出家人的‘心’用在修行上，‘没什么事’。在家人如果不知修行，则心里烦恼、挂碍不断，整天生活在颠倒梦想之中。晚上做梦，白天也睁着眼做白日梦，而时间一天一天地过去了，正如演电影一般，整个人生只不过是一场比较长的大梦而已。 

Monastic practitioners should concentrate on practice; nothing else should distract their attention. Lay people who do not realize the need for practices are living in illusive dreams, their mind fettered and bugged by incessant vexations. They dream not only in their sleep but also during the day. Their lives are like movies and time slips by as they drift aimlessly. To them, life is nothing but a longer dream.

 

要知道我们得这个人身，不是那么简单的；现在既然已经得到这个人身，便应该好好把握珍惜，利用这个人身来用功修行，去除贪念，来了脱我们的生、老、病、死、苦，不再轮回受报。诸佛菩萨是由人身修行成就的，三恶道也是由人身造业而去的；十法界内的超升与堕落，全由这个人身，所以‘人身’是个转折点，千万不可随意轻忽，空过时光。 

It is not easy or just by coincidence that we acquire this human existence. Seize this opportunity and practice diligently so as to eradicate our sense of greed and free ourselves from the agony of birth, aging, disease, and death, hence the cycle of rebirths. With this human existence, we can either practice to attain buddhahood or bodhisattvahood, or generate negative karma that would lead to rebirth in the three evil divisions (beasts, hungry ghosts, and hell). Whether we will ascend or descend within the ten dharma realms depends on our conduct in this human rebirth. Therefore, human existence is such a crucial turning point that it should not be taken lightly, nor be wasted in vain.

 

念佛时，佛号要一句一句念得清清楚楚，念得专注集中，更要发愿往生西方，离开苦尘。 

When reciting the name of the Buddha, pronounce each word distinctly with full concentration. Further, vow to be reborn in the Pureland so as to escape this world of suffering.

 

人的世界犹如一粒沙，倘尽虚空恒河沙数世界众生都肯念佛，每一个皆可到西方。 

Within the limitless void, the world of human beings resembles a grain of sand. If there are as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and if all beings of these worlds are willing to recite the Buddha's name, they can all be reborn in the Western Pureland.

 

世间的褔报是享得尽的，而修行的出世功德，却能启发佛性，生出智慧，找回我们本来的面目。出家饭不是容易吃的，要忍种种的苦。但忍这些苦是在消除我们无量劫来的重业，最后才能业尽生西，见性成佛。 

There are limits to the merits and virtuous rewards we can enjoy in this world. But the transmundane virtues we attain through practice will invigorate our buddha-nature, unfold our wisdom, and help us retrieve our true nature. It is by no means easy to be monastic practitioners, as we have to endure immeasurable hardships. But such endurance will help us remove the massive karmic obstructions that have been accumulated through the eons. Only by doing so will we be able to eradicate all our negative karma, be reborn in the Western Pureland, see the Buddha-nature and ultimately attain buddhahood.

 

‘是日已过，命亦随减，如少水鱼，更有何乐？’我们就像即将枯干的池塘里面，仍在水里悠戏的鱼，命已垂危而浑不自知，一天过一天，不知死后往何处去？所以要常常警惕自己，不要放逸，当勇猛精进，才能往生西方。 

"Another day is over and our lives are one day short. Just like the fish in a drying pond, how much longer can they have joy?" Indeed, we do not realize that our lives are drawing closer to an end each day, but we do not know where we are going after we die, just like the fish in a drying pond that are still swimming without worries, not realizing their imminent extinction. Therefore, we should constantly remind ourselves not to lessen our vigilance. Practice diligently so that we can be reborn in the Pureland.

 

西方是归宿，就像老农夫耕耘田地，辛苦了一天，等到太阳下山后，就可以欢喜地休息了。 

A diligent practitioner is just like an old farmer who tills in the field all day and can joyfully rest at home after the sun goes down. The Pureland is our ultimate home and resting-place.

 

出家人不要怕死，死了去西方更好。出家人凡事都要看得破、放得下，要有能把一切事情都转为没有事的功夫。 

We monastic practitioners should not be afraid of death because there is the Pureland to look forward to. We should also attain the level in our practice at which we can easily untie our minds from all worldly concerns and can resolve all difficulties with a simple change of perception.

 

------Translated from Analects of Master Kuang-chin（编译自《广钦老和尚开示录》）