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.
修心修佛，实之不易。怎么样修心呢？把自己的行为怎么样修正呢？修心，就是修正自己心里的毛病。修行，就是修正自己的行为。我们很多人的行为都很差，很多人心里想的东西都很糟。那么怎么样来修呢？最近，很多人修心到一定程度了，是碰到了一些问题。首先修心要有信心，如果一个人修心连信心都没有，不会有效果的。你天天在念经，天天在求观世音菩萨，你如果还在想我行不行啊，灵不灵啊，会不会碰到魔障啊，会不会怎么样啊。师父告诉你们，这样是修不好的。很多人修到现在不灵，就是这个道理。没有什么话好讲的。一个人不能控制自己的欲望，不能控制自己的一些想法，很简单，这个人就叫没修。
Cultivation of the mind and the practice of Buddhism is not easy. How does one correct and reform their behaviour? Cultivation of the mind is to reform the shortcomings within the mind. Cultivation of behaviour is to correct their behaviour. Many people’s behaviours are poor, the things that people think about are also equally bad. Then how do we cultivate? Recently, many people had given feedback that when they have cultivated their mind to a certain degree, they encounter some problems. Firstly, one must have faith to cultivate. If the person doesn’t even have faith about their cultivation, then they won’t attain the desired effect. You recite sutras every day, you pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva every day, if you still think to yourself, “Would I be able to do it? Would it be efficacious? Would I encounter demonic obstructions? Would it like this or that? Etc.,” Master tells you that this is not a good mindset to cultivate. Many people don’t attain the desired effects because of this. There’s nothing else to speak of. If a person can’t control their desires or their thoughts, then it means that person is uncultivated.
修心是什么？修心就是深深地挖出你自己心中最原始的本性，并把它好好地擦洗。大家一定要明白一个道理，我们做人也好，做事也好，经常讲一句话，叫“凭良心做事情”。那么你的良心在哪里呢？为什么有些人的良心这么坏，而有些人的良心很好呢？就是你这个良心、良知本性已经遭到世尘的破坏了。你已经不是你自己原来的本性了。
What is the cultivation of the mind? It is to deeply excavate the most original inherent nature and then properly cleanse it. Everybody must understand a principle; whether we are going on with our everyday lives or doing something, we must act in accordance with our conscience. So, where is your conscience? Why is it that some people’s conscience is very bad, while some people’s conscience is very good? It’s because your conscience and inherent nature have already been contaminated by the worldly defilements. You are no longer your original inherent nature.
今天给大家讲“根本智”。一个人要从根本上来挖掘他的智慧，叫根本智。根本智就是般若智慧。因为只有你知道，你完全挖掘了你最深处的智慧没有？那就是菩萨的智慧，你才能断无明烦恼。烦恼是什么？菩萨说，烦恼即菩提。实际上，你只有用你的智慧来化解烦恼之后，烦恼就成为菩提了。很多人嘴巴很会讲，他能解释世界的万物，万有的现象，这个也能说，那个也能说，这个人是不是般若智慧啊？并不是，这叫“后得智”。就是说，这个事情已经存在了，他才知道的，这个智慧叫后得智。后得智也是不容易的。就像《三国演义》里讲的，诸葛亮是未卜先知，曹操是事后才知，这就是智慧不同。一个是能够预测，一个是时间差不多了，才有感觉了。后得智是从根本智上生出来的，就是从原始的善灵，原始的最根本的本性，散发出来的智慧。
Master will now talk about fundamental-inherent intelligence. A person must excavate out their wisdom from their deepest recesses of the soul, that’s called fundamental-inherent intelligence. It’s also known as prajna wisdom. Only you know where you completely excavated the deepest wisdom out, that’s Bodhisattva’s wisdom, only with it can you cease afflictions stemmed from ignorance. What are afflictions? The Bodhisattvas say afflictions are Bodhi. In reality, after you have resolved afflictions with wisdom, it is transformed into Bodhi. Many people know how to talk, they can explain the myriad of phenomenon, they can talk about this; they can talk about that. Does this indicate that the person has prajna wisdom? No, it doesn’t, it’s called ‘post-consequence-intelligence’. In other words, only when an incident has occurred, then the person knows, this is called ‘post-consequence-intelligence’. It is also not easy. Just like in the story ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’. Zhuge Liang can predict and forecast the future, while Cao Cao only realises after something has occurred, that’s a difference in wisdom.
