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.
在佛法当中有一种修行的方法叫“方便五乘解脱法”，那么这是哪“五乘”呢？人乘、天乘、声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘。那么在这“五乘”当中，如果你想成佛，你最后会得道成佛。你们看看，人道能成佛，天道能成佛，声闻道能成佛，缘觉道能成佛，菩萨道能成佛，但是全部都要修，这叫“方便五乘解脱法”。所以成佛要从人道、天道开始。人家说，天上的人福报比我们人间大，为什么菩萨老是到人间来救度我们啊？为什么菩萨不到天上去救人呢？师父问你们：“享福的人求菩萨多，还是痛苦的人求菩萨多？”肯定是痛苦的人，人道很痛苦，而天道太享福了，是不容易成佛的。
In the Buddha-Dharma, there’s a cultivational method called ‘Convenient Five-Vehicles Liberation method’. So what are the five vehicles? It’s the Human vehicle, Heavenly vehicle, vehicle of the Disciples, Pratyekabuddha vehicle and Bodhisattiva vehicle. Any one of these vehicles could help you attain Buddhahood, but it requires cultivation. These are the convenient five-vehicles liberation methods. That’s why Buddhahood must start from the Human Realm or Heavenly Realm. Some people may ask, “Since the worldly blessings in heaven is greater than in the Human Realm, why do the Bodhisattvas keep going to the Human Realm to save and spiritually awaken sentient beings there? Why don’t they stay in heaven to save the sentient beings there?” Let Master ask you, do happy people pray to the Bodhisattvas more or do people, who live a hard life, pray to the Bodhisattvas more? It will definitely be the latter. There’s a lot of suffering in the Human Realm while the sentient beings in heaven are too blessed, so it isn’t easy for them to reach Buddhahood.
六祖说过：“佛法在世间，不离世间觉，离世觅菩提，恰如寻兔角。”这个意思是说，世间的人都是迷惑颠倒的，所以“佛法在世间”。为什么叫“不离世间觉”呢？实际上，离开了世间，你怎么样来觉悟呢？想一想，因为你看到人间都是迷惑颠倒的，你只有看到他们迷惑颠倒了，你才能在世间觉。就是因为你没有离开迷惑颠倒，你才能感觉到世间是迷惑的，你才能觉悟。你要是离开了世间，你怎么去觉悟啊？师父问你们，如果你们在人间不吃苦，你们怎么会修心呢？很多人如果天天要什么有什么，要名有名，要利有利，你说他会来磕头念经吗？道理就是这样的，所以叫“不离世间觉”。
The Sixth Patriarch once said, “The Buddha-Dharma is in the world; one is inseparable from the world to awaken. If one leaves the world to seek the Bodhi, it’s the same as looking for a rabbit with horns.” The first line means that people in the world are confused, and their thoughts are inverted; that’s why the Buddha-Dharma is in the world. Why is ‘one inseparable from the world to awaken’? Think about it; it’s because when you see people become lost and confused, would you begin to awaken. It’s because you haven’t left this confusing world, and that’s why you could feel this confusion, and from it, you awaken. If you leave this world, how could you awaken? Master asks you, if you didn’t suffer, would you think about cultivating your mind? If people can get everything they want every day, would they think of kowtowing and reciting sutras? That’s the principle; that’s why ‘one is inseparable from the world to awaken’.
离开世间，如果你离开了这个世界，你去觅菩提，去寻找怎么样成菩提的路，就好比你想找一只头上有角的兔子，因为兔子头上不长角，所以离开世间法就不能度众生，也不能成佛、成菩萨。所以六祖就说了：“佛法在世间，不离世间觉，离世觅菩提，恰如寻兔角。”现在这几句经文，你们应该听懂了吧？如果你离开了世间，你不能去度众生，你也不能成佛、成罗汉菩萨，你要在世间成就。也就是说，在人间你能成就菩萨和佛的果位，必须不能离开世间，你离开了世间，你不会觉悟啊，故云“不离世间觉”，现在明白了吗？
If you separate yourself from the world and try to seek the path of Bodhi, then it’s the same as looking for a rabbit with horns – impossible. That’s why you won’t be able to become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva; that’s because there are no sentient beings for you to spiritually awaken. That’s why the Sixth Patriarch said, “The Buddha-Dharma is in the world; one is inseparable from the world to awaken. If one leaves the world to seek the Bodhi, it’s the same as looking for a rabbit with horns.” Now, do you understand it?
