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.
修心有两种方法：一种是悟性法修心，还有一种是 苦修法修心。悟性法，就是说修到后来，“我明白了， 我懂了，原来是这个意思”，这个时候，你修心如果是 正的，你会开悟。苦修法就是不停地念经、许愿，勤俭 节约，帮助别人，不停地跪在菩萨那里磕头，每天很早 就开始做功德，等等。师父先把这两种方法告诉你们， 然后再告诉你们这两种方法如何修，以及你要修哪一 种。
There are two types of methods to cultivating one’s mind. The first type is to cultivate one’s mind intuitively, and the other type is to cultivate one’s mind through asceticism. The method of intuition is that once you’ve cultivated to a certain stage, you begin to understand things instinctively. If you cultivate wholesomely, then you will reach awakenment. Asceticism is when you regularly recite sutras and perform vows. You act frugally and help others. Also, you wake up very early in the morning and begin to perform meritorious deeds, prostrate before the Bodhisattvas and kowtow, etc. Master tells you about these two types of methods first and then expounds how to cultivate it and which one is more suitable.
第一种修心法是通过开悟来修，修到后来，突然开 悟了，有了悟性，叫得知本源。就是你修到后来，慢慢 地看到自己的良心了，知道自己什么能够做，什么不能 做，这叫得知本源，理解人生苦谛，醍醐灌顶，突然之 间明白了。实际上，开悟有渐悟和顿悟两种，渐悟就是 慢慢地理解，顿悟就是突然开悟，在这两种当中，渐悟 比较可取，如果是顿悟的话，很容易走偏差。很多艺 人、明星在人间吃了很多苦，突然之间觉得人生没有意 思，出家去了，不想做人了，这是顿悟。渐悟就是有师 父领着，慢慢地学一点，明白一点，他就不会走偏。
The first type of cultivating one’s mind is through one’s gradual learning and awakening, until when they suddenly become enlightened and gain greater intuitiveness. They have found the origin. In other words, they gradually discovered their conscience, and they know what they should do and shouldn’t do. They understand the suffering of life and suddenly become refreshed and clear about everything. In reality, awakenment also encompasses gradual-awakenment and sudden-awakenment. Gradual awakenment is when somebody understands gradually while sudden awakenment is when somebody suddenly understands. Among these two kinds, gradual awakenment is more preferred. If awakenment is sudden, then the person would be susceptible to deviate. Many artists and celebrities experience many hardships in the Human Realm. Then they suddenly feel that there’s no meaning to life and become a monk or a nun because they don’t want to live that way. That’s an example of sudden awakenment. Gradual awakenment is like when you are lead by a teacher or a master, and you learn bit by bit. That way, you won’t deviate.
还有一种是苦戒。苦戒是什么呢？就是我吃苦、我 守戒。师父问你们，守戒苦不苦？嘴巴想讲，不能讲； 今天人家欺负你，你不能跟人家争吵；今天人家污蔑 你，你要忍辱精进；不管人家今天对你怎么样，你要全部能够忍受；今天我很想吃，不能吃；我很想贪，不能 贪；我很恨这个人，不能恨……这就是苦戒。然后苦 修，人家很晚起床，你每天很早就要起床念经，要修 心，修到一心不乱。
Another type is to cultivate via observing strict precepts. Master asks you, is it hard observing precepts? You can’t say what you want to say. For example, when somebody bullies you yet you can’t fight back verbally, or when somebody slanders you but you must forbear it. You can’t eat what you want to eat. You can’t take what you want to take. You can’t hate the person you develop hate towards. Also, you must wake up and get out of bed very early in the morning to recite sutras while normal people could wake up later. You’re willing to do all of this because you’re observing the precepts strictly. You want to cultivate your mind so that it becomes single-minded.
师父问你们，这两种修心法哪种好？可能有人会 说：“我情愿苦修，吃点苦，好好修，我就守着戒 律。”还有人会说：“我就天天念经，念经之后会产生 一种觉悟的心，开悟了，我明白道理后也会守戒。”师 父告诉你们，这两种修心法没有一种是能够直接修成 的，修心要把这两种方法合二为一地修，才能修成。
Master asks you, which of these two types of cultivation methods do you think are better? Some people might say that they prefer to cultivate the path of asceticism and observe the precepts strictly. While others might prefer to do it gradually by reciting sutras daily to develop an awakening mind and gradually observe precepts. Master tells you that if you solely cultivate one type, you won’t be successful in your cultivation. You must combine both types when cultivating the mind to have success.
