Compassionate Instruction of Ji Gong, the Living Buddha
A spirit-writing teaching by Ji Gong (濟公活佛), the Living Buddha, received at a Yiguandao Buddha hall in Taiwan. Ji Gong — the Song dynasty Chan Buddhist monk Daoji (道濟, 1130–1209) — is Yiguandao's most beloved celestial patron, known for his ragged robes, his drunken wandering, and his miracles for the poor. In Yiguandao theology he descends regularly through spirit-writing to teach, scold, and comfort his disciples.
This teaching addresses the relationship between the three aspects of the self: nature (性, xìng — the original, unchanging essence), mind (心, xīn — the thinking, feeling, choosing faculty), and body (身, shēn — the physical form). Ji Gong argues that most people spend their lives serving the body, a few learn to use the mind, but almost none reach the nature — the still point from which everything else becomes clear. The path runs inward: from body to mind, from mind to nature, from nature to emptiness.
Translated from Chinese by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. First English translation. Gospel register — plain, direct, warm. The Living Buddha's voice at its most fatherly.
Children, a year passes so quickly. Life is the same — gone in a blink. But in that blink, there is so much feeling. In a single year you must change your clothes again and again as the seasons turn — short sleeves, long sleeves, sweaters. So long as you live in this world, you are bound by one thing after another, unfree and helpless, and then a whole life slips away with the passing of the days.
When you see flowing water, do you realize the Dao? You do not! Because you are ordinary people. When Confucius watched the water flow, he realized that Heaven itself was speaking to him: "It passes like this — never resting, day or night." Just like life — once gone, it never returns. So, children, year after year, do not let the white hairs multiply one by one while you remain without a shred of realization! Cultivating the Dao is the same — year after year you practice, but you must grow in wisdom, grow and grow again, before you can understand life, before you can calm this restless, drifting heart of yours.
Is hearing the truth just something to lean on? No — it is meant to help you find liberation. Do not think that cultivating the Dao is a comfort against death. It should be a liberation from death — the pursuit of a way of freedom! You have entered my gate. You have received the pointing. Have you tried to realize what it means? Do you want to come inside and understand what is here? Or would you rather stand outside looking in and call yourselves disciples? Children, awaken!
What Kind of Mind Are You Using?
Children! To cultivate the Dao, you must learn to truly feel. Not only must you use your mind to realize — you must use something deeper to awaken yourself. Your original nature, is it not? Every one of you carries three things: a nature, a mind, and a body. Where do you spend most of your time? On the body! No wonder Heaven had to send down the Dao. You use the body, so you act — but without that single breath of life, could you act at all? You could not! So what is it that controls your actions? The mind and the nature. And where do you spend most of your time? You cannot even tell the mind and the nature apart!
Think about it. When you look at people, when you look at things — what are you looking with? Your eyes? Or your original nature? Think deeply! You still cannot figure it out, can you?
The saying goes: "Know the characters and see the nature." Have you seen it? When you see the two characters "Tathagata," what do you think of? You think of the Buddha of Buddhism, do you not? Is the Tathagata a trademark belonging only to Buddhism? Do you not have a Tathagata of your own? "Thus" means the self-nature — the unchanging. "Come" means wisdom. Our self-nature is unchanging, and from that unchanging nature, wisdom can arise. So people use this name as the Buddha's registered trademark — see "Tathagata" and think "Buddha." But are you not yourselves Buddhas? "Thus" is discipline and stillness. Your original nature is already discipline and stillness! It can awaken, it can discipline, it can be still. And "come" is wisdom. So if a person can hold fast to their original nature, unmoved and unshaken, then that person is a Buddha.
When you chant the Buddha's name, what are you chanting? After you chant, can you turn the light inward and examine yourself? Every morning and evening you bow, but it is only a form. Do you turn the light inward? Do you see your own Tathagata, your own Maitreya? It is all just going through the motions! Repent, repent — you recite the Repentance Sutra until you know it by heart. But do you realize whether you are chanting with your nature? Or with your mind? Or just with your mouth? If you want to cross over your transgressions, what will you use to cross? Without realization, you cannot cross. Sentient beings remain sentient beings. The sea of suffering is boundless! Your transgressions drag you through that sea, wandering. If you cannot use your mind, how will you ever see your nature?
So what you use every day is still the human mind, the blood-mind — that lump of flesh and blood! What separates humans from animals is that humans can pursue what is within. Everyone enjoys life, living happily, is that not so? If you are not happy, it is because your mind cannot find its balance! So every time your Teacher comes, I ask: "Are my good students at peace?" Has your mind settled? Has your breath harmonized? This mind of yours, this rationality — is it constantly at that balanced point? Is it keeping its balance? If not, hurry and adjust. Hurry and check whether your mind is still crooked somewhere.
The human mind has four crookednesses. What four? When the mind harbors anger, it cannot be correct. When it harbors desire, it cannot be correct. When it harbors worry, it cannot be correct. When it harbors fear, it cannot be correct. Where do these come from? Think about it. Every day that you are unhappy — is it not because these four things have you bound? In your cultivation, have you freed yourself from them? If not, then your cultivation is just drifting along!
Cultivation is about freeing yourself from these external disturbances. These interferences will scramble your original nature. Why are the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas never scrambled? Because they hold the center! They hold that middle point, tuned to exactly that frequency. Your Teacher gave you the pointing to that one point — have you held it? How do you hold it? By going cross-eyed? How do you hold it? Have you managed?
So when we speak of practice, we must speak of the mind. You must start from the mind. When we speak of this mind, it divides into many kinds — the ordinary mind, the hateful mind, the resentful mind, and so on. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have the pure mind, the compassionate mind, the mind of generous joy that saves all beings from suffering. It depends on how you use it. The one who has realized the Dao has the mind of wisdom. The one who has not realized the Dao has the mind of affliction.
If a person fundamentally wants to live happily, they must learn to tune the mind. The sages all tune the mind. Ordinary people? They only tune the body.
When we speak of the mind, you must use the nature to realize it. Words cannot describe it. What is the mind? It transcends all opposites, and yet it contains both good and bad. Everything in this world — where there is good, there is evil; where there is high, there is low — all of this is discriminated by the mind. To transcend these oppositions, you can only use the nature, only use realization. People always say they want to live more rationally, but what is rationality based on? There is no fixed standard. If everyone clings to their own opinion, then everyone believes they are the most rational, do they not? Everyone says "let reason triumph over emotion," and everyone claims to be the most rational — so is there not still conflict? Where there is conflict, there is no standard.
Let Yourself Return to the Original Emptiness
So then, the total union of nature, mind, and body is "emptiness," and this emptiness represents everything. But be careful — the void is not nothing! You often speak of "what is on the mind," but the moment before any thought has arisen — that is the Dao. That is the original body. You often say your thoughts are many — thoughts, thoughts — but the instant before a thought arises, that is your original nature. Is that not emptiness?
When the Initiating Master gave you the pointing, they told you to fix your eyes on the Buddha lamp. At that moment, what did you see? What did you think? Nothing? If nothing — then that itself was "something." Emptiness is existence. Existence is emptiness. It is that wondrous. If you cling to it, your mind becomes small. If you do not cling, then the entire universe is yours. These dreamlike things cannot unify the mind. But if you can constantly empty your mind, clear it out, then you are the richest person in the world.
You children know that nothing in this world is real. But you still refuse to let go of these dream-things with a single sweep of the hand. And so people follow their thoughts through the six realms of rebirth, forever without end! To cultivate the Dao is to understand that the Dao is for liberation, not for comfort. So you must constantly ask: what is real? What is illusion? When your original mind is caught by consciousness, it is like sleeping at night — you dream, do you not? You dream because during the day you absorb everything into your surface consciousness, and at night it all reflects back out. Your original nature cannot function. Consciousness splinters it, breaks it apart.
