为了生死而出家

We Leave the Home-life in Order to End Birth and Death

现在佛教在西方初露曙光，我们不要把它变成末法时代，

一定要令正法常住于世。

Buddhism is just beginning in the West. Let's not turn this age into the Dharma-ending Age.

We must perpetuate the Proper Dharma.

学佛的人，时时刻刻要存「有若无，实若虚」的思想，不应该有骄傲的心，不应该有自满的心，不应该有不谦虚的心，不应该有不用功的心。总之，要时时修持，刻刻精进。

We who study Buddhism shouldn't become attached to our attainments. We shouldn't become arrogant and conceited and forget to be humble and diligent. In general, we should cultivate with vigor at all times.

以前中国的出家人，有的为生活而出家，有的为患病而出家。真正为了生死而出家的，如凤毛麟角，可以说是寥寥无几。我不是批评以前的出家人好吃懒做，但是事实是如此。我希望你们跟我出家，第一要充实学问，第二要培养德行，做个堂堂正正的出家人。

In the past, in China, some people left the home-life in order to obtain food and shelter so that they could survive. Others left the home-life because they were sick. Hardly ever did people leave home genuinely wishing to liberate them-selves from birth and death.

I'm not slandering the monks and nuns of the past; most of them really were lazy gluttons. I hope that those of you who have left home with me will enrich your learning, cultivate virtue, and be genuine Sangha members.

有些人冒充佛教徒，混在佛教里，指佛穿衣，赖佛吃饭，真正的工作，一点也不做。我为什么这样说呢？因为这是我从过去所得的经验，今天有所感慨，所以说出来，令你们晓得出家人是救世的使者，而不是好吃懒做的蛀米大虫。

Some people pass themselves off as Buddhists. Mingling with Buddhists, they rely on Buddhism for clothing and food, but don't do any real work for Buddhism. I have seen this myself, and now I'm telling you because I want you to know that Sangha members should work hard to save the world, not be lazy bums who only know how to eat.

以前中国的出家人，大约有一百多万人，大半是文盲。因为没有读过书的缘故，所以读经也不求甚解，内容不懂，每天还是照样念经，成为例行公事，等于在混光阴。因为一般出家人，大多数是贪吃、贪睡、不做事，所以佛教就一天比一天衰败。这虽然不能一概而论，可是大致是这样的情形，如果再不纠正这种不良的风气，那么佛教的前途，就暗淡无光了。

In the past, there were approximately one million left-home people in China, and most of them were illiterate. Since they had never been to school, they could not gain a deep understanding of the Sutras. They recited Sutras every day, but since they didn't understand what they were reciting, it was basically a waste of time.

Buddhism is on the decline because most of the left-home people are greedy for food and sleep and don't do any work. This is the general situation. If we don't change this trend, Buddhism will have a very bleak future.

据我所知，中国出家和在家有几千万人信仰佛教，可是多数是坐吃山空，不事生产，或者被名利所迷，或者贪图供养，不想充实自己的学问，也不用功参禅，对于修持方面，不认真去做，这实在太可怜了！

To my knowledge, there are several million left-home and lay Buddhists in China, and the majority of them simply stay in the monasteries and consume the goods they have hoarded up. They don't work or produce anything themselves. Greedy for fame, benefit, and offerings, they have no wish to study the teachings or practice Chan meditation. They aren't serious about cultivation. What a pity!

我们看看天主教的神父、基督教的牧师，他们都要受高等教育，在神学院毕业之后，才有资格担任神职，负起传教的责任。

Christian priests and ministers receive a high level of education in seminaries before they assume their clerical and ministerial duties.

我们佛教的口号，修行！修行！修成一个什么样的人呢？修成一个好吃懒做的人。过去的出家人，整天无事做，就专门打听哪个庙的斋菜好，哪个庙的衣单多，就往哪个庙跑。对于弘扬佛法，讲经说法，一窍不通，成为哑羊僧。只知早晨吃麻油粥，晚上吃麻油饭，把吃和利挂在眉梢上，没有把生死挂在眉梢上。这种趋势令佛教每况愈下，形成佛教里的毒瘤。

In Buddhism, we talk about cultivating, but what kind of people have we cultivated ourselves into? Lazy gluttons. In the past, left-home people spent their days scouting out the monasteries that served the best vegetarian food or gave the biggest allowances. They had no idea of how to propagate the Buddhadharma, explain the Sutras, or speak the Dharma. Such monks were called “mute sheep.” All they cared about was eating porridge with sesame oil for breakfast and rice with sesame oil for dinner. Their top priority was getting food and profit, not ending birth and death. That's why Buddhism is in such a sorrowful plight.

因此我要积极提高出家人的素质，凡是跟我出家的，一定要大学毕业才够资格，或者在万佛圣城僧伽训练班三年毕业；若有博士、硕士的学位，更为欢迎。出家人一律要背诵〈楞严咒〉和《楞严经》，以及《梵网经》和《四分律》等，以研究《华严经》和《法华经》为主课，时时精进，没有懈怠，这是万佛圣城的家风。

In order to raise the standards of the Sangha, I will permit people to enter the monastic life only after they have graduated from college or from the three-year Sangha Training Program at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. People who have earned Master's or doctoral degrees are even more welcome. After leaving home, they should memorize the Shurangama Mantra, the Shurangama Sutra, the Brahma Net Sutra [Bodhisattva precepts], and the Four Division Vinaya [Bhikshu and Bhikshuni precepts]. They should devote themselves to studying the Avatamsaka Sutra and Lotus Sutra, and accord with the City's tradition of vigorous cultivation.

现在佛教在西方初露曙光，我们不要把它变成末法时代，一定要令正法常住于世，续佛慧命。如何能令正法常住？就要充实佛教的学问，理解经典的义理。所以在万佛圣城一举一动、一言一行都是学习，研究自己的学问，培养自己的品德，修持自己的戒律。

Buddhism is just beginning in the West. Let's not turn this age into the Dharma-ending Age. We must perpetuate the Proper Dharma and the Buddha's wisdom. How can we do this? We must learn more about Buddhism and understand the principles in the Sutras better. Therefore, at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, in everything we say and do, we are learning. We are getting to know ourselves better, developing our characters, and cultivating our precepts.

出家乃是大丈夫的事，没有勇猛果断的力量，是办不到的。所以出家之后，就要认真修行，严守戒律，不可懈怠，因循放逸。如果觉得出家的生活太苦，随时可以还俗。我不是鼓励你们还俗，而是佛教里根本不需要这种似是而非的人。不要因为一个不守规矩的人，而破坏万佛圣城的名誉，这是我的规矩。我是遵守佛制而行事，不是别出心裁，故意标新立异。

Only heroic people can enter the monastic life. It takes courage and determination to leave home. After doing so, you must cultivate and uphold the precepts seriously. Don't become lax and mindlessly follow the routine. If you feel that the monastic life is too bitter, you can return to lay life any time. I'm not trying to encourage you to do that, but Buddhism doesn't need people who pretend to be what they're not. I don't want the reputation of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to be ruined on account of one person. These are my rules. I'm not trying to be different, I'm just following the regulations passed down by the Buddha.

一九八三年十月廿一日开示

A talk given on October 21, 1983