Research

Holy Teacher Ji-Gong Living Buddha's Merciful Revelations

October 5, 2002

Zhu-De Temple, Ban-Qiao District, Taipei Tao Society, Fa-Yi Chong-De

                怨氣可不能亂吞，穢氣也不能亂吞，該吐出來就要吐出來。不要太嚴肅，輕鬆一點，這個氣更不能沉，氣一沉就沒有精神。所以，時時刻刻要為自己提振精神，顯現在臉上，這叫道氣。歡喜的氣可以影響人，一股提振不起的氣也會互相影響。所以，時時刻刻要為自己帶來一股清流，也要為人間創造一點清流。這股清流要靠誰？清流要怎麼做？要行得正、做得正、想得正。

                Sometimes we don’t have to endure the resentment, nor do we have to admit the defeat. On the contrary, we can always sidestep and prevent resentment if we handle it properly. When we learn not to take things too seriously, we can relax and do things right without struggling. Maintain your confidence and boost your high morale. That will show on your face. And that will be Tao. Happiness can be contagious, but low spirits, due to constant struggling with one’s tasks, can also spread to others. So we should make ourselves a good role model, being a pure stream not only for ourselves but also for the whole world. How can we be a pure stream? By doing right, behaving well, and thinking positively.

                法會是天人的盛會，你看到一個女孩走來走去，說她是仙佛，那信不信在你的心裡。相信你自己最好，相信你自己今天所聽的、所看的，是不是都是好的？因為你們也想當未來的仙佛，所以坐在這仙椅。上面可不好坐，不習慣的話，坐到最後就不想坐。有沒有吃飽飯就想回去的？這叫半途而廢。還好沒有，還好回心轉意了，還好有繼續留下來的。所以，就看你自己，不用看別人，也不用看我是誰，看自己最好；靠人人倒，靠自己最好。一起修道辦道，要處得很好；「好」不是用嘴巴講，要用行動。你們好不好？生活過得好不好？如不如意？痛不痛苦？難不難過？這叫五味雜陳。這個人生好不好？什麼滋味都揉在一起，現在要把它倒出來，好的多了，不好的要少，不要把它混在一起；光明面多，黑暗面就少。

                The Tao seminar is a joint effort of Heaven and humans. As you can see, a girl walking among you is claiming herself to be a Buddha, but do you all believe her? Whether you believe her or not, it’s always safe to believe in yourself. Don’t you think what you hear and see here today is the best you have ever heard and seen in your life? In fact, simply because you want to be a Buddha, you are entitled to the seat you’re taking in the Tao seminar. So get accustomed to it! If you want to permanently stay up there in heaven, you have to get used to this sacred chair now, or else you will eventually feel very uncomfortable with it. Just now someone wanted to leave the Tao seminar and go home after the meal. Falling by the wayside will do you no good. Fortunately, he later changed his mind and decided to stay through the Tao seminar. Making the right choice doesn’t depend on others, but upon yourself. You are not staying here now either for others or for the Buddhas, but only for your own benefit. Later in the journey of your life, you will find that you are the most trustworthy one, far more trustworthy than anyone else. For those who propagate Tao together, do you get along well with each other? (Yes.) Are you sure? Do you not feel disappointment, encounter things that go against your will, or have someone rub you the wrong way? All these tribulations are actually flavors that round out your life experience. Your challenge is to filter all the experiences you are faced with. Keep the good and get rid of the bad.

                生活優裕習慣了，要回到簡單的生活不容易。所以，時代的潮流要帶給你們一點啟示：「從困難中找到希望」。

                When a person is used to living a life of luxury, it is not easy for him to come back to a simple life. This transient world of luxury is here to help you learn a lesson when the luxury runs out: "find hope amid adversity."

