我们活着为什么？我们人这个“我”是谁？是你、是我，也是他；可是我们来到这个世界，又为了什么呢？
What are we living for? Who are we? What are we here for?
有人说：“收拾垃圾！”是这样吗？可是现在的人，是专门捡前人的垃圾，还自以为是宝贝；尽去学别人的样子，却漠视自己本地的风光，还自己给自己辩护，说：“不学别人的样子，那别人的样子，又从哪里来？”这就是舍本逐末，头上安头，好像东施效颦一样，自己真实的智慧遮蔽了，不懂得去开发，却尽去向外驰求，结果愈跑愈远。这种人真是大错特错！
Someone says,"We're here to collect garbage." Is that so? Nowadays, people pick through things that others throw away, finding treasures in others' garbage. People also plagiarize and copy others' styles, while neglecting their own inherent talents. They rationalize, "If copying isn't allowed, then where did other people get their styles from?" They renounce the essence and grasp at trivialities, making things worse by clumsily trying to imitate others. As a result, their own true wisdom remains concealed and undeveloped. The more they direct their attention outwards, the further away they drift! This is truly a great mistake.
那么我们人生在这个世界，又为了什么呢？为了淘金牟利吗？不是！为了赚钱发财吗？也不是！金银财宝都不是实在的，等到人死了，这些又有什么用呢？
But why are we born here? To pan gold and seek profit? No! To make fortunes? No! Money and material things are not truly useful. When the time comes to die, what use are they?
既然这样，那我们人活着，究竟为了什么？我们人生在这个世界上，应该有功于世，有德于民，利益一切的众生，这是我们的责任。不要看轻自己生命的意义，以为人只是为了谋求个人私人的利益。我们应当为全人类做着想，我们永远都应该以利人为前提。什么是利人？利人，就要从不障碍人开始做起；损人利己，恼害他人，都不是我们应该做的事。
What have we come into this world for? Since we have been born here, we should help the world and the people in it. Benefiting living beings is our duty. We shouldn't degrade the value of our life by directing it towards selfish ends. We make it our top priority to benefit others and always be concerned about humanity as a whole. The first step in benefiting others is not to obstruct others. To benefit ourselves at the expense of others, thus bringing harm and affliction to others, is not a proper thing to do.
所以我们人生在这个世界上，应该以立功、立德为本；至于立言，那是其次了。因为功和德是没有形相的，而言语是有形有相的。所谓“言语道断，心行处灭。”我们如果能做到这样，可以说离道就不远了。
Being born in this world, our first task is to establish merit and virtue; writing literature is secondary. Merit and virtue are invisible, while words are visible. It is said, "When words are cut off, the mind's activity ceases." If we arrive at that state, we are not far from enlightenment.
一九八Ｏ年三月廿一日晚间开示于万佛圣城
A talk given on the evening of March 21, 1980,at the City of Ten Thousand Buddha