So if the mind cannot hold to a single center, nothing you attempt will succeed. But if you can hold it to a single center, nothing is impossible. If you can make your original nature the master of yourself, then you can govern yourself, and everything will come into balance.
Your Teacher likes to use the deep ocean as a metaphor for the most peaceful point — the most pure, the most free. A fish living in the deepest part of the sea — is it not the most at ease? Because it is not affected by the storms and the burning sun above. That deepest point is your original self. Where you came from, go back there. If you can live in that place, that place is the Pure Land. Do you understand?
Perhaps you children cannot stay there, so you keep running outside to play, and you come back filthy. I keep calling you home to wash! It is like when you bring home dirty clothes and your mother tells you to change and wash up, but you complain that she is nagging. And so you cannot hold that point. People today all love to run outward, chasing after this dazzling world. Has your nature run out with your body? It is because you cannot hold that one point. And if you cannot hold it, you cannot find your original self, you cannot be the master of your own being, and so you are easily captured by the false self.
The Starting Point for Casting Off Shackles — The Self
People — before thirty you cannot wake up, and after thirty you cannot sleep. Why? Because the shackles are too heavy. You do not need to leave home, but you must practice. When practice is mentioned, you think of four characters: "the four elements are empty." Empty where? Abandon home and career? Abandon which home? Wake up! It is the wooden-radical "home" — the shackles! The yoke!
You do not have to become a monastic to practice. You do not have to go into retreat. A person should not shut themselves away, but they must practice, so they can dilute the seven emotions and six desires and cast off these afflictions, these bonds.
Abandon which "career"? Your livelihood? No — "abandon the yoke and shed the karma" means shedding the invisible shackles and invisible karma in your heart. It does not mean packing your bags and heading to the monastery! Every person must cast off their inner yokes and shed their inner karma to gain a free body. Why are people not free? Because they chase too many unreal things. They know full well that the world is without permanence, yet they cannot bear to let it go. You refuse to open your eyes, to look at the world, to look at the truth, and instead you let these unreal things bind you! Children, do you truly wish to be locked in these chains? If so, then you will live forever in pain and affliction. Children, wake up! Wake up and see which is real and which is false!
Every one of you lives under the shelter of Heaven's grace and the Teacher's virtue. Children, do you feel it? Or do you spend every day complaining — complaining about the world, complaining about your parents, complaining about your friends?
This is because your mind is not straight. And which part of this crooked mind is causing trouble? When affliction rises in you, when anger and hatred rise, you should use your most still point to subdue it. Ask yourself: am I holding the center? Am I holding that point? Why do people cycle endlessly through the six realms? Because everything revolves around the self — the mark of self. From the mark of self arises the mark of person. From the mark of person arises the mark of beings. From the mark of beings arises the mark of lifespan. The entire architecture of human life begins from this one point. If you remove this point, does the architecture still stand? Remove the mark of self, and everything that follows collapses. Children! Did your Teacher not open that point for you? And after it was opened — what have you done with it? Why do people suffer? Because they cling to everything, remember every affliction, every hatred, every unhappiness — and forget the purity of their original nature. That is why people live in pain, live without ease.
This world is a realm of desire and affliction — a saha world of right and wrong, of suffering. But where does this afflicted saha world actually extend from? From the mind. So to escape the six realms, you must liberate yourself from all of it. And where do you begin? You begin from "that place" — right there!
I hope you will all go deeper in your realization. Whether or not my words enter your heart, I hope you use your heart to understand. You have sought the Dao for many years. You have done so much. But if you have not used your heart to realize your original nature, then you are still on the periphery. Know this: merit alone cannot deliver you from birth and death. It can only help reduce your karma.
If you cannot truly see through to that one point, then you are still in bondage, still in the realm of conditioned action. And so you will always feel that your work is exhausting, that you have sacrificed so much, and your heart will be full of resentment. If you are a well-known lecturer, you will use your own standards to judge whether others can achieve liberation or wisdom, and you will develop attachment. From attachment comes arrogance. This is falling into conditioned action. Remember: before you analyze others, analyze yourself first. Have you returned to the highest point? Is there anything higher still? Do you need to keep climbing?
Learn to Let Go Before You Can See Yourself
Children! Be careful when others lift you up high. Be careful when praise falls on you. When you receive praise, when others lift you up, you must be even more careful, even more humble. Only then will you not be fooled by these appearances, and only then will you not harm yourself.
Everyone chases after praise, do they not? But if you cannot remove arrogance from your heart, you will discriminate. Once the mind discriminates, it creates opposition. You will think: I hold such-and-such a position, everyone must listen to me. If you handle affairs with this kind of opposition, all disputes will arise from it.
Know this: in the end, the Dao must return to the low place, because the Dao dwells in the low. Of course, everyone hopes to rise step by step. But if your steps are unsteady, if you cultivate the Dao without cultivating the mind, if you never turn the light inward — it is like typing at a computer, fast but full of errors. You may climb quickly. People may call you "Lecturer" or "Master" this and that. But you are not solid, and because you are not solid, under the gaze of ten eyes and the pointing of ten fingers, your flaws will eventually be seen. And then you are in danger.
So your Teacher hopes that in your cultivation you will always begin from the mind, and that the mind will always depart from the nature. Only then can you balance this unsteady mind. Do not carry an ordinary person's mind when you try to understand others. Do not carry this blood-mind to remember every dirty and unpleasant thing. Carry a pure mind to handle your affairs. Carry a compassionate mind to bring about good works and save all beings. Carry a joyful and generous mind to care for others and leave behind all opposition.
Your Teacher hopes you will build sound ethics in your practice community. The Initiating Masters should carry themselves as Initiating Masters should. The lecturers should carry themselves accordingly. And you should have a model to follow, so you can build a true household of cultivation. Even though every one of you sacrifices and serves, every one of you works hard and lives simply — if you are still creating opposition and conflict through the discriminations of the human mind, then you will truly never find the Dao!
When you come to the Buddha hall, do you not want to find stillness? Then when you arrive, you must set down all deluded thoughts and clarify yourself. Because only by constantly clarifying yourself can you see yourself clearly. Otherwise you will not know what road you are walking, and you will have no certainty about yourself.
Year after year passes. Children, have you thought about how much you have accomplished this year? How much you have grown? If you have never thought about these things, then how can you account for your own course of cultivation?
Everyone must understand: the path of cultivation is rough and uneven. Since the road is rough, how do you smooth it? How do you walk it to the end? You must first balance this heart of yours. Always move from the small harmony of the mind toward the great harmony of the body.
Your Teacher keeps saying it: in the end, birth and death must be resolved by yourself. Truly — by yourself! No one else can resolve it for you. Just ask whether your mind is resolved, and you will know whether you will become a Buddha, whether you will attain your spiritual rank. You eat so many apples in this world — can you attain a fruition in Heaven? Ask your three minds. Ask whether your four marks are straight, and you will know.
So, children, when you meet adversity — remember! Hold steady. Do not let resentment arise. Tune your radio. How do you tune it so there is no interference? Look at today's society — a chaotic age. How can you find happiness? How can you find peace? The heart must be honest, plain, ordinary. It always comes back to the most level point. To find a peaceful world, you must search within. The outer world is turbulent. If your inner world follows it into turbulence, then the saha world truly becomes restless.
When the outer world is in turmoil, you should look inward for a peaceful world, and then the outer things will have nothing to do with you! The cosmic time has reached the final age. All accounts must be settled. Good and evil must be sorted. Jade and stone must be separated. Ask yourself: has the good and evil within you been sorted? Your good thoughts, your crooked thoughts — have they been separated? Is there more good or more crookedness? Where good prevails, there is a Buddha. Where crookedness prevails, there is a demon. The human world is the same: when good people outnumber bad, war cannot arise. When the voice of peace in your heart is louder than the voice of war, then there is peace. War and peace both come from a single idea. You cannot turn the world's wars around. But at least you can build a peaceful, rational world within your own heart.
