..續本文上一頁ings.” This is the criterion of cultivation. Don”t take a thief for your son. He will steal all your treasures and leave nothing behind. Don”t listen to the devil for he will cheat you. If you fall for his schemes you will lose in a big way. Don”t befriend the followers of demons, for they”ll only ensnare you and cause you to do muddled things.
修道人要性定，才能反迷歸覺，舍邪歸正。時時刻刻正念現前，就沒有任何的煩惱，事情來了，應付一下，不要存攀緣的心；事情去了，不留痕迹，心淨如洗。要曉得「叁心了不可得」的道理──過去心不可得，現在心不可得，未來心不可得。性定之後，才能破無明，顯法性。我們一定要把無明破除，一定要把法性顯現，這才達到學佛的目標。
Cultivators should make their natures settled so that they can return from delusion to enlightenment, renounce evil and return to propriety, and have a proper mind at all times. Then there won”t be any afflictions. When a situation arises, deal with it, but don”t try to exploit it. When the situation is gone, it leaves no trace, and the mind is as pure as if newly washed. Realize that the mind of the past is unattainable, the mind of the present is unattainable, and the mind of the future is unattainable. We should be determined to destroy ignorance and reveal the Dharma-nature. This is our goal in studying Buddhism; however, it can be done only if our nature is settled.
明白之後，依法實行，才算是真正懂佛法了。如果學而不行，無論學多少佛法，無明煩惱還是一大堆，那也是無有是處，這樣就算學到盡未來際，也得不到相應處，你真正智慧也不會現前，就算有點智慧，也不過是在皮毛上打轉轉，不是真的。
Once we understand the Dharma, we should put it into practice, for only then can we be said to truly understand the Buddhadharma. If we study but don”t practice, then no matter how much Buddhadharma we learn, it”s all useless. We”ll still have plenty of ignorance and afflictions, and we”ll never obtain any response or be able to reveal our real wisdom. Even if we do gain a little wisdom, we”re just skimming the surface.
凡是在萬佛聖城修道的人，要愛惜光陰，不可以浪費寶貴的時間，所謂，「一寸時光，一寸命光。」我們在道場所學的佛法，要真真實實地躬行實踐，不要敷衍了事混光陰，那就和道相違背了。學佛法最忌諱的就是有始無終，半途而廢。我們若是中道自劃，停止前進，就會前功盡棄，始終到不了寶所。切記！切記！無論做什麼事，都要有始有終，不要被外境所動搖而退失自己的志願。發願立志要如同金石，不要被逆境和不如意所搖動，而忘失菩提心。如果失去菩提心，這才是最大的損失。真正明白佛法的人，無論在任何情形之下，都保持菩提心，不會退轉菩提心。
People cultivating at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas should cherish this precious time and not waste it. It is said, “An inch of time equals an inch of life.” We should truly and actually practice the Buddhadharma that we learn in this Way-place. Don”t dawdle and be perfunctory about things; that would be going against the Way.
If you want to study Buddhism, you should certainly not give up halfway and fail to finish what you started. If you draw a line halfway and stop advancing, all your previous efforts will come to nothing. You will never get to the treasure trove that way. Please remember this. Whatever you are doing, finish the job you have started. Don”t be moved by external states and lose your resolve. Your resolve should be as firm as steel; don”t be swayed by bad states and disappointments and lose your resolve for Bodhi. The loss of the resolve for Bodhi is the greatest loss. People who truly understand the Buddhadharma will hold on to the Bodhi resolve and not retreat under any circumstances.
如果不懂修行的方法，無論做什麼事情，都是虎頭蛇尾，有始無終，開始時很勇猛，終了時卻很懈怠，那一切就不會圓滿，爲什麼呢？因爲「如是因，如是果」，因果是絲毫不爽的。學佛法，就要相信因果，不可錯因果，更不可撥無因果，當知因果是萬世不變的定律。
People who don”t understand the proper way to cultivate will be vigorous in the beginning but lazy toward the end. As a result of their sloppy practice, the outcome of their cultivation will be far from perfect. The principle of cause and effect never fails. In learning Buddhism, one must believe in cause and effect. Don”t make mistakes in cause and effect and, above all, don”t dismiss it. You should be aware that cause and effect is an unchanging law for all time.
一九八叁年七月十日開示
于萬佛聖城
A talk given on July 10, 1983,
at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
《什麼是性定？ What Is Samadhi
》全文閱讀結束。