学佛人要心如止水，心要像水一样地平静；意如明 镜，意念像镜子一样。当你的心中有了一面镜子，不管 什么念头出来，镜子都会把它照出来，你能看到自己的 念头，你就知道什么叫对、什么叫错了。因为人的眼睛 看不见自己的毛病，只能看到别人的毛病，所以菩萨就 叫我们在自己的心中装一面镜子，把自己的意念反射出 来，让自己来看，你一看这个是恶的，那个是善的，那 么你就知道自己的心是好心，还是坏心。菩萨就是要我 们懂得意如明镜，自己把自己给照出来。
Buddhists must have a mind as calm as still water and intentions as clear as a mirror. When your mind harbours a mirror within, no matter what intentions you develop, the mirror will reflect on it, and you’ll be able to see it. Then you know what is right or wrong. The problem with people’s eyes is that they can’t see their flaws, only the flaws of other people. That’s why the Bodhisattvas tell us that we must equip a mirror inside our mind to reflect on our intentions so that we could see. Then we know what’s unwholesome or wholesome, and we know whether we harbour a good heart or a bad heart. The Bodhisattvas want us to introspect and reflect on ourselves.
很多人以为自己很聪明，喜欢修悟性法，就是说 “我都明白了”。修悟性法要切记，魔障特别多，这是 师父今天要讲的一个很重要的问题。很多人睡觉之前， 想着问问菩萨：“菩萨，我能够去做这件事情吗？”看 着菩萨的眼睛，然后自己的脑子里在想可以做这件事 情，突然之间，感觉菩萨的眼睛眨了一下，其实是自己 的眼睛眨了，还以为是菩萨同意了，好了，魔障上去了。你们要记住，修悟性法，魔障特别多，因为到了一 定的时候，你的戒律会减少，经常靠自己悟性的人，戒 律会减少，觉得自己很了不起，人家都来请教你佛法的 问题了，然后你对自己的戒律减少，贡高我慢，接下来 很容易堕落，修心修得不好的话，最怕的就是退转堕 落。
Many people think that they’re very clever and like to cultivate the method of intuition and say that they understand everything. Those who cultivate this type must take note that they will encounter more mental obstructions from their inner demons. This is a big problem that Master wants to expound. Many people, before they go to bed, would ask the Bodhisattvas, “Bodhisattva, could I do this?” They would stare deeply into their eyes, and they would constantly be thinking about the thing they want to do. Suddenly, they feel as though the Bodhisattva blinked, even though it was they who had blinked. And from this, they deduce that the Bodhisattva agree with what they want to do. That’s how their inner demons play with their mind. You must remember, those who cultivate the method of intuition will encounter especially a lot of mental obstructions because they will gradually observe fewer precepts. Those who depend on intuition will observe fewer precepts because they feel that they know it all. Other people consult them for their knowledge, so they become arrogant. As a result, they become less strict towards themselves, and so they will fall into depravity easier. If they didn’t have any good foundation in cultivating their mind, then they may abandon their cultivation altogether.
过去师父跟很多法师讲过，修得越高，跌下来越 重，修得越好，做错事情惩罚越严格。所以，明明是自 己内心的邪思邪见，明明是自己内心的想象力，非要说 是菩萨说的。很多人跪在菩萨面前说：“菩萨，你原谅 我吧，菩萨，我是很苦的，菩萨，你成全我的这个欲望 吧。”你看，菩萨又眨眼睛了，他认为这是菩萨给他的 灵感，这种人是最容易修偏的。神经病是怎么来的？修 到后来把自己心中想的那些邪思、不对的东西，说成是 菩萨说的，这就是邪思邪见。
In the past, Master had said to many venerable monks that those who had cultivated to a higher level would fall from a greater height. Those who cultivated very well would be punished more severely when they do any wrongdoings. It’s clear that your thoughts and views have deviated, and it’s clear that your claims stem from your imagination, yet you say that it was the Bodhisattvas who said it. Many people kneel before the Bodhisattvas and say, “Bodhisattva, please forgive me, I’m suffering, please fulfil my wish.” They stare deeply into their eyes and see that the Bodhisattva had blinked, so they thought that the Bodhisattva had given them approval. These people are more susceptible to deviating in their cultivation. How do mental illnesses develop? When somebody cultivates and claim that all of their deviated thoughts and views were communicated from the Bodhisattvas, then it shows that they have deviated.
