修行的秘诀，就是要少吃。为什么？因为少吃少生欲念，少欲就能知足；知足就能常乐，常乐就没有烦恼；没有烦恼就生菩提，生菩提就得解脱；得解脱就能任运自在、生死自在、智慧自在，总之，一切皆自在。这是修行人所必经的途径，共勉之！
The secret of being a cultivator is to eat less. When one eats less, one's desires will lessen. With fewer desires, one feels content. If one is content, one will always be happy. When one is happy, one won't have afflictions. With no afflictions, Bodhi arises. When Bodhi arises, one attains liberation. Once liberated, one will be free, free from birth and death. One will attain wisdom and self-mastery. In short, one will be free from everything. We should encourage one another to take this path, which every cultivator must walk.
修行人要忍耐，无论什么境界来考验，都要用忍耐心来忍受，咬紧牙根，冲过难关，那就会风平浪静，自然安宁。在工作时，不愿意做的，也要忍耐着去做，久而久之，习惯就成自然。总而言之，无论做什么事，都要心安理得去做，不要有躲懒偷安的心理，或者敷衍了事，如果有“当一天和尚撞一天钟”的思想，那就与道相违背，简直是指佛穿衣、赖佛吃饭、混光阴，实在没有出息。
A cultivator must be patient. No matter what state appears to test us, we must grit our teeth and bear it. After we have crossed the three barriers, the wind and waves will calm down, and peace will naturally come. At work, we should patiently do the things we don't like doing. Eventually we will get used to them. At all times and in everything we do, we must have peace of mind. We can't become lazy or negligent. If we have the thought of “being a monk for a day, hitting a day's bell,” this is doing a perfunctory job and going against the Way. If we just rely on Buddhism to provide us with food and clothing, we are simply wasting time and acting spineless.
我一生用“忍耐”二字为座右铭，无论在什么环境之下，绝对不投降，一切忍受于身，忍受于心。我在东北家乡时，能忍冷忍热，在三九天（最冷的时节）我不穿鞋袜，赤足在冰天雪地行走，把脚冻得很痛，我也忍耐着，一忍便不痛了；在三伏天（最热的时节），热得头昏脑胀，眼冒金花，走路时，天旋地转，眼前发黑。若是普通人，一定热得发慌，可是我认为无所谓，只要坐下来休息一会儿就好了。我用忍耐二字作为法宝，来克服一切困难，忍寒忍暑，忍风忍雨，忍饥忍渴，一切都忍，绝不竖白旗。
Throughout my whole life my motto has been ‘patience’. I never give up under any circumstances. I practice patience with body and mind. When I was in my hometown in Manchuria, I could bear both cold and hot weather. On the coldest days, I would walk on the ice with bare feet. When my feet hurt from the cold, I bore it. Once I did, they stopped hurting. On the hottest days--when just walking made people dizzy because of the heat, and the earth and sky seemed to be spinning, and they couldn't see straight—ordinary people would lose their heads. But I thought it was okay, as long as you sat and rested for a while. I have always used patience as my Dharma treasure to overcome all difficulties, to bear both cold and hot weather, bear the wind and rain, bear hunger and thirst, to bear everything, never giving up.
我出家之后，专修忍辱法门。若有人骂我，当听不见，或者当他在唱歌，自然平安无事。如果有人打我，绝对不还手，以心平气和的态度来接受。又忍受作早晚课，在清早上殿的时间，正在甜睡中听到打梆声，即刻起身漱口洗脸，便上殿等候，每次都是先到五分钟，没有一次迟到。
After I left the home-life, I cultivated the Dharma-door of patience. If someone scolded me, I would either not listen or else pretend the scolding was a song. As a result, nothing ever happened. If people hit me, I would never return the blow, but would just accept it peacefully. I was also patient with the morning and evening recitations. When it was time for morning recitation and I was sound asleep, I would get up immediately as soon as I heard the wooden boards being hit, then I would wash up and go to the Buddha Hall to wait. I was always five minutes early and never once late.
我从出家，一直到现在，都用忍耐行事。我到外边参学时，无论作早晚课，或讲经说法，或听经闻法、上殿过堂，没有落后过一分钟，都是提前先到。这是我过去的情形，今天告诉你们，这是我现身说法。
Ever since I left the home-life, I've been using patience to deal with things. When I was traveling and visiting Way-places as part of my studies, I was never even one minute late for morning and evening recitations, Sutra lectures, or meal offerings. I was always there early. Today I am telling you about my past, presenting my personal experiences as part of the Dharma.
想要真修行，不可以懒惰，做事要争先恐后去做，不可以没有忍耐心；无论什么不能忍也要忍，无论什么不能受也要受。忍受一切，这是修行人的指南针，尤其是在学习的阶段，更要忍受。就算实在忍无可忍，还是要忍，所谓：
In order to truly cultivate, one cannot be lazy. When it comes to working, we should strive to get ahead. We should not lose patience. No matter how unbearable things are, we should endure them. “To bear all things” is a motto for cultivators. Patience is especially important during the period of learning. We must even bear things that are truly unbearable.
忍片刻风平浪静，
退一步海阔天空。
Be patient for one moment,
And the wind and waves will calm down.
Take one step back, and you will discover
The vastness of the ocean and the emptiness of the sky.
不可以随便发脾气，要晓得无明火能烧功德林，这是至理名言，也是经验之谈。切记！切记！慎勿动肝火。各位！不可随便发脾气，觉得这样也不对，那样也不对，看什么都不顺眼，世间的事都不如自己的意。可是退一步想，忍！忍！一忍万事了，什么麻烦也没有了。
We shouldn't lose our tempers easily. We should realize that “the fire of ignorance can burn up a forest of merit and virtue.” This is a famous saying, and these are also words of experience. Remember them and be careful not to lose your temper! All of you, don't lose your tempers easily or constantly feel that nothing is right. Don't see everything as incorrect and all things in this world as going against your wishes. If we can just take one step back and think, “Patience, patience, got to have patience,” then everything will be all right and there won't be any problems.
我们修行人，一切要认真去做，不可懈怠，不可放逸，要严守道场的规矩；不是说天天来听经，不缺席，对于其它的事情，就马马虎虎，这种思想是要不得的。或者上供，或者早晚课，或者法会，都要早些到大殿等候，将来所得的果报，才能圆满；否则样样迟到，将来会失去开悟的机会。凡是做什么事情都晚来一步，所得的功德，也不会圆满。
We cultivators must do everything in earnest and not be lazy or remiss. We must strictly abide by the rules of the Way-place. Your coming here every day to listen to the Sutra lectures doesn't mean that you can be lax with other things. This kind of thinking is totally wrong. Be it for meal offerings, morning and evening recitations, or Dharma assemblies, we should all arrive at the Buddha Hall early, so that the future reward will be perfect. If you are late for every occasion, you'll have the retribution of losing the opportunity of getting enlightened. If you are late for everything you do, you won't be able to attain perfect merit and virtue, either.
我们修行人，不要自己给自己讲道理，自己给自己做辩护律师，所谓“如是因，如是果”，种善因得善果，种恶因得恶果，这是天经地义的定律。种圆满的因，便结圆满的果；种一半的因，便结一半的果；这一点，大家要真正地了解，不可当作耳边风。
We cultivators shouldn't keep justifying ourselves, acting as our own defense attorneys. We reap what we sow. Planting a good cause yields a good effect; planting an evil cause yields an evil effect. This is a natural law. If one plants a perfect cause, one gets a perfect effect; if one plants half a cause, one gets half an effect. We must truly understand this, and not let it go in one ear and out the other.
一九八三年五月一日开示
A talk given on May 1, 1983
