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.
师父今天给大家讲修行，苦行和乐行。你们觉得修心苦不苦呀？你们觉得乐不乐？什么样地叫苦？什么样地叫乐？师父对你们严格要求，你们可能会感觉很苦，但是最后得到的是乐，是快乐，是欢乐。首先给大家讲，乐在佛菩萨的眼中是空。因为你所有的快乐都是暂时的，都是不踏实的。举个简单的例子，今天你开宴会，你是一个女主人，你开心得不得了，大家都给你送礼物，恭喜你，赞美你，但是几个小时过后，宴会结束了，你还是你自己，那种快乐到哪里去了？能留得住吗？佛菩萨眼睛中的快乐是空的，因为在人间所有的一切快乐都是空的东西。
Today, Master will talk about cultivation, asceticism and blissful-cultivation. Do you think cultivation of the mind is arduous? Or do you think it’s blissful? What is considered arduous? What is considered blissful? Master is very strict with you, you may feel that it’s very arduous, but in the end, it will be blissful, happy and joyful. Firstly, let me tell you, pleasure in the eyes of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas are empty. It’s because your happiness is temporary and not long-lasting. Let me illustrate this with an example, you are holding a banquet, and as the host, you are very happy. Everybody is sending you gifts, congratulating you and complimenting you, but in a few hours later when the banquet is over, you are still yourself. Where did that happiness go? Can it be retained? The happiness in the eyes of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas are empty. That’s because all happiness in the human realm is empty.
今天你去看电影，你很开心，等到电影结束了，什么都没有了，一切都是空的，接下来伴随你而来的是实实在在的苦。在佛菩萨的眼睛里，人间所有的快乐全是空的。师父现在给大家讲的都是概念。其次，苦在佛菩萨的眼中也是空。一个人在人间受了这么多的苦，被人家欺负，被人家骗，或一个人感觉自己的金钱不足，名誉不够，身体不好等，所有这一切的苦，在佛菩萨的眼中都被看成是空的。因为这一切都是临时的，你会苦一辈子吗？ 苦到什么时候到头呢？等死掉了，说不定你就超脱了，超脱了六道轮回。
Today, you went to watch a movie, you’re really happy, but when the movie is over, there is nothing left, everything is empty. What follows is real suffering. In the eyes of the Buddha-Bodhisattvas, all happiness in the human realm is empty. What Master is expounding now are concepts. Secondly, all suffering in the eyes of the Buddha-Bodhisattvas is also empty. When a person suffers a lot in the human realm, like being bullied by others, or lied to by others, or when a person feels insufficient regarding money or fame, or when their health isn’t good etc., all experiences of suffering are empty in the eyes of the Buddha-Bodhisattvas. It’s because everything is temporary. Would you suffer for a whole lifetime? When would suffering reach its end? When you die, perhaps then you’ll be liberated, and become free from samsara.
你今天60 岁，70岁。。。。你苦了这么多年，你说你年轻的时候苦过的事情，现在还有没有了？比如：你小的时候不当心，把脚骨折了，当时痛得不得了，但是你现在还记得当时的痛苦吗？想不起来了，还能感受到当时的痛苦吗？感受不到了。所以佛菩萨认为快乐在人间是空的，苦难在人间，也是空的。师父现在给你们讲的只是一些基本的学佛概念，是为了帮助你们解决生活当中的问题，我觉得每一次给你们讲佛菩萨的境界，没有几个人能完全听得懂的，我只有把佛法拉回人间来给你们讲，你们才能明白，才能有进步。
Assuming you’re 60 years old, or 70 years old, you have already suffered for so many years, tell me, do you still feel the hardships and suffering that you experienced when you were young? For example, when you were young, you carelessly fractured a bone in your leg. At the time, it was extremely painful, but could you still recall the pain of that incident? If you can’t recall it anymore, do you still feel the suffering of that incident? You don’t. That’s why Bodhisattvas perceive both happiness and suffering in the human realm as being empty. What Master just told you was only a part of the concepts of Buddhism, it’s to help you resolve the problems you face in your everyday life. I feel that every time I mention the level of spirituality of the Buddha-Bodhisattvas, not many of you could understand completely. I could only expound the Buddha-Dharma in laymen terms, so you can understand and then improve.