Every person's inner life should be peaceful, should be serene, should be rational. You have all received the Dao. You may not be great monastics, but at least you are little novices. And little novices chant the sutras every day, do they not? Chanting without heart, is that not so? Little novices — become angels of this age! Level the world within yourselves. Subdue your deluded thoughts. Do not let them scatter. This is already a world of a hundred clashing voices. If your thoughts also scatter, you will truly never find a moment of quiet. So if you want to achieve the great harmony of the world, you must first achieve "small harmony" before the great harmony arrives. And where does small harmony begin? With yourself. Your Teacher hopes you will each find a small peaceful world first. Do not let the outer turmoil disturb you. And then, stream by stream, your peaceful energy can influence the world beyond. I hope you will all maintain this compassionate heart, this generous heart, and create a current of good energy. Only then can you reduce one measure of war, one measure of disaster. Do you understand? Cultivate the mind. Tune the mind. When you have anger or resentment, tune this heart. Keep tuning it to the very center point. Do you understand?
Using Precepts to Gather Body and Mind
In these times, hearts are panicking everywhere. Even ten thousand taels of gold cannot buy you happiness. The sun blazes fierce and every person must look after their own life — your life is what matters. When disaster truly arrives, you will finally discover that money is false, that it is something outside yourself.
So if you can see through the false and use these appearances to kindle your wisdom, to drive your practice forward, that is a good thing. Sometimes what is not good is not bad. Without bad there is no good. Without war you would not know the importance of peace. Without pain you would not know the preciousness of happiness. So — grind, grind, grind. Ground to the utmost, suffering to the utmost, and affliction becomes bodhi. Children! Do not fear these afflictions. Do not fear this pain. It is forging you, moving you toward the attainment of the supreme fruition. At this time you should awaken deeply, practice earnestly, bring forth your most sincere heart, and walk the supreme Dao.
You have sought the Dao — you have found a bright and open road. Now you must see whether you can follow that road and create a beautiful future. What you must do now is the work of saving yourself and saving others. But the most important thing is still to first save yourself from your own afflictions. If you cannot remove your afflictions, then saving others is also false. What you speak is merely borrowed from the words of great people and sages — lecturing others and nothing more. But if you can truly practice what you preach, then it becomes genuinely yours. If you cannot practice it and yet speak brilliantly, that is not just useless — it is dangerous. If you have one part ability and speak three parts, you have two parts danger. So in everything, carry humility and a heart that knows it is not yet enough, and use that to subdue yourself.
The ethics of the Dao-field are precious beyond measure. Life after life you will form bonds, but the bonds you form are not always good ones. So these ethics must be upheld and spread — the spirit and ethics of the practice community, carried outward, representing the preciousness of the supreme Dharma. Do you understand? Children, do not let one day pass after another looking nothing like an immortal. The point of cultivation is to enter the realm of the immortals! Use your heart to feel it. Slowly emulate the sages. Do not just follow the routine and let the days flow past.
The vows you made before the Buddhas serve one purpose: before Maitreya descends to the world, before you meet the Buddha face to face, you are paving a road through your practice. In this final age, that you can hear the Dharma and receive the Dao is entirely due to what you accumulated across many lifetimes. Do not take it lightly. Do not drift through it. Reflect deeply. Make vows and fulfill them. Above all, subdue your arrogance. If you cannot even do that, your practice will forever circle the periphery, and you will never truly experience the joy of realizing the Dao.
Now, as for cultivating the mind — you cannot touch it, you cannot grab it. But inner and outer must become one. When you cannot yet take awakening itself as your teacher, you still need precepts to restrain yourself. The moment I mention the five precepts, you feel even more bound. You might not dare come to the Buddha hall anymore — this is not allowed, that is not allowed. Is that not so? A practitioner must always be vigilant. You cannot give yourself too much convenience. You are all so clever. You decide for yourselves what is acceptable and what is not — setting up your own precepts as if you were Buddhas! You casually grant yourselves exemptions, and exemption after exemption leads to degradation. So since you have entered into practice, you must understand and observe the precepts.
Let me give you an example. Is taking your own life a transgression? What kind of transgression? Merely unfilial? Does a person have the right to end their own life? Does it violate the precept against killing? People think: I have not killed anyone else, I have not killed animals — so I have not violated the precept. But know this: killing yourself also violates the precept against killing. Because the human body is the closest stage to Buddhahood. With a human body you have the chance to practice and attain Buddhahood. Without it, that chance is far away. Among the six realms, the human realm is the most precious. Even the heavenly realm and the asura realm do not necessarily lead to Buddhahood. So with this body, you must cherish it — even use the false to cultivate the true. Someone says: "I do not kill others, but I have the right to kill myself." Wrong! Wrong! This also violates the precept!
I hope you can all understand: the purpose of precepts is to liberate you, not to add more bonds. Just like the Buddha's regulations — you think they are constraining, do you not? The precepts are like a line. If you cross the line, you have broken the rule. So do not think of precepts as bondage. They actually help you reduce the impulse to indulge, and prevent you from carelessly making mistakes.
How do you control your mind? Do not follow every whim. If you let your desires run free, your thoughts will scatter with them, and you will never gather them back. Precepts help gather your mind, restrain your actions, and reduce your wrong views and wrong actions.
In the Buddha hall, every one of you is well-behaved. But once you leave, you might become a different person entirely. You cannot restrain your mind, so you cannot control your actions. And when you cannot control your actions, you do things you should not. Of course, you will not commit great wrongs. But in your heart, the small wrongs — drop by drop — are they not there? Where does karma come from? From those drops of thought. So "shed the karma" — where do you start shedding? From those drops in the heart! See one, remove one. And what do you use to remove it? Lord Guan's Green Dragon Crescent Blade? Or your Teacher's fan? Hmm? Use wisdom! Without wisdom, there is only foolishness and delusion. The whole point of cultivation is to help you see your original wisdom, your original Buddha-nature, your original Tathagata — so that every one of you returns to your original self, so that your Tathagata-nature abides constantly in your grasp, abides constantly in your heart!
The Entry to Practice — Sincerity, Reverence, Faith
Children, you bow to Guanyin Bodhisattva every day. Do you have Guanyin's great vow? Think about it — where does practice begin? Does it not begin with utmost sincerity? From sincerity arises reverence. From reverence arises faith. Sincerity, reverence, faith — this is how you enter.
Children, can you bring forth utter sincerity of heart, faithful to the Dao forever and always? What kind of sincerity do you practice? Whether it is true sincerity or sinking like a stone — the sincerity your Teacher sees in every one of you is mostly hollow. You do a little work and then present the bill to the Buddhas. How much did you give today? How many people did you bring to the Dao? How many classes did you teach? How many shows did you put on? Clinging to appearances and names! You cannot practice the sincerity of "non-action."
The highest, most sacred form of goodness is the goodness of non-action! From utmost sincerity, reverence arises naturally. You may revere your Teacher — but can you feel the same reverence for a stranger, for someone who has nothing to do with you? Who in all the world has the greatest heart? Guanyin Bodhisattva! Guanyin reveres every being, treating all beings as parents, as one's own children.
Suppose your house catches fire. Do you save your own child first, or someone else's child? And if the Initiating Master is also in your house, whom do you save first? You can feel reverence for the Initiating Master — but can you feel the same reverence for the old woman on the roadside, drooling and runny-nosed? I suspect there would be some discount on that reverence.
And then — can you have faith in the vows you have made? If you practice faithfully according to the words of the Buddhas, you will return to the Court of Principle beyond the Ultimate, transcending birth and death. Children, can you believe this? Can you also believe what the lecturers tell you — that if you practice well, your ancestors for nine generations and seven generations will share in the light?
