Disclaimer: The translations are not official nor endorsed by 2OR, so please just treat it as a ‘fan-based’ translation. 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】. Please enjoy, and I hope it serves as a good filler until the official English version comes out.
今天跟大家讲，一个人想修行，并不是一件很容易的事情。很多人说，我来到人间，我觉得人间很苦，在人间很难修成，我可以以后在天上修，师父告诉你们，只有人间的人才会想修行，因为只有人间有苦难，在人间吃了苦，人们才知道要解脱。一个人不吃苦，他是不会想要解脱的。人间就犹如一个中转站，如果你好好修，你可以通过这个人间上天成佛，你能自主生死。也就是说，在人间你修得好，你就上去了，你修得不好，你就下去了。
In this chapter, Master discusses how it isn’t an easy task for a person to cultivate. Many people say, “Here in the Human Realm, I think that there’s too much suffering, and it’s very hard to gain fruition in my cultivation here. I can cultivate when I ascend into Heaven.” Master tells you, it’s only here in the Human Realm that people would think of cultivating. Because there’s suffering in the Human Realm, people would think of liberating from it. If a person never suffers any hardships, they would never think of liberating themselves. The Human Realm is like a transfer station. You can ascend straight into Heaven and attain Buddhahood via this transfer station if you properly cultivate. You are the one who dictates where you go in the afterlife. In other words, if you cultivate well in the Human Realm, you will ascend. If you cultivate badly, you will descend.
能自主生死就是脱离人间之苦。脱离人间之苦是什么意思呢？就是你要好好地修；如果你不好好地修，那么你就脱离不了人间任何苦难。怎么样脱离呢？你们想通了，想明白了，就是脱离。很多人想明白了，我到人间来，就是来吃苦的，就是来受罪的、还债的，那么受完苦之后呢，我们以后就不再造业了，无业就能够脱离这个人间了。有了这种想法之后，他就会好好地修心。人的毛病就是在人间吃喝玩乐不好好修，不但不好好修，而且很多人还造恶业。要记住，当一个人不好好修行的时候，他很快容易造恶业了，而且一旦造孽，就要下地狱去受苦煎熬，以后还会在六道里轮回。这个人间的位置是特别敏感的，如果你能够好好修，那么你就能脱离六道；如果你在人间修得不好，那么你就继续在人间受苦，以后还要到下面去受苦。
Those who can dictate where they do in the afterlife can liberate themselves from the suffering in the Human Realm. What does that mean? In other words, you must properly cultivate. If you don’t, then you can’t liberate yourself from any suffering. How can you liberate yourself? By thinking clearly and having mental clarity, one can be free. Many people understand that by coming to the Human Realm, they are here to face and endure hardships and repay karmic debts. What will happen after you’ve endured it? Then you understand not to create any more negative karma. Those with no negative karma can liberate themselves from the Human Realm. With this kind of thinking, the person will properly cultivate their mind. The problem is that people prefer to indulge themselves in various entertainments and don’t properly cultivate. And not only do they don’t cultivate properly, but they also create much negative karma. Take note, when a person doesn’t cultivate properly, they will quickly create negative karma. When it matures into a great sin, they will descend into the Hell Realm to endure their punishment and suffer. In the future, they will still remain in samsara. The Human Realm is a very sensitive place. If you can cultivate properly, you can liberate yourself from samsara. If not, you will continue to suffer in the Human Realm and maybe even descend into the lower realms to suffer.
所以，人间是我们相识之后一个还业的地方，人和人相识之后，这个人对他好，那个人对我好，实际上，大家就是相识之后在还业债。前世的业缘相互牵扯，就是上辈子你是他的谁，这辈子他是你的谁，上辈子你欠他，这辈子他欠你，都是欠来欠去的，相互牵扯的，都是前世的，让我们痛苦不堪。我们现在为什么会吃苦？为什么感情上会痛苦？就是因为我们上辈子的债没有还清啊，想解脱，只有修行。
That’s why the Human Realm is a place of karmic debt repayment after contact. After a person makes contact with another and begins establishing relationships, in reality, they are beginning to repay karmic debts. The karmic affinity from the previous life starts to connect and bind both people together. In the previous life, he may be your this or that, and in this life, he is your this or that. You owed him karmically in the previous life, and he’s the one who owes you in this life. So you owe each other back and forth, and it’s this karmic interaction that keeps you binded together. All the suffering you experience stems from what had happened in your previous life. Why are you enduring hardships? Why are your relationships painful? It’s because you haven’t cleared up your karmic debts in your previous life. That’s why cultivation is the only route to liberate yourself.