实际上，追求的般若就是绝顶智慧的一个作用，而且有了般若智慧之后，你是无所不能的，什么问题都能得到解决。“智慧”这两个字，实际上是无知。因为他追求的是人间的那种智慧，他所享受的和他所得到的是人间的智慧，因为人间的智慧是有限的。只有从人的本性散发出来的智慧，才是无限的。人间的智慧是被人追求出来的，很多人追求聪明，追求智慧，以为这个聪明、这个智慧对于他很重要。什么叫聪明？什么叫智慧？师父跟你们说过一句话，聪明不代表有智慧，智慧里一定包含有聪明。这个智慧还是有等次的，它不是最高的境界，真正的智慧叫般若智慧。人间智慧，是一般人的智慧，不是最高的智慧。
In reality, the prajna that we seek is something that comes with pinnacle wisdom, plus also after attained prajna wisdom; there is nothing that you can’t do, you can resolve any problems. Some people pursue a human realm’s kind of wisdom (which we call shrewdness or cleverness), so what they enjoy and gain is a limited kind of wisdom. Only the wisdom that is emanated out from one’s inherent nature is unlimited. What is cleverness? What is wisdom? Master has mentioned this before, being clever doesn’t mean that one is wise, but if one is wise, they are clever. There are different grades to wisdom, where the true and pinnacle wisdom is prajna wisdom. The human realm’s kind of wisdom is just average wisdom and isn’t categorised as the highest class.
你们修心像追求阳光一样，只要沿着正确的方向，追逐阳光，你这辈子就看不到阴影了。因为你追逐的是阳光，那是光明，那是大道。如果你追逐的是阴影，那你就永远看不到阳光。当一个人修心、修法、修佛，走错路的时候，他就永远看不到正确的、光明的修心的东西。
Cultivating the mind is like chasing the sun, only by following and moving towards the direction of the sun, would you be able to avoid the shadow throughout your life. It’s because you are chasing after the sun, that is bright, and that is a great Way. If what you chase are shadows, then you will never be able to see the sun. When a person is cultivating their mind, cultivating the dharma, and cultivating their Buddha-nature, if they go down the wrong path, then they won’t find what is right and illuminating in their path of cultivation.
要经常深看自己的心。要把自己的心看到，实际上就是看到自己的思维。因为你的心想了，你的思维才会出来。比如，我今天想去做一件事情，你看看自己想得对不对啊，做得对不对啊。我很恨这个人，你就要看看自己为什么恨他，我为什么要对他不好。这就是在用良心去平衡。深看自己的心，就是要看到你心的本性，然后发觉一切的奇迹会在你的身上。普通地看你的心，没有奇迹会发生，往深处看，奇迹就发生了。
One must regularly introspect deeply; they must be able to inspect their mind; in other words, inspect their thoughts. It’s because you have intentions, that’s why your thought is produced. For example, when you want to go out to do something, you should introspect whether what your thoughts are right, and your actions are right. If you hate somebody, you should introspect why you hate the person, why are you treating them badly. It’s about using your conscience as a balance scale. Introspect deeply into your mind, which is to look for your inherent nature. Then realise that miracles are happening at a regular occurrence around you. If you typically ponder, nothing will happen.