师父把讲解的二地菩萨，三地菩萨的境界放到网上的博客，很多网友反映看不太懂的。如果能真正讲出佛菩萨的真谛，能够化解自己心中怨气的人，这个人就是菩萨。师父给你们讲苦和乐，是让你们把它作为相等的概念来看，苦就是乐，乐就是苦，因为当你太开心的时候，实际上就会伴随着一种苦，明白吗？ 你们都看过春节晚会，为什么导演总是要在晚会里面放进几个灾情的情景？比如，突然之间什么地方水灾了，什么地方地震了等，然后向他们致敬默哀。这就是为什么不让整个晚会都是开心的原因之一？
Master has uploaded his explanation of the level of spirituality associated with Bodhisattvas of the second ground and third ground on to his blog. Many viewers gave their feedback saying that they don’t understand. If one could expound the true essence of the Buddha-Bodhisattvas and could resolve the grudge within their mind, this person is a Bodhisattva. When Master talks about suffering and happiness, it’s for you to treat both concepts as equal, that suffering equates to happiness, and happiness equates to suffering. It’s because when you become too happy, in reality, what follows it is a kind of suffering, you understand? You have watched the New Year’s Gala before, why does the director play clips of places where disaster had occurred during the Gala? For example, when an area was flooded or affected by earthquakes, the director would play the clips and express their condolences to the victims. Why aren’t they allowing the full evening to be solely filled with happiness?
在人间你的快乐是建立在什么基础上的呢？很多的基础都是苦的基础，因为你有苦垫底了，你才知道什么叫快乐。不懂得痛苦的人，他是不会懂得快乐的。如果孩子一出生待遇就像皇帝一样，没有吃过任何的苦，他是不会知道什么是快乐。 穷过的人等他有钱的时候，他就会觉得是多么地快乐。在人间苦和乐是什么感觉？很多人以为自己很快乐，也有很多人以为自己很苦。
In the human realm, what is your happiness founded upon? Most of it is founded on suffering. It’s because you have experienced great suffering before, that’s why you know what happiness is. A person who doesn’t know suffering will not know what happiness is. If a child were treated like a king since they were born and had never gone through any hardships, they wouldn’t know what happiness is. When a person, who had struggled financially before and finally has money, they will feel that they’re very blessed. In the human realm, what is the feeling of suffering and happiness? Many people think that they’re very happy while there are also many people who think that their life is hard.
比如你们在旅游的时候，有没有快乐呀？有。但是你们坐车或开车去旅游的时候，坐5，6个小时的车，有没有痛苦呀？ 坐得浑身骨头酸痛，你们说苦不苦呀？哪一个苦里没有快乐？哪一个快乐里面没有苦呢？修心也是这样当你没有修成的时候，就感觉很痛苦，当你一旦修成了，你就会感觉很快乐了，是不是这样的？你念经的时候感觉很痛苦，但是当你念经之后，你的困难和问题都解决了，你说你快乐不快乐？
For example, when you were on holiday, did you have fun? Yes. But when you travelled over to the destination by car or by plane and had to sit for 5 to 6 hours, did you find it hard? When you start to ache and hurt all over from sitting for too long, was it arduous? What kind of suffering isn’t accompanied by happiness? What kind of happiness isn’t accompanied by suffering? Cultivation of the mind is the same. When you have yet to cultivate successfully, you’ll experience suffering. But when you have finally cultivated successfully, then you will feel very happy, isn’t it like that? When you recited sutras, you felt extremely vexed at the time, but after you have recited and your difficulties and problems are resolved, can you tell me whether you’re happy or not?
