念菩薩能明心見性

　　Recite the Bodhisattva”s Name to Understand the Mind and See the Nature

　　衆生的心性，本來也是磊落光明，只是被無數的罪障、妄念遮蔽罷了。

　　The minds and natures of living beings are originally clear and bright, but they”ve been covered over by countless obstructions from offenses and idle thoughts.

　　歡喜快樂，而厭惡痛苦，這是衆生的習性。然而，因爲衆生是愚癡的，他們不知道怎樣才可以獲得他們所歡喜的快樂，脫離他們所厭惡的痛苦。所以，雖然衆生口裏，老是喊著尋求快樂的口號，可是很不幸地，卻愈來愈痛苦。

　　By nature, living beings like happiness and loathe suffering. But because of their stupidity, living beings do not know how to attain the bliss they crave and to leave the suffering they dislike. Therefore, although they always say they are “pursuing happiness,” unfortunately they only receive more and more suffering.

　　菩薩是慈悲的先覺者，他知道怎樣才可以離苦得樂，面對著一般可憐的苦惱衆生，菩薩便本著大悲的心腸，發出了聞聲救苦的宏誓。所以，我們衆生，也不是完全沒有希望。只要我們至誠懇切地念誦「南無觀世音菩薩」的名號，菩薩便會用他無邊的法力，度脫我們，使我們離苦得樂。這種樂，是究竟之樂，是西方的極樂。換句話說，念菩薩的名號，不但能夠脫離世間一切痛苦，並且能夠往生極樂世界，花開見佛，得到「常樂我淨」的清淨和究竟之樂。

　　Bodhisattvas are kind and compassionate beings who have already become enlightened. They understand the way to leave suffering and attain bliss. Seeing all the pitiful, afflicted living beings, the greatly compassionate Bodhisattvas vow to listen to their sounds and save them from suffering. And so living beings are not totally without hope. If we sincerely recite the great name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, he will save us with his limitless Dharma-power, and enable us to leave suffering and attain bliss─this kind of bliss is the ultimate bliss of the Western Land. By reciting the Bodhisattva”s great name, not only can we transcend all the pain and suffering of this world, we can also be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, see the Buddha when our flower opens, and attain the pure and ultimate happiness of permanence, bliss, true self, and purity.

　　念菩薩就能離苦，就能了悟心性，恐怕沒有這樣便宜的事情吧！多疑的鈍根衆生，也許會這樣地問，可是呢？菩薩就是立志要做便宜衆生的事；所以，才說出這個方便的法門。然而有些衆生，連這種絕頂便宜也不知道，這是多麼可惜啊！

　　It is said that by reciting the Bodhisattva”s name, we can leave suffering and understand our own mind and nature─is it really that easy

　　 Skeptical and dull living beings might ask that. But the Bodhisattvas are determined to give living beings a bargain, which is the reason they spoke this expedient Dharma-door. Nevertheless, some living beings are still unaware of this supreme bargain. What a pity!

　　有些人又會說：「念菩薩的名號，能消罪除苦，這點我相信，可是爲什麼念菩薩的名號，也能使我們明心見性？」幾天前，我曾說過「打電話」的譬喻，現在我再說一個更簡單的比喻吧！

　　Some people say, “I believe that reciting the Bodhisattva”s name can dissolve offenses and eradicate suffering, but how can it cause us to understand the mind and see the nature

　　” A few days ago I used the analogy of making phone calls. Now I will give a simpler analogy.

　　譬如，一個人被蒙上了眼睛，于是乎他就覺得四周都是漆黑一片，走起路來，到處碰壁，碰得焦頭爛額，苦不堪言，可是自己卻不曉得解除眼睛上的束縛。幸好遇著一個慈悲的人，看見他這副可憐相，便走上前，替他除下眼睛上的束縛。所以，這個曾經看不見的人，現在可以看見了，不再痛苦，也不會到處碰壁。

　　Suppose a person is blindfolded so that he only sees total darkness. When he tries to walk, he keeps bumping into the walls until he”s bruised and terribly sore. However, it doesn”t occur to him to take off the blindfold. Luckily, he meets a kind person who sees his miserable state and removes the blindfold for him. Now he can see, and he won”t hurt himself by bumping into the walls anymore.

　　「念菩薩能明心見性」的道理也是這樣。我們衆生，就譬如方才所說那個蒙上眼睛的人，這個人本來沒有盲，只不過受一塊布帛的遮掩。衆生也是如此，我們的心性，本來也沒有失掉，本來也是磊落光明，只是被無數的罪障、妄念遮蔽罷了。菩薩，譬如那位慈悲的人，他替我們解除那些掩蔽著我們光明本性的業障；于是，我們便可以返本還原，恢複到本來的面目了。

　　The same principle holds in reciting the Bodhisattva”s name. We living beings are like the blindfolded person. He isn”t really blind; his eyes are merely covered by a piece of cloth. Likewise, we living beings haven”t lost our mind and nature. They are originally clear and bright, but they have been covered over by countless obstructions from offenses and idle thoughts. The Bodhisattva is like the kind person, for he removes the karmic obstructions covering our inherent bright nature, allowing us to return to the source and regain our original face.

　　所以，我們不可不念菩薩的名號，就像那個被蒙上眼睛的人，若是不肯求援，也不肯接受別人的幫助，那麼碰壁事小，可是若因爲看不見路途而掉進深淵，那豈不是危害了自己的性命！

　　We cannot fail to recite the Bodhisattva”s name, or it would be like the blind man refusing to be helped by others. Bumping into the wall is a small matter, but if he can”t see where he”s going and he walks into an abyss, his life is certainly in danger.

　　世界上誘人的罪惡多得很，若是一不小心，掉進了罪惡的深淵，失掉了人身，那便是萬劫不複，千古遺恨了。居士們！趕快接受菩薩的勸谕，常常持誦菩薩的洪名，讓菩薩快些救度我們脫離這生死的苦海吧！

　　There are plenty of offenses which we may be tempted to commit in this world, and if we are not careful, we could fall into the abyss of offenses and lose our human body. We may not return for ten thousand eons, and we will regret it for ages. Laypeople! Quickly accept the Bodhisattva”s exhortations and recite the Bodhisattva”s great name constantly, so the Bodhisattva can soon save us from the bitter sea of birth and death!

　　一九五八年六月十七日上午開示

　　A talk given on the afternoon of June 17, 1958

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