Disclaimer: The translations are not official nor endorsed by 2OR, so please just treat it as a ‘fan-based’ translation. The Buddha-Dharma is profound. No matter how you convey it, it won’t be completely perfect. Because the Buddha-Dharma is an experience, it’s an awakening 【佛法深奥无比，怎么写，都不会是究竟圆满。佛法是一种悟】. Please enjoy, and I hope it serves as a good filler until the official English version comes out.
要随顺性德。性德是什么？本性德能。随顺就是随着它去做。只要你本性认为好的东西，只要你认为有良心、有道德的善事，你就随着它去做，这就叫随顺性德。要去除偏执。去除偏执是什么意思呢？“我就是这么认为”，“我就不买账”，“这个事情我就是想不通”，偏了吧？执著了吧？再想不通的事情，过去了就是过去了，过去了就是没了。
One should act in accordance with their conscience and virtues. As long as you think that it’s the right and wholesome thing to do, you should do it. You should get rid of your bias and biased thoughts like, “That’s what I think it is. I don’t buy it. I’m not going to accept it.” Aren’t that signs of attachment? No matter how you don’t accept it, what’s passed is passed. When it’s passed, it’s gone.
师父讲个故事给你们听。有一个人在马路上走，拿着一个像玻璃一样很值钱的古董，突然之间“哐当”一声，古董摔碎了，他管都不管，一个人继续往前走，像没看见一样。旁边的人说：“多么可惜啊，这么好的物品被他摔碎了。”还有人骂他：“这个人是神经病。”还有人追上去冲着他说：“你的古董摔碎了，你怎么管都不管啊？”你知道他说什么吗？他说：“东西已经碎了。已经碎了，它就不是一个古董了，那你还把它挂在心上干吗？你还去难过，还去把一堆废的玻璃碎片捡回来吗？”你看看，没了就要把它去除。过去的事情没了就是没了，结束了，没有了，还去把它执著地挂在心上，只会让你徒增烦恼。
Master tells you a story. There was a man holding on to a very valuable antique base walking down the street. Suddenly, it was accidentally knocked over, and it shattered. The man ignored it and just kept walking as if nothing had happened. People around him whispered, “What a shame. Such an exquisite item had been destroyed.” Others scolded him, “That man’s crazy.” Some even went up to him and said, “Your antique broke; why are you ignoring it?” Do you know how that man replied? He said, “The things have already shattered. Since it’s shattered, it’s no longer valuable, so why should I keep thinking about it? Would you still stay upset and pick up the broken pieces?” You see, if it’s gone, then you should get rid of it from your mind. Things that’s passed is passed, it’s finished, it’s gone. If you keep being mentally attached to it, it would only increase your afflictions.
同样的佛法，为什么有人修心成佛，而有人修心成魔呢？师父前面讲的犹如是上大桥的引路，现在给你们归入正题。师父刚才说了，学佛首先要去除偏执，那么同样这么好的佛法，为什么有人修得好，有的人修到后来就成魔了呢？因为会修成魔的人，都是好胜心强的人，如果一个人的好胜心太强，这个行者就很容易变成魔。
Now comes the main topic in this chapter. It’s already mentioned before; one must first get rid of their bias when learning Buddhism. Although the Buddha-Dharma is the same for everybody, why do some cultivators achieve Buddhahood while others seem like they’re possessed? Those who are possessed by their inner demons all have an emulative character. People who are very emulative are very likely to be possessed by their inner demons.
我今天要成为一个谁谁谁，怎么样；我没面子了，今天我是领导，现在别人不把我当领导，看不起我了……好了，要记住，这种好胜心强的人很容易成魔，明白了吗？一个人有好胜心应该不算坏事，只是过度了，成为了执著，我见我相使其成魔心。如果把好胜心用于精进修行、普度众生，那么这个人的确会功德无量。
“I must become like that. I’ve lost face. I’m a leader, but others don’t treat me as the leader and are looking down on me.” Take note; emulative people are very susceptible to being possessed by their inner demons. Do you understand? An emulative mind isn’t considered bad, but it will turn into an attachment if it's too much. They become too attached to their ego. If an emulative person uses their competitiveness in cultivating and spiritually awakening other sentient beings far and wide, this kind of person will receive boundless merit-virtues.
