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.
一个人的良心怎么会没有了的？贪啊，眼睛看到好的东西我要，鼻子闻到香的东西我想要吃，脑子想到好的东西我想要，身体我要舒服啊，对不对？意念我要舒服啊，所有的这一切都会漏掉你的善种，因为这“六个贼”，就使你失去了佛性。而且，“六个贼”会招来很多不需要的贪心和物质，一个人不需要的你去贪了，你就是去把它招来了，不需要的物质，也是你的“六个贼”帮你招来的，对不对？贼是怎么来的？眼睛看来的，一个女人的婚姻怎么会不好的？因为很多女人贪啊，自己的老公没钱，结婚后看到人家的老公有钱，然后就开始去贪，最后就把自己的婚姻搞得一塌糊涂。
How does a person lose their conscience? It’s because of desire. When they see something good, they want it. When they smell something good, they want to eat it. When they think about something good, they want to get it. They also want their body to feel good. Isn’t that right? They think about feeling good. All of this will create outflows of your originally wholesome qualities. That’s because these ‘six thieves’ will make you lose your Buddha-nature. Also, these six thieves will attract many other unnecessary mental and material desires. When you desire something unnecessary, then you are inviting it. Unnecessary objects are also something your six thieves helped you invite, isn’t that right? Where does a thief come from? It comes from your eyes. Why do some women experience a bad marriage? It’s because they are filled with desires and greed. They see that their husbands aren’t wealthy, while others have wealthy husbands, so they develop greed. Then, as a result, their marriage becomes ruined.
我们做人情愿穷一点，人也要正一点，不能因为自己的贪心给自己招来很多的麻烦。贪心在你的心里，物质欲望在你的身体里，都是会害死你的，这就是业障的来源。师父跟你们绕来绕去，讲到最后就是讲的业障的来源。你们知道业障是怎么来的吗？很多人说：“师父，为什么我有这么多的业障？”业障就是你的“六个贼”引来的啊。要吃好的，不就是贪嘴吗？要用好的，不就是你的心吗？恨别人，不就是从你的心里发出来的吗？想享受，又不肯付出，这种贼在你的心中，你怎么会好？所以，业障基本上都是从六个管道中来的，就是眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意。
As human beings, we should prefer to be morally upright despite being less well-off. We mustn’t let our greed invite trouble upon us. When greed resides in your mind, the desires for the material reside within you, and it will eventually ruin you. That is the source of negative karma. Everything Master has talked about in the recent chapters lead to the next topic of the source of negative karma. Do you where does negative karma come from? Many people asked, “Master, why do I have so much negative karma?” Your six thieves invite negative karma. Isn’t the reason why you want to eat the best comes from the desire of your mouth? Isn’t the reason you want to use the best comes from your mind's desire? When you hate somebody, doesn’t that hate come from your mind? You want to enjoy the fruits without doing the labour. How could you be well with these kinds of thieves residing in your mind? That’s why negative karma basically comes from these six channels: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
今天师父跟大家先把这个基本的意念讲一讲，你们学佛学到后来，要去度人，要去跟人家讲佛法的时候，要讲得出这种东西啊，不是说我今天讲佛法就是讲小房子。意不恋物，意念不要留恋这个物品，好汽车、好房子，我的意念不要去恋物，就是说，意念一定要干净。鼻不忘吸，什么意思啊？就是说，你有这个鼻子不要忘记呼吸。很多人靠着鼻子呼吸，可是从来不重视鼻子，就是说不要忘记自己的原始本性，虽然它没有让你感觉到，但是它在帮着你成功地做很多事情，所以，不要忘记你的呼吸，师父理解的第二个意思是不要去贪恋任何的味道，嗅觉。口不贪食，嘴巴不要去贪食，哎呀，好吃啊，对好吃的东西要适可而止，不好吃的东西也要适可而止。“六贼”要空，就要五蕴自明，自己明白，就是照见五蕴皆空。
In this chapter, Master will first talk about thoughts. After you have learnt and are practising Buddhism, you must go out and spiritually awaken others. When you talk about the Buddha-Dharma, you must be able to explain these things, and not just about Little Houses. ‘One’s thoughts mustn’t be attached to forms’. In other words, your thoughts mustn’t possess attachments to material forms like a good car or a good house. Your thoughts must be pure. ‘The nose doesn’t forget to breathe’. What does it mean? Many people depend on their noses to breathe, but they never pay attention to it. In other words, don’t forget about your original, inherent nature. Although you can’t sense it, it helps you succeed in many things. That’s why ‘don’t forget about your breath’. The second meaning from the line ‘One’s thoughts mustn’t be attached to forms’ is that the word forms could also mean invisible forms like smell and taste. Don’t be gluttonous. Delicious things should be consumed moderately, and the same applies to other bland-tasting foods. The six thieves must be empty. In other words, one must first understand the five aggregates within you. Then you will see that the five aggregates are empty.