举个例子，人在吵架时，很恨人家，不用深心看，我单单地看看自己这颗心，一看，这个人骗我钱了，我生气了，我很恨他，我明天要去告他，他居然敢骗我钱，他居然敢这么伤害我。但是如果你往深心看，看到自己的本性之后，就会想，算了，不就是几千块钱嘛，这个人也蛮可怜的，他今天骗我了，他以后会有报应的，而且他家里现在这么穷，他才出来骗钱，不管怎么样，我被他骗了，我还能够活，他继续这样，总有一天会被人家抓起来的，算了，这种人也怪可怜的，花钱消灾吧。看到你的本性了吧？奇迹出现了吧？你居然会原谅一个对你不好的人，你居然会原谅一个骗你的人和伤害你的人。这就叫奇迹。经常看看自己内心深处最潜在的东西之后，你会明白，你要原谅这个人。
Here’s an example, when people are quarrelling, they don’t have the mindset to introspect and superficially look on the surface that the other person has cheated their money and they’re very angry as a result, and they begin to hate and want to sue them in the following day. Thoughts like, “How dare he swindle me?” But if you look deeper and use your inherent nature to observe this event, you might think, “Forget it, it’s only a few thousand yuan, that person is also pitiful. He will suffer from karmic retribution after he cheated me, plus also it’s because he’s poor, that’s why he’s out to cheat others. Regardless, although he cheated me, I can still live normally, if he continues the way he is, eventually he will get caught and taken away. Forget it, that person is pitiful; I’ll treat it was spending money to resolve a calamity.” You saw your inherent nature right? A miracle occurred right? You would unexpectedly forgive somebody who treated you badly. You would unexpectedly forgive somebody who had cheated and hurt you. That’s a miracle. If you frequently look into what’s hidden inside the deepest part of your mind, you’ll understand that you must forgive that person.
人要凭良心做事，经常窥视一下自己的内心，你就会发现，很多奇迹会发生。明明他对我不好，我对他好。他这么恨我，我也对他好。很多时候，老婆的钱包被人偷了，男人小气的话，会不停地咕噜。如果你用自己的本性、良心想一想，老婆的钱被偷了，她比你还要难过呢，她 不知道难过吗？如果那个时候给她一点安慰，是多么好。这就是平时的做人。你要让一个人真心对你好，你就要付出真心对人家好。你为什么要让人家已经做错事情的人更加难过呢？学佛就是不要让人家很难过。让人家痛上加痛，就不是菩萨了。
People must do things according to their conscience, if you frequently peep inside your inner mind, you’ll discover that many miracles occur. “It’s clear that he treats me badly, but I’ll treat him well. It’s clear he hates me, but I’ll treat him well.” There are times that, when somebody’s wife got her wallet stolen, if the husband was petty, then he’ll constantly mumble about it. If the husband uses his inherent nature and conscience to observe this incident, then he’ll realise that his wife got her wallet stolen, she’ll be upset the most. Doesn’t she know how to get upset? If the husband could comfort her instead, wouldn’t that be better? That’s how we should act normally. If you want somebody to treat you well sincerely, then you must sincerely treat that person well. Why must you make the person who had made a mistake to feel even more upset? Us Buddhists shouldn’t make others feel upset; if you make others feel even worse, then you’re not a Bodhisattva.
今天预约来了一对夫妻。老公天天骂他老婆，台长说他女儿很可怜，女儿哭了，台长告诉那个丈夫，一个女人嫁给你多不容易。他们家怎么会出现这些矛盾呢？已经倒霉两年了，起因就是因为撞车，然后去医院看病，医生说可以帮他找人打官司，可以索赔多少，他一念贪心，他的老婆已经快变成忧郁症了。现在的律师跟他说，好，因为你已经有忧郁症了，可以一起索赔。人不能贪啊。
A married couple made a reservation to see me. The husband constantly scolded at his wife; Master mentioned that their daughter was pitiful and she cried. Master told the husband that it wasn’t easy for a woman to marry him. How did conflict arise in their family? They were unfortunate for two years already, the cause was because of a car accident, and then they went to a hospital to examine their health condition. The doctor told them that he could find them a lawyer to file a lawsuit, and they would be able to claim a good sum of money. The husband became greedy, and his wife quickly suffered from depression. Now the lawyer told them because his wife also got depression, they could claim even more money. People mustn’t get greedy.