Think back to when your introducer first brought you to receive the Dao and told you how wonderful it was. Did you have faith then? The faith I ask of you today is unshakeable faith — faith in the Buddha's words, in your vows, in all the scriptures. Only then can you receive and practice.
What is the first of the Ten Great Vows? "With sincere heart, embrace and uphold." Have you upheld it? The first vow means upholding the Dao, upholding your good heart, upholding your sincere heart, upholding your pure thoughts. Only then can you practice with a true heart, only then can you repent. When you have this reverence, you can truly plant your feet on the ground and do the work. Then faith arises, and you will not be half-hearted, and you will not shrink back.
Remember your Teacher's words. In cultivation: sincerity, reverence, faith. If you do not lose faith halfway, then you need not fear any test.
Transforming Desire into the Power of Vows
What are you children like at home? Your Teacher knows very well — you cannot fool me. People are so false! Every being exaggerates. Only before the Buddhas do they not dare. But before other people? They dare anything. Politicians, educators, businesspeople — everywhere you see the mask of exaggeration. Because without exaggeration, they will not be accepted. Businesspeople, television advertisements, young men and women — as if without wild declarations of love and death, no one will pay attention. Ordinary people prefer to live in falseness, decorating themselves. And they prefer decorated things — girls like to adorn themselves, boys like to hear flattering words, they like the feeling of achievement. This is the nature of ordinary people.
Since you are cultivating the Dao, you must strip away that outer layer of falseness. Live honestly. Young people, interact with a genuine heart. Your Teacher is not saying that a cultivator cannot live an ordinary life. Reasonable desire is not wrong. But if desire is selfish or harms others, then "success" is merely the accumulation of error — it is transgression. Reasonable desire is fine, but desire must be honest and not cause harm. Desire drives society forward. But if you distort it or skew it, it becomes sin.
You want to save others, you want to teach — that is also a kind of desire. You hope more people will seek the Dao — that is also desire. The Buddhas hope you will all attain Buddhahood — that is also desire. You each hope to sit upon a lotus — that is desire too. Desire put to a right purpose is good. It is not a sin. So do not demonize desire.
Dissolve Self-Attachment and Practice Generous Understanding
Everything depends on the attitude you bring. If you want to guide someone, you must first think from their perspective. If a person does something, there is always a reason — their own reason. You must first consider their side. Then advise, counsel, explain. That way you will not wound their dignity. Do you understand? Do not begin by analyzing others through your own ego. That will wound people without you even noticing. Your attitude must be healthy. If you handle matters with an unhealthy attitude, things will go wrong.
The nature of ordinary people is to discriminate, to oppose, to nitpick. And so in the middle of conversation, they wound each other. Children! If you are going to cultivate the Dao, this habit of picking at others must be adjusted! If every one of you is constantly doing good — like a computer constantly receiving good files — then when the heart is good, the face is good, and you will never need to have your fortune told again. Fortune-telling is not accurate for someone who truly practices, because fate can be changed. So do not go to fortune-tellers. Just ask yourself: has my attitude changed? Has my temper changed? Have I let go of my old habits? Ask your own heart in all things. Do not ask others — asking others easily breeds attachment. If you practice with a true heart, with real merit and real goodness, your Teacher believes every single person can absolutely change their own destiny. Children, do not be bound by these things.
The reason fortune-tellers thrive is because of people's ignorance. It is because you cannot hold your good thoughts, cannot balance your own attitude, so you constantly feel "confused." And so the six realms of rebirth never cease.
Your Teacher hopes that those of you who stand in high positions can remove that kernel of ignorance at the center of self. Other people's praise is just external, just temporary — tricking you into a moment of happiness. Learning, too, is temporary — tricking you into a moment of pride. But if it can draw out your joyful heart and also make others joyful, that is not bad! So when others praise you, be more humble. Do not let praise, do not let these outside sounds, spoil you into self-satisfaction. And then everything revolves around yourself — self-attachment and ignorance follow close behind.
People are like this. They cannot stand too high, but they also cannot put themselves too low. Learn to subdue your pride. Raise your moral heart. Do not always try to change others. Remember your Teacher's words: other people do things for their own reasons. Try to understand why they do what they do. Try to care for them. Do not always try to change them. If you cannot change them, you will only produce suffering for yourself. Ordinary people are the best at manufacturing their own suffering. Is that not so, children?
The Teacher's Parting Words
I hope you children will attend class whenever there is one. If in your Teacher's long lecture even one or two sentences can set you free, that is enough. So do not think: "The Teacher did not say anything special this time!" If next time I do speak, and you are not here — will you not have missed it? Children, do not try to predict: "Which immortal will come today? What will they talk about?" Do not bring that attitude. Just bring a sincere heart, a devoted heart. No matter which Buddha or immortal descends to the altar — even if no immortal comes, even if it is only a lecturer teaching — listen with sincerity and respect. Have you heard the story of the stubborn stone that nodded? Even a stone can nod at the Dharma. Surely you children are not stones?
Know this: hearing the Dharma also plants many good seeds. Do not always feel that classes are boring or tedious. Do not feel helpless about them. Every sentence — whether plain speech or scripture — is someone's sincere offering. It is a gift of golden words. It is a true caring for you. I hope you will all melt your hearts into the practice. Even if you feel you gained nothing, at least you brought forth your sincerity, you offered your devotion. Sincerity within must take form without. If you are sincere within but do nothing to show it outwardly, what kind of sincerity is that? It is only half complete. So sincerity must be true sincerity. Vows must be true vows.
I hope every one of you will diligently cultivate your mind. Use your original nature to tame your own mind. Remember — your Teacher will always ask after you: are you at peace? I hope you can earnestly put this into practice. And I wish that your peace may be the kind that is true and steady — the peace and serenity that dwells within.
Colophon
Nature, Mind, and Body (性心身) is a spirit-writing teaching by Ji Gong (濟公活佛), the Living Buddha, transmitted at a Yiguandao Buddha hall in Taiwan. The text is a compassionate instruction (慈訓) on the relationship between the three aspects of the self — nature (性), mind (心), and body (身) — and the cultivation of each through sincerity, precepts, and the realization of emptiness.
