認假作真

　　Taking the False for the Real

　　人對真實的東西都認識不清楚，反而對假的東西瘋狂追求。

　　People don”t recognize what”s real, so they chase after the false, seeking it as if insane.

　　子曰：「吾未見好德如好色者也。」孔子那時候就已經感歎，愛好道德者，不如愛好美色的人那麼專心，所以他這麼樣歎息，說：「我從來沒有見過愛好道德，有如愛好美色一樣的人啊！」

　　Confucius said, “I have never seen anyone whose desire for virtue is as strong as his desire for beautiful women. ” Even in those days, Confucius lamented the fact that people who cultivated virtue were not as concentrated as those who were fond of beautiful women. That”s why he sighed and said, “I have never seen a man who liked virtue as much as he liked beautiful women! ”

　　我則沒有看見好佛法，如好財那麼用功的人。你看！愛好佛法的人怎麼樣好佛法，也有疲倦的時候，拜佛久了，或念經、誦咒久了，就覺得疲倦。但是若去找錢，不吃、不喝、不睡他也不疲倦！就看賭錢的人，白天晚間都不休息，仍然火眼金睛，毫無倦意！

　　I have never seen anyone who is as devoted to working for Buddhism as those who work for money. People who like the Buddhadharma sometimes get tired. They get tired after bowing to the Buddha or reciting Sutras or mantras for a long time. However, money-chasers don”t feel tired even if they don”t eat, drink, or sleep. Take a look at gamblers: They don”t rest day or night, yet their eyes are still bright as gold—they are tireless.

　　各位研究一下，爲什麼人會如此？就因爲人對真實的東西都認識不清楚，反而對假的東西趨之若鹜，瘋狂追求，真是顛倒之至！

　　Think about it: why are people like this

　　 Because they don”t recognize what”s real, so they run after the false, seeking it as if insane. This is being really upside down.

　　一九八叁年四月叁十日晚間開示

　　于萬佛聖城

　　A talk given on the evening of April 30, 1983,

　　at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas