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.
很多人问师父：“师父，为什么‘放下屠刀，立地成佛’啊？”还有人问：“师父，为什么‘放生一亿，菩萨随意’呢？”这是指你在很纯洁，没有任何恶业和没有造新业的情况下，你只要放生放到一亿，你就能够成为菩萨。如果你一边放生，一边还在拼命地做坏事，哪怕你放生十亿都是没有用的。想想看，如果一个人能够把自己的钱拿出来放生一亿，那这个人是好人还是坏人？这种人一定不会动坏脑筋，他已经很害怕因果，他已经知道自己一定要放生，这些也是生命，因为他要救度众生。如果一个人能够放生一亿的话，这个人还不是菩萨吗？“放生一亿，菩萨随意”是这个概念啊。如果一个人一天24小时都在做好事，那么这个人还会去做坏事吗？当一个人能够放生一亿的时候，他已经完全脱离了人的境界。你们现在谁有一亿块钱肯拿出来放生啊？
Many people asked Master, “Master, why is there a saying ‘one who lays down the butcher knife becomes a Buddha at once’?” Some people also asked, “Master, why is there a saying ‘those who liberate a hundred million small animals will become a Bodhisattva’?” It only applies under the condition that if you’re very pure, you don’t have much negative karma and you are not creating new unwholesome karma; then if you liberate a hundred million small animals then you can become a Bodhisattva. If you’re liberating yet at the same time, you keep doing bad things; then it’s useless even if you liberate a thousand million animals. Think about it, if a person is willing to spend money out of their pocket to perform life liberations and have liberated a hundred million small animals, then would you view that person as good or bad? That person definitely won’t think of crafty thoughts. They’re already afraid of karma; they already know that they must perform life liberations. Those animals or creatures are still considered sentient beings, so they must save them. If a person could liberate a hundred million animals, then isn’t that person a Bodhisattva? That’s the concept of the saying ‘those who liberate a hundred million small animals will become a Bodhisattva’. If a person could go wholesome deeds over twenty-four hours a day, then what time is left for them to do unwholesome deeds? When a person has liberated a hundred million small animals, they have already transcended the average level of spirituality of a human being. Is that anyone of you who is wealthy who is willing to use your money to perform life liberations?
师父刚刚看到一条新闻，在墨尔本有一个华人钓鱼协会，会员还挺多的。现在是末法时期，他们不懂因果报应啊，现在的报应很快，都是现世报。想想看，仅仅在澳大利亚，一年就有多少华人钓鱼掉到水里去，被浪冲走了？这些人真是可怜。师父在想，我们弘法弘到现在，度人还是很不够，像钓鱼协会的这些会员都是我们要度的众生，所以我们还要更加努力。
In Melbourne, there is a Chinese Fishing Association that has a lot of members. Currently, it’s the age of Dharma decline; they don’t know about karma and karmic retribution. Currently, karmic retribution happens very quickly and will occur in the present life. Think about it, in only a small country like Australia, how many people who fish fall into the water and get swept away by the waves? These people are pitiful. Master has pondered, we have been propagating Buddhism up till now, the number of people that we have successfully spiritually awakened is still not enough. Like those members in the fishing association, they are also our target that we should propagate to. That’s why we must put in more effort.
普贤菩萨的第五大行愿是随喜功德。我们天天都在讲“功德无量”，随喜功德是什么意思呢？功德实际上分两种。一种是我在人间、在这个世界上做有漏的功德。师父不客气地讲，很多人做的功德全部都是有漏的。你们知道什么叫有漏的功德吗？比方说，慈善事业、造桥修路、斋僧建寺……连供养和尚、造庙都是有漏的功德，现在知道了吗？所以，做功德是很难的。梁武帝造了那么多庙，为什么没有功德啊？为什么达摩祖师跟他讲，他没有功德？因为他漏光了，他只是在人间造了一些庙，建了一些桥，修了一些路，功德有目的就会漏。所以善事一定是有漏的功德，不圆满。
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s fifth great action-vow is ‘to follow and rejoice in merit-virtues’. Every day, we praise others with the saying ‘your merit-virtues are boundless’, what does ‘to follow and rejoice in merit-virtues’ mean? There are two types of meritorious deeds. The first type is mundane meritorious deeds with outflows. Master does not hesitate to say that the meritorious deeds that many people do have outflows. Do you know what the meritorious deeds with outflows are? They are like charitable activities, building bridges and fixing roads, building temples and monasteries, making offerings to monks, etc. All of these activities are categorised as meritorious deeds with outflows. Now, do you know? That’s why performing meritorious deeds are difficult. Why is it that when Emperor Wu of Liang from ancient China built a lot of temples, it was considered that he didn’t accumulate any merit-virtues? Why did the Patriarch Bodhidharma tell him that he does not have any merit-virtues? It’s because they have all flowed out. He only built the temples, fixed the bridges and roads in the Human Realm, and his aim wasn’t pure, that’s why his merit-virtues flowed out. That’s why wholesome deeds are meritorious deeds with outflows; they aren’t perfect.