This is the first English translation. Translated from Chinese by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (Tulku Ming, 明), 2026. Gospel register. The English is independently derived from the Chinese source text. The existing Yiguandao translations in the archive were consulted for terminology consistency.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: 性心身 — 濟公活佛慈訓
Chinese source text from taolibrary.com (善書圖書館), Category 52, c52064.htm. UTF-16LE encoded original, converted to UTF-8. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
性心身
濟公活佛慈訓
徒兒們，一年很快就過去了，人生也是如此，一晃就消逝了，可是在這一晃當中，卻有太多的感受了。在這一年當中，必須因為春、夏、秋、冬不同的季節而換上種種不同的衣服，短袖、長袖、毛衣。因此，人既生活在世間，就必須受到種種的束縛、不自由與無奈，之後，一生也就隨著這些時光的流逝而流逝了。
你們看到流水，有沒有悟道啊？沒有！因為你們是凡夫，是不是？人家孔聖看到水在流動，就體悟到上天似乎是在跟他說法：「逝者如斯夫，不舍晝夜」，就像人生，一去不復返，是不是？所以，徒兒們，一年過一年，莫要白髮一根接著一根，卻一點悟性也沒有！修道也一樣，修了一年再一年，得有悟性，智慧得增長再增長，才能夠悟出人生，才能夠安撫你這個飄浮的心。
聽道理是給人寄托用的嗎？不是的，是用來助人「解脫」的。不要認為修道這件事是對死亡的一個寄托，應該是對死亡的一個解脫，是在追求人生的一個「解脫之道」呀！徒兒們既進入我門，點了那麼一點，有沒有去悟悟看啊？徒兒們是否要進來了解方的內容？還是只要在外面看一看、觀一觀，就說你們是佛門弟子了？徒啊！要悟一悟啊！
你用的是什麼心
徒啊！修道一定要懂得體會，不只是用「心」去悟，更要用什麼去自覺呢？「自性」是不是？你們每一個人身上都有三樣東西：一個性、一個心、一個身。你們比對多的時間都用在哪裡呢？用在「身」啊！難怪上天要降道。用在身就要採取行動是不是？如果沒有那一口氣，能夠行動嗎？無法啊！所以是什麼在控制你們的行動？心跟性。你們較多的時間用在哪裡啊？心跟性都分不清楚了，是不是？
想想看，你們平常看人、看事是用什麼在看的？用眼睛看？還是用自性看？好好悟啊！還是悟不出來，是不是？
所謂「識字見性」，你們見到了沒有？當你們看到「如來」這兩個字時，會想到什麼？令想到那是佛教的如來佛是不是？如來佛是不是佛教教主的專利啊？你們本身有沒有如來？「如」者﹒就是自性，也就是不變；「來」者，就是智慧；也就是我們的自性不變﹒那才能夠產生智慧。所以，用這個名詞，作為佛的註冊商標，看到如來就想到佛。那麼，你們本身是不是佛？是不是佛教的教主呢？所以「如」就是「戒定」，本性就是戒定嘛！能夠「覺」，同時也能夠「戒」、能夠「定」；那麼「來」就是慧。所以一個人若能夠守住自性，如如不動，那你就是佛﹒就是佛教的教主了。
念佛是念什麼？念了以後你能否回光返照、自我反省呢？你們早晚叩頭，只是叩個形式，有沒有回光返照啊？有沒有看到自己的如來佛、彌勒佛呢？不都是念個形式而已！懺悔、懺悔，「懺悔渡罪經」念，念到會背，有沒有體會到你是不是用自性在念呀？還是用你的心在念？用你的嘴在念呢？你要渡你的罪，要用什麼來渡？沒有悟性是渡不了的，眾生還是眾生。苦海無邊哪！罪就帶著你在苦海當中流浪，你無法用心，又怎能見性呢？
所以，你們天天用的還是人心、血心是不是？那一團血肉之心啊！人之異於禽獸者，就是人能夠追求內心的東西。每一個人都那麼的享受，生活過得很愉快，是不是？如果不愉快，那是因為心無法夠平服嘛！所以為師每次來，都會問聲賢徒可安平？你們的心平了沒有？氣和了沒有？你的這個心，這個理智，有沒有常常在平衡的那一點？有沒有保持平衡呢？沒有的話，就趕快調，趕快調調看你們的心還有沒有不正的地方？
人心有四不正，哪四不正？心有所忿憧、有所好樂、有所憂患、有所恐懼，是不是？這些都是從哪裡來的？你們想想，你們每一天過得不愉快，是不是因為這幾樣東西在綁著你們？你們修道有沒有擺脫這些東西？如果沒有，那你們修道真是混混啊！
修道就是要擺脫這些外在的干擾，這些電波會干擾你的自性，佛菩薩為什麼不會被干擾？因為守中嘛！守著中間那一點，剛剛好調到那一點。為師給你們點的那一點，你們有沒有守住呢？怎麼守？是斗雞眼那一種守法嗎？怎麼守呢？做到了嗎？
所以談到修行就必須要談到「心」，首先必要從這個心下手。談到這個「心」呢，就可以分出很多種，諸如凡心、恨心、惱心等等，而佛菩薩是清靜心、慈悲心，還有喜舍救苦救難的心，就看你們怎麼去運用。所以悟道的人是智慧之心，沒有悟道的人就是煩惱之心。
那麼，人根本上要活得快樂，就必須要「調心」。所以聖人都是調心，而凡夫呢？調身罷了！
談到心，必須要用「性」去悟，不是這些名詞可以形容宅的。「心」是什麼？它是超越一切所有對立的名詞，也兼有好、壞，是不是？世間的一切﹒有善就有惡，有高就有低，這些都是從「心」上分別出來的。那麼要超越這些惡緣的對立，唯有用「性」﹒唯有用「悟」才能去超越它。人們常常說要活得理性一點，但是理性又要以什麼來作依據呢？又無法有一個標準，如果人人都執著自己的意見，那就會認為自己是最理智的，是不是？每一個人都說要活得理性一點，讓理性勝過感情，而每一個人口中所說的自己是「最理性」的，那豈不是還有爭執嗎？既然還有爭執，那就不是一個標準了。
讓自已回到原來的空處
所以呢，這性、心、身的總結合，就是一個「空」，這個空就代表一切。注意，虛空不是空喔！你們常說的「心頭、心頭」，這個心還沒有起念頭的那一刻，那就是道了，那就是本體。你們常說，你的念頭很多，念頭念頭，這一念還沒有起來之前，那個就是本性，那個是不是「空」啊？所以點傳師在給你們點道的時候，叫你眼看佛燈，那時候你看到了什麼？你想到了什麼？沒有，沒有的話，那就是「有」了。所以空就是有，有就是空，就是那麼妙。你如果執著它，那心量就小，你如果不執著它，那宇宙虛空就是有。這些夢幻的東西，無法將心統一的，你如果能夠時時把心虛空出來，騰出來，那麼你就是世間最富有的了。
徒兒們也知道，這世間的一切都不是實在的，但是卻又不肯把這些夢裡的東西一手拋掉，所以人也就隨著這些念頭六道輪回永遠無止息了！修道要明瞭「道」是給人解脫的，不是寄托的，所以一定要時時去悟，什麼是實在的？什麼是虛妄的？當你的本心被意識所執著時，就如同你們晚上睡覺一樣，會不會作夢？會作夢啊！因為白天不斷地吸收嘛！吸收在那個表層意識裡面，那麼晚上就反射出來，所以本性就起不了作用，就被意識分裂，把它分割得支離破碎了。
