V 11-29 Real Cultivation to cultivate True Wisdom 真修实修真智慧
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.
今天跟大家讲明心见性，成就佛果。我们天天都在讲“明心见性，成就佛果”，“明心见性”就是说，你明白了这个世界上的一切真谛。那么，这个世界上的一切，我们到底明白了什么？首先告诉大家，物质是有生灭的。我们今天住的房子，现在造好了，它总有一天会坏掉；我们今天拥有的汽车、别墅等所有的物质，全部都会灭掉：用佛法来讲，叫归于空。所以，我们做人最后是梦幻一场。我们凡人在名利中打滚，出不来，天天为名为利很痛苦地活着；只有修佛法的人，因为他明白了这个道理，他才能不生不灭。所以，要心中无事无心，心中没有什么事情是对的、错的，那么就会产生出无心无非。
In this chapter, Master expounds on the saying ‘a clear mind leads to the discovery of the true nature’. We constantly recite the phrase ‘a clear mind leads to the discovery of the true nature, and one’s cultivation in Buddhism shall reach fruition’. In other words, it means that you understand all truths about this world. Then, what do we understand about this world? Firstly, all substances have birth and cessation. Look at the property you’re living in. Although it’s built, one day, it will deteriorate. Or look at the car you’re currently driving or anything else you’re using; it will be destroyed one day. In Buddhist terms, it will return to emptiness. That’s why, at the end of our life, everything is like a dream. Secular people embroil themselves within fame and wealth and can’t get out. And they live in constant suffering because of it. Only those who practise Buddhism understands these principles, and so their mind is in a state of non-birth and non-cessation. That’s how their mind becomes indifferent and devoid of rights and wrongs.
要明心见性，就是要看破生死。当你知道人死了之后，人是不会死的，因为他的灵魂是不灭的，你才能了悟修行的重要性。很多人修了半天，不知道修行的重要性。修行最重要的是你要懂得“了悟”。就是我知道了，生死都是没有的，要看破生死。第二，要知道因果导致轮回。“因果”是什么呢？就是种因得果。“导致轮回”是什么呢？就是什么事情都会轮回。今天有了，明天没有，后天又有，轮轮回回。就像一个家庭一样，今天好了，明天吵了……所以业障紧随我们的身体，不会离开的。
One must clear their mind to discover the true nature, that is, to see through life and death. When you understand that when somebody died, but they haven’t truly died because their spirit still lives on, then you would be enlightened to the importance of cultivation. Many people cultivate halfway and still don’t fully understand its importance. The most important part of cultivation is to get you to become enlightened about the truth of life and death, which is that there is no life and death, so you see through it. Secondly, you must understand that karmic causes and karmic consequences are what induces a beginningless cycle of repeated birth and cessation. What is karma? It is the relationship of how one actions in any shape or form leads to an associated consequence. So how does it induce a beginningless cycle of repeated birth and cessation? It’s the concept of how you might have something today and lose it tomorrow. And then have it again and lose it again, and the cycle repeats. Just like in a household, a family might be in harmony one day and start to argue and fight each other on another day. That’s why negative karma follows us and doesn’t leave us.
很多人说：“我没有业障啊。”那是不可能的。因为业障紧随你的身体不会离开，如果你是个不修行的人，它就会越积累越多。为什么很多人的身体会越来越不好？因为他没有修行，业障就会越积越多。所以要用正思维把人间所有的事物反过来看。反过来看是什么意思呢？就是业障会越积越多，但是我越没有修好，这就是反过来看问题。我越修越好，我的业障会越来越少。这就是正思维。如果你的思维不正，就是说，“我不修，反正业障会越来越多”。就像很多人还房贷一样，利息越来越多，我一辈子还不完，越积越多。这就是负面的思维。所以，要忏悔自己的业障。念经可以去除很多的业障，但是不能再造新业，福慧才能增长。
Many people say that they don’t have any negative karma. That’s impossible. It follows your body closely and doesn’t leave you. If you are not a cultivator, then it will only accumulate. Why is it that many people’s health gets worse? It’s because they didn’t cultivate, so their negative karma increases. That’s why you must use the right mindset to view everything in the Human Realm conversely. What does that mean? If a lack of cultivation will cause negative karma to accumulate, then conversely, those who cultivate well will be able to decrease their levels of negative karma. That’s how one views it with the right mindset. If one’s mindset isn’t right, then they would think, “I’m not going to cultivate since my negative karma will increase anyways.” Just like when some people have to repay their mortgage; otherwise, the interest will increase. Since they think that they would never be able to repay it back, they neglect it, and the interest accumulates. That’s a negative mindset. That’s why one must repent their negative karma. Reciting sutras could eliminate a lot of negative karma, but one mustn’t create new karma. Then both one’s blessings and wisdom will increase.
师父告诉大家，有业障的人智慧会越来越少，这一点你们一定要记住啊。当一个人业障很重的时候，他的智慧越来越少。当一个人天天吵架、难过、伤心的时候，实际上他的智慧已经没有了，什么事情都想不出来了。所以，怎么样能够让自己的业障少呢？最简单的方法就是守好自己的身口意，不要让嘴巴、行为、思维的那种恶业增长。就是说你今天知道自己还有业障，你不能让它长得太快，你不能让它一直这么长下去，否则的话，菩萨是不能加持到你的，护法神也加持不了你，因为业障太多，障碍了你的慧命，所以要控制住它。
You must take note that the higher the level of negative karma that one has, the less wisdom one possesses. When a person constantly argues or is depressed and hurt, they’ve already lost their wisdom, and they can’t think of any solutions. So how could you reduce your negative karma? The simplest method is to stay in control of your body, speech and mind. Don’t let your tongue, actions and thoughts create more negative karma. In other words, you know that you still have negative karma, so you can’t let it continue to grow too quickly. Otherwise, the Bodhisattvas and Dharma protectors won’t be able to bless you because you have too much negative karma that’s covering your wisdom-life. That’s why you must control it.
