remained in a squatting position, clutching her abdomen in pain. Master then used his intent to communicate with the spirit, “Don’t mess with her anymore. Could you please leave her and forgive her mistake? I will tell her to properly recite sutras to help you ascend.” Michelle then immediately said, “Master, the spirit said it’s not so simple, it will never leave me.” A friend of Michelle was beside her when it happened. Master tells you to believe this properly.
接下来跟大家讲的是，如果这个形象叫你去做什么事情，合于道德的就去做。因为佛菩萨不会叫你们去做不能做的事情。如果叫你去做坏事，肯定不是菩萨。要用智慧去抵制这些事情，很重要。另外呢，要观想你和菩萨是一致的。那么观想和菩萨是一致的，有什么好方法呢？实际上，这个时候你就是持咒。用白话讲，持咒就是念经。你念经的时候，心中想的跟菩萨一样，你叫持咒。又跟菩萨一样，你又是在念经，那你的心一定会平静下来，你就会定下来。你修心入定之后，什么想法都没有了，脑子是空的。师父问你们，这个“定”里面，有没有这个“念”？定下来后，心中有没有念头？人空实际上是一种假空。修炼到脑子里全部空掉之后，表面上他有没有念头，实际上他还是有。
Next, what I’ll like to say is, if this image tells you to do something that is virtuous, then do it. That’s because Buddha-Bodhisattvas won’t tell you to do this that shouldn’t be done. If it tells you to commit bad deeds, then that’s definitely not a Bodhisattva. One must use wisdom to resist these things; it’s very important. Also, you must visualise that you are accordant with the Bodhisattvas. What’s a good method to do so? In reality, when you’re visualising, you should be supporting it with mantras. In other words, it’s to recite sutras. When you’re reciting sutras, your mind must be thinking like a Bodhisattva, that’s called mantra support. When you’re like a Bodhisattva, and you’re also reciting sutras, then your mind will definitely calm down, and you can concentrate. After your mind has entered into a meditative state, you’ll be devoid of thoughts, and your mind will be empty. Master asks you, in this ‘meditative’ state, are there any ‘thoughts’? After you concentrate, does your mind have any thoughts? When a person is empty, in reality, it’s a kind of false-emptiness. Once you’ve cultivated your mind so that it’s completely empty, although there are no thoughts on the surface, but in reality, there still is.
心定之后产生的念头和心没有定之前产生的念头是两个概念。举个例子，母亲知道孩子要干什么，你说她用得着跟孩子沟通吗？妈妈一定知道孩子想做什么，孩子是不会知道妈妈想做什么，对不对？最好的方法就是不要想，问题是不要想之后，有没有想呢？没有想了，有没有念啊？有念。无想有念。很多人不去想，他的念头是自然出来的，就叫念。比如说，你们很多人想打坐，想安静，要做到什么都不想，但刚刚一打坐，没有想吧，脑子里说不要想，空、空、空，可是念头一个一个蹦出来。
After the mind has attained concentration, the thoughts that arise are completely different to the thoughts that arise when the mind is not concentrating. Here’s an analogy, mothers typically know what their child wants to do, then is there a need for her to communicate with her child? The mother may certainly know what their child wants to do, but their child may not know what their mother is thinking, am I right? The best method for us is to not think about it, but the problem is after you’re not thinking about it, are you still thinking? No, you’re not, but are there involuntary thoughts? Yes, there are. Many people halt their conscious thinking, but then involuntary thoughts arise naturally. For example, many people meditate and want peace, and they want to think about nothing. But they only just sat down, they don’t want to think so they keep repeating in their mind, “Don’t think anymore, I must be empty.” But thoughts are repeatedly arising.
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