台长跟那丈夫说，你有钱没钱，你自己知道。你老婆是一位专科医生，两年时间可以赚多少钱，你们知道。最后你赢了，钱也全部打官司了。台长这么一说，他们心中全明白了。台长问他们，如果不打官司，他们会损失什么，他们说什么都不会损失。台长叫他们从今天开始就不要再打官司，从今天开始就解放了，没烦恼了。台长就是这么救人的。夫妻俩离开的时候可开心了。因为他们在打官司时需要体检时，医生不停地让他们讲过程，讲到就生气，他们在精神上已经受不了了。
Master said to the husband, “Whether you have any money or not, you already know. Your wife is a medical specialist; you should know that she could’ve earned a lot of money in the last two years. Even if you won, all the money would’ve already spent in legal fees.” When Master mentioned this, there were clear about it; Master asked them if they weren’t in a court battle, what did they lose? They replied that they wouldn’t lose anything. So Master told them that from that day onwards, they should stop the legal battle, and be liberated from it and be relieved from their afflictions. Master save people by doing this. When the married couple left, they were happy. It’s because when during the legal battle, they required a medical examination, and the doctor would constantly remind and talk about the process, making them get angry every time, that’s why they can’t mentally cope with it anymore.
师父跟你们讲，要向前看，只有拨开云雾才能见晴天。很多人被云雾所遮盖，永远看不到晴天。在生活中学佛，永远要拨开迷雾。女人的嘴巴不要喋喋不休地说，讲得太多，就像一艘漏水的船。人家坐在你船上跟你交朋友，看见那水天天在漏，那船早晚要沉下去的，人家都会逃走的。所以嘴巴喋喋不休的人，人家永远不会跟你做好朋友的。男人和女人都一样，不要多讲话，有时间多念经。师父讲的都是高深的哲理，希望你们好好听。
Master mentioned this before; you must look further beyond the present situation. Only by clearing the dark clouds could you see the clear sky. Many people are covered by dark clouds and could never see the clear sky. Learning Buddhism in our everyday lives, you must always clear away the dark clouds. Women shouldn’t constantly chatter non-stop; people who talk too much is like a boat with lots of holes. When people sit on your boat wanting to be friends with you and see that water is leaking through the holes, and the boat will eventually sink, they will leave. That’s why people aren’t willing to be best friends with people who keep chattering away. It’s the same for both men and women, don’t talk so much. If you have free time, then recite more sutras. Master is sharing with you a profound philosophy; he hopes that you have the ears to hear.
大家都听说过“禅定”。禅定是一种高深莫测的修行方法。在佛法上讲，禅定叫大三昧，光明云。什么叫光明云？亮的，有光芒的云层，实际上就是修到天上去了。打禅能够把自己的魂魄弄到天上去，这个天没有跳出三界。三昧是梵语，称作为正受。你要在人间承受所有的东西，而且要用正确的思想、正确的理念和正确的方法来承受。这个就叫三昧。禅定是一种修行方法，但是这种方法很容易出偏差。当你打坐的时候，当你入禅的时候，你都不知道守哪里。女人守壇中，男人守丹田。
Many of you may have heard of ‘dhyana concentration’. Dhyana concentration is a profound way of cultivation. The Buddha-Dharma calls it samadhi, bright-clear-clouds. What are bright-clear-clouds? It’s another term for cultivating to the heavenly realm. When one meditates, their spirit can ascend to heaven, but this heaven is still within samsara. Samadhi is Sanskrit, it’s known as right bearance. You have to bear with everything in the human realm while possessing the correct thoughts, the correct ideas and the correct methods to bear with it. That is samadhi. Dhyana concentration is one way of cultivating, but this method is easy to deviate. When you are meditating and immersed into Dhyana, you don’t know where to apply your concentration. Women should focus on the ‘tanzhong’ while men should focus on the ‘dantian’.
