世界有成住坏空，人有生老病死，这是很自然的一种道理。你明白这个道理，成就是住，就是坏，就是空；生也就是老，就是病，就是死。若无成，就无住、无坏、无空；若无生，就无老、无病、无死。

The world goes through the stages of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness. People undergo birth, old age, sickness, and death. These are very natural phenomena. If you understand, you will see that formation includes dwelling, decay, and emptiness; and that birth includes old age, sickness, and death. Without formation, there would be no dwelling, decay, or emptiness. Without birth, old age, sickness, and death would not occur either.

可是众生用妄想执著来分别这些事情，分别几个大劫，也分别不清楚，时时还是那么糊涂。刚刚要明白一点，又糊涂了，所以在轮回中，总是出不去。若想出轮回，打破这条道路，就可以修行成佛，证得本来的佛果，无来无去，无垢无净，不增不减，不生不灭，什么忧愁烦恼也没有，什么五浊也没有了。可是我们人都放不下假的，所以找不到真的，所谓：

Living beings, however, use their discursive thoughts and attachments to analyze these phenomena. But even if they spent several great eons analyzing them, they would still be just as muddled as before. Right when they are about to understand a little, they get muddled again. In this way, they remain within transmigration and cannot escape. If we wish to escape transmigration, we must cultivate to discover our inherent Buddhahood. Then, there will be no coming or going, no purity or defilement, no increase or decrease, and no birth or cessation. There will be no worries or afflictions whatsoever. The five turbidities will cease to exist. But, since we cannot let go of the false, we fail to discover the true.

舍不了死，换不了生；
舍不了假，成不了真。

If you can't give up death,
you can't exchange it for life.
If you can't renounce the false,
you can't obtain the true.

你不把狂心野性降伏，那么真正的智慧就不能现前，因为你总用无明覆盖着自性。

If we don't calm our false, wild natures, then genuine wisdom cannot manifest. Our inherent nature is covered by ignorance.

无明有两个帮凶，两个伙计，究竟是什么呢？就是食与色。一个食欲，一个色欲，这两个帮着无明做种种坏事。所以儒教中说：“食色性也。”好吃、好色是天然的生性。要知道，我们这个无明为何总也不能破？烦恼总也不断？智慧总也不现？就因为贪吃、好色。

Ignorance has two accomplices—the desires for food and sex. Food and sex support ignorance in perpetrating all sorts of evil. A Confucian proverb says, "Food and sex are part of human nature." We are born with the craving for food and sex. Why is it that we have not been able to demolish our ignorance, eliminate our afflictions, and reveal our wisdom? Because we crave food and sex.

食就是帮助欲，欲就是帮助无明。你看人生来就会吃，小孩子一生出来就会吃奶，没有奶就哭起来，吃了奶就不再哭，也不叫了，所以这是与生俱来的。

Food gives rise to sexual desire, and sexual desire gives rise to ignorance. We are all born knowing how to eat. Once a baby is born, it cries because it wants milk, and it doesn't quiet down until satisfied. Thus, the desire for food is something we are born with.

有了食欲之后，就生出色欲，男好女色，女好男色，互相迷恋贪着，放不下，看不破。因为饮食所有的精华就变成“精”，精一足，就生出色欲了，所谓：

Once the desire for food arises, the desire for sex arises as well. Men are attracted to beautiful women, and women are charmed by handsome men. People become infatuated and obsessed and cannot see through their desires. The nourishment from the food we eat is transformed into reproductive essence; and once that essence is full, sexual desire arises.

饱暖思淫欲；饥寒起盗心。

When warm and well-fed,
one entertains thoughts of lust.
When cold and hungry,
one considers stealing.

人若是饱暖了，男人就想女人，女人就想男人，就搞这一套。若是穷了，就想去偷盗。你吃有营养的东西，吃得肥肥胖胖的，就会打淫欲的妄想。人先有了食欲，想吃好味道，想吃帮助身体健康的食物，可是吃少了，又觉得不够；吃多了，色欲就生出来了；色欲生出来，就不顾生命了，尽去贪色，所以色与食是死党。若是无明没有食、色的帮助，它就不会作那么多怪。

When well-fed and well-clothed, men think about women and women think about men. It's always the same old thing. When one is poor, one thinks about stealing. One gorges oneself on rich food until one is overweight, and then entertains thoughts of lust. But first, people have the desire for food. They wish to eat delicious food that keeps their bodies strong and healthy. If they eat less than their fill, they aren't satisfied. If they eat too much, lust arises and they plunge headlong into the pursuit of sex, sometimes even at the risk of their own lives. Therefore, food and sex are inseparable. If ignorance didn't have the accomplices of food and sex, it wouldn't act up so much.