还有一种是出世间的无漏的功德。无漏的功德是什么呢？就是了脱生死、广修六度。师父已经跟你们讲过六度，都摄六根师父也跟你们讲过了。就是说，你今天想做一件善事，你就要守住你的眼耳鼻舌身意，让善念善事转变为功德。很多人做了一点事情，自以为了不起，喜欢自吹自擂，生怕人家不知道：“这个菜是我烧的，里面放了这个、那个的，你尝尝吧，味道很好的。”嘴巴不停地讲。还有人请人家吃了一顿饭，最后说：“要是我今天不请你客，估计没有人请你了。”有这种人吗？有。这种人就是没有守住自己的嘴巴、眼睛、身体和意念，他所做的功德就是有漏。
There’s also another type called supramundane meritorious deeds with no outflows. What are meritorious deeds with no outflows? It’s to liberate life and death and cultivate the six paramitas broadly. Master has already mentioned the six paramitas and blocking the six sensory faculties in the previous chapters. To speak plainly, every time you want to do any wholesome deeds, you must hold the reins of your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and thoughts so that your wholesome thoughts and actions become meritorious. Many people feel proud after they’ve done some minor thing, and they like to boast about what they’ve done, afraid that others don’t know about it. “Do you know that it was me who cooked that dish? There’s this ingredient and that ingredient in there. Try it; it’s very delicious.” They talk non-stop. Or when they invite somebody over to dinner, they say in the end, “If it wasn’t for me, I bet nobody would invite you.” Do these people exist? Yes. These people don’t keep in control of their mouth, eyes, body and thoughts. All the meritorious deeds they do have outflows.
很多人在网上一看见不好的东西，就停在那里想进去看。请你们记住师父的一句话，如果你们已经点了，等到流量不足还在转啊转，转不出来的时候，赶紧停掉，不要看了，这个是最好的方法，这样的话，你就不会造新业。如果你看了，你的眼睛就进去了。你听人家讲话，人家一开始讲：“我告诉你啊，用这个方法可以赚钱……”你马上说：“你不要跟我讲，我经不起你的诱惑的，你少跟我讲，我不要那么多钱。”
When people see something bad on the internet, they would be curious and linger there for longer. Please take note, if you clicked into it and it’s still buffering, hurry and stop it and get out of it. That’s the best method as you won’t create new negative karma. If you watched it, then your mind has received it. When you hear somebody say, “Let me tell you, if you use my method, you will make money…” Then you should reply, “Don’t tell me about it, I don’t need that much money.”
很多人跑到师父这里来说：“师父，你知道吗？现在用你的名字‘卢台长’可以申请一个商标，做素食或者什么的。”师父马上就不要听。你不听进去，你就不会动脑筋，你就不会动心，你就成功了。学佛人要封住自己的耳朵，闭上自己的眼睛，鼻子都不要去闻那些烤肉、烤鱼的味道，嘴巴不要乱说，脑子里也不能乱想，做人学佛要干净，不该看的坚决不要去看，不该听的坚决不要去听。
Many people come up to Master and say, “Master, did you know? You could register your name as a trademark and do some kind of vegetarian restaurant business.” Master immediately doesn’t want to hear about it anymore. If you don’t listen to it, then it won’t enter your mind, and you won’t be moved by it. Then you have succeeded. Buddhists must seal away their ears, close their eyes, their nose shouldn’t go and small the roast flavours of barbequed meat or fish, their mouths shouldn’t casually or recklessly speak, and their minds shouldn’t be distracted. Buddhists must be pure. One should be firm on not looking at what shouldn’t be looked and not listening to what shouldn’t be heard.
