今天地藏七開始，每年農曆七月十五日（盂蘭盆法會）至七月三十日（地藏王菩薩聖誕），一連打兩個地藏七，超度孤魂野鬼往生，祈禱世界和平，這是我們萬佛聖城應盡的責任。

The Earth Store Recitation Session starts today. Every year from the fifteenth of the seventh month (Ullambana Dharma Assembly) to the thirtieth of that month (Birthday of Earth Store Bodhisattva) on the lunar calendar, we have two consecutive seven-day Earth Store Bodhisattva recita¬tion sessions to rescue the lonely souls and wandering ghosts and to pray for world peace. That is a duty the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas should perform.

希望大家專心一致來念「南無地藏王菩薩」的聖號，念到心口相應的時候，一定能有所感應。不可一心二用，要集中精神來念。要是不至誠懇切地念，雖然不能說沒有功德，但是就少得多了。若能專一其心來念，便和地藏菩薩的聖號打成一片，念到「不念而自念」的境界時，心中自然清淨而自在，什麼煩惱也沒有了。

I hope everyone will recite the holy name “Namo Earth Store Bodhisattva” with concentration. When you recite to a state wherein mind and body correspond with each other, surely you will have a response. You cannot have your mind on two things. You must concentrate all your attention and energy to recite. If you do not recite with utmost sincerity, then although I can’t say you won’t have any merit and virtue at all, there will be a lot less. If you can recite single-mindedly, you can become one with the holy name of Earth Store Bodhisattva. When you reach the state where the recitation continues automatically even when you aren’t reciting, your mind will naturally be pure and at ease, and free of all afflictions.

修道人不能自私，不要有「懷其寶而迷其邦」的思想。得到好吃的食物，大家吃；得到好穿的衣服，大家穿；得到好住的房子，大家住；得到好的感應，要和大家分享，供養大家。凡是所有的功德，一定要迴向法界眾生，否則，就是自私。

Cultivators can’t be selfish. Don’t have an attitude of “reserving your talent and not using it to serve your country.” When there’s good food, it should be shared by everyone; when we get comfortable clothes, everyone should have the same to wear; when we get a nice place to live, everyone should live in it; when we attain positive responses, they should be shared with and offered to everyone. All merit and virtue should be transferred to the living beings of the Dharma Realm. Otherwise, it would be selfish.

如果有人得到好的感應，應該供養大家；得到不好的感應，也應該向大家說清楚，不要往自己臉上貼金，說我有什麼了不起的感應，更不可有微妙的感應就保留不說，有這兩種思想的人，都是「自私」在作祟。

If you attain positive responses, you should offer them to all. If you get undesirable responses, you should also make them clear to all. Don’t brag about having extraordinary responses just to make yourself look good; on the other hand, if you do have a wonderful response don’t keep it to yourself. People who act in those two ways are motivated by selfishness.

現在大家要反省一下，我在佛教中應該盡些什麼責任？是不是在佛教中不管事，你推我，我推你，誰也不肯做？

Now let us reflect for a moment: What is our duty to Buddhism? Should we ignore the work that is to be done, pushing it back and forth among ourselves so that no one ends up doing it?

我們人人要發心，以佛教為己任，佛教興衰，人人有責。不是說，那是他的事，不關我的事，與我沒有關係。

Every one of us should resolve to consider Buddhism our own responsibility. The rise and fall of Buddhism is everyone’s responsibility. You cannot say, “It’s someone else’s job, not mine. It has nothing to do with me!”

為佛教的利益，要犧牲一切，就是粉身碎骨，也在所不辭。要有這種精神，才是真正的佛教徒。不要作「依佛吃飯、賴佛穿衣」的假佛教徒，要盡其所能來擁護三寶，那就是沒有自私心。

We should be willing to sacrifice everything, even our lives, for the sake of Buddhism. That is the spirit of a true Buddhist. Do not be a fake Buddhist－one who uses the Buddha’s name only to get food and clothing. To be totally unselfish requires that you do everything you can to protect the Triple Jewel.

不要有時時怕吃虧，刻刻怕上當的心理，總是把自己看得很高，認為了不起。要有為法忘軀的精神，才有資格作個佛教徒。

Avoid constantly worrying about suffering a loss or being cheated. Don’t think highly of yourself and consider yourself so special. Be prepared to forget yourself for the sake of the Dharma; then you deserve to be called a Buddhist.

一九八三年八月二十五日
地藏七開示於萬佛聖城