接下来，师父跟大家讲深一点，如果念佛的人有相，就是着相。有相是什么？就是做一点事情，觉得自己在修了、在念了，觉得自己是学佛人，看不起别人，觉得我比你修得好，怎么样、怎么样，然后就是有相，有相即属小乘中一种没修好之行。就是说，连无相也非大乘，人家说，我做好事、做善事、做功德，我无相布施，都不是大乘啊。你想想看，谁要是贡高我慢有什么意思呢？无相亦非大乘，何况有相呢？只要你有一个相在里面了，那你取相即为凡夫。
Next, Master will talk about a more advanced topic. If a Buddhist have views, then that is an attachment to forms. What do we mean by views? It’s when you’ve done a few things and think that you’re a cultivator. When you’re reciting sutras, you think that you’re a Buddhist. Then you begin to look down on others and think that you’re cultivating better than them. Then you have views. Having views in Theravada Buddhism is considered an inferior type of cultivation. In other words, even no views aren’t considered Mahayana Buddhism. When people say, “I am doing wholesome and meritorious deeds, and giving away with disregard to views,” even that isn’t Mahayana Buddhism. Think about it, what’s the point of displaying pride and arrogance? The absence of views isn’t Mahayana Buddhism, not to mention with views. As long as views exist in your thinking, you’re just an ordinary person when you have views.
取相是什么意思呢？比方说，我今天说我做功德了，你们不要说我做功德了，讲起来算无相吧？但是实际上你还是取相了，明白吗？只要你取相了，你就是凡夫，所以，当一个人做了一点功德，做了一点善事的时候，最好得清净心。欲得清净心，就是我得到一个清净心，觉得我没有做什么，连跟别人说“不要说我做功德”都是着相，应该想，我这是应该做的，我做就做了，享有清净心，你就会拥有净土行。你的心越是清净，你的心就会像一块净土一样干净。
What does having views mean? For example, when I say that I’ve done meritorious deeds today, you don’t say that I’ve done meritorious deeds. Like that, it seems like there are no views involved, right? But in reality, you have still grasped on to your views. Do you understand? As long as you grasp on to views, you are an ordinary person. That’s why when a person does a few meritorious deeds or wholesome deeds, the best cause of action is to maintain a pure and tranquil state of mind. To enter that state, you must think that you haven’t done anything. Even the desire to tell others that you haven’t done any meritorious deeds is considered attachment to forms. Instead, you should think, “These are things that I should do. If I do it, I do it.” Those who enjoy a pure and tranquil mind will act like those from the Pure Lands. The purer and more tranquil your mind is, the closer your mind is to the Pure Lands.
佛经讲，“欲得净土，当净其心。”如果你的心很干净，你就是佛净土。你的心今天不干净，你就不是佛净土。要懂得，若心清净，如果你的心很清净，你所到之处、所在之处，皆为净土。皆为净土是什么意思啊？所有的都是净土世界，就犹如一个善良的人浑身都善良，做事情、想问题、行为永远都是善良的；一个做生意的人，脑子里想的、嘴巴里说的、行为上做的都是做生意；一个自私的人，脑子里想的、嘴巴里讲的、行为全部都是自私的；我们心很安静的人，嘴巴讲的是佛法，脑子里想的是佛陀，行为出来是菩提，所以我们就会得到净土、清净心。
The Buddhist scriptures expound, “If one desires to go to the Pure Lands, be pure in mind.” If your mind is very pure, that you’re already in the Buddha’s Pure Lands. If your mind isn’t pure, then you’re not in the Pure Lands. You must understand that if your mind is pure, you’re in the Pure Lands no matter where you go. Like how if a person is kind-hearted, no matter what they think and do are always wholesome. Or if a person is a businessperson, what they think, say and do are always about doing business. Or if a person is selfish, then what they think, say and do are all out of selfishness. For us Buddhists who have a peaceful mind, what we say are about the Buddha-Dharma, what we think is all about Gautama Buddha, what we do is Bodhi. That’s why we have a pure mind and are in the Pure Lands.
我们在人间怎么学习安静和干净呢？那么悟即得，开悟的人就得到清净心了，不悟不得，想不通的人就是不开悟。你们今天坐在下面，很多人对很多事情还是想不通，就是不悟不得，因为你们没有开悟，还想不通，所以你们还是一个凡夫，心里还是没有净土，所以你们就干净不下来。心中一定要空，而且必定要空，就是说，因为你想不通，到最后你也不得不想通。为什么他不生病，而你生病了呢？你想啊想，想到最后，你还是一个生病的人。
How do we learn to be peaceful and pure in the Human Realm? It comes from realisation. Those who have awakened will gain a pure mind. Those who’re not awakened will not gain it. People who can’t think things clearly are unawakened. For many readers, they still can’t think clearly about things; that’s why they haven’t gained a pure mind and are still ordinary people. Their mind is not in a state of the Pure Land, that’s why they can’t be pure. The mind must be empty and have no choice but to be empty. In other words, if you can’t think clearly, then, in the end, you have no choice but to think clearly. Why is it that he isn’t ill, but you’re ill? You’re obsessed with that train of thought, and in the end, you’re still an ill person.