                對自己慈不慈悲？有沒有珍惜自己？對別人慈不慈悲？有沒有怨人？有沒有看人的不好？修行要在心性上修，自己不會亂發脾氣，不會亂罵人，不會亂看人的不是，這才叫修行。你們本來是很圓滿的，可是因為落在人間裡面，受到七情六慾的影響，所以漸漸的脾氣毛病一堆，然後身體病痛一堆。所以，現在只是要把你們原來的那個自己找回來；可否找得回來，就看自己。找回來了嗎？找回來多少？還會再迷路嗎？（不會）這麼堅定，那我就有靠山，你們都是為師的靠山。

                Do you take good care and show mercy to yourself? Do you do the same as to others? Or do you scold them harshly for their mistakes? To cultivate Tao is to rectify your mind. Then you will not easily throw a temper tantrum or dwell on the dark side of people. Such is what cultivation is all about. While you all are perfect at birth, being born into this world of sensations and desires makes you vulnerable to tons of bad habits and ill temper, which inevitably causes much disease. So your job is to recover your original self. That is your spiritual identity. And this can only be done by you for yourself. Do you want to do it? (Yes.) Will you lose your spiritual identity again? (No.) You seem to be very sure and firm in your will. This is very good, because it gives strong backing to Holy Teacher. You all are the wellspring of my great support.

                心不平，氣不和，路不平，所以現在走到哪裡不平，哪裡就有小小濟公，小濟公們除掉那不平。自己除掉了不平，也要為別人鋪路。有沒有勇氣？有沒有信心去做？助人要不落後，修道要真修實煉，名符其實的標準，所以稱標準，才不會有壓力，因為你已經名符其實。標準的徒兒們！不是口號，是真正落實。真正的標準，要內外一樣。

                Nowadays, people tend to think ill of the world, to be cynical and highly critical of society. So you all act as ‘little Ji-Gongs’ who are here to neutralize such negative thoughts, not only for yourself but for others as well. Are you confident of your ability to do that? When doing the right thing, yield to no one. This is a Tao cultivator’s proper path, so that you will be worthy of the name ‘Tao cultivator.’ A genuine Tao cultivator will always practice what he or she preaches. Getting up and practicing what you preach is always better than just sitting and preaching it. As within, so without. Such is a real Tao cultivator!

                每個眾生的心理都要一樣，再把道帶到任何一個地方，到你的家庭，到你工作的地方，到社會上，這才讓你的生命不白走，才叫濟公。濟公不濟私，快樂也愈多。因為你不快樂，因為你放不下，因為你找煩惱來受，因為你心不打開，所以什麼都不好，這都是自己找的，好的也是要自己去找。所以，只在心念一轉而己，就是這麼簡單的一條路。

                Develop the right mindset. Bring Tao to all the stations in your life: to your family, to your school or workplace, and to every corner of society. Don’t live your life in vain. Help and save the general public. Be just and fair without ego. People’s grievances are often caused by their own delusions. Never approach trouble till trouble touches you; it only doubles troubles and troubles others too. All one needs to do is to open the lock that fixes troubles in one’s mind. Keeping one’s mind full of troubles will lead to bad habits and bad habitual situations. The golden key is simply a change of mind.

                皮笑肉不笑的笑、沒有聲音的笑，還有真正法喜的笑，為師都看得到。每個人把你的葫蘆打開了嗎？把你的憂愁都趕走了嗎？把你的瞌睡蟲也漸漸趕走了嗎？把你想要回家的那顆心拉回來了。還好他們有魅力，他們可是用盡心血，連拐帶騙要把你們騙上天堂，以後你要自己來走。清流不在山上，在每個人的身上，要行出來，所以選擇哪一條道路是很重要的。

                As your Holy Teacher, I can see different kinds of smiles on your faces: foxy smiles, cold smiles, and many smiles due to the feeling of heavenly joy. So did you open the lid of your bottle gourd and reveal your genuine smile? Do you still have your worries? Have you overcome your drowsiness? Did you quiet the urge to go home? The Tao seminar service crew, by hook or by crook, have successfully convinced you to stay through the Tao seminar. And they will lead you all the way to heaven, too. But after the Tao seminar you have to do it yourself. Keep in mind that the real pure stream is not the one that might be found deep in the mountains. The real pure stream is within you. So you have to put into practice what you’ve learned here. This is really the right path to take.

