同学们！人生最好的时候，就是二十岁以前的时期，就是所谓的“黄金时代”。在这个时期，本有的佛性还未失去，清净的自性仍然存在。此时，若能跟着好人在一起，就会做个好人；若是跟着坏人在一起，就会做个坏人，很容易受环境的影响。所谓“近朱者赤，近墨者黑”，就是这个道理。
Fellow students! The most important time in your life is before you reach the age of twenty. This period is your “golden age.” During this period, your original Buddha nature has not totally been lost, and your pure inherent nature is still present. At that time, if you associate with good people, you will become a good person. If you hang around with bad people, you’ll turn into a bad person. It’s very easy to get influenced by your surroundings. There’s a saying, “Those who are near rouge turn red; those who are around ink turn black.” That’s what I mean.
若是遇到良师益友，就能学到真正的学问，端正品行；反之，遇到不守规矩的师友，就会受他们的影响，成为不守规矩的人。小者，成为害群之马；大者，则为社会的败类。
切记！你们的自性好像纯洁的白布，染之于苍则苍，染之于黄则黄。你们在这样优越的环境读书，将来一定要做个有益社会的人，改善社会的风气，要有牺牲小我的精神。
If you meet good teachers and wholesome friends, you will be able to acquire genuine knowledge and build a good character. On the other hand, if you encounter teachers and friends who are rather slack about the rules, under their influence you will also turn into an unruly person. On a small scale, you might become the black sheep of your group; on a larger scale you could become a villain in the society. Remember, your own nature is just like a piece of pure white cloth. If you dye it blue, it becomes blue; dye it yellow, and it turns yellow. You are studying in such a superb environment. In the future, you should certainly do something to benefit the society, and change the trends of society for the better. You ought to sacrifice your petty, selfish interests to work for the common good.
同学们！你们多数是从国外来的，（注：学生们有来自越南、柬埔寨等地）经过颠沛流离，抛家去国的痛苦。在动荡不安的时期，能有特殊因缘来到万佛圣城读书，奠定做人良好的基础，可说是不幸中之大幸。
Fellow students! Most of you come from abroad. [Note: There were students from Vietnam, Cambodia, and other countries.] You have suffered the pain of leaving your own country and making a rough journey to get here. In these turbulent times, to have the special opportunity to come to study at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and build a good foundation for your character, could be considered something very lucky in the midst of misfortune.
因为万佛圣城育良小学的教育宗旨，乃在培育优良的学生，使他们知道如何孝顺父母、尊师重道、选择良友及忠于国家。培德中学的教育宗旨，是培养学生有道德的观念，知道礼、义、廉、耻四维的道理，将来做个堂堂正正的好人。这是万佛圣城办学的本怀。
The educational aim of Instilling Goodness Elementary School at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is to mold children into excellent students by teaching them to be filial to their parents, respect their teachers, choose good friends, and serve their country. The educational aim of Developing Virtue Secondary School is to develop the students’ ethical values so that, understanding the four cardinal virtues of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame, they become upright and good citizens. This is the basic purpose for which the schools were established at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.
你们既然获得这样好的读书环境，就应该爱惜光阴，爱惜生命，还要爱惜一切众生、一切物质；不要把黄金时代宝贵的时间空过，不要看小说、电视，要努力用功，所谓“口而诵，心而惟；朝于斯，夕于斯。”口中念这本书，在心里要思惟书中的道理；早晨想著书中的道理，晚上也想著书中的道理，时时刻刻不忘所学的书，时时刻刻要温习所学的书。在《论语》上说：“温故而知新”，温习旧的书，而能得到新的学识，就是这个道理。
In such a fine educational environment, all of you should cherish your time, cherish your life, and cherish all living beings and all things. Don’t let your "golden years" go by in vain. You should study hard; don’t read novels or watch TV. "Recite (your lessons) orally, reflect on them mentally. Be mindful of them morning and evening." Recite the book with your mouth, and contemplate its principles in your mind. Be mindful of those principles in the morning as well as in the evening. Never forget the books you have studied; always review your lessons. As the Confucian Analects say, “Review the old and learn the new.” Go over your old lessons and learn new knowledge from them. That’s the principle here.
现在是求学问的时期，除了帮助家里做事之外，就是要好好读书，把握光阴，不可浪费。古人说：“一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴。”你们看看，光阴多么宝贵呀！所谓“少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。”在黄金时代不读书，到老的时候，后悔也来不及了！
Now is the time of your life when you should concentrate on learning; aside from helping out with the family chores, you should cherish your time and study hard. Don’t waste your time. There’s an ancient saying, “An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, but an inch of gold can hardly buy an inch of time.” You see how precious time is! It is said, “If you don’t work hard when you’re young and strong, you’ll grieve in vain in your old age.” If you don’t study during these golden years, you’ll regret it when you get old, but by then it will be too late to do anything!
同学们！你们在少年时，就遇到这些灾难，离乡背井，投奔自由。在路途上流离失所，苦不堪言，遭遇种种的痛苦，才到达平安的地方。这是因为你们在往昔生中，不知修福修慧，或者给人灾难，令人有痛苦，所以才得受今日的苦难，这都是前因后果的业力所感。虽然你们年纪还小，但已饱尝灾难滋味，如果再不发菩提心，不知用功读书，将来的前途也是在意料中：将会黑暗多，光明少。你们明白吗？
Fellow students! At your young age, you have been through a lot of trauma, for you left your home and country to flee to freedom. Homeless and wandering from place to place, you have experienced suffering that’s beyond words. Only after having undergone all kinds of distress and woe did you arrive at a safe place. This is because in your past lives, you didn’t cultivate blessings and wisdom, or perhaps you brought disasters down upon other people and caused them to suffer. And so now you are undergoing the painful retribution. This is the power of karma from previous causes bringing on subsequent effects. Though you are still young, you have already had a full taste of disasters. If you still fail to bring forth the resolve for Bodhi and fail to study hard, it’s pretty easy to see that your future will be dark rather than bright. Do you understand?