在人世间还没有悟道之时，就是还没有感觉开心的时候，这个人才会有苦乐之分，但是当你一旦真正悟出道理的时候，你已经没有苦乐之分了。师父在前面给你们讲了吃苦就是快乐，快乐得时候就意味着你在吃苦，所以有句话叫：苦中有乐，其乐无穷。多吃一点苦，你才知道快乐来之不易，你多吃一点苦，你才知道甜的价值，你今天不念经，你哪里来的快乐？所以要正确的看待自己的苦和乐，那是学佛很重要的一个根基。
In the human realm when we have not realised yet, in other words, when a person hasn’t yet felt any feelings of happiness, then this person will still view suffering and happiness as being different, But once you have awakened to the principle, then you won’t perceive suffering and happiness as being different. Earlier, Master has mentioned that experiencing hardship is happiness, and when one is happy, it implies that one is experiencing hardship, that’s why there’s a saying, “Within suffering, there’s happiness, the happiness within is unlimited.” By tasting a bit more suffering, you would understand that happiness shouldn’t be taken for granted. By tasting a bit more suffering, you would understand the value of this sweetness. If you didn’t recite sutras today, where would your happiness be? That’s why one must have the right views of their suffering and happiness, that’s a very important foundation in Buddhism.
接下来，给大家稍微再讲几句，苦不是要把它看成空吗？实际上就是叫苦空，即苦是空的。 乐也是空的，叫乐空。苦是空的，乐也是空的。你活在这个世界上本来就是空的，有什么可以开心的呢？有什么可以抱怨的呢？你今天所有的痛苦都是空的，那你还抱怨什么呢？今天给你带来的快乐是暂时的，你有什么可以开心的呢？所以在佛法界讲，苦空和乐空都是现象而已。
Next, Master will slightly say a few more things, don’t we have to view suffering as emptiness? In reality, it’s called ‘suffering-emptiness’, as suffering is emptiness. Happiness is also emptiness, it’s called ‘happiness-emptiness’. Both suffering and happiness are empty. When you live in this world, your existence is inherently empty, what is there to be happy about? What is there to complain about? All the suffering you experienced up to now are empty, so what can you complain about? Today, the happiness you experience is temporary, so what is there to be happy about? That’s why the Buddha-Dharma realm expounds that suffering-emptiness and happiness-emptiness are just phenomena.
世间上所有的快乐，都是人间的欲望，什么快乐呀，不就是你哪一点欲望嘛，吃的开心，嘴贪口福，这叫食欲，就是食物上的欲望。财，色，名，食，睡称为五欲。钱多了就开心了，叫财欲。那么钱少了就不开心，也叫财欲，这都是欲望。想吃好的了，就是食欲来了。名就是我想做高官，我想做名人，这就是名欲。色在这里是指男女之色，这个欲望来了，你就开始有色欲了。睡都是有欲望的，有些人不爱钱，不爱名，就是爱睡觉，睡觉也是一种欲望，这个也是不好的，整天想睡觉的人，不想动，就是贪，贪图享受，贪图自己身心得到安稳，这个贪让你活在这个世界上，浪费掉自己很多宝贵的时间。
All happiness in the human realm is derived from desires. What is happiness? Isn’t it just a fulfilment of a desire? When you eat something you like, you become happy. When the mouth craves for something desirable, that’s called a food-desire, that is the desire for food. Money, sex, fame, food and sleep are known as the five desires. When you have lots of money, you become happy. That’s known as money-desires. When you don’t have money and is unhappy about it, that’s also a money-desire, as it’s a desire. When you want to eat well, that’s a food-desire. Fame is about wanting to be a high-ranking government official or a famous person, that’s known as fame-desires. Sex here is about sexual relationships. Thus it’s called sex-desire. Sleep is also a desire. Some people don’t love money or fame but love to sleep, sleep is also a kind of desire, and it’s not good. If somebody wants to sleep all day and not willing to move, then it’s a desire for indulgences, it’s to seek peace for their mind and body. This kind of greed will make you waste a lot of your precious life and time in this world.
