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.
《金刚经》里有一句话是，无着相布施。举个例子，有个人捐了三千块钱，捐完后，最后写的是“无名氏”。朋友去他家，他把报纸给朋友看，“你看，三千元，无名氏，那就是我呀。”你看，这人心里想学无着相布施，最后还是自己讲出来了。这还是叫着相布施。人都有着相，比如，你送一束花给一位朋友，落款写着“爱你的人”，其实这个人一看就知道是谁送的。送花的人无着相，被送的人有着相。佛法都是辩证的，如果你们学好佛法，在人间运用自如，如履平地。无着相布施，就是大无畏的慈悲精神。大家要记住，大无畏的慈悲是不顾一切的牺牲，就叫无着相布施，比如，我今天捐款，我做好事不留名。
There’s a phrase in the ‘Diamond Sutra’ that says ‘to give alms without mindfulness of forms’. To illustrate an example, let’s say a person donated 3000 dollars. After he donated, he wrote down his name as ‘anonymous’. When his friends visited him one day, he took out the newspaper and said, “You see this anonymous person who donated 3000 dollars? Well that’s me.” You see, this person wanted to practise almsgiving without attachment to forms, but in the end, he was eager to take credit for it. That’s called ‘almsgiving with attachment to forms’. Everybody is mindful of appearances. For example, you gifted a flower bouquet to a friend, and on a card, you wrote ‘From the person in love with you’. In reality, the recipient could easily tell who sent the flowers. The one who sent the flowers was indifferent about it, but the recipient was mindful of it. The Buddha-Dharma is about dialectics. You should be able to express it naturally as if you’re walking on the ground. Almsgiving without attachment to forms possesses the spirit of great fearlessness and compassion. Everybody must take note; the spirit of great fearlessness and compassion is about wholehearted sacrifice without care. That’s called almsgiving without attachment to forms, for example, like donating money without leaving a name nor being mindful that you’re doing a good deed.
师父每次去庙里布施，从来不在功德簿上留名。一留名，就是着相布施，功德会减少很多的。举个例子，老师问，“今天是谁把教室打扫得干干净净的？是谁把黑板擦得干干净净的？”没人讲话，老师接着说，“这孩子可真好！谢谢他，我很感激他。”“老师，是我擦的”。好不好？“好啊！”功德讲过后没有了。所以，做了功德，做了好事，不要着相啊。
Every time Master visits a temple and donates money; he never leaves his name on the donation records. If he leaves his name, then he’s considered as being attached to forms, and the merit-virtues he accumulates will be a lot less. For example, if a teacher asks the class, “Who cleaned the classroom and made it look so spotless? Who cleaned the blackboard so well?” If nobody replied, the teacher would follow on and say, “Whoever did it is a good child, I’m thankful to him or her.” “Teacher, it was me who cleaned it.” Is it good? Yes. After mentioning what he’s done, it’s over. That’s why, when you’re performing meritorious and wholesome deeds, don’t be attached to forms.
在《礼佛大忏悔文》里，有一位“常精进菩萨”。你们知道常精进菩萨是怎么回事吗？常精进菩萨为了救度一个人，转世好几次，就一直跟着他、救度他。这一世没有度到这个人，菩萨下辈子再跟着他、再救他，还没有把他救成佛，下一世再跟着他，这才叫常精进菩萨。常精进菩萨是非常勇敢和有智慧的一位菩萨。菩萨要有这种精神，要不停地救人，要有信心，今天做不好的事情，明天还要做，就是要达到目的，这才叫精进。你们谁精进啊？
In the ‘Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance’, there’s a Buddha called ‘Constantly Diligent Bodhisattva’. Do you know his story? For the sake of saving a single person, he reincarnated many times. He constantly went to where that person was and tried to spiritually awaken him. If he failed that lifetime, then he would try again in the following lifetime. This happened many times, and that’s why he’s called ‘Constantly Diligent Bodhisattva’. He is a very courageous and wise Bodhisattva. Bodhisattvas have this kind of spirit, and they save others ceaselessly and possess faith. If you failed on a task, then you would keep doing it until you succeed. That’s the essence of diligence. Would you consider yourself as diligent?