要懂得都摄六根，广修六度，就会成就无漏的功德。那些有能力做功德的人，要积极助力；没有能力做功德的人，要懂得随喜赞叹他人的功德。就是说，有力而为必须为，有力而为不为，你就是在犯罪。你今天能够有力量帮助别人，你却不帮助别人，你就是在犯罪，你就是有漏。今天人家在你边上摔跤了，你不去搀扶人家，你就不是菩萨。很多人可能有顾虑：“如果我去搀扶他了，万一他说是我把他摔倒的，他要告我怎么办呢？”师父问你们，如果有人在观世音菩萨身边摔倒了，观世音菩萨会怎么去做呢？不要顾及其他的，事情是讲得清楚的，人家告你又怎么样了？那也说得清楚啊，你是个好人，你做的就是好事。有力而为不为，你就是一个不好的人；有力而为而作为，你就是有所作为。
You must learn to block out your six sensory faculties and cultivate the six paramitas broadly; then you would successfully accumulate merit-virtues with no outflows. Those who are capable of doing meritorious deeds should diligently do so. Those who aren’t capable of doing meritorious deeds should rejoice the meritorious deeds done by others. In other words, if you are capable yet you don’t use it to help others, then that’s considered a sin, and there are outflows. Is somebody tripped up beside you and you don’t help them to get back up, then you’re not a Bodhisattva. Many people may have concerns like, “If I help them get back up, and they suddenly blame me for pushing them over and want to sue me, what should I do?” Master asks you, “ If somebody tripped up beside Guan Yin Bodhisattva, what would She do?” Don’t concern yourself with other things; everything can be made clear. Even if they sue you, so what? It could all be explained clearly. You are just a good person who did an act of kindness. If you are capable, but you don’t use your abilities, then you are not a good person. If you properly use your abilities, then you are someone who can make a difference.
师父跟你们讲，如果你今天没有力量去帮助别人做善事、做好事，那么你应该怎么样呢？你应该随喜赞叹，赞叹他人有很大的圆满功德。佛友今天考驾照通过了，你恭喜人家，赞叹人家。“你今天度了这么多人，恭喜啊，你真的很能干，我要向你学习。”“你修得真好，你吃素几年了？你度人真多啊！”这都是赞叹啊！如果嘴巴讲的都是废话、没有用的话，天上的护法神都会听不过去的。好的话、赞叹的话为什么不讲啊？你的嘴巴去讲人家不好，你就是心里有病。师父已经跟你们讲过了，不要去讲别人的不好，否则哪里像菩萨？怎么可能上天啊？这个世界有你看得习惯的吗？这个世界有你满足的一天吗？有你能够满意的一天吗？你们告诉师父，从小到现在，你们有哪一天是满意的？你们要想开一点。
Master tells you if you don’t have the power to help others and do good deeds, then what should you do? You should follow and rejoice other people’s meritorious deeds. If a fellow Buddhist propagated and converted many people to Buddhism, you should congratulate them and rejoice. “You have spiritually awakened so many people, congratulations. You are so capable, I must learn from you.” “You’re cultivating so well, how many years have you been a vegetarian? You’ve spiritually awakened so many people.” These are all words of rejoicing. If your mouth only utters useless or meaningless words, then even the Dharma protectors in heaven can’t stand it. Why can’t you say words of praises or goodwill? If you badmouth others, it means you’ve got some kind of mental illness. Master mentioned this before, don’t badmouth others. Otherwise, what part of you looks like a Bodhisattva? How could you ascend to heaven? Is there anything in this world that you can get used to? Is there a single day where you are completely satisfied? From when you were little till now, which day did you feel completely satisfied? You should get over it.
无力则赞叹，叫随喜而修，切不可让嫉妒诽谤进入你的心。为什么普贤菩萨的十大行愿里有一个是“随喜功德”？看见好的我就说，看见好的我就做，看见一切能够帮助别人的，我就帮助，这就叫随喜，这样你的功德就来了。你们知道为什么不能嫉妒诽谤人家吗？因为你一旦嫉妒了，鬼就会来找你们，鬼是最会嫉妒人的。过去古时候说，有好事不要讲出来，你天天讲，鬼听到了，你这件好事就泡汤了；有坏事也不要讲，天天讲，会越来越糟糕。鬼最喜欢打官司，他跟你讲道理，跟人间是不一样的，人间不是他的地盘，那他是怎么样来跟你讲道理的呢？就是晚上把你拉下去讲他们的冥理，很多人晚上做噩梦，就是被鬼拉下去了。
Those who are powerless should rejoice in the deeds of others, that’s also a form of cultivation. You mustn’t let thoughts of jealously or slander develop in your mind. Why is there the vow of ‘to follow and rejoice in merit-virtues’ in Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s ten great action-vows? If you see somebody doing something good, you praise. If you see somebody doing something good, you do it. If you see any activity that helps others, you join. That is to ‘follow and rejoice’. That way, you will accumulate merit-virtues. Do you know why you shouldn’t be jealous of others or slander them? That’s because when you’re jealous, you will attract ghosts. They indulge themselves in the jealousy towards others. In the past, there’s a saying that you should boast about any fortunate things that happened to you. If you do it regularly, then the ghosts would hear it and ruin your good fortune. But also, if you keep complaining and telling others about your misfortune, you will become even more unfortunate. Ghosts love litigation. They love to argue, but they can’t linger in the Human Realm for too long as they don’t belong there. So how do they argue with you? They do so by dragging you into the Underworld at night. When people experience nightmares, most of the time is because their spirit had been dragged down by the ghosts.