所以，我们修心要把苦修和悟性结合起来修，一个 经常苦修的人，是不容易走偏的。有些老妈妈什么都不 懂，她就天天念“阿弥陀佛”，天天念“观世音菩 萨”，她照样上天。现在你们明白了吧？因为她从来不 做坏事。因为她一辈子行善，不做坏事，她苦修、守 戒。守什么戒呢？就是我不做坏事，我不贪、不瞋、不 愚痴。所以，苦修就是要严守戒律、念经、放生，去除 障碍，靠这些就能够修好。师父问你们，很多人晚上睡 觉了，可是有人还在观音堂跪在菩萨那里磕头，人家靠 的就是精进修行。能够苦修的人，就会慢慢地修到一心 不乱，最后往生西方极乐世界。
That’s why when we’re cultivating our mind, we should cultivate both types in unison. Those who regularly cultivate asceticism won’t deviate easily. Some older women don’t know much, they only dedicate themselves to reciting ‘Amitabha’ or Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s holy name, and they still go to heaven. Now, do you understand? It’s because they have never done any unwholesome deeds in their life and only did wholesome deeds. They observed the precepts. What’re the precepts? The precepts are not to commit unwholesome deeds, don’t develop greed, don’t hate others and don’t be foolish. That’s why asceticism is about to observe the precepts strictly, reciting the sutras, performing life liberations and eliminate mental obstructions. Those who depend on doing these few things could also cultivate themselves very well. While people are asleep in bed, some people remain in the Guan Yin Temple and praying to the Bodhisattvas. They are diligent in cultivating. Those who can cultivate while bearing hardships would gradually become focused, and they could ascend to the Western Pure Lands when they pass away.
成佛、成菩萨靠悟性。师父讲给你们听，悟性和苦 修这两者，开始修心的时候是靠悟性，修到后来是靠真 修，现在明白了吗？很多人一开悟，觉得自己像菩萨 了，什么都明白了，自己过去怎么样讲得一套一套的， 但是他不好好修，最后就走偏了。还有一些人一有点开 悟，就天天磕头，一点智慧都没有，怎么度人啊？大不 了修成一个阿罗汉果位。
To become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva, one requires intuition. But Master expounds that at the beginning of cultivation of the mind, one must rely on their intuition, but later down the line, they must rely on real effort. Do you understand? Many people think that they were already like a Bodhisattva when they had awakened as they feel like they know about everything and could articulate it well. But they don’t properly cultivate, then in the end, they deviate. Then there are others who are partially awakened, and they pray to the Bodhisattvas every day. But they lack wisdom, so they don’t propagate to others. So the most they could attain is arhathood.
要懂得，苦修是基础，明白开悟是你的本性。师父 告诉你们，在人间是苦多乐少，所以没有一个人可以说 自己在人间是非常地快乐。在人间修就是要学会能够自 我控制欲望，你们可以试试看自己锻炼一下：看见一桌 子的菜，非常想吃很多，但是要控制，吃个七分饱就行 了，不能把胃撑得太饱；看到男男女女的色相，要想到 自己不能有这种想法，要控制好自己的欲望；有些人看 见床就想睡觉，不想起来，这也不行，想一想有多少次 就是爬不起来，但是你一旦起来了，就真的起来了，刚 才那种想赖在床上的感觉就没有了，对不对？所以，学 佛修心要跟自己的欲望做斗争。
You must understand that asceticism is the foundation, and intuition comes from your inherent nature. Master expounds that there is more suffering than happiness in the Human Realm; that’s why nobody claims that they are completely happy with their life. When you’re cultivating, you must learn how to control your desires. You can try to train it. When you see a food dish you like, and you want to eat a lot of it, you could try to restrict yourself and keep yourself at most 70% full. Don’t eat until you can’t take it anymore. When you see a beautiful person of the opposite sex or somebody you’re attracted to, try to refrain from having thoughts of wanting to be with them. You must control your desires well. Some people want to sleep right away when they see a bed and don’t want to get back up. That’s also unacceptable. Think about how many times you didn’t want to get out of bed after you woke up. But when you did get out of bed, then that kind of feeling of wanting to stay in bed disappears. Is that right? That’s why you must always fight against your desires when practising Buddhism and cultivating your mind.
