从事教育也是修行
TEACHING IN THE SCHOOLS IS ALSO CULTIVATION
宣公上人一九九三年六月六日开示于万佛圣城
Ven. Master Hua's Talk on June 6, 1993 at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
净住 记录 Transcribed by Jin Ju
杨校尊：法师在学校教课影响到自己的功课、任务、修行、拜佛等，有人认为拜佛更重要，教书影响他们的修行，是否请师父和弟子们谈谈，鼓励他们有志于教育者，能找出一组人来，大家轮流做，男校有男界的法师，女校有女界的法师，能给这组人专门的训练，教他们如何教书，让他们回学校念书。训练好之后，大概二、三年，这些人就可以把学校教职员的工作整个接收过来，那么我们的教育便可达到义务教育的理想。但目前请师父得鼓励他们，不然我说的他们不听。
上人：不听，不会吧！
杨校尊：他们可分批教书一年后，回去道场一年，然后另一批回来教书，彼此一两年调换一次，并不影响他们的修行，是吗？请上人跟我们讲几句话。
上人：我们这个学校办得也可以说是不好，也可以说是不坏，普普通通的，我们应该精益求精，好里头更要好，不要得少为足，不要中道自画，不要做了一半就觉得已经够了。我们都必须要再接再励，更上一层楼。
修行，样样都是修行
出家人能从事教育，这也是修行之一，我们不要以为不从事教育就是修行了，修行样样都是修行，不是就在一方面，你要样样都会，样样都通，要样样能拿得起，放得下，最低限度，譬如从事教育，我们能要自己知道怎么样去教小孩子，令他得到他所应该得的知识，要循循善诱，不是敷衍了事。一般的教学那么教，教出来尔为尔，我为我，谁也不管谁，这是互不关心，这种教育，虽然有，也等于没有一样。我们必须要关心到每一个学生，他的成绩怎么样？我们做老师的都要特别注意。若学生不用功，要想法子叫他用功；太过用功的，也叫他不要累坏了，所以这个期间就需要老师有一个明确的教诲，有一个负责任的思想。
爱国、爱家、爱身
我们现在在出家人里头，女界人这么多，有学识的都可以自动出来，学习怎么样教学的方法。我们每一年挑选一次，挑出一批一批的人，培植出来都能教书，都能来从事教育，把学生培植出来，他能做一个国家的栋梁、国家有用之才，甚至于做佛教里边的有用之才，这才是我们真正的目的。我们目的就要培植多一点这样的人，懂得怎么样做人，怎么样爱国、爱身、爱家这种的思想。那么这是对国家也好，对社会也好，对家庭也好，对个人更是有相当的成就。我们继续这么样子来培植人才，我们在学校里头也选拔能教书的，譬如他高年级就可以给他半工半读，叫他教低年级的学生，我们要能这么样一路一路培植。我们这个学校，一天要比一大好，一年要比一年好，每一年都是蒸蒸日上，在这儿读书的，小学升中学，中学又可以升大学，我们要赶快把学校办好了它。
三个愿力
因为我这一生出家，翻译经典，这是我第一个愿力；在佛教里办教育，这是我的第二个愿力；第三个愿力，那还是早呢！第三个愿力就是要在美国把佛教的基础建立起来，就是千秋万载的，在西方都有佛教扎下根了，能以流传后世，这是三个愿力。你们各位到这儿出家的，都要先受戒以后，能从事教育几年，这都是好的，要立这种志愿。
杨校尊：啊，起码有三年志愿，不一定一直教三年，但要把时间留三年来，教一年休息一年，如果有那么一组人，大家轮流，绝对没问题。
立功立德培福培慧
上人：我们今年姜吉甫教授，他在台湾那儿已经召集有四、五个，都是愿意从事教育的，不过大约八月间才来。我们现在要各尽其责，不要把教育看成第二，看成没有必要的，我们修道这是必要的，教育也是一样地重要。所以在这里头你可以立功，你能把小孩子都教育成材了，这你功德就无量了、不可思议了，所以我们这儿为什么要义务教育？义务教育也就是为了补充我们的德性，道德的增厚，加强我们培植道德的观念。修道的人，你若是能在这个地方培福培慧，做一些功德，做一些有意义的事情，那才能修行；不然你没有功德，你修行会着魔的，那魔王会来找你，一找你，你没有德行在那儿压着，这个就是你修道的福德不够，所以必须要立功立德，这一点是要紧的。你们各位无论敎师也好，出家人也好，都要培福培慧，立功立德的。
杨校尊：我们学校的老师、学生都要双语敎授，一方面是尊重中国传统教育，一方面学习美国敎育。
上人：这小学、中学、大学都要双语，不能单语的。
杨校尊：从小学开始就学，学得特别快，大人就慢了。
上人：那个安安回来吗？
杨校尊：回来了。她将是好的敎学人才。
上人：他们都跟着我很久了，从小孩子我就看着她长那么大。
Chancellor Yang: Dharma Masters who teach in the schools say their own cultivation and their other work and duties are affected by their teaching. Some think that bowing to the Buddhas is more important, and that teaching disturbs their cultivation. Master, could you please talk with your disciples, and encourage those who would like to be involved in education to form groups, so that everyone can take turns teaching. Male Dharma Masters can teach in the boys' school, and female Dharma Masters can teach in the girls' school. These people should be specially trained to teach. Let them go back to school to study. After two or three years, when they complete their training, these people can take over all work of the school faculty. Then we can achieve the ideal free education. But presently, will the Master please give them some encouragement, for they won't listen to what I say.