为什么别人的老婆那么好，而我的老婆那么差？你想啊想，想到最后，你还是差老婆，他还是有一个好老婆，想到最后还是空啊，你还不如不想呢。心空才能人净空，心里要完全想明白，人才会很干净地真正地空，叫净空。心中无物，就是没有任何一个挂碍在心中，没有任何一个概念、理念让你觉得可以执著，那你就是开悟的人。如果你们觉得自己还有很多事情，这是我的，那是他的，那你还是没有开悟。
Why is it that other people’s wives are decent, but my wife is bad? You keep thinking about it, and in the end, you’re still left with a bad wife. He still has a good wife. So at the end of the train of thought, it is still empty. You might as well not think about it. Only with an empty mind can a person be in a state of pure emptiness. When their mind understands everything fully, they become pure and be empty in the true sense, called pure emptiness. There’s nothing in their mind, and they harbour not a shred of worry or hindrances. They have no fixed concepts or ideas to make them feel attached. They are awakened people. If you still have many things in your mind, “This is mine, that is theirs,” then you’re still unawakened.
师父跟你们讲，在这个世界当中，只要任何一个人喜欢讲别人不好，你只要讲了别人不好，你马上就得到一件东西了，得到什么东西了呢？即得傲慢之果。所以不要去讲别人的不好，你去讲别人的不好，你马上就会将傲慢之果又分出一个恶果，就是执著。你不能自己解决掉吗？人家做错了，你把他的事情说好不就好了吗？老公今天没有把家弄好，他在家休息没有把床整理好，怎么样？你就不整理了？他做错了，跟你有什么关系呢？你应该弥补，如果你执著下去，为什么平时我把家搞得这么好，而他就是懒，经常想不通，你得忧郁症；你执著下去，你永远不开悟；你永远不开悟，你就永远是个凡人，只能慢慢地去烦吧。
Master tells you, in this world, when you badmouth others, you will immediately gain one thing. What is that thing? It is the fruit of arrogance. That’s why don’t badmouth or criticise others. When you do, you immediately gain another unwholesome fruit derived from the fruit of arrogance. That is attachment. Can’t you resolve it yourself? When others make a mistake, if you fix and correct their mistake, isn’t all is well? If your husband comes back home and makes a mess, and haven’t tidied up the bed after resting in it, then what? Can’t you just tidy it back up? How is his mistake related to you? You should just tidy it. If you regularly keep over-obsessing about it and think, “Why can’t he tidy everything back up? He’s so lazy,” you will get depression. You will never awaken if you remain attached. Then you will always be an ordinary person and only remain stressed.
要懂得一个道理，人的目光不能狭窄，你只要看人家不顺眼，说明你的目光比较狭隘。每个人如果都从自己的角度去看事物，而不是站在别人的位置上，你就会批评别人。因为你站在你的角度上，你觉得他不对，因为这是你的理念，你就会很快地批评别人。当你批评别人的时候，你就是属于偏见。师父希望你们要懂得，既然来到人间了，不管是有修，还是没修，就算你是有修的人，你也不要说人家没修的人，没修的人也不要去说人家有修的人，不管有修、无修，你要懂得，做人要正直在于宽大的胸怀，一个做人很正直的人，他的心胸很宽大，他很愿意原谅别人。
You must understand the principle that you can’t be so narrow-minded. As long as you feel rubbed the wrong way when you see something unpleasant, then it means that you’re narrow-minded. If everybody sees things from their point of view and does not try to look at them from the other person’s point of view, you only know how to criticise. That’s because you’re looking at it from your angle; you feel that they’re wrong because it conflicts with your ideas, so you’ll quickly criticise others. When you criticise others, then it shows that you have biased views. Master hopes that, whether or not you’re a cultivator, you remain morally upright, broad-minded, and a person who’s willing to forgive others.
我们用不同的眼光和思维去看问题，就会得到不同的理解和观点。如果你总是以为“我认为怎么样”，那你永远不会听人家的意见。所以，永远不要去认为自己的认为是对的，你还有机会得到别人做人的理念来理解这个事情。做人要是用固定的眼光和思维看问题，你就会慢慢地沉迷在人间的各个事情当中，家里不开心了，我认为这个老婆太不好了，那你天天看老婆都不好，因为你沉迷在人间的烦恼之中，因为你是永远用你的观点去看人的。有一个孩子，他的妈妈很勤劳，他就把所有的人都当成他的妈妈一样，他看自己的老婆也好，看任何人都不如他的妈妈，都不勤劳，所以他看谁都不满意，他就执著，最后他就脱离各种人缘，沉迷在人间的自私的狭隘的空间里。
If we use a different perspective and rationale to view a problem, we will gain a different understanding and view of it. If you keep thinking, “This is what I believe,” you will never listen to other people’s opinions. That’s why never be adamant that what you think is correct. That way, you still have a chance to hear and gain another person’s ideas and understanding of the subject. When people use a fixed view and rationale to view a subject, they will gradually be deluded within different aspects of the Human Realm. When they’re unhappy at home and think that their spouse is inadequate, then they will constantly be displeased by their spouse. That’s because they have deluded themselves within the afflictions of the Human Realm. They always use their view to see others. There was a child whose mother was very diligent. So he used his mother’s standards to view other females around him. Whether he sees his wife or other people, he thinks that everybody is inferior to his mother because they weren’t diligent. So he wasn’t satisfied with everyone and became attached. As a result, he distanced himself from other people and relationships and wallowed in the Human Realm’s narrow-minded and selfish thoughts.