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.
修心要修正果。如果整天头脑混混叨叨，不是叫修心，而是叫精神错乱、心神丧失。所以，修行人如果贪图圣境，就是想做梦到天上去，想梦到菩萨，如果贪图这些东西，就会有魔冒充菩萨和师父到你们的梦里去。有些人梦不到师父，他就是没有这个缘分跟师父在梦中见面，得不到却拼命去想，魔就来了。举个例子，老婆分手了，老公很爱她，就到马路上去找，真的有一两个人长得跟他老婆很相像。曾经有人跑过去问对方，对方问：“你是谁啊？”这就是着魔了，不能开这种玩笑。
In cultivation, one must strive to achieve proper fruition. If one keeps on being distracted and confused, that isn’t cultivation; it’s acting insane and losing their mind. That’s why if a cultivator is obsessed with experiencing special phenomena, such as dreaming of going to heaven or see the Bodhisattvas, then your inner demons could manifest by pretending to be them. Some people can’t dream about Master; they don’t have the karmic affinity to see him in their dreams. But if they are obsessed about it, then it could be their inner demons playing tricks on their mind. For example, if the wife threatened to divorce her husband and ran off if the husband still loved her, he would run into the streets to look for her. He saw someone far off that looks like his wife, and he came up to the woman. The woman replied, “Who are you?” It was actually the wrong person. That’s what it's like.
修行人如果贪图这种圣境，就会着魔，就会进入阿修罗道。如果你修行修得很好，但是你一旦贪图圣境，你就进入阿修罗道，上不了天。所以，要想成为菩萨，就算你看到一些显化，梦中看见菩萨，你也不能相信它，你要相信你自己修的果实，你要相信你自己要成为菩萨的果位，而且不要逢人就说“我已经修得很好，我已经修到菩萨的境界”，这就是大妄语。
If a cultivator is obsessed with experiencing special phenomena, they would be possessed by their inner demons. Then even if they cultivated very well, the most they could ascend to is the Asura Realm and not the Heavenly Realm. That’s why if you want to become a Bodhisattva, even if you see some spiritual manifestations such as dreaming about the Bodhisattvas, you must not believe that it’s true. You must only trust that your efforts in cultivation will bear fruit. Also, don’t go around telling others, “I’ve already cultivated very well. My level of spirituality is already at the Bodhisattva’s level.” That is a big lie.
如果一个人贪著名位，就会有魔来找你。或者说，你今天觉得自己很了不起，晚上魔就会来找你。找你干什么呢？让你产生傲慢心，骄傲，以为自己证得了佛果，所以你的欲望会越来越大。很多人说：“师父，我做了一个梦，梦中有人告诉我，三个月后我会看到很多东西。”他就等啊等，三个月过去了，没有。好了，欲望越大，接下来失望就越大，得不到了就开始失望了。很多人跟着师父，想着自己最好有名气，最后得不到，就背叛师父。很多人开始诚心求菩萨：“观世音菩萨，我诚心求菩萨帮助。”最后求不到，心想着“观世音菩萨不管我了，算了，我不学佛了”，失望大了，最后背叛菩萨。这个道理很简单，这就是你的因果所为，菩萨可以帮助你，但是你也要有自己的基础和努力。很多人整天很失望，像着了失望魔；有些人得到了，天天开心，逢人就笑，就是着了快乐魔。所以，人一不小心就会着魔。
If a person is obsessed with a title, then they would attract their inner demons. Or, if you think that you’re incredible, then your inner demons will manifest. Why so? It’s because you developed arrogance and pridefulness. You thought that you’re already attained fruition, so your desires begin to bubble. Many people said, “Master, I had a dream. In that dream, somebody told me that three months, I would be able to see many things.” So they waited. Then after three months had passed, nothing has happened. So the greater their desire and expectations were, the greater their disappointment is afterwards when what they expected doesn’t happen. Many people follow Master because they thought they would become famous. But because they didn’t, they betrayed him. Many people were very sincere when they first started to pray to the Bodhisattvas. “Guan Yin Bodhisattva, please help me.” But because they didn’t get what they prayed for, they begin to develop thoughts like, “Since Guan Yin Bodhisattva doesn’t care about me, I’ll stop practising Buddhism.” Because they were disappointed, they gradually betray the Bodhisattvas. The reason is actually very simple; it’s all due to karma. The Bodhisattvas can help you, but only if you had the karmic foundations beforehand and also, you had put in the effort. Many people are constantly disappointed, as if an inner demon of disappointment possesses them. In contrast, some people got what they wanted and are constantly happy as if an inner demon of happiness possesses them. That’s why if one is not careful, they’ll become possessed.
