自己的心，討厭什麼、愛什麼，它就會產生取捨。我們心的流動沒有斷的時候，那你就會輪回。 Our mind will be in grasping or rejecting whenever we hate or love something else. Reincarnation will take place when our mind is restless.

學佛先看到自己，一切的我執都是煩惱的窩，怎麼消除我執？就要禪修。   Dharma practice starts from examining oneself. Recognize that egoistic attachments are the breeding grounds for all afflictions then find a way to eradicate ego. But how? Chan practice is a key.

佛性是每個人的心，所以自己就是主宰，沒有誰能主宰你。Buddha-nature is found in everyone; thus, you are the master of yourself and none can dominate you.

自覺覺他的心，自覺就是自己能夠反省、醒悟，覺他也就是讓別人醒悟，這就是發願成佛度眾生的心。   “Self-awakening” is the ability to introspect then actualize. “Awakening others” is the ability to help others enlighten – this is the aspiration for attaining Buddhahood.

有自尊就有困難。平常心才能學到東西。Never be rigid in your believes; yet be flexible and you can learn much more.

要度眾生、要成就佛道，要有善業，從善業做到清淨解脫，從清淨解脫裡去發菩提心，高高山頂立，深深海底行這樣子去做。   In liberating sentient beings and attaining Buddhahood, one must first accumulate virtuous deeds, purify negative karmas, and then aspire bodhicitta. Make ambitious aspiration like alps and carry out beneficial acts in this deep ocean of samsara.

「有」束縛我們，必須破除「有」的執著，超越物質的束縛才自在。   Holding on to an “inherent existence” binds us. Once this notion is negated, we can transcend the limitation of materialism to find freedom and ease.

捨不得就是慳貪，讓生命無法補充正能量；布施就是常常喜捨助人，讓心量擴大。   Clinging is a form of greed that prevents the replenishing of positive energy in life. On the contrary, generous giving is to put others’ welfare in priority – which will expand your mind and energize your life.

禪修就是燃料，燃到什麼想法都放下，放下就是靈性。   Chan practice is a way of incinerating all subjective ideas and views, until all that remains is your inherent spiritual nature.

業是人跟人之間的關係，業就是事業，業就是一種力量，變好、變壞，快樂、不快樂都是業力。   Interpersonal relationships are connected by karma, which can be understood as “activities”. They are energies that can either be positive or negative.

何謂開悟？不再迷惑就是開悟。What's the definition of enlightenment? While you're understanding everything and not being trapped in the solutions is called enlightenment.

沒有覺知是惑業，覺知沒有就是解脫，一念之間就是生死，一念之間就是證悟。   Without awareness there come delusions. Becoming aware of the absence of inherent existence is liberating. With one thought, you can either be enlightened or to remain in samsara.

當靈性沈淪在物質世界，就是輪迴、生滅、無常。   When spiritual qualities decline and drown in the world of materialism, they result in cyclic reincarnation, arise, cease, and always impermanence.

所有的生命都是因果來的，因果是唯心造，好好壞壞都是心所造。   All lives come from cause and effect. Karmas are resulted from the mind whether they are good or bad.

在不生不滅、寂靜上安心，不去攀心念所接觸任何一個緣，每一個緣都把它放下，心就不受干擾，這就是定。   Settle down the mind in the state of non-arising or non-ceasing. Do not pursue any conditioned phenomena but to let it manifest and vanish. Stay immovable, you’ve just experienced stabilization (vipashyana).

覺醒就像太陽一樣，讓好的壞的都很清楚，覺醒而看得到，離開困境，遠離困擾煩惱。   Enlightenment is like the sunlight that shines on and reveals the good and bad of everything. Seeing this, stay away from afflictions.

佛陀行菩薩道的時候，一呼一吸都是為了利益眾生。我們若能發起關懷他人的菩提心，其功德遠勝於以七珍八寶供養佛陀。Every word of Buddha's teaching is for the benefit of all sentient beings. If we are compassionate in our dealings with people we accrue far more benefits than offering our entire worldly wealth to Buddha.

阿含是破除「有」，生命的所有問題都出在「有」，把「有」探討清楚、理解清楚，就能到不生不滅的地方，也就是涅槃。   The teaching of Agama is to negate the misconception of “inherent existence”. Investigate and come through the understanding – you will reach nirvana, a state free from arising and ceasing.

生命從因果來，死也從因果去，什麼因得什麼果，產生什麼樣的生命就產生什麼結果。   Life comes from various causes and effects, so is death. You reap what you sow – the same principle applies to life.

做善得善報，跟解脫道沒關係，跟了脫生死斷煩惱沒關係；要了解空性的道理，才能夠解脫煩惱、斷生死。   Virtuous acts result in positive return but not the ultimate liberation. Only with the actualization of emptiness can one be free from afflictions and samsara.

天堂跟地獄就在心，心能夠眾善奉行，就是善。   There’s a fine line between heaven and hell. It is determined with our mind. By engaging in kind acts, one is carrying out goodness.

般若是破見解，每一個見解都是虛幻不實的，有「見」的地方就是不自由，就被「見」綁死了，叫做見惑。般若就是斷見惑。   Prajna wisdom is to dismantle subjective views. Be mindful that every view is illusory. Views confine you from freedom and prajna wisdom is to unshackle the bindings.

禪修是讓思緒回歸寧靜，把寧靜帶給社會安定；禪修是內在放鬆、外在和諧。 Chan practice allows our thoughts to settle down to serenity, which is then shared with our community. It is about inner relaxation and outer harmony.

僧就是帶領學法的善知識，讓我們能夠解脫、自在、清淨、安定，善業圓滿。   The Sangha is a community of spiritual friends who can guide us towards liberation, ease, purity, serenity, and perfect activities.

生命就是好、壞與不好不壞，不攀緣，就不生不滅。   Life is a mixture of positivity, negativities, and neutralities. Do not cling on to any phenomena and you’d attain the state of non-arising or non-ceasing.

從發心到成佛，對每個眾生做出奉獻跟服務，做出不危害的事情，這就是佛法講的生命道理，也就是菩薩道。   From the aspiration of bodhicitta to the attainment of Buddhahood, strive to benefit others and refrain from doing harmful actions. This is a central principle of Buddhism; it’s the bodhisattva path.

什麼都沒有，沒有關係，只要有好的想法、對的想法，這一生就富貴了。   Lost everything? That’s alright. You’re the wealthiest if you have an altruistic intention and right views.

念頭就是輪迴，怎麼讓念頭不輪迴，這是禪修的目的。   Subjective ideas are the causes of cyclic reincarnations. The purpose of Chan practice is about finding a way to cease the ideas of samsara.

戒就是生活的善業、生活的止觀，生活裡的止觀就是善業。   Ethical discipline is the virtue and shamatha-vipashyana of living, and vice versa.

學佛就是觀念清楚，做對的事。   Practicing Buddhism means to think clearly and to act accordingly.