菩萨讲的也是五蕴自明，你自己要明白自己身上的一切。受想行识，那么，感受到的，和你思维当中想象的，还有你的行为，还有你的意识，这就叫受想行识，五蕴要皆空，受想行识要如镜见形，就是说像镜子一样照亮着你，像有形的东西一样照亮着你，你们又听不懂了，师父给你们做个解释。师父问你们，想象是不是没有形状的？但是，你心中想象这个人很恶，我很恨他，没有形状，但是你的心中已经有形状了，因为你很恨他。你虽然表情没有出来，但是你心里的恶已经形成了一个形象，所以菩萨告诉我们说，如镜子，就像你心中的好坏你要有一面镜子照到自己，照到自己的心，我今天的心是善的、还是恶的，就是这个概念，明白吗？因为你想象出来的东西到底是恶的还是善的？像一面镜子一样把你照得透彻，你虽然在心里想，别人不知道，但是你通过内心的镜子把你照出来了。
What the Bodhisattvas expound is also about understanding the five aggregates within oneself. One must understand everything about themselves. Feeling, cognition, formation and consciousness. Feeling is what you feel. Cognition is related to your thoughts, then that forms into action. Then that becomes a part of your consciousness. They are feeling, cognition, formation and consciousness. One must empty the five aggregate. One must recognise that feeling, cognition, formation, and consciousness are like a mirror that sees a form. You might not understand, so let Master elaborate. Master asks you, doesn’t imagination take a form? Within your mind, you might hate somebody and think that they’re evil. Although hatred is formless, it has taken form within your mind. Although you may look indifferent on the surface, your mind has already formed a negative image of them. That’s why the Bodhisattvas tell us that one’s mind is like a mirror. You must use it to introspect the things that reside within your mind and distinguish whether it’s wholesome or unwholesome. It’s that concept, do you understand? Are your thoughts unwholesome or wholesome? Although your thoughts are invisible to others, you can use your mind’s mirror to observe them clearly and thoroughly.
过去旧社会怎么看灵性的，你们知道吗？拿面镜子对着这个空间照着，白天照，晚上也照，三天之后就可以从镜子里看到这个地方有一个人形出来了，就是鬼，它一直藏在墙角里，你就看见了。所以镜子不能乱照，镜子是属阴的，晚上睡觉的时候，镜子照到你的脚、照到你的身体，可以把你的魂魄照散掉，所以镜子这个东西非常重要。镜子是什么？是一块照妖镜，就是把你心中的妖魔鬼怪、不好的想法全部照出来，很多人跟师父忏悔的时候说：“师父，我不是个好人。”就是这面镜子照的，现在明白了吧？把自己的感受、行为、想象、意识心中要像有一面镜子一样，叫如镜见形，把它的形状照出来。中国人讲一句话叫恶形恶状，一个人吵架的时候那种样子吓人吧？你今天的意识也是有形状出来的，你这个人很恶，你就有一个恶的形状照出来。
Do you know how people check spirits in the ancient past? They take out a mirror and direct it around the room during the daytime and nighttime. Then three days later, they would see a shape of a person reflected on to the mirror when they direct it around in the room. That’s a ghost which had been hiding at a corner. That’s why you should direct a mirror around. Mirrors are of the yin element. When you’re sleeping at night, and a mirror is facing your feet and your body, it could slowly cause your spirit to scatter. That’s why mirrors are very important. What is a mirror? It is something that reveals. It can be used to reveal your inner demons and unwholesome thoughts. When people repent in front of Master, they say, “Master, I’m not a good person.” They acted like that because they used their mind’s mirror to reflect on themselves. Do you now understand? You must reflect on your feelings, behaviour, thoughts and consciousness as if it’s like a mirror reflecting on objects. There is a Chinese saying called ‘unwholesomeness begets malicious form’. When somebody acts furiously, don’t they look scary? Your consciousness also has form. If you are unwholesome, your whole demeanour will also look unwholesome.