学佛人要实知实见。我们学佛人如果不能实实在在地看见、实实在在地知道，就会走偏，走偏就是着魔。怎么样不要让自己着魔啊？就是实知实见。我今天知道了佛法对我们如此地好，那我就好好地修，我就不会走偏。听别人一讲，心里想着“这佛法行不行啊？我怎么求得不灵啊？”好了，有偏见了。学佛人要以自己看见的为准，你自己有悟性，你自己最清楚，你不要去听别人说，明白了吗？
Buddhists should properly know and see things as it is. If they don’t, then they will deviate. When they deviate, they will be possessed by their inner demons. How does one avoid it? It’s to properly know and see things as it is. We know how beneficial the Buddha-Dharma is to us, so we should properly cultivate it, and we won’t deviate. If you listened to the Buddha-Dharma from others, you might have thoughts like, “Is this Buddha-Dharma okay? Why are my prayers inefficacious?” Then you might develop deviated views. Buddhists should use what they see as the standard. You have your own ability to comprehend, and you are the clearest about it. Don’t be so influenced by others, do you understand?
要渐成空见。先是实知实见，以后再慢慢地变成空见，就好像是空的一样，你见到的都是假的。但是有些成为魔的人，他的实知实见没有学好，然后空见是想不通。这个“空”实际上是一段历程当中的空，就是没有想通，这种空见就是认为一切皆空，什么都没有。好了，他不是开悟见空，而是偏执见空。“开悟见空”是什么意思呢？就是说，我明白了，人生真是一场梦，所以，我要在这短短的人生当中好好地学佛，好好地去努力，这叫“悟空”。“偏执”是什么？要看穿人生啊，人的一生就这么一点时间，再有能力的人也会死掉的，修什么？赶紧吃喝玩乐吧！——空了吧？所以，空魔就会来。持有宿命论的人就是空魔来临。当空魔来临的时候，会令你不尊重师父，不尊重佛法，什么都无所谓了，最后变得骄狂、轻视戒律。
First, you should properly know and see things as it is. Then gradually turn your view of the subject into empty-views, so it seems empty and false. But some possessed people can’t properly know and see things as it is, let alone turn it into empty-views, so their mind continues to be unclear. This ‘emptiness’, in fact, is an emptiness from one’s experience. It’s still unclear. This kind of empty-view is one where one thinks that everything is empty and meaningless and has a nihilistic connotation. So it isn’t an emptiness born from awakenment, but an emptiness born from attachment. What is emptiness born from awakenment? It’s when you understand that life is short and fleeting like a dream, so you must do the most you can to learn and practise Buddhism in this short time span. What is emptiness born from attachment? It’s when you understand that life is limited in time, and no matter how capable or accomplished you are, you will still die. So what’s the point of cultivating? I might as well indulge in whatever I fancy! Isn’t that also a kind of emptiness? So you attract the inner demon of emptiness. Their inner demon of emptiness normally possesses those who are obsessed with the theory of fate. When that happens, it will cause you to lose respect towards your master and the Buddha-Dharma. You don’t care anymore, and in the end, you become arrogant and look down on the precepts.
你们去看好了，平时你们在这里对师父很尊敬，对菩萨很尊敬，等到哪一天你不想在这里了，师父讲一句话，你就会说“那又怎么样呢？”我们小时候对爸爸妈妈很尊敬，爸爸妈妈打我们，我们从来不讲话，等到哪一天想好了，“我不要理睬你们了”，爸爸打你了，你跟爸爸对打，妈妈骂你了，你跟妈妈对骂，妈妈说“你反了？”“是反了！”空了，他已经无所谓了，实际上这就是骄狂、轻视戒律。佛法上讲的一切相皆属虚妄，那是正念、悟空，而不是偏见空。他就破坏了经典，乱动因果，然后纵欲，生活开始懒惰、不求进步，甚至想自杀。“菩萨说了，所有人间的一切都是假的，看穿了，无所谓了”，这才是悟空。
Observe yourself. When you’re still practising Buddhism with Master, you would be respectful towards him and the Bodhisattvas. But when you decide to stop, then when Master criticises you, you would say, “So what?” When we were little, we were very respectful towards our parents. When they punish us, we won’t fight back. But if one day you decide that you don’t care about them anymore, you will retaliate if your father punishes you. If your mother scolds you, you will scold her back. The mother says, “You dare to fight back?” “Yes,” you reply. You’ve become empty because you don’t care anymore. You’re indifferent. But in reality, you’ve turned arrogant and have looked down on the precepts. The Buddha-Dharma expounds that all forms are illusionary. That statement is based on the principles of proper thoughts and emptiness born from awakenment, not emptiness based on biased views. Those who have deviated would misinterpret the Buddhist classics, behave recklessly, indulge and start to become lazy. They no longer try to improve themselves and may even think of committing suicide. “The Bodhisattvas expounded that everything in the Human Realm is false. I have seen through it, so I’m indifferent now.” How one interprets this depends on whether one possesses the right thoughts or deviated thoughts.