师父上次说，见闻觉知对学佛修行最后的果是没有用的。“见闻觉知”就是大家在社会上看到的、听到的、感觉到的和知道的。其实这些知道的都是人间的东西，你知道和不知道对你来讲根本没有任何意义。师父问你们，你们离开人间的时候，很多东西都不知道，就像一个人说“我离开的时候，我很多国家都没去过”，但是你还是要死，这就叫道理，你去过多少国家对你的生死不起任何的作用。
Master once said before that seeing, hearing and perceiving the things in the Human Realm is useless in the cultivation of Buddhism. Whether you know or don’t know about it is meaningless. Master asks you, when you are about to leave the Human Realm, there are still many things that you don’t know. Just like how there are still many countries that you’ve never been to. But you still have to die. That’s the principle. The countries that you’ve been to or not been to doesn’t have any effect on your life and death.
学佛人要实修，才能有真智慧，不要让自己的心动得太厉害。“实修”就是实实在在地修。一切修为一定会相应。这句话的意思就是说，你今天修什么，你就会有什么来：你是一个很纯洁的孩子，你就会有很纯洁的好事来；你今天布施，法布施、财布施、无畏布施，你就会得到别人对你的布施。这就叫“相应”。你今天很纯洁，心像菩萨一样，那么菩萨就能够很快地感应到你的慈悲，菩萨会用更大的慈悲能力来帮助你，所以就相应了。一旦相应之后，就会退散一切灾难，这个人的灾难就会散掉。“散掉”是什么意思呢？本来命根当中注定有的灾难，逃都逃不掉的，但是到了后来，因为你的努力让这个灾难散去了，没有了。“散掉”是这个概念。并不是说这个灾难没有了，实际上灾难是灭不掉的，因为有这个劫，就一定会有这个难。
Buddhists must really cultivate to gain real wisdom. Don’t let your mind fluctuate too much. ‘Real cultivation’ means that you must do it thoroughly and sincerely. All cultivation will bring about the appropriate response. In other words, you will get whatever you cultivate. If you are a pure child, then pure and goods things will come to you. If you practise almsgivings like Dharma almsgiving, wealth almsgiving and fearless almsgiving, then you will also have other people give to you. That’s the ‘response’. If you are pure and your mind is like a Bodhisattva, then the Bodhisattvas would quickly sense your compassion and would use an even greater power of compassion to help you, so they respond. After they respond, they would disperse all impending calamities. Then that person would be free of calamities. What’s the meaning of dispersing? Originally, the person was destined to encounter a calamity, and they can’t escape from it. But subsequently, due to one’s efforts, the calamity is dispersed and its negative impact minimised. It’s that concept. In reality, destined calamities can’t be eliminated completely.
所以，做人学佛要学会控制好情绪，要懂得尊师、重法、真愿、实心。就是要尊重自己的师父，要尊重自己学的佛法，要有真正的愿力，还要有实实在在的心。所以有一句话叫“实心是道场”，“实心”就是实实在在的心。
Buddhists must learn to control their emotions and have respect for their master and the Dharma. They must also be true to their vows and sincere.
这个世界天天在变化，幻化就是无常，我们要用智慧让幻化的人间变得“无中生有、有中化无、转化意念、借假修真”。这十六个字是什么意思呢？就是说，我们出生到这个世界当中，我们虽然有本性，但是我们在人间迷失了方向，我们要在这个人间的五欲六尘当中把真的佛性修出来，这就是“无中生有”，这个词不一定是贬义词。
The world is changing every day, so everything is impermanent. We must use wisdom to ‘make something out of nothing, turn something into nothing, transform one’s thoughts, and borrow the fake to cultivate the real’. In other words, although we have an inherent nature in the Human Realm, we don’t see it, and we’ve lost our sense of direction. So we must cultivate our real Buddha-nature in this defiled world. That’s the meaning of ‘making something out of nothing’.
第二句“有中化无”，“有”是有什么呢？就是人间的那些贪瞋痴慢疑，我们要慢慢地把它化掉，化成没有，生出菩提心，化去瞋恨心。然后“转化意念”，就是把所有的想法都要学会转化。今天你不开心了，你一定要转换情绪，今天想吵架，你一定要学会转化，一切都要学会转化。“借假修真”是什么意思呢？我们今天假的身体只能活八十岁到九十岁，我们要借这个身体，赶快来做好的事情、做功德，让自己学到真正的佛。如果我们没有这个身体，我们就是一个灵性，灵性不能做实事，而我们拥有有肉有血的身体，它可以做很多实实在在的事情。
The second line is ‘turn something into nothing’. That ‘something’ refers to the greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance and doubt that we have, and we must gradually get rid of it so that it turns to nothing. Develop a Bodhi mind to resolve the mind that bears hatred. ‘Transform one’s thoughts’ is about changing a negative and unwholesome thought into a positive and wholesome one. For example, if you’re upset, you must learn how to stop continuing to be upset and be happy again. Finally, what does ‘borrow the fake to cultivate the real’ mean? Our ‘fake’ temporary bodies only last around a decade, so we must borrow this body of ours to quickly do more wholesome and meritorious deeds and quickly learn Buddhism to become enlightened. If we didn’t have a physical body, then we would only be spiritual beings. Spiritual beings can’t do concrete things. Whereas if we have a physical body, we can do many concrete things.