接下来，要控制好自己的眼耳鼻舌身意，这些东西 都是害你的，让你每天都有止不住的欲望：眼睛看见好 看的东西想买；耳朵听到人家说什么了，又开始生气难 过；鼻子闻到香的东西，又想吃，其实很多人已经吃得 很饱了，但到了另一个地方，阵阵香味扑鼻，控制不住 又想吃了，这就是控制不住自己的欲望；舌头不停地想 吃好吃的东西，嘴要说自己心里憋不住的话，所以要管 住自己的舌头；身就是自己的身体、身体的需求，都要控制好；还要管控好自己的意念，因为我们每天有很多 的欲望。
Next, you must control your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, body and thoughts well. These things can ruin you by constantly aggravating your desires. When you see something good, you want to buy it. When you hear somebody expressing a negative opinion about something you like, you become angry and upset. When you smell something fragrant, you want to eat it. There are many times when somebody is already full, but when they smell something nice, they can’t control their appetite and want to eat it. That’s due to their inability of controlling their desires. The tongue constantly wants to taste something pleasant and speak out one’s mind. That’s why you should manage your tongue well. Your body also has needs so you must control it. You must also control your thoughts and intentions because you constantly develop a lot of desires every day.
学佛人要懂得没有欲望，师父以后要你们修得高的 时候，你们要没有欲望。比方人家说：“这个东西很好 吃，你吃啊。”“好，谢谢，我随便，无所谓。”“这 个东西大家都有的。”“我有了。”好了，没有欲望 了，你就成功了。“大家都在赚钱，你赶紧买股票 吧！”“没钱，我不买，我自己的钱够用了。”你永远 没有欲望，这样的人就叫行住坐卧都在修行。
Buddhists must learn not to develop desires. When you have cultivated to a high spiritual level, Master requires you not to possess any desires. For example, when somebody says to you, “This food is delicious, you should eat it.” You should reply, “Ok, thank you; I’m fine.” “Everybody has one of these.” “It’s ok, I’m fine.” When you don’t harbour any desires, then you have succeeded. “Everybody is making a lot of money from the stock market; you should also get in.” “I don’t have the money to do so; it’s ok, I have enough anyway.” You always don’t have desires; then you’ll be cultivating whatever you do.
过去修行人讲，衣服是给你遮住身体避寒的，所以 学佛人在穿衣上不要有太多的追求，只要是普通的衣 服，可以把身体遮起来、保暖就够了。吃东西就是食要 随缘，就是有什么就吃什么。很多人心态不好，看见东 西不好就不想吃了，一看是好吃的东西就多吃，这就是 贪啊，修心的人连这个贪心都不能有。
In the past, cultivators would say that clothes are there just to cover up your body and keep yourself warm. That’s why Buddhists shouldn’t be too obsessed about what they are wearing. As long as it looks normal, covers up your body and keeps yourself warm, then it’s fine. Even when eating, you should be casual about it. You should eat what you’re given. Many people don’t have a good attitude when they see something that doesn’t look appetising; they don’t eat it. And when they see something that looks delicious, they want to eat it. That’s also a desire. Cultivators shouldn’t even possess this kind of desire.
庙里的食物每天 都差不多是一样的，那你每天都要吃，而且心中要有一 句话，就是“够了”的原则，就是我今天不管吃什么东 西都要觉得够了，你就成功了。过去中国文化里讲，给 客人端一个水杯上来，水杯里的水不要加得太满，否则 对客人不礼貌，就是说，先给你一点点，闻到很香，吃 得少的东西就会香，过去有一句话叫“多吃少滋味，少 吃多滋味”。福建人喝茶，就是用一个很小的茶杯，闻 一闻，喝下去，这就是茶道。
The food inside a monastery is basically the same every day, but the cultivators there has a principle that anything is enough. If they are fine with whatever is available to eat, then they have succeeded. In traditional Chinese culture, the host would pour some tea to the guest’s cup and will fill it only around half full. If it’s too full, then it would be rude. When there’s only a little to consume, it would taste fragrant. If there’s too much to consume, it becomes distasteful. When Fujian people drink tea, they use a tiny cup. They have a smell to enjoy the aroma and then drink it in one gulp. That’s their tea culture.