人是佛的一个救度根本，所以佛要到人间来成就。如果没有人，你怎么会成就你的佛果呢？所以，想要成佛的人，你必须要在人间。为什么佛陀要到人间来啊？其实佛陀到人间来传佛法之前，他在天上已经是佛了。观世音菩萨本身已经是十地菩萨，就是佛啊，她到人间来传播慈悲的种子，成为妙善公主。济公活佛本身在天上就是佛，他为什么到人间来显化给众生看？就是这个道理。师父告诉你们一句话，人身难得，要珍惜人身。你们今天有这个身体，借假修真你们还不成佛，那是多么可惜，其他道的众生没有这个身体啊。你们都看过一个小狗趴在边上，两个爪子在拜佛；你们也看见很多牛被拉出去宰的时候，到庙门口就是不肯走，它心里在想“菩萨救救我，不要让他们把我拉去杀了”，但是没有办法；你们也看见过网上传的一个被杀的猪跪在那里求、掉眼泪……人要是到了投胎畜生的份儿上，你已经没有办法来解脱了，所以人身难得。
As a human, our physical body or presence is the fundamental component of being a Buddha. That’s why we can only succeed in our cultivation in the Human Realm. If you didn’t have a physical body, how could you attain Buddhahood? That’s why those who want to become a Buddha must come to the Human Realm. Why did Gautama Buddha come to the Human Realm? In reality, before he came to propagate Buddhism, He was already a Buddha in heaven. Guan Yin Bodhisattva was already a Bodhisattva of the Tenth Ground – a Buddha. She came to spread the seeds of compassion and was born as Princess Miao Shan. Jigong Bodhisattva was already a Buddha in heaven; why did he come to the Human Realm to manifest things for other sentient beings to see? That’s the principle. It’s very difficult to attain a human body; you must cherish it. Now that you own a human body, if you don’t borrow the fake and cultivate the real to become a Buddha, then that’s such a pity. Many sentient beings don’t possess a human body. Have you seen the video of the dog that extended its front legs and bowed before the Buddha? Have you seen the news of the cow who escaped from the slaughterhouse and ran to the nearby Buddhist temple, not willing to leave? It must have thought to itself, “Bodhisattvas, please save me, don’t let them kill me.” But there’s no choice. There was a video that went viral of a pig that knelt down and cried. If a person has been reborn as an animal, then they have no way to escape. That’s why it’s very difficult to attain a human body.
在人间有一句话叫“富贵学佛难”，很多有钱、有名、有利的人，你叫他去学佛是很难的。为什么要出家？就是让你有钱的人，突然之间开悟，变得什么都没有，你才肯出家，你才知道修行的艰难。苦了才知道要进，不苦的人，他是永远不会努力的。印度的一个塑料大王，把上千个亿全部都捐掉出家了，他为什么要出家啊？出家就是让你抛开人间一切的假相，让你感受到自己真的什么都没有，一切都是空的，这个时候你才心无罣碍，才能无罣碍故。
There is a saying called ‘it’s difficult for the rich and esteemed to learn Buddhism’. Why should they become monks? But it’s when they suddenly awaken when they lost everything; that’s when they are willing to become monks and bear with the hardships of cultivation. It’s only when they suffer that they think of improving themselves. Otherwise, they will never put in any effort. In India, there was a billionaire who donated all of his wealth and became a monk. Why did he do that? To become a monk is to discard all false-forms and make one feel that they truly have nothing left, and everything is empty. That way, their mind won’t harbour any mental hindrances, and they won’t be hindered.
师父举个不好听的例子，很穷的人跟很穷的人离婚，很快就离掉了；有钱人为了争家产，不停地吵架，离不了，不就是因为人间的这点财物吗？所以富贵学佛难，人道有苦乐才能修行啊。我们现在在这个人间，因为有苦有乐，我们才知道，苦的时候我们要修啊，快乐的时候感恩菩萨保佑让我这么快乐，你才会修。就像一个人一样，从小泡在蜜糖当中，他知道什么叫甜吗？他是不知道的。只有吃过咸东西的人，才知道什么叫甜，对不对？在人间充满甜酸苦辣。
To illustrate it with examples, when poor people divorce, they would go their separate ways very quickly. But when rich people divorce, they would constantly argue with each other about how their assets should be divided, and they won’t go their separate ways easily. Isn’t it just for that bit of wealth in the Human Realm? That’s why it’s difficult for the rich and esteemed to learn Buddhism. Because there is both happiness and suffering in the Human Realm, that’s why one thinks of cultivating. At times of hardships, we would think of cultivating and improving ourselves. At times of happiness, we would be grateful for the Bodhisattvas’ blessings and cultivate. If a person only eats honey all their life, would they know what sweetness is? They won’t. Only people who ate salty food before knows what sweetness is. Is that right? The Human Realm is filled with all sorts of joys and sorrows.