出家人吃得越坏越好，越没有营养越好，所以对于吃东西的问题，不要看得那么重，修道人吃得能维持生命就可以了。但是要行中道，不需要吃得太有营养，也不要吃得太坏，否则会弄垮了身体。

For left-home people, the less rich the food is, the better. Food should not be regarded as too important. A cultivator should practice moderation and eat only enough to sustain himself. We should neither eat very rich food, nor eat spoilt food, for either one could ruin our health.

我最佩服的人，就是台湾的水果和尚（广钦老和尚）。他既不贪财，也不贪色。人家给他果仪，他连看也不看，这不是一般凡夫俗子所能做到的。一般人放不下财，都视财如命；但他却看得那么轻松，也不看果仪包了有多少，就放在一边，谁愿意拿就去拿。

I really admire the "Fruit Monk" [Elder Master Guangqin] in Taiwan. He is not greedy for money or for sensual pleasures. He doesn't even look at the offerings people make to him. Ordinary people are so attached to wealth that they value it more than life itself. But this monk is so unconcerned about wealth that he doesn't even check to see how much money the offerings contain. He just puts the offerings aside, and anyone can take them.

所以他有些徒弟就偷拿许多钱，然后偷跑去还俗。你说这样他以后应该会管紧了钱吧？没有，他还是管也不管，看也不看，你说这老人的定力有多高！他只吃水果、花生，不吃有味的食物，他不入色声香味触法，而证得初果。他修行很有感应的，时常保护着台湾，有些人认识他，但也有人不认识他的德行，反而骂他是哑羊僧。他因为年迈身体不好，所以现在就吃点粥，于是有人就开始呱呱叫，以为他要堕落了。其实他们的观点是错误的，人家吃不吃粥是他的事，怎么可以管那么多！如果人人修行都像这位老人那么不贪不染，那么佛教一定会发扬光大，正法一定会常住在世。这位老人是我最欢喜的一位老同参，也可说我们是志同道合。

Some of the Fruit Monk's disciples stole quite a sum of money from him and then sneaked off and returned to lay-life. You'd expect him to watch his money more closely after that, but he doesn't. He still doesn't bother to keep track of, or even look at, his offerings. How great would you say this old cultivator's samadhi power is? He used to eat only fruit and peanuts, and never ate seasoned food. He detached himself from sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas, and he attained the first stage of Arhatship. He has had many miraculous responses in his cultivation, and Taiwan is under his constant protection. Some recognize what kind of person he is, but others don't see his virtue and criticize him for being a "mute monk." Since he is now quite old and not as healthy as before, he occasionally eats a little porridge. Some people criticize him for this and say he will fall. Actually, their attitude is wrong. Why should they meddle in his affairs? Whether or not he eats porridge is his own business. If every cultivator could be as unselfish and undefiled as this elder monk, Buddhism would surely flourish and the Proper Dharma would prevail in the world. This old monk is my favorite fellow cultivator. He and I have the same aspirations and travel the same path.

在万佛圣城，你不能说我们每一样都是对的，都是佛法，但我们愿意依教奉行，依照佛法去做。所以万佛圣城所有的人，不注重吃好东西，或穿好衣服，或住好的地方，只要能维持四大假合的身体，能活着就可以了。我们所需要的是法，是无上法味，所以每天在万佛圣城都讲经说法。

We can't say that we do everything right at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, but we do try to follow the Buddha-dharma and practice the teachings. People at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas don't think it's so very important to eat delicious food, wear fine clothes, or live in a fancy place. We are satisfied if we can sustain our bodies, which are temporary aggregates of the four elements anyway. What we really need is the supreme flavor of the Dharma. That's why Sutra lectures and Dharma talks are held daily at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

你们各位到听经的时候，要勇猛精进听讲《华严经》，不要懒惰。你们听经不是给师父听，而是给自己听。你若自己觉得什么都懂，那你就不需要听了；可是你并不是什么都懂，你所懂的都是世智辩聪，尽是精细鬼、伶俐虫在作怪。你学法是给自己学，不是给师父、给旁人学的。切记！不要白白把光阴空过了，否则将来后悔莫及。

During the lectures, all of you should pay diligent attention to the Flower Adornment (Avatamsaka) Sutra. Don't be lazy. You are listening to the Sutra for your own sake, not for your teacher's sake. If you already understand everything, you don't have to listen. However, you don't really understand everything. Your understanding is mere world-ly cleverness and intellectual knowledge. You're playing into the hands of your own intelligence. You are learning the Dharma for your own good, not for your teacher or anyone else. So don't let the time pass in vain, or you'll later regret it.

一九八二年五月九日开示于万佛圣城