师父告诉你们，钱在人间有得赚呢，但是人命很短。只有抓紧时间多修心，人间的其他事情都可以暂时放一放。想想一个人过去再风光，到现在就什么都没了。但是如果过去什么职位都没有，只好好地念经，直到今天，你走的时候不会痛苦的。因为你没烦恼忧愁，没有牵挂，没有什么可以留恋的，无疾而终是不容易做到的，这靠的是平时的功德和功力。
You can never make enough money, but your lives are very short. You should make use of your time to cultivate your mind; you can temporarily put aside everything else in the Human realm. Just think about all your glory in the past, is it still there? But if you don’t have accomplishments in the past, and you just properly recited sutras up to the present, then there won’t be any pain when you pass away. That’s because there won’t be any afflictions or sadness; there’s nothing for you to miss. To pass away without illness is very difficult to achieve, it depends on your meritorious deeds and capabilities.
师父看看你们都不容易。每一个徒弟都会犯错，也有做好事情的。师父讲你们的毛病，实际上是锻炼你们克制自己的能力，你能有这个境界让人家讲你，你才能够锻炼出这种心智。大家要记住，学会克制自己，让环境来锻炼你自己。不好的环境最能够锻炼人。越是不好，越是不开心，我越是要开心，对方就不开心生气了。你越是不开心，对方就越开心，这是哦学佛初期境界。
It’s not easy for Master to see you. Every disciple will make mistakes, and also do good deeds. When Master talks about your shortcomings, in reality, it’s to temper your ability to control yourself. You must possess a state of mind that’s willing to bear with other people’s criticism so that you become more mentally mature. Take note, learn to control yourself and allow yourself to be trained by any external stimuli. Negative external stimuli are the best to train a person’s mind. For example, if a bully tried to make you unhappy, yet you keep yourself happy, then they become angry and unhappy. If you were unhappy, then they would be happy. This is considered a preliminary state of mind in the practice of Buddhism.
悟本性的人。看一个人是不是悟本性的人，就看你这个人肯不肯度众生。能够度众生的人，就叫开悟者。如果住深山，就是没有开悟的人。谁住深山啊？就是自修，把自己关在山上，闭关，就只知道修自己，这些就是没有开悟的人。靠自己来修炼自己，很难有觉佛性。只有在度化众生的同时，你才会得到更多的智慧，来圆满你的灵魂。你如果没有从人家身上得到很多的智慧，你这个人是不能成才的。举个例子，你跟很多人接触，你才能学到很多的本事。你如果不跟人接触，从小就关在山上，你最后还是一个没有智慧的人，因为你什么境界都没接触到，所以你什么都不懂的人，你能去哪里啊？明白了吗？
To see whether a person is one who comprehends one’s inherent nature, you have to see whether they are willing to spiritually awaken sentient beings. Those who can spiritually awaken others are awakened, person. If you lived deep in the mountains, then you’re not an awakened person. That’s because you only care about cultivating yourself, so you seclude yourself in the mountains. Those who only rely on themselves to train will find it very difficult to realise their Buddha-nature. Only when you’re spiritually awakening sentient beings, could you gain more wisdom to satisfy your spirit. If your wisdom doesn’t grow when you’re with others, it indicates you will never develop into your prime. For example, it’s only when you’re with many people could you learn a lot. If you don’t make contact with anyone and have always lived in the mountains from a young age, you would be a person who lacks any wisdom because you did not make contact with any states of mind. Where could a person who doesn’t understand anything go? Do you understand?
开悟者，要度众生。当一个人没有开悟的时候，他所讲的话，他所有的事情几乎没有一件是对的。师父的这句话，你们可能不能够理解。难道不开悟的人就一无是处吗？什么叫一无是处？就是没有一样东西是对的。我们人活在这个世界上，当你没有学佛的时候，就叫一无是处。什么都不懂，什么都做错，以为跟人家吵架是对的，以为跟人家打官司是对的。明明生病了，自己不知道，为什么得病？人活在世界上，什么都不懂，就叫一无是处，就是不开悟的人。现在的人吝啬到对人家笑笑都不愿意。现在的人有几个肯布施自己的微笑啊？个个都凶得不得了。
Awakened people must go and spiritually awaken sentient beings. When a person isn’t awakened, everything they speak of doesn’t seem right. You may not understand what Master means. Is he saying that all unawakened person is good for nothing? When you aren’t learning Buddhism, then you’re good for nothing. You don’t know anything, and you make mistakes easily. You think arguing with others is correct; you think fighting a legal battle with others is correct. Although you’re clearly bill, you’re ignorant of it and ignorant of why you became ill. If you don’t know anything, then you’re good for nothing and unawakened. People nowadays aren’t even willing to smile in front of others despite being at a distance away. How many of you here are willing to give away your smile? Everybody looks indifferent or fierce.