Ven. Master: They don't listen? I doubt that.
Chancellor Yang: They can divide into groups. After one group teaches for a year, it can return to the temple, and another group will take over. They can rotate every one or two years, and that won't affect their cultivation, right? Could the Venerable Master please say a few words?
Ven. Master: You could say our schools are neither good nor bad. They are just ordinary, run-of-the-mill schools. We should strive to improve, and when we are good, we should try to become even better. We should not gain a little bit and be satisfied with that. We should not limit ourselves, nor do things halfway and feel that it is enough. We should continuously try our best, and try to ascend to a higher level.
EVERYTHING IS CULTIVATION
If left-home people can teach, this is also a form of cultivation. Don't presume that it is cultivation only if we do not teach. Everything is cultivation. Cultivation is not just one thing. At the very least, you should know how to do everything, understand everything, be able to take on anything, and be able to renounce it if necessary. For example, in education, we ourselves have to know how to teach the children, and impart to them the knowledge they ought to have. You have to teach them step by step, and not just do a sloppy job of it, the way most schools do. The result of negligent teaching is that the children become selfish, caring only for themselves and not for others. They show no concern for one another. This kind of education is totally useless. We should be concerned about each and every student. We as teachers should pay particular attention to each student's achievement. If a student goofs off, how can we get him to work hard? As for those who work too hard, we should tell them not to exhaust themselves. So, in this period, we need teachers who give a bright and proper teaching, and who have responsible attitude.
LOVE THE COUNTRY, CHERISH THE FAMILY, AND ESTEEM YOURSELF
Presently, in our circle of left-home people, there are a lot of women. All those who have been educated can come forward and learn how to teach in the schools. Every year, we can choose teams of people and train them so that they can teach in the schools. We should groom the students so that they can become strong pillars of the country, productive talents of the country, and also productive talents of Buddhism. This is our true goal. Our goal is to train and produce more people like this, people who understand how to be a person, and who know to love the country, cherish the family, and esteem themselves. This is good for the country, good for society, good for the family, and beneficial for each individual as well. We must continue our efforts to foster people's talents. In our schools, we can select those who can teach. For example, those in the higher grades can be on a work-study program and teach the students in lower grades. If we can continuously train people this way, then our schools will improve day by day, year by year. Every year there should be improvement. The students who are studying here will graduate from the elementary school to the secondary school, and from secondary school to the university. We must quickly organize our schools properly.
THREE VOWS
In my whole life after leaving home, my first vow has been to translate the Sutras. My second vow has been to set up education in Buddhism. And my third vow .... this is still too early to discuss, but it is to build up the foundation of Buddhism in America, so that for thousands of years, after Buddhism has taken root in the West, it can be passed down to future generations. These are my three vows. Those of you who have left the home-life, after you have received the precepts, if you can work in education for a few years, that would be good. You should make that kind of vow.
Chancellor Yang: You should make a resolve for at least three years, but that doesn't mean you have to teach for three years in a row. However, you should save three years for teaching. You can teach for one year and rest for one year. If we can have such a group of people, with everyone taking turns, then there surely wouldn't be any problem.
ESTABLISHING MERIT AND VIRTUE DEVELOPING BLESSINGS AND WISDOM
Ven. Master: This year, Professor Ji-fu Jiang has already recruited four or five people in Taiwan who are interested in teaching. They will probably come in August. We should now each do as much as we can. Don't treat education as secondary and unimportant. It is necessary for us to cultivate. Education is also just as important. It is here that you can establish merit. If you can educate the children to be talented, then your merit and virtue are limitless and inconceivable. So why is it that we have this free school? Voluntary teaching is a way for us to increase our virtue and strengthen our conception of morality. Cultivators, only if you can cultivate blessings and wisdom here, and do some work of merit and virtue, will you be able to cultivate. Otherwise, if you have no merit and virtue, you will meet demonic obstacles in your cultivation. The demon king will come and look for you, and you will not have enough virtue to hold out. This is cultivating without sufficient blessings and virtue. Therefore we must establish merit and virtue. This point is very important. Whether you area teacher or a left-home person, you should all cultivate blessings and wisdom and establish merit and virtue.
Chancellor Yang: In our schools, the teachers and students should be bilingual. On the one hand, this is to respect the traditional Chinese way of education, and on the other hand, we want to learn the American way of education.
Ven. Master: The elementary school, secondary school, and university should all be bilingual, not monolingual.
Chancellor Yang: If they start from elementary school, they will learn very fast. Adults are much slower.
Ven. Master: Has An-an come back?
Chancellor Yang: Yes. In the future she will be a very talented teacher.
Ven. Master: They have all followed me for a long time. Since they were little kids, I have seen them grow up to be so big.
