上人规矩集锦：讲法的规矩
A Collection of the Venerable Master's Rules: On Giving Dharma Talks
宣公上人讲 A talk by the VenerableMaster Hua
王隆琴 英译 English translation by Linda Wang
我们在讲法的时候不可以骂人；台上不是骂人的地方，不是讲是讲非的地方。所以说法要心平气和，要有涵养，要有道心，不能在讲台上边来讲是讲非，用无明在这儿大发脾气；要是这样子，不可以上台来说法，在什么地方也不可以。你们各位要注意这一点。
你对常住管事的人，他就是对或者不对，大家平时可以谈论，在讲台上不能讲这个是非的；要是有这样的，就是违反说法的规矩。因为讲法的地方，不是一个讲是讲非的地方，尤其有神经病的人不明白自爱，也应该尊重自己。台上不可以有这样的人上来，有神经病的人不可以上来；有神经病的人在道场里，本来就是妨碍大家的修行，已经是不共住的了。可是大家原谅你，你就应该爱惜自己，不可以跑到讲台上来讲是讲非。尤其带着脾气讲法，这是等于杀人一样的，等于犯戒杀人，因为你有一股杀气在你心里头。这一点，我们每一个听法的人都应该有择法眼，应该知道孰是孰非。
方才讲的这十种的不怕，很有道理，我们修道的人学佛的时候，都应该用它来做借镜。你有这十种的不怕：不怕困难，不怕对我没有益处，你能有这种心，与道能够相应。所以你们各位听法的人，主要是要有择法眼；你有择法眼，就知道是法非法，是道非道。是道则进，非道则退；是法我们就学习，不是法就把它忘了。这是学佛的人很要紧的一点。
再有，说法台上两边各有两个人，或者是四个人，都可以的。弄一个小桌子就可以，不用那么大桌子。我们这儿道场里边要尽量朴素，尽量节省。虽然是庄严佛土，但是太过庄严了、未免近于浮华。所以我们要实实在在，老老实实的，一切都朴素，一切都不奢侈，不浪费，两边摆两个小桌子就可以了。我已经说过好几次了，可是大家还没有把它改过来，这是不合法的。
尤其这个说法，到其他地方，只是一个法师坐一个讲台，旁边都没有座位。这是我为的有翻译，为的训练其他的人来讲法，所以旁边设上两个旁座。这个旁座，简简单单就好，不用那么样子华美。因为我们说法，越朴素越好，越节省越好，不要浪费物质，浪费金钱，又浪费地方，这有种种不对的地方。设那么大个地方占了很多位置，行路也都不便，这也都是属于浪费。在旁边的旁座，你不管这个主法的法师他来没来，天天都要早一点坐在上边。
上边说法的要说法又要翻译，不是谁都可以上来的。这一些也不会说话，也不懂得修行的人，不可以上讲台来乱讲乱说的，这是每一个人都要知道这种常识。女界尤其要特别注意，不能发狂的人，发疯的人，也跑到台上来乱讲乱说的，这是犯规矩的。
你们女界都是管什么的，就这么随便？这个说法的人来不来，你们都应该坐那个地方等着，不是要说法的人坐在那儿等着你们。你们这样就是差之丝毫，谬之千里。你们学佛的人，要懂得先学这个规矩；规矩礼法都不懂，这不能学佛的。
We shouldn't yell at people when we are giving a Dharma talk. The stage is no place for yelling at people, criticisms or judgements. Instead, we should be calm and magnanimous as well as have resolve for the Way. You shouldn't become really upset because of your ignorance. If so, you shouldn't be talking on stage, or anywhere for that matter. Every one of you must pay attention to this point.
You may discuss anything done correctly or incorrectly by the supervisors of the monastery, but you shouldn't talk about them on stage. If you do that, you violate one of the rules for giving a Dharma talk. The place for giving a Dharma talk is no place for critiques of individuals. People who are mentally ill should be kept away from the stage; they should at least respect themselves if they don't know to cherish themselves. People who are mentally ill keep everyone from cultivating, which already excludes them from being members of the community in residence. Since everyone is forgiving of you, you should have some self-respect. You cannot run up on stage to say this is right and that is wrong. You are basically committing murder, particularly if you give a Dharma talk out of anger. Since you harbor this intent to kill, it is the same as if you have violated the precept against killing a human being. Everyone listening to the Dharma should recognize this. The audience has to have the ability to select the right Dharma and be able to distinguish right from wrong.
The Ten Kinds of Fearlessness that we talked about earlier make good sense. Cultivators who study Buddhism should consider them warnings. If you have these Ten Kinds of Fearlessness, such as not being afraid of hardship and disadvantage, then you will connect with the Way. Hence, anyone who listens to Dharma talks must have the ability to select the right Dharma. That's most important. If you have such an ability, you will know which Dharma is correct and which Dharma is incorrect, what is the Way and what isn't the Way, and know to advance if it is the Way and retreat if it is not the Way. We must learn it if it is the Dharma; we must forget it if it is not the Dharma. This is a critical point for people who are studying Buddhism.
In addition, it's okay to have two people or four people on either side of the stage. You can just bring out a small table though, you don't need to use such large tables. We must try to keep everything simple here in the temple. We try to save. Although we try to adorn the Buddhaland, excessive adornment becomes ornate extravagance. That's why we try to be straightforward and honest, keeping everything plain and simple. We don't go overboard with anything or waste anything. Two little tables for both sides will do. I have told you this several times, but you still haven't made the changes. This does not accord with the Dharma.
Typically, there is only one Dharma Master at the podium when you're lecturing elsewhere. There are no other seats on the side. Since I have to have a translator and want to train people to give Dharma talks, I have two seats next to me. The simpler these seats are, the better. You don't need to waste any item, any money, or any space. There is a number of things wrong with having such a large setup. You take up so much space that it becomes inconvenient to walk even. This is also considered a waste. People who sit on the sides must get there early every day, regardless of whether the Dharma Master giving the main talk has arrived or not.
People who go up to give a Dharma talk must know how, and must be able to translate. Not everyone can come up. Those people who don't know how to talk and don't understand cultivation can't come up on stage to talk gibberish. Everyone ought to have common sense. The women's side must pay attention to this in particular. People who are insane and crazy cannot just run up on stage to chatter on about nonsense. That would be a violation of the rules. What kind of management do you women have that you're so casual? You should be sitting there waiting for the Dharma speaker, rather than to have the Dharma speaker sit there and wait for the rest of you. When you are off by an inch at the start, you miss wide of the mark at the end. People studying Buddhism must first learn this rule. If you don't even understand the rules of propriety, you can't possibly learn Buddhism.