                要演好你們自己，每個人都扮演一個角色，這個角色要好好扮演它。自己要認識你自己，認識自己之後就很清楚，你每一步都知道應該怎麼走，因為你很穩定。要認識自己，還沒認識自己之前，困難來的時候就開始煩惱，因為你不清楚你下一步應該怎麼走。所以，要做自己的主人、自己的主宰，為社會帶來一股清流，而不是亂流。自己首先要改脾氣毛病，不好的地方不要去、不要走，也不要去接近，因為人很容易受環境的影響。所以，要懂得自己需要什麼，就去取什麼。

                In this drama of life you will decide a character and role to play. In fact, everyone has a role to play. You must strive to play your role well. Understand yourself and you will know what to do. By understanding yourself, you will know exactly what you are doing. Before that, however, you might feel all kinds of worries, especially when you get stuck in troubles. You are in a dilemma not knowing what to do. Now you are learning to be your own master, serving as a pure stream in society. Don’t generate turbulence in society. Break your bad habits and eradicate your ill temper. Keep away from the bad and the evil. Don’t ever approach them. Just as many people are affected by their environment, you need to particularly beware of what you do and where you are placed.

                坐得高高的叫上座，你們要不要坐？你們也上座好不好？這個可是上上的寶座，這個位子，你走掉就沒了；你走掉，別人就來補。所以，要看好你的位子，找好位子坐，找好位子站。修道不是一個口令，不是一個動作，是要很自然。現在是因為侷限在這個環境，才需要這樣。出去之後要怎麼樣呢？自然就是道，自然合道，自然合天機。

                Ushering the Holy Teacher to take the high seat is the way you show your deep respect. It is a kind of honor and privilege. But would you also like to take the high seat? OK, you too, please be seated. Do you know the seat you are taking is actually very precious? It will not be there for you if you just walk away from it; many others are waiting to take your seat. So here in the Tao seminar, watch out for your seat or the place where you are standing. Tao cultivation is actually very natural; no one can force you to do anything. But because we are confined to this area and environment, we have no choice but to make certain rules and orders. After you complete the Tao seminar, you will find your daily life naturally imbued with Tao; Tao will be naturally with you. All the saints and sages will be with you too.

                要走入眾生的心裡面，就看他們需要什麼；要走入眾生的心，走完之後要來回走。走，要走得自然，用自己的方式走。這個時候叫功夫的時候啊！所以，功夫是怎麼考也考不倒。怎麼練呢？要練到金鑠鑠（台語），那就開始練。

                We must be able to approach all the sentient beings. Only when we approach them and understand them will we know what they need, and what to give them. Sometimes, however, we have to give and give again. Whether you can do it willingly and naturally shows how well you cultivate Tao. Such is a test of patience, which is forever with you as long as you continually practice patience. No one can take your patience away from you as long as you acquire the quality, though in the process you may be faced with many trials and tribulations. But in the end you will arise and shine forth. So start the cultivation now!

                他是聽得很清楚，你講的也要講得很清楚，是要互動。一場成功的演講，上下要合一氣；一個堅強的團隊，上下一氣，這樣才有意思，才有意義。

                While the speaker explains lucidly, and the audience listens carefully, it is real communication. Just as a successful lecture takes the joint effort of both speakers and listeners, a great team requires the concerted work of every teammate. By working together, everyone will reap a good result.

                應該給你們自己一個愛的鼓勵！謝謝你們自己坐在這裡！謝謝你們自己能夠聽得懂道理！謝謝你們自己好好去做！所以，常抱持一顆感恩的心。「謝謝」不是口號，是要真心誠意，讓對方感受得到。

                Give yourself some loving applause! Say thank-you to yourself for persisting in your effort here. Thank yourself for understanding what you have heard here in the Tao seminar. Thank yourself for really practicing what you have learned here. Always be grateful and thankful. Express your thanks from the bottom of your heart, not just words from your mouth. The one you are thankful to will really feel your gratitude.