因为你睡觉的时候，可以把你宝贵的时光，做功德的时间，救度众生的时间全部睡掉。年纪大的人医学上讲晚上睡足6-7小时就够了。如果一个年纪大的人整天睡觉，就叫昏睡。师父现在给你们讲的是佛法，你们不要以为是在给你们讲医学知识。财，色，名，食，睡，这些都是人间的欲望。人间的快乐也是一种欲望，这种欲望今天可以有，明天可以没有，给你们带来的都是暂时性的快乐，这些快乐都是世俗的快乐，而世俗的快乐都带有一定的暂时性和狭隘性。狭隘是见识短浅，心胸，气量不宽大。
It’s because when you sleep, a lot of your precious time that could’ve been used to perform meritorious deeds, or to save and spiritually awaken sentient beings, is wasted. An older person who sleeps 6-7 hours is enough from a medical point of view. If an old person could sleep for almost a whole day, that’s considered as lethargic sleep. When Master is expounding the Buddha-Dharma, don’t mistake me as expounding medical knowledge. Money, sex, fame, food and sleep are all desires of the human realm. Happiness in the human realm is also a kind of desire, this kind of desire can appear today and disappear tomorrow, what it brings you is temporary happiness. This kind of happiness is worldly, and the nature of worldly happiness is temporary and narrow-minded. Narrow-mindedness consists of shallow-minded views and not enough tolerance.
井底之蛙讲的就是狭隘。因为在井底下，人家问他：“你看见天没有？”他说：“看见了，天就是这么一个圆洞”，这个就叫井底之蛙。你们现在学佛学到了什么？要学它的浩如烟海般的宽大胸怀，要学佛的智慧。师父常常给你们讲要学佛菩萨的智慧，而你们没有学到佛菩萨真正的真谛。所以我必须要用一点比较普通的佛学常识来点化你们，让你们能够真正的明白，否则白讲，没有用的。
A frog in the well is narrow-minded. Because inside the well, when somebody asks it, “Have you seen the sky?” It replies, “Yes I have, the sky is a circle,” that’s why it’s called a frog in the well. What should we learn in Buddhism? We must learn about possessing broad-mindedness that’s as vast as the sea, we must learn about its wisdom. Master regularly tells you to learn from Buddha-Bodhisattvas’ wisdom, but you haven’t learnt the true essence of the Buddha-Bodhisattvas. That’s why Master must use basic Buddhist general knowledge to guide you, so you can truly understand. Otherwise, it is pointless.
首先，学佛的人，要减少世俗的快乐，就是说你睡觉要少一点，好的东西少吃一点，对男女之情少一点，叫清心寡欲。对名利淡薄一点，不要追求名利。钱财够用就好。一个人要知道钱财是无底洞，吃的东西也是无底洞，有了名还要名，有了官还想再高一点的官，这些欲望那一天可以停止？今天有了这个女人（或男人），明天想着哪个女人（或男人），这种欲望是永远的恶性膨胀，所以佛菩萨让我们学佛，首先要把人的欲望控制住，不要有这些世俗的欲望。因为当你减少了世俗的快乐之后，你才能有一种感应，才能感应你自己心里的快乐。什么叫心里的快乐，就是从内心发出的快乐。
Firstly, Buddhists should reduce their worldly happiness, in order words, to slightly reduce the amount they sleep, to slightly reduce the amount they eat, to slightly reduce the amount they interact as a couple, and one must possess a pure mind and few desires. Take fame and fortune lightly, don’t pursue it. If there’s sufficient money to use, then it’s fine. One must understand that the pursuit for money is endless, the pursuit of eating desirable foods is also endless. When one has fame, they desire more fame. When one has a position as a government official, they want to reach a higher rank, when will this desire come to a halt? Today, you’re with this girl (or guy), and tomorrow you’re thinking about another girl (or guy). These kinds of desires will always expand unwholesomely, that’s why the Buddha-Bodhisattvas wants us to know that to learn Buddhism, one must be able to control their desires. One mustn’t possess these kinds of worldly desires. That’s because when your worldly desires are reduced you’ll develop a kind of mindfulness, where you’ll be able to sense the happiness that’s inside the mind, one that emanates from within.