所以，如果人的心無法執中於一處，辦事就難成了；如果能夠把它執中於一處，則無事不成；能以本性來作為你的主人翁，那麼你就可以主宰你自己，對於一切你也就能夠平衡了。
為師常常喜歡用深海來比喻最平靜的那一點，也就是最清靜、最逍遙的那一點。像魚生活在大海的最深處，牠是不是最逍遙？因為牠不合受到上面這些狂風暴雨或太陽照射所影響。所以在最深處的那一點，就是你原來的自己。你從哪裡來，就回到哪裡去，你能夠活在那個地方，那個地方就是極樂世界了，懂嗎？
也許徒兒們因為無法常住，就常常跑出去玩，玩得滿身髒兮兮的，所以常常叫你們回來洗一洗啊！就好像你們帶著骯髒的衣服回來，媽媽叫你回來換下衣服洗一洗，你們又嫌麻煩，嫌嘮叨，所以又守不住了。現在的人，都喜歡往外跑，喜歡這個花花世界，那你們的「自性」是不是也跟著「身」一起往外跑了呢？就是因為無法夠守住那一點；無法夠守住，就不能夠找到你原來的自己，無法成為一身之主，因此，就容易被假人把你給綁住了。
拋開枷鎖的起點我相
人啊，在三十歲以前是睡不醒，三十歲以後呢，是睡不著，為什麼？因枷鎖太重了。人不需要出家，但卻必須修行。談到修行你們就會想到四個字，哪四個字？「四大皆空」是不是？空在哪裡？拋家舍業嗎？拋哪個家？要醒醒呀，是拋那個木字旁﹒枷銷的「枷」啊！
不是出家才叫作修行，也不是去閉關才叫修行。人不要自閉，但必須要修行，才能夠淡化七情六欲，拋開這些煩惱，這些束縛。
舍哪個業呀？舍掉事業嗎？拋家舍業，是舍掉心中無形的那個枷、跟那個業，不是你包袱款款(台語)到廟裡去，那一種的「拋家舍業」啊！每一個人都必須要「拋枷舍業」，才能得到一個自由之身。人為什麼不自由？因為追求太多外在不實在的東西了，明明知道世間無情﹒但是又不舍得把它拋開。你們又不肯睜開眼睛，看看這個世界，看看真理，而願意被這些不實在的世間把你給束縛住！徒兒們是真的願意被這些枷鎖把你給鎖住嗎？如果願意，那麼你就永遠活在痛苦煩惱之中了。徒兒們，醒一醒啊！醒一醒來看看哪個是真？哪個是假呀！
你們每一個人都身受著天恩師德的庇蔭，徒兒們，有沒有感受到呢？還是整天以抱怨的心、埋怨的心，去埋怨這世間，埋怨你們的父母，埋怨所有的親朋好友？
這全因你們的心無法正，而不正的心倒底是哪一個在作怪呢？當你煩惱起來的時候，當你的嗔心、恨心起來的時候，你應該用你最清靜的那一點去降服它，去問問你自己守中了沒有？守住那一點了沒有？人為什麼會六道輪回不息？是不是都以「我相」為中心，我相產生人相，人相產生眾生相，再產生壽者相。所以呢，人生的架構都是由這個點開始的。那麼，如果今天這一點拿開了，這個架構還存不存在？所以，你只要把這一點拿開，去除掉我相，再來的那些就不存在了。徒啊！為師有沒有幫你把這一點給點開了呢？那點開了以後，你自己要怎麼做呢？人為什麼會痛苦呢？因為人會執著一切的事情，會記住一切的煩惱，記住一切的恨、一切的不愉快﹒而忘了清靜的本性，所以人會活得痛苦，活得不自在！
世間是一個多欲的、煩惱的娑婆世界，有是非、有煩惱，這種種便構成了一個娑婆世界。而其實這個煩惱的娑婆是從哪裡延伸出來的呢？都是從心引伸出來的，是不是？所以想要超脫這個六道輪回，就得解脫這一切。那麼，要從哪裡下手呢？當然就是從「那裡」嘍！
希望大家能多去悟一悟，不管講的能無法契入你們的心，希望你們都能用心去體悟。你們求道也多年了，也辦了那麼多，但是，如果沒用心去體悟你們的本性的話，那還是在周邊罷了！要知道，功德是無法夠該你們超生了死的，只能夠幫你減少業力而已。
如果徒兒們無法夠真正透視你們的那一點，那麼，還是在束縛、有為之中，仍然是落入「有為法」。所以，徒兒們就會經常覺得做得很辛苦，會認為自己犧牲奉獻那麼多，於是，內心就充滿了無數的不平；如果你今天是一個知名妁講師，那你就會以你的標準去解析別人能無法得到解脫，能無法得到智慧，你就會產生那麼一個執著；有了執著接著就會產生愩高、我慢，這就是落在有為之中。記得啊！要解析別人之前先解析自己，你自己回到了最頂點了嗎？上面還有沒有更高的？要不要再繼續往上爬呢？
學習放下才看清自已
徒啊！要小心別人把你捧得高高的，小心贊美都落在你身上。當你得到了贊美，當別人把你捧得高高的，那你就要更小心、更謙虛了，這樣，你才不會被這些假相給騙了，也才不會害了你自己。
每一個人都在追求贊美，是不是？但是，如果你無法除掉愩高、我慢的心，你就會有所分別；心起了分別﹒就成了對待﹒你就會認為我今天是怎麼樣的一個地位，大家都必須聽我的；辦起事情來如果還有這種對待的話，那一切的是非就會由此產生了。
要知道，修道到最後要傳回低處﹒因為道就在低處。當然，我們每一個人都希望步步高升，但是你在步步高升當中，如果腳步不穩，修道不修心，又不回光返照，那就如同打電腦一樣，速度雖很快，但錯字卻一大堆。所以你今天就算爬得很快，一下子人家把你稱為講師，稱你為什麼「師」的，但實際上你一點也不扎實，因為不扎實，所以在十目所視、十手所指之下，總是有一些缺點遲早會讓人看到的，那就危險了。
所以為師希望徒兒們，修道一定要從心下手，而「心」要從「性」出發，才能平衡這個不定的心。徒兒們千萬不要帶著凡夫的心去解析別人，也不要帶著這個「血心」去記住一切不幹淨的東西、不愉快的事情，應該帶著「清淨心」去處理事情；帶著「慈悲心」去成全一切的好事，去渡化一切的眾生；帶著「喜舍的心」去關懷別人，離開一切的對立。
為師希望你們對於道場的倫理，要建立得健全一點。點傳師應該有點傳師約風范，講師有講師的風范，那麼你們也應該有一個榜樣，這樣，才能建立一個修道家囿。縱然你們的修道過程，每一個人都在犧牲奉獻，每一個人都是勤儉的，都是辛苦的；但，如果仍在人心的分別上起對待、起紛爭，那真的是永遠都找不到「道」了！
徒兒們到佛堂是不是想找到清靜？既然是這樣，那麼，你們到佛堂就必須把所有的妄念都放下來，澄清一下你自己。因為人啊，只有時時的澄清自己，才能夠看清自己，否則，就不曉得自己到底是走在什麼路上，對自己便沒有一個肯定。
一年一年地過去了，徒兒們有沒有想一想在這一年當中，你們到底做了多少？進步了多少？如果徒兒們從來都沒想過這些的話，那對自己的修道課程，又該如何做個交待呢？
所以，每一個人都要了解，修道的路途是坎坷的、起伏不定的。路途既然坎坷，那又該怎麼樣來平伏這一條路呢？要怎麼樣才能走完這一條路呢？是不是要先平衡這一顆心啊？所以時時要從心的小同走向身的大同
為師說來說去，生死還得自己了，真的是生死自己了啊！別人沒辦法替你了，只要問問你的心了了沒有，就知道你將來成不成佛，就知道你將來能無法證果啊！你們在凡間，蘋果吃了那麼多，將來回天能無法成就一個果位啊？這得問問你的三心，問問你釣四相正了沒有便知道！
所以，徒啊！如果遇到逆境，記得！千萬要穩住，不要起了埋怨之心，應該調一調自己的收音機。要怎麼樣才能把它調得沒有電波來干擾呢？徒兒們看看，現今的社會是一個混亂的時代，要怎樣才能夠得到快樂？要怎樣才能得到安祥？那就是內心要平實、平淡、平凡。講來講去就是最平的那一點，所以要找到一個和平的世界，還是要從內心搜尋起。外面的世界很動蕩，知果你們的內心也跟著動蕩的話，那娑婆世界真的就跟著動蕩不安了。