所以想五蕴自明的话，你一定要受想行识如镜见形，精气神上下流通。上下流通是什么意思呢？就是说，你今天想的好事情经得起上天的考验，往上流，所以为什么人间说上流社会，你的好东西是上流。我们说的中流是什么意思呢？就是说你的内心要顶得住，不管有什么福啊、名利啊，到了你身上的时候，你都要顶得住，如如不动，所以说中流砥柱，对不对？那么一个人怎么会变成下流的呢？精神想贪不好的东西，气不顺，整天发脾气、发牢骚，神整天失魂落魄，你就下去了，你就变成下流人了，整天不动好脑筋的人他会有精神吗？33岁的阿拉伯王子走了，这种人一讲就知道了，美女太多，钱财太多，精耗完、气丧尽、神走光，你去下流啊，就是往下流。
So if you want to understand the five aggregates within you, you must reflect on your feelings, behaviour, thoughts and consciousness like a mirror facing something with form. Then your essence, energy and spirit will flow freely up and down. What does that mean? If what you think can stand the test of Heaven, then it flows up. In the Human Realm, we describe these as being ‘upper-class’. What do we mean by midstream? It means that your inner mind has resistance. Regardless of your worldly blessings, fame and gains, you are resistant to it and remain unmoving. That’s why we describe it as standing firm as a rock in mid-stream, is that right? Then, how does a person act ‘lower-class’? It’s when they constantly think of desiring unwholesome things, and their energy doesn’t flow smoothly, and they constantly lose their temper, complain or are driven to distraction. Their spiritual energy then flows downwards and act ‘lower’ class. Would a person who constantly thinks of unwholesome thoughts be energetic? An Arab prince passed away at the age of 33. When you think about these people, you can imagine that they have too many women and too much wealth. Thus his essence was exhausted, his energy ceased, and his spirit left. So everything flowed downwards.
要懂得，精气神上下流通就是用自己好的精神来拉住自己往下流的不好的精神思维，并改变它。因为每个人活在这个世界上，都会有一些不好的想法，这些下流的、不着边际的、不上档次的想法出来，要靠着你的精气神上流来把它拉住，来改变它，来识别它，就是拿面镜子把它照出来，这样上下帮助和助缘，你才会常养定慧，人定得下来是养出来的，所以每个人都要有修养啊，这是养出来的，你们知道吗？你们今天能够坐在这里不动的人，就连这点素质都是养出来的，已经很不容易了。师父今天到马路上去找十个拾垃圾的人坐在你们当中，你们看看他们会怎么坐？他们会怎么站呢？他们的眼睛往哪里看？师父不讲，你们想一想就知道了，师父让他们坐在这里，如果你们站不住，坐不住，眼睛不停地看，左看女孩子，右看男孩子，左看右看，这就是没有精气神的人，没有目标的人。
You must understand, the flowing of one’s essence, energy and spirit relies on one’s mental control to stop it from flowing downwards towards unwholesome thoughts and change it. Every living person will occasionally have unhealthy, debased, or immoral thoughts. So one must consciously use will themselves out of those thoughts, change them, and distinguish them. It’s like holding up a mirror towards it and inspecting it. That way, you could cultivate concentration and wisdom. A person’s ability to settle down comes from training and cultivation. That’s why everybody must cultivate themselves. If you are somebody who can sit quietly, even that tiny behaviour comes from your cultivation. It’s already not easy. If Master invited ten beggars to sit among you at a lecture, how do you think they will sit or stand? Or where their eyes will move? Master doesn’t need to say another word, but you could imagine how they behave. When Master asks you to listen to him at his lecture, if you can’t sit or stand still, or your eyes wander around looking at other guys or girls, it indicates that you lack essence, energy and spirit, and you are somebody aimless.
所以，定是养出来的，智慧是养出来的，师父问你们，你们现在不是在养智慧吗？你们在这里学什么？养出自己的精神来，养出自己高尚的情操来，养出自己高尚的道德来，心静如水，定当解脱，心要静，怎么能不解脱啊？
That’s why concentration and wisdom come from cultivation. Master asks you, are you presently cultivating your wisdom? Where are you learning it from? Cultivate your spirit, cultivate a lofty sentiment, cultivate a set of noble morals. Keep your mind as still as water. Concentration can liberate. When one’s mind is calm, how can you not liberate?