整天疑神疑鬼，就会引来心魔的埋伏。如果一个人经常怀疑别人，就会有疑心魔上身。疑心病重的人就是疑心魔在自己的身上。疑心魔上身之后，令你整天幻想：“他就是这样对我的，一定是他在讲我，一定是谁造谣了，一定是他在嫉妒我，一定是他在恨我……”而且经常想：“有人要害我！”师父讲的这些都是精神病症状，实际上就是着魔了，用心理学来说，叫“被害妄想症”，就是经常怀疑自己被别人陷害。
If one is constantly suspicious of others, they will attract their inner demons of suspiciousness to lie in wait. They possess those who are highly doubtful of others. They keep on thinking, “He’s always treating me badly. It must be him who’s slandering me or badmouthing about me,” or, “He’s thinking of harming me!” All of these are symptoms of mental illness, but in reality, they are possessed. From a psychological perspective, it’s called paranoia. It’s the persistent feeling that people are ‘out to get them’.
昨天有一个老先生，他家里有一个电视机摇摇晃晃的，一会儿响，一会儿叫，他太太说他家里的电话被别人跟踪窃听了，他家里的电波里都安装有窃听器，天天这么讲，讲了两年。昨天一起大风，一棵小树倒到他家的阳台上，玻璃破了，政府Council来人把这棵树砍掉了，他家里的电视机的图像和声音马上就恢复正常了。昨天这位老先生来到师父这里，说他太太两年为这事神经病，就是现代人的“被害妄想症”。衣服穿得多的人说不定身上绑着手榴弹，对不对？“今天他给我吃这个东西，会不会害我啊？是不是有意的？”老婆跟老公一吵架，菜端上来之后，平时也是这样的，今天一看，“有意地给我吃得这么少！”怎么样怎么样，总觉得别人在害他。有一位弟子周太太过去就是这样的，跟儿子一闹，马上想：“你看，给我吃这个东西！”明明前几天都是吃的这个面包。
There was an old man who had a television of which the screen kept on staggering. Occasionally, It would also make a lot of various noises. His wife suspected that their telephones and other electrical devices might have been tapped. She keeps mentioning it every day for two years. Then one windy day, a storm caused a nearby tree to collapse onto their balcony and wrecked the property. People from the local council came to chop and remove the tree. Afterwards, the television was back to normal, and it was no longer making strange noises. That old man mentioned it to Master and said how his wife seemed paranoid in the last two years. People who wear many layers of clothes might not be hiding a grenade, is that right? “He’s giving me something to drink. Would he poison me? What’s his intention?” For example, a married couple argued earlier during the day, and the wife brings out the dishes for dinner. Even though the dishes are the same as usual, but that night, the husband complained, “You intentionally made the dishes small, so I have less to eat!” They keep thinking that’s others want to get them. One of Master’s disciples was like that. When she fought with her son, you would think, “See, you’re giving me garbage to eat.” It was the same kind of bread that they ate a couple of days ago.
上述的魔还不包含五十阴魔，就是五十种看不见的魔。吓死你们，一不留心就被魔障上身。所以，魔因学佛人的妄想而出现，学佛人只要有妄想，魔就出来了。你今天出门的时候想：“会不会有灵性啊？”电梯突然“噔”地响了一下，和平时不一样，实际上，这都是想出来的，就是魔来了。师父告诉你们，着魔的人是不相信自己有问题的，好比喝醉酒的人不相信自己喝醉了一样，反而怀疑别人都有问题。所以吵架的时候双方都有魔上身，你骂我，我骂你，骂到最后，两个人都像着魔了一样，谁都不承认自己有毛病。所以吵架的人都是有问题的，看对方都是魔。
There are still over fifty kinds of inner demons. It’s scary. If you’re not careful, they would possess you. That’s how inner demons manifest from the distracting thoughts of Buddhists. If you got out of your apartment and thought, “Would I encounter a foreign spirit?” And suddenly, the lift you’re in stuttered for a moment and acting abnormal, then you think that you have. But in reality, it was just a coincidence. But due to that distracting thought, your inner demon manifests. Master tells you, those who are possessed normally believe that they’re normal. Just like how drunkards don’t believe that they’re drunk. Instead, they doubt others and think that they have a problem. That’s why when two people argue, they are actually possessed. They scream at each other just like two demons, yet neither recognises that they have a problem. That’s why those who argue have a mental problem.