今天我不去贪这个事情了， 我的心里就知足长乐，我心里就开心了。今天被选上作什么主席也好，选不上也好，我无所谓了，心里踏实了，这个时候才是真正的幸福快乐。我今天有钱也好，没有钱也好，我就是这样好好的修心，那你就是一个心底非常快乐的学佛人。要记住减少欲望，这是非常重要的。我们要感应心里的快乐，什么叫感应心里的快乐？你心里多一点快乐，然后你的肉体，你的精神，你所有的一切，外围的环境都会随着变的。一个人的精神只有从内心发出的那才是精神。如果倒过来就是神精（经）。
“Today, I won’t desire this thing; my mind is content and happy. Today, whether or not I’m chosen to be the chairman, I’m indifferent. My mind is at ease.” At this moment, it’s when you truly feel blessed and happy. “Today, whether I have a lot of money or not, I will still properly cultivate.” If you can think like this, then you are a very happy Buddhist. Take note; you must reduce your desires, it is very important. We must be able to sense the happiness within our mind. When we can do this, our physical body, our vigour, everything you have and everything around you will change according to your state of mind. A person’s vigour emanates from within the mind, if it were the other way round, then this person would be considered mentally unstable.
心里开心的人，首先是能笑的出来的，都是从内心发出的笑。我知足了，我常乐了，我无牵无挂了，我放得下了。而这五欲就算你钱财放得下了，名也放得下，就算你色放得下，就算你食放得下，你还有一个睡放不下，很多人就是喜欢睡觉，睡觉都是不好的，你们能明白吗？ 睡过头了人就昏沉呀，你们如果不相信在家连续睡上五天，你起来后连东南西北都不认识了（找不到方向了），可能什么都记不起来，这也是一个苦呀。
A person who’s truly happy is somebody who’s able to smile, and this smile is something that emanates from within. “I’m content, I’m happy, I have no hindrances, I can let go.” Of the five desires, even if you can let go of money, you can let go of fame, you can let go of sex, and you can let go of food, you still have sleep that you can’t let go. Many people like sleeping; excess sleep isn’t good, do you understand? If you sleep for too long, you’ll become lethargic. If you don’t believe it, try and continually sleep for five days non-stop, when you get up you would feel like you’re directionless, maybe to the point where you couldn’t even remember anything. That is also a source of suffering.
睡觉也是欲望，这个欲望也要去除掉，就想睡觉，那什么时间念经呢？就想睡觉什么时间救度人呢？要记住太贪着五欲的人，不会想着好好修心的。你天天忙着贪这些欲望，你说能有好的心态去修心吗？ 要记住人要自律呀，什么叫自律？就是自己要懂得严于律己。很多人都认为自己在人间作这些事情没有做错，对，你是没有错，因为你是人，我现在要把你们变成菩萨，你们自己的要求不够，根本不够呀，要努力作功德呀，举个简单的例子：你在往山上爬的时候，是不是要加快努力，已经加快努力了，但是还感觉很慢，这就是道理，你不往前，看看自己会不会往后退，这就是不进则退。学佛的人已经走上这条道路，如果不往前进就是后退。
Excess sleep is also a desire; this desire has to be removed as well. If you sleep too much, where would you find the time to recite sutras? If all you want is sleep, where would you find the time to save and spiritually awaken others? Take note, those who indulge in the five desires will not want to cultivate their mind properly. If you’re busy pursuing these desires, can you tell me how you would have a good state of mind to cultivate? Take note that we must practise self-discipline, what is self-discipline? It is to be strict with oneself. Many people think that what they’re doing isn’t wrong in the human realm. That’s correct; you are not wrong, that’s because you are human. What I want to do is how to transform you into a Bodhisattva, if you don’t have high standards for yourself, then that’s not enough, you must work hard to accumulate merit-virtues. Take this as an example, when you’re climbing up a mountain, don’t you have to put more effort? Then when you have put in a lot of effort, you still feel like you’re going up too slowly. That’s the principle. If you don’t move forward, see for yourself whether you’ll then retreat. Either you are forging ahead, or you’ll fall behind. Buddhists who have already walked on this Way must advance. Otherwise, they’ll be falling behind.