天道比人道享福，所以修行就难，这就是为什么观世音菩萨要到人间来度人。佛陀到人间来度人，佛陀在人间吃了多少苦？观世音菩萨到人间来，为了显化慈悲，她父亲的药引子里缺少一味药，人家有意地刁难她，说是要眼珠子，观世音菩萨把自己的眼珠子挖出来做药引子，来孝顺自己的父母亲，让大家感受到，人间什么叫慈悲，观世音菩萨随后就生出千眼来了。这些菩萨下来，他们的每一个举动就是让我们来感受到菩萨的慈悲、佛法的伟大，让我们脱离生老病死的苦。所以有钱人能够修心是非常难能可贵的，他修到后来干干净净，没有钱、没有家室、没有孩子，死的时候没有牵挂，一点都不痛苦。
The Heavenly Realm is more blissful than the Human Realm; that’s why cultivation is difficult there. That is why Guan Yin Bodhisattva came to the Human Realm to spiritually awaken people. When Gautama Buddha came to the Human Realm, did you know how much hardships he experienced? When Guan Yin Bodhisattva came to the Human Realm, for the sake of manifesting compassion, when her father’s medicine lacked a certain medicinal ingredient, she sacrificed one eye for him out of filial piety because the doctor said that they needed it in order to create difficulties. When she passed away, she obtained another form that has a thousand eyes. When these Bodhisattvas descend, every one of their actions is to let us feel the compassion and mercy of the Bodhisattvas and feel how great the Buddha-Dharma is so that we can get out of the suffering of life and death. That’s why it’s very commendable when a rich person chooses to cultivate their mind. They would cultivate until when they are pure and free from the attachments of wealth and family. That way, when they pass away, they have no hindrances. So they have no pain.
师父跟大家讲，当年观世音菩萨有三十二个应身，“应以何身得度者，即现何身而为说法”。就是说，观世音菩萨今天要来度化你的话：你是医生，我就变成医生；你是生意人，我就变成生意人……不管你是什么身，我就以什么身来度你。师父问你们，是不是同样职业的人在一起更容易聊得来？隔行如隔山嘛。像我们大家都是搞传媒的，师父跟人家传媒就比较谈得拢；如果师父今天是弘法的，师父就容易跟弘法的人谈得拢。什么样的人就会跟什么样的人接触。今天我们都是学佛的人，大家就跟学佛的人在一起，你们在下面吃饭，你们大家交朋友，谈来谈去就是佛法。
At the time, Guan Yin Bodhisattva possessed thirty-two forms. She would transform to whatever form was appropriate to propagate the Dharma to the sentient being She wanted to awaken spiritually. For example, if you were a doctor, She would become a doctor. If you were a business person, then She would become a business person. No matter what form you are, She would become the appropriate form to awaken you spiritually. Aren’t people of the same profession become friends easier? Whereas a difference in the profession makes one feels like a world apart. Master works in the media industry, so he would have an easier time connecting with other people of the same profession easier. If Master propagates the Dharma, he would have an easier time connecting with others who propagate the Dharma. ‘Birds of the same feather flock together’. Today, we are all Buddhists, so we would be with other fellow Buddhists having food together, becoming friends and discussing Buddhism.
我们电台有很多小朋友，过去跟爸爸妈妈打电话，都没有几句话好讲的，现在这些孩子学佛了，在电话里和父母谈佛法：“妈妈，你念了几遍经文啊？”在电话里谈学佛的体会，有了共同语言，感情也升温了。学佛一定要大家都学，大家都是一样的人，观世音菩萨救我们也是现何身而为之说法。很多女儿去帮助妈妈，实际上妈妈可能很难得度，但是菩萨在女儿身上，让女儿学佛，母亲就听女儿的，或者父亲就听女儿的，女儿跟父母亲一讲，父母亲就念经了，实际上就是观世音菩萨在他女儿身上，让女儿来救度她的父亲或者救度她的母亲。现在很多父母都听孩子的，道理就是这样的。
In the past, many young people at the radio station didn’t have much to say when they phoned their parents. Now that they are Buddhists, they would talk about Buddhism when they call their parents. “Mum, how many times did you recite that sutra?” Since they have similar interests, their bonds deepen. Learning Buddhism should be done in a group, where everybody shares the same interests. When Guan Yin Bodhisattva save us, She is also using the appropriate form to do so. Many daughters try to spiritually awaken their mothers, but in reality, it might be difficult for them to heed their words. But because the Bodhisattva resides within the daughter and makes her practise Buddhism, it influences her parents. So as a result, when the daughter propagates to them, they begin to recite sutras. In reality, Guan Yin Bodhisattva resided in the daughter’s body to let her spiritually awaken her parents. Many parents listen to their child. That’s the principle.