當外面的世界動蕩不安時，你就應該往內心去找一個和平的世界，那麼外在的這些就跟你沒有關係了！天時到了末後，一切該算的都要算，善惡要分班，玉石要分判。那麼，徒兒也要問問自己，你內心的善惡分班了沒有？你的善念，你的邪念，分班了沒有？是善多還是邪多？善多就是佛，邪多就是魔。人世間也是一樣，當善人多惡人少時，戰爭就起不來了，你內心的和平聲多於戰爭之聲時，那就和平了。說起來戰爭與和平全來自一個理念，外面的戰爭你們無法去扭轉它，但至少徒兒們應該為自己的內心塑造一個和平、理性的世界，對不對？
每一個人的內心都應該和平，應該安祥，應該理性。你們都是已求道的人了，雖然還稱不上是高僧，但至少也是一個小和尚，小和尚是不是天天在念經？念的是有口無心，是不是？小和尚啊，該做個時代的天使，平一平自己內心的世界，降服一下你們的妄念，莫讓妄念紛飛。這已是一個百音吵雜的世界了，如果你還妄念紛飛，那就真的找不到一刻的寧靜了。所以說，想達到世界大同，就得在大同還未來臨之前就先「小同」。那麼，小同從哪裡開始呀？從自己開始。所以為師希望賢徒們能先找到一個小小的和平世界，不要讓外面的這些動蕩不安干擾到你們，然後再由你們一股一股和平的力量，來影響外面的世局。希望徒兒們都能夠保持這一顯慈悲心、喜舍心，去造成一股善氣，如此，才能夠減少一分的戰爭、一分的災害，知道嗎？修心、要調心，當你有忿怒、不平的時候，你要能調伏這一顆心，時時把它調在最中間的那一點，知道嗎？
從戒律收束身心
到了這時候人心惶惶，任你黃金萬兩也無法為你帶來一些什麼快樂，是不是？這時候是日頭赤炎炎，隨人顧生命(台語)，還是性命要緊。到了真正事到臨頭的時候，外在的這些金錢，你們才會發現是虛假的、是身外物，是不是？
所以，能夠識透虛假，借用這些假相來啟發你的智慧，帶動你的修行動力，那也是一件好事。有時不好的並不是壞，有壞才有好，有戰爭才會顯出和平的重要，有痛苦你們才會覺得幸福的可貴。所以，磨、磨、磨，磨到極點，痛苦到極點，煩惱才會變成菩提。徒兒啊！不要怕這些煩惱，也不要怕這些苦痛，這是在造就你們，使你們證得一個無上果位的一個過程，這個時候徒兒們應該好好地悟一悟，好好地去力行一番，發出你們至誠的心，來行無上大道才是。
求道，既然已求了一條光明大道，再來就得看你們能無法依循著這條光明大道，去開創美好的前程了。所以，現今你們所要做的是渡己渡人的工作，但最重要的還是要先渡脫自己的煩惱。煩惱若去不掉，那麼，你渡別人也是虛假的，你所講出來的也只不過是藉著名人的話、聖賢的話，在教訓別人而已；若能身體力行做出來，那才是真正屬於你自己的東西。如果你無法做到，卻又講得天花亂墜，那就不只是在訓別人而已，並且會有危險。比如：你有一分的能力講三分，那你就有二分的危險。所以做事一定要懷著謙虛、懷著慚愧不足的心，來調伏自己、降服自己。
道場的倫理非常的可貴，你們生生世世都會結緣，但是所結的不一定是善緣，所以這個倫理你們要好好地把它發揚出來，把這種道場的精神、道場的倫理好好的發揚出去，代表無上大法的可貴，懂嗎？徒啊！千萬不要一天過一天，又一點也不像神仙。修這就是要步入神仙的境地，用心去體會，慢慢地去效聖法貿，而不是天天隨著這個流程，日子就一天天地流逝了。
徒兒們在佛前所立的願，無非是輔助說明你們將來在彌勒佛還沒下世、還沒見佛之前，先透過修行辦道，以便為將來鋪一條路，並做一番見證。在末後這個時刻，徒兒們能夠聞法、得道，這全是你們累世所修積的，千萬不要抱著一種隨緣而過、隨時而過的心態，應該要好好地體悟一番，好好地立願了願。最重要的，高慢的心要降服，如果連這一點你們都做不到的話，那麼，你們的修行永遠是在周邊繞，若無法夠舍掉那些心，也就永遠無法真正體會出「悟道」的喜悅了。
說到修心嘛！你們摸也摸不著，不過內外一定要合一，當你們還無法「以覺為師」的時候，還是須要靠一些「戒」來約束自己。一講到五戒，你們就會覺得更束縛，說不定就不敢來佛堂了，這個也不行，那個也不行，會不會啊？一個修行人就是時時要謹慎自己，無法夠讓自己太過方便。你們都很聰明，都會自認為這個可以，那個不可以，自己都令作佛來定戒律了，是嗎？你們隨便的，自己就開方便，開方便到最後就變成下流了。所以，你們既然進入了修行，戒律就一定要了解、要遵守。打個比喻，自殺有沒有罪啊？什麼罪？只是不孝而已嗎？人有沒有權力自殺啊？自殺有沒有犯到殺戒呢？人們都以為我沒有殺別人，我沒有殺眾生，沒有殺那些動物，就是不犯殺戒，要知道殺自己也犯到了殺戒；因為人身是離成佛最近的一個階段，有人身你才有機會修行證佛，如果你沒有人身，那麼你離成佛的階段就遠了。所以六道之中，人道是最可貴的，天道、阿修羅道不見得就能夠成佛；因此，有了這個肉身，就得要好好地去愛惜它，甚至於借假修真。有人說：「我不殺別人，但是我有權利殺我自己。」錯誤！錯誤！這也犯到殺戒了！
希望你們都能夠了解！戒律，最重要的是要讓你們能夠解脫，而不是要增加束縛。就像佛規一樣，你們認為佛規很束縛是不是？佛規就像佛所定的戒律一樣。「戒」是用來攝心用的，就跟線一樣，你若超出線外，就是犯了規。所以大家不要把戒律想成是一種束縛，其實它能夠讓你減少放縱的心、不致隨心所欲的犯錯！
人要控制自己的心，要怎樣控制呢？不要隨心所欲。如果你放縱你的欲望，那麼心念就隨著欲望、妄念紛飛，那就收不回來了。戒律可以輔助說明收束你的心，約束你約行，減少你們一些錯誤的觀念與行為。所以有時候，你們對事情的判斷觀念若不正確，就必須要藉著種種的戒律來約束，幫助你們減少超出界線。
你們在佛堂的時候個個都是乖乖牌，但是出去了以後不見得仍是乖乖牌，可能就變成另外一個世界的人了，無法約束自己的心，也就無法控制自己的行，是不是？無法控制自己的行，你就會胡作非為。當然，大錯是不會，但是內心裡面點點滴滴的小錯，有沒有呢？人的「業」從哪裡來啊？就是從那點點滴滴的「念頭」而來的。所以舍業舍業，要從哪裡舍起？就是要捨掉那心中的點點滴滴啊！看到一點，就須要去掉一點。用什麼來去掉呢？要用關老爺的那一支青龍偃月刀，還是用老師的扇子來掃啊？嗯？要用智慧啊！如果沒有智慧，就是一個愚、一個痴。修道無非是要證你們見到原本的那個智慧，原本的那個佛性，原本的如來，使你們每一個人都回覆原來的自己，該你們的如來自性常住在握，常住你心！
修持的入手誠敬信
徒兒們天天拜觀音菩薩，有沒有觀音菩薩那種巨集誓大願啊？徒兒們想想，修行要由哪裡入手呢？是不是由「至誠」入手？由誡發出「敬」，再由敬產生「信」，由「誠、敬、信」這樣來入手呢！
徒啊，你們能夠發出至誠的心，對道永遠始終如一嗎？你們是怎麼樣一個誠法呢？是至誠也好，還是石沉也好，為師所看的每一個徒兒的那個誠，都是虛虛擬的誠，是不是啊？來做一點事情，就要跟仙佛算帳的那種誠。今天你布施了多少，你渡了多少人，你講了幾堂課，你做了幾場秀，都執相執名，是不是？你們都無法用那個「無為」之誠來行善。
行善的最高超、最神聖處就是「無為」之善！由「至誠」才能夠自然地產生「敬」。譬如你今天雖能夠對為師敬，但是你能夠對一個可憐的人、對一個跟你不相干的人也同樣地產生尊敬的心嗎？天下最有心的人是誰？觀世音菩薩啊！他對每一個眾生都尊敬，視眾生如父母、知自己的子女阿！