太贪着世俗之乐的人，他是没有时间去修心的，你们对自己的要求一定要高，不能有任何的贪念。生命是有限的，精神也是有限的，只有把这些有限的生命化作无限的度人当中，你的生命才是无限的。给你们举一个简单的例子就明白了，一个托儿所的老师，年纪已经很大了，但是她看见孩子的时候，和孩子们在一起玩时，她不会觉得累，只有开心，这就是她用有限的年纪大的生命，化着和孩子一样的童心，那个时候她的时间不觉得很长。我们现在学菩萨救人，你的生命就会自动的延长。师父平时讲你们就是对你们好呀，就像家长对孩子一样，不讲你们是对你们不好，对你们不负责任。
Those who desire for worldly pleasures won’t have time to cultivate their mind. You must set yourself high standards; you mustn’t have a bit of greed. Life is limited, and your vigour is limited. Only by committing your limited life to perform meritorious deeds like spiritually awakening others, would your life become limitless. Let me illustrate this with an example, and you’ll understand. There’s a teacher who worked in a nursery, and she was very old. But when she saw the children and played together with them, she didn’t feel tired and felt happy. She used her limited years and transformed it into the same innocence as the children. When this happened, she didn’t feel that time was too long. When we learn from the Bodhisattvas to save people, your life will automatically extend. When Master normally tells you off, it’s for your sake, just like how parents treat their child, if he doesn’t tell you off then it means he doesn’t treat you well and doesn’t feel that he has fulfilled his responsibility for you.
如果没有人讲你们，你们怎么学佛呢？你拜观世音菩萨，你们能悟得出来吗？观世音菩萨现在就是用师父在人间，来告诉你们，教你们如何修心修行。所以贪图世俗之乐的人，根本没有时间去修行，那么我们为什么要苦修行呢？我们不能快快乐乐的修行吗？苦修行就是要推动你进入修行之路，因为你知道苦了，因为你节制了，你才会找到光明，才会找到方向。举一个简单的例子，很多人在酒吧里喝酒，喝醉酒之后快乐吗？哈哈哈的笑。一出酒吧，路在哪里呀，找不到方向了，找不到回家的路了，对不对？ 如果在酒吧里没有喝多少酒，自己节制了， 头脑清醒的走出来，就会知道自己在哪里，知道自己该往哪里走，喝酒喝过头了，太开心了，就找不到自己的路了。
If nobody tells you off, how can you learn Buddhism? When you pay respects to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, are you able to naturally awaken? Guan Yin Bodhisattva is now using Master in the human realm to expound to you and teach you how to cultivate the mind and behaviour. If people desire for worldly pleasures, they don’t have time to cultivate. Why should we practise asceticism? Why can’t we cultivate happily? Asceticism is to propel us on to the path of cultivation. It’s because you understand suffering, that’s why you learn to be moderate, and then you’ll be able to see the light and the direction you should be heading towards. Here’s an example, many people drink alcoholic beverages in the pub. After they drink enough, aren’t they get happy afterwards? They laugh merrily. But when they exit out of the pub, they wonder where they should go. They have lost their sense of direction and unable to find the road home, am I right? If they drank in moderation inside the pub, they would still be clear-headed when they come out of the pub and would know where they are and which direction they should go. If somebody drinks in excess and become too happy, they won’t be able to find their path.
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