                用你的誠心，才會實現你的願望。隨時隨地要有一顆為人服務的心，一顆助人的心。

                Be truthful and sincere, and your dream will come true. Anytime and everywhere, just be helpful and always be of service to others.

                法會是北中南同時進行，不是只有你們這邊開，可是要給你們至真、至善、至美，還要給人世間一朵清淨蓮花。

                Now several Tao seminars are held simultaneously in northern, central, and southern Taiwan, not just here in this Temple. All the Tao seminars are meant to give the Tao novitiates supreme truth, supreme goodness, and supreme beauty. We want them to be a field of pure lotus flowers in this dusty, secular world.

                為什麼人都要嚴重的時候才來求呢？為師也無語問蒼天。你們也盡力，好不好啊？為師也盡力，好不好啊？真病無藥醫，假病要功德來還。平常多做善事，少抱怨，為自己消一點，也為眾生消一點、擔一點。走進眾生，有沒有看到眾生相？什麼人都有啊！

                Why do people procrastinate until it is too late to mend? When it is too late, even Holy Teacher cannot do anything about it. As your Holy Teacher, therefore, I want you to try your very best to arouse people’s awareness about the need for actions -- not just intentions, as I have been trying to teach you. Fatal diseases may be incurable, but most diseases can ultimately be healed through one’s accumulation of virtues and merits. Drawing on our accumulated virtues and merits is like using a perpetually renewable spiritual savings account to pay off a debt you owe to someone. So in your daily life you should save up your virtues and merits by doing good deeds, complaining less, and helping others as well as yourself. Try to guide the sentient beings onto the right track. Just look at the great multitudes of people getting lost in desire, greed and delusions!

                為師希望你們渡人也能夠像這樣貪心，做事也能夠像這樣貪心，幫助人也能夠像這樣貪心就好了。好不好啊？為師以前也出家過，是那時候的時勢。懂不懂啊？現在的時勢，你要自己去衡量，什麼叫做「可以」，什麼叫做「不可以」。剛剛講「修命不修性，此是修行第一病；修性不修命，一點靈光無處用。」自己的肉體，要靠自己來調；自己的路，要靠自己走。是不是？自己人生，要靠自己選擇，什麼叫做「正確」，什麼叫做「不白走」，而不能靠旁邊的人來幫助你。靠自己啊！是不是？一步一步慢慢來，自己的指南，心用對了就好。要多幫助人，這叫善念，有為者亦若是。

                How I wish you could be greedy -- greedy to help others, greedy to fulfill your missions, and greedy to make people understand the importance of cultivating Tao. Can you be that kind of greedy? I, your Holy Teacher, used to live as a monk just to help people understand what is selflessness and what is greed. But now times have changed. So you have to see what you can do and what you cannot do. “Cultivating one’s physical self without cultivating the spiritual self is the most common mistake that cultivators make. Cultivating one’s spiritual self without cultivating the physical self is like you are turning on a light switch but there is no bulb.” For your physical body to be healthy, you have to adjust your lifestyle by watching your diet and exercise. Count on yourself; no one can do it for you. It is you that can choose what kind of life to live, so the choice must be made in the right way; otherwise, you will waste a lot of time and energy. Once the choice is made, it is like a route map you can follow step by step. But in the process, you should always nurture kind thoughts and help others. Where there is a will, there is a way.

                「萬緣橋」，每個人都要搭起你們的心橋，每個人都要搭起這個「萬緣橋」，這個橋是要時時刻刻去搭它。人與人之間的橋樑要搭得穩固，要搭得久。

                ‘Serving as a bridge to cross ten thousand affinities,’ you should build a bridge in your heart with each individual you encounter. No matter what time or what place, just make the bridges strong, stable and long-lasting.