假設你家失火了，那麼你會先救你自己的兒子，還是先救別人的兒子？還有，如果是點傳師在你家，你會先救誰？好，你能夠對點傳師產生敬，那你也能夠對那個在路邊流著口水、流著鼻涕的老太婆也產生敬意嗎？恐怕就有折扣了，是不是？
再來，你們能夠對你自己所發的願產生信心嗎？徒兒們若能夠對仙佛所說的，始終如一地如法修行，將來就能夠回到無極理天、超生了死。徒啊！你們能夠對這些話產生信念嗎？同時是不是也能夠對講師跟你們所講的：「只要好好的修行，九玄七祖都能沾光」也產生信心呢？
再回想當初引保師渡你的時候，跟你說求道有多好、多好，你當時有這個信心嗎？所以，今天要你們拿出的這個信是「堅信不移」的信，對佛的話、你們的願、以及對所有的經典，你們都必須要產生信念，才能信受奉行。
十條大願的第一條是什麼？誠心抱守，徒兒們有沒有守住呢？第一條的誠心抱守是守住道，守住你還顆善心，守住你這顆誠心，守住你清靜的念頭，再來才能夠實心修煉、懺悔。你有了這個敬，才有辦法真正腳踏實地去做，然後才會產生信心，才不致虛心假意，才不會退縮不前，是不是？所以誠、敬、信﹒等於是讓你們守住十條大願的最佳信條。
記住啊！記住為師的話，修道要誠、要敬、要信。你們若沒有半途退縮信心，那就不怕魔考了。
轉欲望為願力
徒兒們在家裡的那副德性是什麼樣子啊？為師我很清楚，你們是騙不了的。所以，人啊！就是很虛虛擬，每一個眾生都是夸大其詞，只是在佛的面前絕對不敢，但是在人的面前什麼都敢。政治家也好，教育家也好，生意人也好，到處都可以看到夸大其詞的面具，因為他不夸大其詞，他就不會被對方接受，是不是？生意人也好，電視廣告也好，青年男女也是一樣，好像沒有講到那樣死去活來的話，就不會被對方接受似的。所以，凡夫都比對喜歡生活在虛虛擬當中去粉飾自己；同時，也喜歡被粉飾過的束西，就像女孩子喜歡化粉飾自己，男孩子喜歡聽那些不實在的話，喜歡有成就感，是不是？這就是眾生的心態、凡夫的心態。
今天大家既然要修道﹒就一定要去掉外殼這層的虛虛擬，實實在在的去做人﹒青年男女也要用實在的心去交往。為師並不是說修道人就無法做凡人的事，而是說，合理的欲望沒有錯，但如果欲望它是自私、傷人的話，那麼「成功」就是錯誤的累積、就是罪過了；所以合理的欲望本身沒有錯，但是欲望一定要切實而不傷害他人，欲望是推動社會的一個原動力，但是如果你把它丑化了、行偏了，那就變成罪了。
你們要渡人，你們要講道理講課，那也是一種欲望，是不是？你們希望更多的人來求道，這也是一種欲望；仙佛希望你們都能夠成佛，這也是一種欲望；你們每一個人都希望坐著蓮花，這也是一個欲望。欲望用在合理的地方，它也是好的，並不是一個罪過，所以不要把欲望給丑化了。
化掉我執多做善解
任何事情就看你們用什麼心態去做，你要勸化人就一定要先為對方著想，這件事情人家會這麼做，一定有他的理由存在，一定有他的道理，你們得要先去為對方著想，然後再去勸化別人，去規勸、解析，這樣才不會去傷到別人的自尊，懂嗎？不要一開始就用那種自我的觀念去解析別人，那就令在無意中傷到別人的自尊。所以，你們的心態一定要健康，如果用了一個不健康的心態去處理事情，這事情一定會出毛病的。
眾生的心態就是如此，分別、對待、挑剔，所以時常在講話當中便傷到別人。徒啊！既要修道，挑剔別人的這種心態就一定要調整才行啊！如果你們每一個人時時刻刻都在「做善事」，就如同電腦時時都在送這些好的檔案進去，心善面就善，那你們就不須要再去算命了，對不對？算命對真正在修行的人來說是不準確的，因為命運是可以改變的，所以你們也不必要去找那些算命的替你們算，只要問問你自己的心態改變了沒有？問問你的脾氣毛病改變了沒有？問問你自己的一些習性舍了沒有？凡事問你自己的心就好了，不要去問別人，問別人就很容易產生一種執著。所以，只要你們真心修煉、真功實善，為師相信每一個人絕對可以改變自己的命運，徒兒們千萬不要受這些所束縛。
現今外面算命的能大行其道，那全因眾生的無知，就是因為你們無法夠把握住你們自己的那個善念，無法夠平衡自己的心態，所以常常會覺得「迷惑」，如此就六道輪回永不息了。
所以，為師希望你們站在高位的，能夠去除以自己為中心的那點無明。別人對你的贊嘆，那只是外在，只是短暫的，騙騙你們高興而已；同樣地，學問也是短暫，騙騙你們高與而已。不過，水果能夠把你那個歡喜心騙出來，也讓別人歡喜，那也不錯！所以，當別人贊嘆你的時候，你更要謙虛﹒千萬不要被這些贊嘆，被這些外來的音聲。把你給寵壞了，變得沾沾自喜﹒然後所有的事情就都以自己為中心﹒我執、無明便隨之而起。
人啊，就是如此，無法站得太高，但是也無法夠把自己看得太低、貶得太低。要懂得降服自己高傲的心，提升自己的道德心，不要老是想要去改變別人。記住為師的話，別人要如何做，有人家的道理存在，你要試著去了解別人為什麼要這麼做，試著去關懷別人，不要老想去改變別人，若是你改變不了別人，到頭來反而會使自己產生痛苦，所以眾生就是最會自己製造痛苦的動物，徒兒們說是不是呢？
恩師臨行的叮嚀
希望徒兒們有班就要參加，如果為師的長篇大論中能夠有一兩句讓你們解脫的話，那就已經夠了。所以，你們不要想：「這次老師沒有來講什麼！」知果下一次為師講了，你卻沒有來，那豈不是錯過了嗎？徒啊！可不要去預先設想：「今天會是哪位仙佛來？會講些什麼？」不要抱著這種心態，你們只要抱著一顆誠心、盡心，不管是哪位仙佛臨壇，即使沒有仙佛臨壇，只是講師開示，你們一樣要誠心敬意地聆聽。聽過頑石點頭的故事嗎？連石頭聽法都能夠聽到點頭，難道，徒兒們會是頑石嗎？
要知道，聽法也能夠讓你們種下很多的善因緣，不要老是覺得上課很煩、很乏味，也不要覺得無奈，每一句不管是白話也好，是經論也好，都是大家發自真誠的付出，都是送給你們的金玉良言，都是對你們的一份真心關懷。希望徒兒們都能夠把心融會在道場裡，即使你們感覺沒有受益，但是你們至少也發出了那個誠心，也獻出了你們那份「誠」出來了，是不是？誠於中才能形於外，徒兒們若是光誠於中，但是你沒有形於外，這個誠會是什麼樣的誠呢？是成了一半，是不是？所以誠要真誠，願要真願。
希望你們每個人都要好好地用功修持你們的心，用你們的自性去調服自己的心。記住，為師時時都會問候徒兒，平安不平安，希望徒兒們時時都能夠切實地去力行，更願徒的平安是內心能踏實的平和與安祥。
Source Colophon
Source text from the Morality Books Library (善書圖書館, taolibrary.com), a free Chinese-language digital library of moral and religious texts. The site explicitly states: 歡迎轉載，上傳，翻印，流通 — "Welcome to reprint, upload, reproduce, and circulate." Accessed April 2026.
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