现在你们在万佛圣城读书，知道不争、不贪、不求、不自私、不自利、不妄语这六大宗旨，懂得做人真正的精神，这是给你们改过自新的好机会，创造光明的前途。所以不要空过，要深深了解这个重要性，这是你一生幸福的关键。
As you now study at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you are learning the Six Guidelines of not fighting, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing personal advantage, and not lying; and you understand how to be a truly worthy person. This is an excellent opportunity for you to turn over a new leaf and create a bright future. Don’t let it pass you by. You must realize that this is extremely important. This is the point at which you can turn your whole life around.
现在你们来这里除了用功读书外，若能再把握良机，时常修持，诚心念佛、拜佛、参禅、静坐，这样来修行，就能得到超群的能力──天眼通、天耳通、他心通、宿命通，甚至神足通，或者漏尽通。现在只讲四通，其它二通以后再讲。
In addition to studying hard while you are here, if you can take advantage of the opportunities to always cultivate by sincerely reciting the Buddha’s name, bowing to the Buddhas, investigating Chan and sitting in meditation, then you will be able to attain extraordinary abilities－namely, the penetration of the heavenly eye, the penetration of the heavenly ear, the penetration of knowing others’ minds, the penetration of knowing past lives, and even the penetration of the complete spirit or the penetration of ending outflows. I will explain only four of the six spiritual penetrations now, and leave the remaining two for another time.
什么是天眼通？在地球上能看见天人的一举一动、一言一行，清清楚楚，无所障碍。现在中国大陆有很多儿童，在屋内就能看见墙外的东西，又能知道他人手中所藏的是什么东西，这就是天眼通，也就是透视作用。
What is the penetration of heavenly eye? It means that from here on earth you can observe all the movements, activities, and conversations of heavenly beings very clearly and without any obstruction. In mainland China now, there are many children who have the ability to see the things outside the walls of the room they are in. They can also know what someone is holding concealed in his hand. This is the penetration of the heavenly eye, which is just the ability to see through things.
什么是天耳通？可以听到天人讲话，又能听到佛菩萨讲话，或者几千里以外人的谈话，能听得清清楚楚。现在大陆上有些儿童，靠听觉就能知道纸上所写的字。事先将字秘密地写在纸上，他放在耳边一听就知道，百试百中，并非猜测。
这些感应乃是他们前生修来的，有善根所致；但若没有善知识的导引，一过童年，便会失去此种特殊的功能。
What is the penetration of the heavenly ear? It means that you can hear what heavenly beings are saying. You can also hear what the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are saying. You can also hear very clearly what people are talking about several thousand miles away. At present in China there are some children who can use their sense of hearing to "read" what is written on a piece of paper. They take a piece of paper on which something has been written beforehand (without their seeing it), place it by their ear, and listen for a second, and then they know what’s written on the paper. It works every single time, so they’re clearly not guessing. These responses derive from good roots that they cultivated in previous lives. However, if not guided by a wise teacher, they will lose these special abilities after their childhood years.
什么是他心通？就是对他人心中所想的事，都能知道得清清楚楚，通达无碍。
What is the penetration of knowing others’ minds? It’s the ability to know clearly and without any obstruction what other people are thinking about.
什么是宿命通？能知道他人过去的因果。譬如曾经造过什么善业或恶业，都能清清楚楚地知道。你们若能认真修行，便能获得这种特殊的能力，又能开大智能，证得辩才无碍的神通力。
What is the penetration of knowing past lives? It’s the power to know very clearly other people’s past causes and effects, such as the good and evil deeds they have done. If you cultivate diligently, you can obtain this special skill; you can bring forth great wisdom and achieve the spiritual power of unobstructed eloquence.
中国大陆有这种奇特超群能力的儿童，可惜没有懂得这种技能的人，所以把这些神通的人才都埋没了。对佛教来说，这真是不幸之至！若是能积极培植这些小神童，让他们发展起来，就能现身说法，令世人对佛教另眼相待，一如噩梦初醒，觉悟到佛法是救人救世的宗教。
There are many children in mainland China who are gifted with these extraordinary abilities. Unfortunately, since no one understands these abilities, these spiritually gifted children are neglected. This is truly a pity for Buddhism. If we could actively train these child prodigies and help them develop their abilities, they would be living examples of the Dharma who would cause the world’s people to see Buddhism in a new light. People would awaken as if from a nightmare and see that Buddhism is really a religion that can save people and save the world.
你们在万佛圣城读书，如果再能专心一致来学佛法，相信都有机会得到这种专门的能力。 这并非迷信，而是真实的，好像电视、雷达、收音机、电话、电报等，也有天眼通、天耳通的功能，但这些是人为的神通，而非自然的神通。若是由参禅所证得的神通，乃是任运自在的神通；只要你愿意，也可以修到这种境界。
You are now attending school at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. If you concentrate on studying the Buddhadharma as well, I believe you have the chance to attain these special abilities. These aren’t just superstition; they are genuine powers.
Instruments such as the television, radar, the radio, the telephone, and the telegraph also have the functions of the penetrations of the heavenly eye and the heavenly ear, but those are manmade spiritual penetrations, not natural ones. The spiritual penetrations gained through Chan meditation are effortless and carefree in their functioning. All you have to do is want to, and you can obtain such states through cultivation.
一九八四年三月五日开示
A talk given on March 5, 1984
