我是乡下人出身，所受的教育很少，所以知道的不多，这就是为什么要大家聚集一堂。所谓“集思广益”，用大家的智慧，来讨论问题，谁有宝贵的意见，可以提出来，做为改善教育的参考。
I was born in a rural area and received little schooling, so I don’t know very much. That’s why I want to gather everyone together, so that we can “canvass many opinions and benefit from them.” Let’s use everyone’s wisdom in discussing the issues. If you have an opinion, please bring it up. We’ll take it into consideration in our effort to improve education.
我在出家之后，发觉佛教每况愈下，一天不如一天，就想要改良。又觉得教育也是一日不如一日，所以我也希望能改良，愿尽一点力量，令人受点利益。因为这个志愿，所以在万佛圣城成立法界佛教大学、培德中学、育良小学，并且统统免费教学，就是实现我的愿望。
After I left the home-life, I found that the state of Buddhism was deteriorating day by day, and I wanted to do something about that. I also felt that education was deteriorating day by day, and hoped to bring about some improvements in that area. I resolved to put my efforts into doing something beneficial for others. Consequently, I have established Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Developing Virtue Secondary School, and Instilling Goodness Elementary School at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. And to fulfill my resolve, I have declared these schools to be tuition-free.
为什么要这样做呢？是不是为沽名钓誉，想别开生面？不是的。我的用意，是希望把学店的制度纠正过来，令专为钱而办教育的人，改良这种不正确的思想，要以“教育良才”为宗旨。学店虽然已经根深蒂固，一时不容易改变过来。但是，我愿大家同心协力来做这种事业，慢慢感化所有学店的主办人，令他们良心发现，认识教育是神圣的工作，得天下英才而教育之，乃是一件快乐之事。如果仍然迷而不悟，为赚点臭铜钱，不惜误诸学子的前程，其罪真是不可宽恕，将遗恨万年。要知道钱是身外之物，生带不来，死带不去。所谓“万般带不去，只有业随身”，生前所做的业障，跟着你堕地狱，去受无间苦，届时悔之晚矣！
Why have I done this? Is it because I’m hoping to get famous, or because I want to do something different? No. My intention is to change the idea that schools should be run like businesses; I hope to reform the attitude of people who regard education as a profit-making venture, and help them see that the true purpose of education is to help students become good people by developing their talents and potentials. Although the idea that schools are businesses is deeply ingrained and cannot be changed overnight, I hope everyone will join in this endeavor and gradually influence profit-seeking educators to examine their consciences and realize the sacred nature of education and the joy of being able to teach the nation’s young generation of budding talents. If such deluded educators continue putting students’ futures at stake in order to make a few stinking dollars, their offense will truly be unpardonable and they will be plagued by eternal regrets. We should realize that money is superfluous. We didn’t bring it with us when we were born, and we can’t take it along when we die. As it’s said, “You can’t take anything along (at death) except your karma, which follows you wherever you go.” The karma we created in our life will follow us down to the hells, where we will undergo uninterrupted suffering. At that time, our regrets mean nothing!
五月廿七日(一九八四年)，是法界佛教大学举行毕业典礼的日子，将颁发同学修学期满、品学兼优的学位证书。一般大学的毕业生，在典礼时戴黑色四方帽，无论是学士、硕士、博士，一律戴这种四方型的帽子，世界公认之。
The Commencement Exercises of Dharma Realm Buddhist University will be held on May 27, 1984. Diplomas shall be awarded to students who have completed their course of study and who have demonstrated excellence of character and scholarship. Generally, university graduates wear square black caps. This style of cap is worn whether one is receiving a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, or a Doctoral degree, and it is recognized the world over.
法界佛教大学毕业生所戴的帽子，有所改良：学士戴四方帽，硕士戴五方帽，博士戴六方帽。为什么要这样呢？因为各有不同的涵义。四方代表四海之内皆兄弟也，兼有四通八达之意，又可表四无量心：慈。悲、喜、舍。五方代表五行：金、木、水、火、土，或五根本戒：杀、盗、淫、妄、酒，或可代表五洲：欧、亚、非、美、澳。六方代表六度：布施、持戒、忍辱、精进、禅定、智慧，或可代表东、南、西、北、上、下六方，也可说是代表六艺：礼、乐、射、御、书、数。这是我的意见，希望大家提出意见，研究决定。
The caps worn by the graduates of Dharma Realm Buddhist University, however, will have an improvement: There will be square caps for Bachelors, pentagonal caps for Masters, and hexagonal caps for Doctorates. Why is this? The shape of each cap has its own significance. The square represents that all people within the four seas are brothers; it also signifies the four quarters, or the four unlimited aspects of mind (kindness, , joy, and giving). The pentagon symbolizes the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth; the five basic precepts (not to kill, not to steal, not to engage in sexual misconduct, not to lie, and not to take intoxicants); or the five continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia. The hexagon represents the six perfections of giving, morality, patience, vigor, concentration, and wisdom; the six directions of east, south, west, north, above, and below; or the six arts of rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. These are my opinions. I hope you will bring up yours so that we can discuss them and come to a decision.
有人说：“一般大学所有学位之毕业生，皆戴四方帽，是传统性。”但依我的看法，如果有优良的办法不用，却仍用旧的办法是墨守成规，那未免太固执，也可说是愚痴。
Someone says, “The graduates of all other universities wear square caps; that’s the tradition.” My point of view is that if there is something better and we don’t use it but insist on sticking to the old way, then we’re just being stubborn, or you might say, stupid.
在西方世界，我尚未遇见真正佛教大学毕业的人。佛教在此是刚开始，还没有一定的制度。法界佛教大学是尽虚空、遍法界，广大无边的。现在暂时无人知晓，但将来会有很多人模仿本校的制度。所以我现在提倡在家人大学毕业生戴黑色的帽子，出家人大学毕业生戴黄色的帽子。这个建议不知有价值否？
In the West, I have yet to meet a graduate of a genuine Buddhist university. Buddhism has just begun here. It doesn’t have a fixed system yet. Dharma Realm Buddhist University pervades all of space throughout the Dharma Realm; it is boundlessly vast. Although very few people know about it at the present time, in the future many people will take our university system as their model. So I suggest that the lay graduates wear black caps while monastic graduates wear yellow ones. I don’t know if there is any value in this suggestion.
一九八四年四月二十日开示
A talk given on April 20, 1984