普贤菩萨的第六大行愿是请转佛法。如来说法，就是佛在说法，一字一句从菩提心中流出，凭心而论，用心来跟大家说话。妈妈掉着眼泪跟孩子说：“孩子啊！”就像菩萨一样，每个字都是从菩提心中流出来的。菩提心是什么？就是最慈悲的心。
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s sixth great action-vow is ‘to request the turning of the Dharma wheel’. When Buddha was expounding the Dharma, every word came from His Bodhi-mind, and every sentence followed according to His heart. When mothers talk to their child teary-eyed, they speak like a Bodhisattva, as everything they say came sincerely from their Bodhi-mind. What is the Bodhi-mind? It is the most compassionate state of mind.
师父可以说，你们坐在这里的百分之七十的孩子，能够把师父的每一个字每一句话都听到心里去，你们就是大众闻法，一字一句入耳。你们听师父讲法，并且让其进入到很深层的意识当中，会有什么好处呢？皆转入你的心成妙法。如果你把师父的话全部听进去了，你就是“转入心中而成妙法”。菩萨的每一句话都是从菩提心中流出来的，你们只要好好地听菩萨的话，就会转到心中成为妙法。你们这些孩子每周三听完课后，会想通很多事情的，就是因为你们把师父的话听到心里面去了。妙法是什么？妙法是用各种巧妙方法来完成你的道业。妙法度众，妙法能够解决很多人间的烦恼。
If you could listen attentively to every word Master or the Bodhisattvas say and keep it in good memory, so it goes deep within your subconsciousness, what are the benefits? It will form a wondrous Dharma, and you will be able to think clearly about many things as you will think of many wondrous mental methods to fulfil your path. The wondrous Dharma would resolve many afflictions of the Human Realm.
“释迦已灭”，释迦牟尼佛已经灭度，过去说佛陀离开人间叫灭度。“弥勒未生”，弥勒佛以后会掌管佛法。高僧大德代佛说法，包括像师父这种在家居士，使人向善，继而转凡成圣。所以，末法时期就是代菩萨在说法，有不可思议的功德，就是功德大得不得了，大得不是你能够想象到的功德。所以，当一个人去向别人说法，劝化别人的时候，这个人的功德大得不可思议。比方说，这个人好得不可思议，这个人是不是好人啊？这个人经济上好得不可思议，这个人是不是财多得不得了？
The time of Shakyamuni Buddha has ended, and the time of Maitreya Buddha will appear in the future. In the interim period, it is the patriarchs and venerable monks who expound the Dharma on behalf of the Buddha. That includes people who remain in the secular world like Master, who persuades others to do good and transforming them to become wise. That’s why in the age of Dharma decline, it’s the representatives of the Bodhisattva who expound the Dharma. They would accumulate an incredible amount of merit-virtues. That’s why when somebody propagates the Dharma to others, that meritorious deed is incredible. For example, if somebody praises somebody is incredibly great, isn’t that person considered a really good person? If somebody’s financial situation is incredible, wouldn’t that mean they possess an incredible amount of wealth?
普贤菩萨的第七大行愿是“请佛住世”。“释迦灭后，弥勒未生”，怎么“请佛住世”呢？怎么样请菩萨在世间呢？你们不知道哪个是菩萨，那怎么请菩萨到人间来啊？“当知是心作佛”，你应该知道，是你的心现在作佛。弥勒佛没有来，释迦牟尼佛灭度了，谁来作佛呢？是你的心啊，你的心就是佛。“即心即佛”，你有这个佛心，你就是佛了。
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s sixth great action-vow is ‘to request the Buddha to remain in this world’. ‘The time of Shakyamuni Buddha has ended, and the time of Maitreya Buddha will appear in the future’, then what is ‘to request the Buddha to remain in this world’? How does one do so? You don’t know who’s a Bodhisattva, so how could you make that request? You should know, it’s your mind who’s the Buddha now. Maitreya Buddha hasn’t arrived, and Shakyamuni Buddha has gone, who can act as the Buddha? It’s your mind. Your mind is the Buddha. When you act using your inherent Buddha-nature, then you’re a Buddha.