为什么有好胜心的人开始学佛的时候进步很大呢？因为开始的时候他用好胜心拼命地去做，放弃自己很多的东西去度众生。但接下来，这种人怎么变成魔了呢？好胜心开始不算坏事，度众生的确功德无量，但因为他做了一些功德，他精进修行后，被安排在某个职位上，或者大家都说他修得很好，或者大家都很爱他，那么他就开始傲慢，轻慢他人，看不起别人了，觉得自己不得了，修得不错了，以为别人都认识自己，人家都说自己好，忘记了自己是谁，觉得自己已经是菩萨，接听一个电话都会傲慢起来。
Why do emulative people improve so much in the beginning when they just started to practise Buddhism? It’s because they work very hard out of a competitive mindset, so they could abandon a lot of things to awaken sentient beings spiritually. But then, why do they become possessed by their inner demons? In the beginning, a competitive mindset isn’t bad. They indeed do many meritorious and virtuous deeds, but after they are put on a pedestal where everybody compliments them, they begin to grow arrogant and look down on others. They think that they’re amazing and they’ve cultivated very well. They think that they’re well-known and popular, so they begin to lose themselves. They think that they’re already a Bodhisattva, and they already feel proud when they take other people’s calls.
过一段时间，看看别人，别人比自己好一点，嫉妒心又开始了，容不下别人胜过自己。你比我好了，我就难过，你不能比我好，你只能比我差。师父讲的这些都是人怎么会慢慢地修成魔的原理。看见别人胜过自己，总觉得自己才是最有智慧的，是最高的，所以总是对自己说：“我修得对，我是正法，他是不对的，就算他做点好事，现在做功德了，这算什么啊？我做的时候还没有他呢！”所以，看到他人的成就心中就不是滋味，看见别人好了，自己心里难受，你们记住，这就是开始成魔了。
After a while, when they see anybody doing better than them, they begin to grow jealous and can’t tolerate how others have exceeded them. “I’m upset if you’re better than me. You can’t be better than me. You can only be worse." These are the principles of how somebody could end up possessed by their inner demons after cultivating for a period. They always feel that they have the most wisdom. So when they see others exceed them, they develop thoughts like, “I cultivated correctly, my way is right. They are wrong. Even if they do a few meritorious deeds, what does that matter? When I did it, he wasn’t even here.” So they feel sour when they see other people’s successes. When they see others well, they get upset. Take note, that is how people start to become possessed by their inner demons.
一个修得好的人，不管是谁修得好，你都很开心，看见别人比你好，你就开心：“怎么这么好啊！我要向他学习，他修得好，真开心！”你自己修得好，也真开心。明白了吗？没有修好的人，喜欢在背后损人利己，去讲别人不好：“他这算什么修？他怎么样？我修的时候，他还不知道在哪里呢！这种人算什么？过去都是我领着磕头的，师父不在都是我磕头，他凭什么跪在主要的拜垫上？过去都是我先点香的，过去都是我们在一起的……”学佛人看见别人好就损人，这个人就是离魔不远了。学佛人不能去讲别人的不好。
A good cultivator always remains happy regardless of who cultivates well. If they see others exceeding them, they would say happily, “You’re so good! I must learn from you; I’m happy for you.” Do you understand? Bad cultivators seek satisfaction at other people’s expense and like to badmouth others behind their back. How does that count as cultivating? Who does he think he is? When I started cultivating, he wasn’t even around! In the past, it was me who led others to kowtow together when Master wasn’t here. Why does he think he has the right to kneel on the main prayer rug? In the past, it was me who was the first to light the incense…etc. If Buddhists badmouth others doing better than them, then it means they are not far from being possessed by their inner demons. Buddhists mustn’t badmouth others.
有些人看见师父过来了，马上说：“我来搬椅子。”等到师父一走，马上说：“你来搬椅子。”这种事情有吗？肯定有，百分之一百地有。这个就是入魔的前奏。还要嫉妒别人，讲别人不好，那你就是成魔前，已经活在阿修罗道了。阿修罗道的人就是嫉妒别人。
When some people see Master coming over, they would immediately say, “Let me move the chairs.” When Master leaves the room, they immediately say, “You go and move the chairs.” Do these kinds of things happen? Definitely, 100%. That’s the prelude to being possessed by their inner demons. That also includes when people grow jealous of others or start to badmouth others. They are already living as if they’re in the Asura Realm. The sentient beings of Asura Realm are jealous of others easily.
