法界唯心造

The Dharma Realm Is Made from the Mind Alone

造佛的法界，就要慈悲喜舍，利益其他众生；

不在皮毛上用功夫，要脚踏实地去做去。

In order to create the Dharma Realm of Buddhas, we must practice kindness, compassion, joy, and renunciation.

We must benefit other living beings.

Instead of merely applying superficial effort, we must do solid, honest work.

世界上的众生有种种不同，每一位佛有佛的眷属，每一位眷属也是种类不同；菩萨法界、缘觉法界、声闻法界也是如此，这是四圣法界。

There are many different kinds of living beings in the world. Each Buddha has his own retinue, and the members of the retinue are also different in kind. The same principle applies to the Dharma Realms of the Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Shravakas. These are the Four Dharma Realms of Sages.

六凡法界──天法界，天人的眷属也有种种不同，再加上阿修罗法界与人法界，这是三善道。又有三恶道：地狱、饿鬼、畜生，都各有眷属，千差万别各不相同，在每一个种类又分出种种不同的种类。

We will now discuss the Six Common Dharma Realms. The gods, in their Dharma Realm, also have various types of retinues. The Dharma Realms of gods, asuras, and people are the three good paths. The three evil paths are those of animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings. They all have their own retinues, which differ from one another in myriads of ways. Within each kind, there are various different kinds.

这十法界从何而来？都不出你我他现前一念心。心能造法界，心能造万物，心能造种种形、种种类，所以才说「一切唯心造」。「若人欲了知，三世一切佛(三世一切菩萨、三世一切缘觉，三世一切声闻、诸天大仙人、种种阿修罗、种种诸畜生、种种诸饿鬼、种种诸地狱)，应观法界性，一切唯心造。」

Where do these ten Dharma Realms come from? They are not beyond the present thought in your mind, my mind, and anyone else's mind. The mind can create the Dharma Realms. The mind can produce the myriad things and creatures. The mind can create all shapes and species. Thus, it is said, “Everything is made from the mind alone.”

“If people want to understand all Buddhas of the three periods of time (and all the Bodhisattvas, great Pratyekabuddhas, great Shravakas, all the gods and great immortals, the various asuras, the various animals, the various hungry ghosts, and the various hell-beings of the three periods of time), they should contemplate the nature of the Dharma Realm; everything is made from the mind alone.”

心可以造天堂，也可以造地狱；心可以成佛，也可以成饿鬼，心可以做畜生，也可以堕地狱、成菩萨、缘觉、声闻。因为一切是唯心造，所以一切不离心，我们自己想造佛，就是佛法界的眷属，其他法界亦复如是。

The mind can create the heavens as well as the hells. The mind can achieve Buddhahood, but it can also turn into a hungry ghost or an animal, or fall into the hells. It can be a Bodhisattva, a Pratyekabuddha, or a Shravaka. Since everything is made from the mind, nothing goes beyond the mind. If we want to create Buddhas in our minds, we become part of the retinue of the Dharma Realm of Buddhas. The other Dharma Realms are the same way.

所以各位要注意！行住坐卧，一切都要克己复礼，只做真实不虚的事，不要马马虎虎，茍且随便，因为

All of you should pay attention! Whether you are walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, always regulate yourself in accord with propriety. Only do that which is honest and true. Don't be false, sloppy, or casual. Don't act so that:

只因一着错，

输了满盘棋。

Because of one wrong move,

You lose the whole chess game.

造佛的法界，就要慈悲喜舍，利益其他众生，但不执着众生相，不在皮毛上用功夫，要脚踏实地去做。我们为什么想造佛法界，又造不好呢？就因为念虑不专，意志不坚，随缘而转，被境所牵，所以就忘了造佛、造菩萨，只知道去造地狱、饿鬼、畜生，所以说：

In order to create the Dharma Realm of Buddhas, we must practice kindness, compassion, joy, and renunciation. We must benefit other living beings, without becoming attached to the concept of living beings. Instead of merely applying superficial effort, we must do solid, honest work. Why are we unable to create the Dharma Realm of Buddhas? Because we are not concentrated and determined. We get dragged into situations until we forget what we wanted to do. We forget to create Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or any of the four kinds of sages. Instead, we only know how to create hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. So it is said,

念动百事有，

念止万事无。

When thoughts arise, a hundred situations

come into being.

When thoughts are stopped, ten thousand

things disappear.

心止念绝真富贵，

私欲断尽真福田。

The mind stops and thoughts are cut off:

this is true wealth and honor.

Lust and desire are completely pared away:

this is the true field of blessings.

问：为什么魔没有一个法界？

Question: Why don't demons have their own Dharma Realm?

上人答：他们好像土匪一般，是游击队的性质，他们四处流窜，没有一定的处所或人来管理。魔就像这类眷属一样，好像人间的土匪，土匪是人，但不是人人是土匪，所以没有一个土匪法界。魔也是一样，天上有天魔，阿修罗里也有魔，在每一个法界，善的就属于那个法界，不善的就属于魔界，魔是遍六凡法界的，甚至于它也可以变化成四圣法界，去侵扰他们。

Answer: They are like bandits or guerrillas, roaming in all directions, without a fixed location or a person in charge of them. Demons are just like the bandits in the human world. Bandits are people, but not every person is a bandit. Therefore, there is no Dharma Realm of bandits. It's the same for demons. There are demons in the heavens, and there are also demons among the asuras. The good individuals belong to whatever Dharma Realm they are in, while the bad individuals belong to the demon realm. Although demons are mostly found in the six Dharma Realms of ordinary beings, they can also transform themselves to invade and cause trouble in the Four Dharma Realms of Sages.

佛、魔都是一念之间，佛有慈悲心，魔有胜负心。譬如提婆达多有很强的胜负心，想跟佛争第一，可是佛不和他争。但是他本来自性中也有佛性，不过一时走错路，跑太远了，转不过身，回不了头，所以着魔。依照大乘理论：「佛为教化魔故，示现魔身去教化魔。」

Buddhas and demons are only a single thought apart. Buddhas are kind and compassionate, while demons are competitive. For example, Devadatta was strongly competitive. He competed with the Buddha to be number one, but the Buddha did not compete with him. Basically, he also had the Buddha-nature within his own nature, but he took a wrong turn, went too far, and could not turn around and come back. He was possessed by a demon. In the Mahayana doctrine, the Buddhas may manifest as demons in order to teach and transform the demons.

魔是通窜于六凡法界，所以不另外立一个魔法界。它虽然通六凡和四圣，但它是假的、虚伪不实、冒牌的，这就好像人间的山大王，占山自称为王，或者土匪冒充军队，可是却到处杀人放火，随便害人的道理是一样的。

Since demons are found throughout the Six Common Dharma Realms, they do not have a separate Dharma Realm of their own. Yet, although they exist in the Six Common Dharma Realms, they are false and unreal. They are phonies, just like the bandits in the human realm who stake out a territory in the mountains and declare themselves kings. The bandits claim to be an army, but they go around murdering, setting fires, and harming people as they please. The demons are the same way.

一九八二年十月二日开示

A talk given on October 2, 1982