“众生心净，见佛常住”。就是没有闻到佛法的众生，他的心只要能够干净安静下来，他就能够看得见自己心中的佛。所以，一个人一旦干净安静下来，就能够想出来办法。想出办法是什么？就是因为你心中的佛出来了。一个有良心的人，当时气得不得了，想跟对方斗个你死我活，一旦干净安静下来，想想有必要吗？想想对方也是很可怜的，都是人，“相煎何太急”呢？这样一想，你心中的佛是不是就出来了？所以，“见佛常住”，要见到自己心中的佛常住在人间，常住在自己的心里。
For those who haven’t encountered the Buddha-Dharma, as long as their mind is in a pure, calm and collected state, then they could discover the Buddha that exists within them. That’s why when a person is calm, they could think of different solutions. For example, if a kind person suddenly got angry and want to pursue in conflict with the other party, when they calm down, they would think about whether it’s necessary. They would think that the other party is actually quite pitiful, everybody has their own problems, right? When they think that way, the Buddha within their mind manifests itself. That’s why one must always think that the Buddha is always in the world residing in their mind.
“众生心垢，见佛涅槃”。每个人心里都有污垢和肮脏的东西，你们心中有肮脏的东西，但是你们看见了佛的涅槃，佛已经给你们指出了一条很光明的道路，你看我佛已经涅槃了。涅槃是什么？是一种觉悟，是完全超脱了境界觉悟地到另一个世界去。那么我们人怎么办呢？学会解脱。若能念念在佛，如果你每天念佛，每天念经，即是请佛住世。你们现在天天念经吗？念的。那么是不是天天把菩萨请到心中来了？天天请佛住世，你就净念相继，为什么？你天天念经，脑子都是跟菩萨在一起，你的脑子当然很干净。什么叫净念相继？继，就是继往开来，就是说，干净的念头不停地涌出来，好念头一个接一个。
Every person’s mind contains contaminants and defiled things, so do you. But you’ve witnessed that Buddha has attained nirvana, and He has already pointed a bright path for you. What is nirvana? It’s a kind of enlightenment that transcends the high level of spirituality in the world and has gone to another realm. So what should us humans do? We must learn to liberate ourselves. If you could recite Buddha’s name or the Buddhist scriptures daily, then you are requesting the Buddha to remain in this world. Do you recite sutras daily? Yes. If so, then aren’t you inviting the Bodhisattva into your mind every day? When you recite sutras, your mind is linked with the Bodhisattvas, and it becomes purer. And pure thoughts will continue ceaselessly in your mind as you keep reciting.
一个人只要学佛念经，脑子里出来的都是干净和善良的种子，犹如一颗好种子，长出来的果实全部都是干净的，则佛常印在心。在苏东坡的时代，有一位高僧就叫“佛印”，意思就是把佛印在心中了。你们今天讲别人，觉得人家很讨厌，你们有佛在心中吗？“心佛及众生，是三无差别”。如果你这个人心中有佛，你的心中就有众生，因为佛就是爱护众生、帮助众生的。众生、佛和下面，天地人都是一样的，菩萨和众生没有差别，众生和畜生道的也没有差别。人一念恶，就沦为畜生，一念善就进入菩萨道。想一想，人是不是也经常做畜生的事情啊？就算是畜生的狗，为什么也会拜佛啊？
As long as somebody learns Buddhism and recites sutras, then pure and kind-hearted seeds have already been sown inside their mind, and the thoughts that develop are wholesome. Just like when you plant a healthy seed, the plant and fruit that grows from it will be healthy. So when they do, Buddhism is constantly printed within their mind. In Su Dongpo’s time, there was a patriarch called ‘Fo Yin’, the meaning is that the Buddha is constantly printed within one’s mind. When you badmouth others or feel that the other party is detestable, is the Buddha printed within you? ‘The Buddha within one’s mind is the same as all sentient beings; there is no difference’. If your mind contains the Buddha, then your mind also contains sentient beings. That’s because the Buddha loves and protects all sentient beings. All sentient beings of the Human Realm, Animal Realm and other realms, Buddha, and the Bodhisattvas are, all the same. There is no difference. When a person’s thought is unwholesome, they become and act like an animal. When a person’s thought is wholesome, they become and act like a Bodhisattva. Think about it; don’t humans regularly behave like animals? Even if it’s just a dog, why do they also prostrate before the Buddha?