我们过去出去拍照片，有些人拍得很好，看见其他人都在那里抢着拍，就会说：“你们都到边上去，等我来拍。你看你这算照什么相！”学佛人千万要管住自己思维当中一点一滴的偏念和杂念，我们不要去挑其他学佛人的毛病，不要去攻击别人，因为学佛人已经是开始成为菩萨的基础。学佛人要严格地要求自己，如果你讲别人的不好，你就会增加很多的业障。所以，去攻击一个已经在学佛的人，挑拨离间等，那么你就是行在魔道。
In the past, when we go out and take photos, some people are good at it. When they see others taking photos, they would say, “Why don’t you let me take the photos? Look at how bad you’re doing it.” Buddhists must control and manage their every single deviated and distracting thought. We mustn’t pick on other people’s shortcomings and attack others. That’s because Buddhists are already developing the foundations of becoming a Bodhisattva. Buddhists should be strict towards themselves. If you badmouth others, you will increase your negative karma. That’s why if you’re attacking somebody who is already learning Buddhism or sowing discord between fellow Buddhists, then you are already walking on a path of evil.
不能攻击别人。要知道别人今天有这个成就，总有他下苦功的一面，这个人今天能够修成这个果，他一定吃了苦的。这个人看见男人、女人不动心，他一定是吃过苦头了，所以他才不敢再看男人、女人。有的女人为什么说自己不要再看任何男的？因为她已经结婚过两三次了，她觉得男的没有一个是好的，她吃足了苦头，她已经不敢再结婚了。有的男人为什么不敢看女孩子？因为他吃了苦头，他总有他自己想改变的一面，对于他修的成果也总有他下苦功的一面。所以，你不要去嫉妒别人。今天他为什么能做老板，你不能做老板？今天他为什么能够做经理？因为他下足苦功，他吃了很多苦。
You shouldn’t attack others. You have to understand that they must have put in a lot of effort and made sacrifices in order to attain their current level of success. If somebody stays unmoved when they look at others of the opposite sex, they must have suffered before. That’s why they don’t dare to be attracted. Why do some women say that they will never date again? That’s because they married and divorced a few times before, so they think that there’s not a single good man out there. They suffered badly, so they don’t dare to get into a relationship again. Why do some men say they won’t date other women? It’s because they suffered before. Everybody always has at least one aspect of theirs that they want to change. That’s why if somebody succeeds, they must have put in work. So don’t be jealous of others. Today, why is he the boss and not you? Why is he the manager? It’s because he had put in a lot of work and made sacrifices.
在这个世界上，只要你是修行人，就没有一个是完美的。你只要说自己今天是修行人，那么你就不是完美的。因为我们正在修，世上没有完美的事情，哪有完美的人呢？那你如果去讲其他修行人不好，你不是神经病吗？你明明知道没有完美的人，你还非要讲这个、讲那个，人本身就是不完美的，讲别人干吗？师父早就跟你们讲过，在人间没有完美的人和事物。
In this world, as long as you identify yourself as a cultivator, it implies that you’re imperfect. That’s because you are currently cultivating and improving yourself. Nothing is perfect in this world, so how could there be a perfect human? So if you complain about other cultivators, aren’t you acting crazy? You clearly know that nobody’s perfect, yet you continue to complain about him and her. Humans are inherently imperfect, so why complain about them?
只要你说自己还在学佛，你就一定还不完美。有些人跑到庙里去，还讲出家法师怎么还那么贪瞋痴。你去讲了，你就是造口业。因为人本身就是不完美的，因为他还没有修好啊。如果你看见出家人这样，心中起了烦恼，对佛法失去信心，你心中就是有魔障。有的人学佛学得那么好，心中还起偏见，常挑拨别人的缺点，经常去指责、挑剔别人的缺点，这个人怎么样，那个人怎么样。虽然你有道理，但你终究不会成佛，而且会越来越像魔。
As long as you say that you’re learning Buddhism, it definitely implies that you’re imperfect. Some people go to monasteries and complain about how some Buddhist monks still have greed, hatred and delusion. If you say it, then you are committing deeds of unwholesome speech. People are inherently imperfect because they haven’t cultivated well. If you see Buddhist monks that way and you begin to feel afflicted and lose confidence in the Buddha-Dharma, then it means your inner demons have obstructed your mind. Some Buddhists learn very well, yet they still develop bias and like to pick on other people’s shortcomings. Even though they might have sufficient reason, but in the end, they can’t attain Buddhahood that way. They will only gradually become possessed by their inner demons.
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