当一个人觉悟之后，就是他看懂这个世界了，他明白因果了。但有些人，明白了一点佛理，他看穿了，他就觉得什么都不要干了。这种态度叫消极。他以为，我觉悟了，我什么都不要干了，我明白道理了，原来人生这么苦啊。因为他看到了本性，原来本性是这个样子，他没有功可施，就是说，他看到了本性之后，没有做功德。
When a person has attained realisation, then they understand this world and about karma. But there are some people who, after knowing a few Buddhist teachings, think that they finally see through everything, and they feel that shouldn’t bother doing anything. This kind of attitude is negative. They think that they realise the suffering of human lives, they’ve understood about the inherent nature, and how meritorious deeds are empty in the end, and so they don’t do it.
他这叫做着相布施，看到了本性之后，他觉得，世界上的人原来这么苦了，反正都要死的，就和大家同吃同喝，这叫着相布施、本性未净。一个人的本性没有干净，升天享福是暂时的。当一个人的本性没有干净的时候，就算上了天，也只是暂时的。当一个人没有舍生忘死救度众生的发心时，即使今天做了一件好事情，那种开心也只是暂时的，这就是有限度的开悟或可称之为觉悟而非开悟。
That’s called almsgiving with attachment to forms. After they’ve discovered their inherent nature, they see how suffering is inherent with life, and so since everybody dies in the end, so they indulge themselves with everybody else. This kind of thinking indicates that their inherent nature is not yet pure. If a person’s inherent nature is impure, even if they ascend to heaven and enjoy their blessings there, it’s only temporary. When a person hasn’t fully resolved in committing themselves completely to save and spiritually awaken other sentient beings, then even if they do a good deed, the happiness they experience from the act is temporary. It is considered a limited awakenment.
犹如拉一个弓箭，朝着天空自由地放射，上天了吧，但是，这个力度，这个距离，这个能量，用完了后，弓箭就会从天上掉下来。因为它没有后劲，没有理解真正的本性。所以，天福享尽了，还是到人间来做人。再来做人的时候，什么都不知道了。你拿着这张弓，你射的实际上是虚空的东西，不是实实在在的。你在人间，学的做的都是虚空的，因为你在虚空法界中生活，真如的本性，真正人间的本性，就像太阳，你的罪障，犹如天上的乌云。
Just like when firing an arrow at the sky, it will shoot upwards. But with that weak kind of force and power, the arrow will quickly fall from the sky. It’s because they lack stamina, and have not understood the real truth about one’s inherent nature. That’s why once they have experienced all their heavenly blessings, then they will return to the Human Realm. When they are reborn as a human again, they’ll be ignorant again. When you’re aiming with that bow, you’re aiming at an illusionary object; it’s not solid. In the Human Realm, everything you learn is illusionary, and that’s because you’re living in an illusionary and empty world. The inherent nature of suchness is like the sun, and your karmic obstacles are like dark clouds.
乌云可以遮住太阳，太阳是你的本性，等乌云过了，你的本性又出来了。人有的时候很善良，这是阳光，但人在充满仇恨的时候，就是乌云遮住了他的本性。夫妻打架的时候，彼此恨着对方，可以冲上去厮打，当看到对方被打出血时，心一下子就难过了，这个时候就是乌云飘过去了，你的本性显露出来了。
The dark clouds can hide the sun. The sun is your inherent nature; once the dark clouds pass, then your inherent nature is revealed again. Sometimes, people are kind-hearted; that’s when they’re like the sun. But when they are filled with resentment, then that’s when dark clouds are hiding their inherent nature. When couples argue and hit each other in an act of impulse, they might feel regretful afterwards. That’s when the dark clouds have passed, and their inherent nature is revealed again.
修心修佛，修到今天才知道忏悔，才知道说声对不起。人要懂得，人家帮助你，是为了你好，实际上是一种享受。人家做一些事情，就是来帮助你，你这样想，心里就会很开心。云遮蔽太阳，实则云何曾遮太阳？我们在人间朝天上看，好像看见云遮住了太阳，这是因为我们所站的这个位置和角度，云霞好像是遮住了太阳，实际上是你把太阳遮住了。
Some people realised that they have things to repent and apologetic about after cultivating their mind and practising Buddhism. You must understand that when others help you, they’re doing it for your sake, and you should enjoy it. When you think about how others are helping you, you should be happy. When you see the sun being obscured by the dark clouds, is it really? Actually, it only looks that way from the position you’re standing in and the perspective you’re viewing at the sun
如果你站在另外一个地方，从另外一个角度看，太阳被云霞遮住了吗？我们在人间经常讲一句话，叫“走出阴影”，走出你不想想的事情，走出你难过的事情，把自己的心扉打开。这些都是菩萨的语言，都是智慧的语言。当一个人有困难的时候，想不通的时候，就是云遮住了你心中的太阳，可是从另外的角度看，依然是阳光灿烂。
If we were somewhere else in the world and look at the sun from a different angle, would the sun remain obscured? There is a saying called ‘To get out of the shadows’ which means to get out of what you don’t want to think about, or the things that make you upset and open up yourself. These words come from the Bodhisattva, and they are words of wisdom. When a person is experiencing difficulties and unable to think clearly, it means that there are dark clouds covering up your sun. But from another perspective, your sun is still shining brightly.