壇中就是两乳中间这个位置，打坐时意念要集中在这个地方，丹田是脐下三指。师父不主张你们学禅定，但是要理解、明白。禅定的最高境界叫一心不乱。很多人坐在那儿禅定，心比平时不坐时还要乱。经常贪睡、昏睡的人，不是很好的修行的人。真正修行的人睡觉不能超过8小时，庙里的和尚基本上不能超过6小时。人的智慧会在睡眠中逐渐地消磨掉。经常昏睡的人是没有智慧的。胖人也是没有智慧的。人间的“精”是没有用的。三昧是修心修行的枢纽。
‘Tanzhong’ is located in the centre point between the two nipples, when meditating, women should focus their intention in that area. While the ‘dantian’ is located around three finger widths below the belly button. Master doesn’t advise you to learn Dhyana concentration, but you must understand it. Dhyana concentration is the highest level of concentration single-mindedly. When many people meditate and practise Dhyana concentration, their mind is more distracted than what it normally is. True cultivators shouldn’t sleep for more than eight hours; the monks in monasteries don’t sleep for more than six hours. A person’s wisdom would gradually decline amid their sleep. A person who frequently has a lethargic sleep won’t have wisdom. An obese person also won’t have wisdom. The ‘essence’ of the human realm is useless. Samadhi is the pivot of cultivation of the mind and behaviour.
学佛要有戒律，戒律叫人断烦恼。因为多听、多看，多烦恼。不听、不看、不讲，断烦恼。学佛修心要量身度造。到底哪个法门适合你，你就好好修哪个法门。这是师父接下来要给你们讲的事情。第一，法门平等，八万四千法门平等。这是师父跟你们讲的，实际上就是菩萨讲的。第二，殊途同归，并无高下。八万四千法门都是想上天，都是想成正果，但是哪个法门快，哪个法门适合你，哪个法门能救你，哪个法门马上能用，哪个法门修不上去。你以为每个法门都能够修上去吗？你以为每个医生都能把病治好吗？不要把八万四千法门比来比去，就像选美一样，每个人有每个人的优点，有的甜美，有的大方，有的漂亮，而且审美的观点还不一样。审美观念随着时代变化，就像汽车的外形一样，不停地在变化。
Buddhists must observe precepts; the precepts help people to cease afflictions. It’s because people who listen and look a lot have a lot of afflictions. If you don’t listen, you don’t look, and you don’t speak, then afflictions are ceased. The education of Buddhism and cultivation of the mind must be tailored to you. You should cultivate the Dharma door that is suitable for you. This leads on to what Master wants to talk next. Firstly, all Dharma doors are equal; all 84000 dharma doors are equal. This is what the Bodhisattvas say. Secondly, they reach the same goal by different means, and there are none that is better nor worse. All 84000 dharma doors are about ascending to heaven and completing one’s cultivation, but which one is quicker? Which one is more suitable for you? Which one could save you? Which one is immediate of use to you? Which one delays your progress? Do you think you can practise any single one and ascend? Do you think that every doctor can cure your illness? Don’t compare dharma doors as if you’re at a beauty pageant. Everybody has their strong points, some are sweet, some are poised while some are beautiful, plus also everybody’s aesthetic point of view is different and changes with time, just like how the shape of cars is constantly changing.
那么，怎样知道哪个法门适合自己呢？第一，要用得习惯。第二，要用得有效果。第三，要用得自在。第四，要用得顺利。那你就一门深入，这就是你要学的法门。现在很多听众，如果哪一天没有念经，就觉得有什么事情没有做似的，就活得不舒服，就是因为已经习惯了念经，既自在，又有效果，家庭好了，事业顺了，孩子听话了。
Then, how do you know which Dharma door is suitable for yourself? First, it should be something you are accustomed to doing. Secondly, it should be efficacious for you. Thirdly, you should be able to use it freely. Fourthly, you should be able to use it effectively. Once you have chosen, then you should practise it single-mindedly, then you would be able to learn about that dharma door completely. At present, many listeners feel uncomfortable as if they forgotten to do something when they haven’t recited sutras that day. That’s what it means by making sutra recitation a habit. It’s because when they recite sutras, they feel free, it’s efficacious, their family wellbeing is good, their career is smooth-sailing, and their children are obedient.