                明天怎麼辦啊？要繼續研究人生的道理，繼續聽父母的話，繼續讀好書，繼續上網路。是不是啊？要選擇。好不好？不要太晚睡，不要常熬夜，身體要持續的好；好，還要更好，走得更深入、更長遠。時時刻刻反觀自己的那一顆心，髒了就要洗乾淨；髒了、污染了，就要讓它回復，回復自己那一顆心、自己的赤子之心。是嗎？

                What about tomorrow? Will you go on to explore the true meaning of life, be a good child listening to parents and studying hard? Or will you rather stick with your habit of indulging in computer games and virtual reality as you used to do? Be wise and make the right choice, OK? Go to bed early. Don’t stay up too late. You will enjoy very good health, and even better spirit. Maybe you are already good, but you can always strive to be better. Go deeper into life and the journey will be more profound and meaningful. Constantly introspect and examine your inward life. Like a dirty shirt washed clean, your mind should also be cleaned when it is polluted. Try to keep its original true state of purity and innocence. OK?

                這顆心是很重要的，種因得果，種什麼因，得什麼果。所以，不用怨歎，不用叫天天不應、叫地地不應；叫自己，自己應。徒兒們！時時刻刻要清醒！很清醒，才不會被這個世界的洪流沖走、污染。

                Understanding your karma is very important. It is about the cause and the effect. Just as you sow, so shall you reap. You reap what you sow, so it is no use complaining about your bad luck. It is you who have caused and determined the result. So, my disciples, do understand your karma and keep a clear mind, so you will not be swept away or polluted by the delusions that fill the secular world.

                （老師以九顆糖果代表九品蓮臺，以蘋果、梨子、橘子代表三毒）要喝九品蓮臺的湯，還有長長久久的湯，還有去掉三毒的湯，要等到幾時？要喝的，就先倒回去喝，但是喝了自己斟酌（明天要不要來），不強求，但是要有一點火候。剛下去，沒有一點火候，煉不成，所以需要時間。就像你們聽道理，也是要有時間來研究。他們的心已經飛走了，老師也要飛了，但是還是各有所思。

                (Holy Teacher is making some drinks by using nine candies to symbolize the nine levels of lotus seat. The drink is also mixed with three kinds of fruits, like apple, pear, and tangerine, which here stand for three poisons, i.e. greed, anger, and fatuity- I don't think this is a word, fatuity, so not sure what you're trying to say here.) Those who want to take the drink have to put in your time and rid yourself of the three poisons. When can you take the drink? You need to wait for a while. (So tomorrow we have to come again to the Tao seminar for taking the drink.) Yes, the choice is yours; Holy Teacher is not going to force you. But the drink is only brewing now; it takes some time to be served. So you need to be patient. Tao cultivation requires a lot of patience, so you must put in some time to listen and study. OK, it seems the participants are ready to go home, and Holy Teacher is also leaving. But both sides have different motives.

                要休息了，是不是？（不要）真的嗎？要想清楚，休息是為了走更遠的路，還有明天一天。一天一天要有所得，把今天所聽到的、所學到的，繼續拿到明天，加深印象，學而時習之。（又有人Call）所以，當人還真忙。要不要回家？你在哪裡？所以，有方便，也有不方便的，就看你怎麼轉念，怎樣創造這個環境。所以，求自己當個小濟公，幫助自己，又能幫助別人，要自立自強。徒兒們！要堅強一點，勇敢面對困難，人生路不白走。（摘錄自〈真〉聖訓）

                It's time to call it a day, isn't it? (No.) Really, are you sure? But taking a break is for accomplishing a longer journey; and we still have tomorrow to complete the Tao seminar. What you have heard and learned serves as a solid foundation for tomorrow. Deepen the impression of what you have learned and constantly review it. (At this moment someone’s phone is ringing.) So it seems someone is really too busy to concentrate on the current moment. So do you all want to go home now, physical home or spiritual home? Where are you right now? The phone can be convenient, but it can also be a distraction hindering your faith, depending on how you use it. Think in a positive way and make good use of what you have. Be a little Ji-Gong by helping others as well as yourself. Then you live in an independent and self-sustaining manner. Be strong and fearless even in the face of difficulties. This way, you will not live your life in vain. (An excerpt from the Holy Revelation Zhen)