要记住，不同的观点，解决不同的问题；不同的方位，观看不同的问题。师父这些语言，都是菩萨的智慧语言，我们在人间为什么不用啊！就像你想跟某个人联系，你可以打电话，也可以发电邮，等。解决问题的方法很多，你就是钻牛角尖，想不通。这就叫人，人才会想不通。菩萨和神永远有方法，永远能想得通。就算今天碰到了再艰难、再困苦的事情，比如，生癌症了，只要想着观世音菩萨一定会救我的，一定会灵的，你的癌症不好也好了。
Take note; any problems can be resolved by viewing it from a different angle or perspective. These are all words of wisdom from the Bodhisattvas, why don’t utilise it? Just like when you try to contact a person, you can choose to call them via mobile, or you can send them an email. There are many ways to resolve a problem, but you decide to be stubborn and not think clearly. This is a typical attribute that everybody has. Bodhisattvas and deities always have some method, and they can always think clearly. No matter what hardships you face, for example, developing cancer, as long as you think that Guan Yin Bodhisattva will save you, it will definitely be efficacious. Even if your condition is serious, it will improve.
人间有时候就是要半梦半醒，有时候就是要不明白，因为在虚空法界，你明白的也是假的东西，但有时候要很明白，用菩萨境界来明白人间之事。好的事情要全部明白，不好的事情就不要去明白。你明白了坏事情后，就给你造成了伤害；你明白了好事情，就给你带来了快乐。你到底是喜欢快乐还是伤害呢？师父给你们的是多好的智慧语言啊。
There are times when you should act as if you’re in a dreamlike state and not be too knowledgeable. That’s because in this illusionary world, what you understand is also false, but when you understand something, you should understand using a Bodhisattva’s state of mind. You should understand all the wholesome things because it will bring you happiness. And not understand all unwholesome things because it will harm you. Do you prefer happiness or harm?
最后跟大家讲一句，本性是万德万能的。一个人的本性是有一万个道德、一万个能量的。印度有一条恒河，释迦牟尼佛在很多经文上都喜欢讲“恒河沙数”，就是说，如果你能够把本性用得好的话，如果你运用了最原始的本性，你就会拥有像恒河沙一样无穷无尽的智慧。坏就坏在这个本性被遮住了，肮脏了，看不见了。
Lastly, the inherent nature is the source of all merits and capabilities, and the potential is limitless. In India, there’s a river called the Ganges. Gautama Buddha likes to mention about the ‘countless sands of the river Ganges’ in many sutras. It means that if you could effectively use your inherent nature, then you possess wisdom that’s incalculable like the sands of the river Ganges. But what’s a pity is that your inherent nature is hidden away, defiled and can’t be seen.
如果你能够把这个能量充分地运用起来，做什么事情都能够改变的，更别担心生恶病了。人的手和人的脑子一样是很灵巧的，会变戏法的。我们要挖掘自己的潜能，把自己的心灵擦干净。不擦干净自己的心灵，就是一个傻瓜，就像从小不学习，就是一个愚痴者。大家要记住，学佛要学人间智慧，学人间的本领。实际上，菩萨的语言是最好在人间运用的，听完之后，就像沐浴在佛法的阳光之中，多好啊。你还生气吗？还难过吗？
If you utilise this hidden energy, then you can change anything. You won’t even need to fear to get ill. A person’s hands and brain are very agile, and it can manipulate anything. We must be able to excavate our potential and purify our spirits—those who don’t are foolish, just like those who are unwilling to learn. Take note, learning Buddhism is to learn the wisdom of the Human Realm. In reality, the Bodhisattvas’ teachings are best used in the Human Realm. Listening to it is like bathing under the universal light of the Buddha-Dharma. Would you still get angry or upset?