接下来给大家讲度众生。什么叫度众生？自己修心后，怎样来度人家，度众生，度众生是学大乘，是法施，度众生很重要。一个人要学会度众生，度众生是有条件的。首先，度众生的人必须要断烦恼。然后，戒贪心。第三，发悲心。第四，圆成佛道。
Next, Master will talk about spiritually awakening sentient beings. What does it mean? After one has cultivated their mind for a decent amount of time, how should one spiritually awaken others? It’s to practise the spirit of the Mahayana school; it’s to give the dharma to others, it’s very important. One must learn how to awaken others spiritually; it has requirements. Firstly, the propagator must first cease their afflictions, then secondly, they must refrain from developing greed. Thirdly, they have to give rise to a compassionate mind and lastly, they must be well-established in the Way of the Buddha.
最近有位听众告诉师父，他梦见了世界末日，就像电影2012年一样。龙卷风、山崩地裂，大家全部被卷进去了，没有一个人活着，他也被卷进去了。他进去后，竟然还想到台长，他叫，“卢台长”，结果卢台长居然出现了，还跟他讲了很多话，救了他。他醒过来后，清楚地记得台长跟他讲的话。等到台长问他时，他又忘了。在末法时期，灾难频生更应断烦恼。
Recently, a listener told Master that he had dreamt of the end of the world, just like the movie 2012. There were hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters, where everybody were sucked into the hurricane, including himself. When he was inside, he unexpectedly thought of Master and cried, “Master Lu!” As a result, Master appeared and said a lot of things and saved him. When he woke up, he could clearly remember what Master said, But when Master asked him during the call, he forgot. In the period of Dharma decline, calamities will frequently occur, so one would be even more determined to cease their afflictions.
烦恼无尽，誓愿断。烦恼是没有尽头的，只要是人，就永远有烦恼。学佛的人，一定要断掉烦恼。断了烦恼后，可以修学戒定慧。断烦恼是戒定慧的基础。烦恼是庸人自扰，学佛就是要学智慧。
Afflictions are endless, so one must uphold vows to cease it. As long as a person keeps their ‘human’ frame of mind, their afflictions are endless and eternal. Buddhists must learn to cease afflictions, to do so, they must learn to observe the precepts, concentration and wisdom. The desire to cease afflictions is the foundation of doing so. Afflictions are brought the person themselves, Buddhists must learn to develop wisdom.
世间所有的缘起，没有一样不是要启发我们的觉性。不要怕事情来了，事情来了，你要勇敢地面对，你会开悟很多。所以在世界上碰到很多缘来的时候，不要怕，但是情愿碰好缘，少碰恶缘。因为恶缘会伤到你的，所以师父经常跟你们讲，不该你碰的就不要去碰，不该你看的，就不要去看，不该你听的，就不要听，不该你做的，就不要去做。如果不该你做的，你去做了，烦恼起了吧，麻烦来了吧。一个人活在世界上要靠自己，不能靠人家，靠别人是靠不住的，修心也一样。
All arising from conditioned causations in this world, there is none that doesn’t inspire our nature of realisation. Don’t be afraid when something unexpected occurs, when it does occur, you must be brave to confront it, then you will awaken to many things. That’s when you encounter different karmic conditions and affinity, don’t be afraid. But of course, one would prefer to encounter positive karmic affinities than negative karmic affinities. That’s because negative karmic affinities will hurt you, that’s why Master frequently say, you shouldn’t touch what you shouldn’t touch, you shouldn’t look what you shouldn’t look, you shouldn’t listen to what you shouldn’t listen, you shouldn’t do what you shouldn’t do. If you do, afflictions will arise, and trouble is stirred. A person must be self-dependent and shouldn’t depend on others because others are not dependable. Cultivation of the mind is the same.
