有很多人到万佛圣城出家，都是自动出家，没有人教他出家。不论美国人、中国人，都是自己愿意出家，恳求多次，才许可出家。皈依的也是这样，到万佛圣城来的人，愿意皈依的就皈依，不愿意的就不勉强。因为勉强做事，非究竟法，“强摘之瓜不甜”，有些真心出家的人，时间久了也会退心还俗，何况人若非自动出家，你教他出家，最后还是会还俗的。

Many people come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to leave the home-life. They do it of their own free will, without anyone telling them to do it. Whether these people who wish to leave home are American or Chinese, they sincerely request permission to do so several times. It's the same with people who want to take refuge. People who want to take refuge may do so, while those who don't, aren't forced into it. Coercing people into doing things is not an ultimate solution. "Melons plucked before their time are not sweet." Even people who leave home of their own free will sometimes retreat from their resolve and return to lay-life after a while; how much the more would people who were coerced into leaving home return to lay-life.

“出家”是一件光明磊落的大丈夫事，不是鸡鸣狗盗，小人行险侥幸可以得的。所以出家人要把出家的本份认清楚，要把出家人的地位、宗旨认清楚，不要同流合污，如同世俗一样，人云亦云，人行亦行，自己毫无宗旨，认不清目标。皈依三宝、护持三宝也是同样的道理。你皈依三宝了，就要护持三宝，不要反而要三宝来护持你，不要在佛教中找便宜。若是如此，将来终究是吃亏的，到那时后悔也晚了。

Leaving the home-life is a righteous and heroic deed; it's not something that can be done by petty-minded people who seek cheap bargains or hope to succeed by chance or by luck. Those of you who have left home should be clear about your role and your principles. Don't wallow in the mire and be the same as worldly people. Don't blindly follow and copy others without having any principles or goals of your own. This also applies to those who take refuge with and protect the Triple Jewel. After taking refuge with the Triple Jewel, you should protect and support it and not expect the Triple Jewel to protect and support you. Do not look for bargains in Buddhism; if you do, you will be disappointed at the end.

我们每一个人都是妄想纷飞，妄想如微尘那么多，七上八下，乱七八糟。怎么会打那么多妄想？这就因为我们身上有很多菌虫，有大菌虫，有小菌虫，有老菌虫，有少菌虫。

Our minds are filled with random thoughts as numerous as dustmotes. We're a constant mess, because we can't make up our minds. Why do we have so many random thoughts? Because there are many microorganisms in our bodies-big ones and small ones, old ones and young ones.

菌虫有的有神通，有的有鬼通，或者有的有人通、天通、地通。这些菌虫在我们身上钻入毛孔中，大显神通专门作怪。牠们也有电波，只要牠们向我们心里打个电波，我们就打个妄想。所以我们的妄想从未停止过，这个妄想刚停止，那个电波又打来了，于是又起了另一个妄想，这都是我们身上的菌虫在作怪。

Some microorganisms have spiritual penetrations, while others have ghostly penetrations, human penetrations, heavenly penetrations, or earthly penetrations. These microorganisms hide in our hairpores and go wild showing off their spiritual powers. They also send telegrams into our minds, causing us to have an endless stream of random thoughts. As soon as one random thought ceases, another telegram arrives and causes us to have another random thought. It's all because bad microorganisms are stirring up trouble in our bodies.

这些菌虫虽然是虫，但都是特务，有的会天通，就做天上的特务；若会神通的菌虫，就做神的特务；会人通的，就做人的特务；又有会鬼通、畜生通的。天地间，森罗万象，房廊屋舍，所有尽虚空大地，没有什么不是生存在我们身上的。

These microorganisms also act as spies. Microorganisms with heavenly penetrations are spies for the heavens; those with spiritual penetrations serve as spies for spirits; those with human penetrations are spies for people. There are also microorganisms with ghostly penetrations and animal penetrations. Everything in the world-whether on land or in the air, including buildings and all material objects──are, without exception, found in our bodies.

有的菌虫帮着修行人发菩提心，这是佛通的菌虫；有的教人做善事，这是菩萨通的菌虫。

Some microorganisms help cultivators bring forth the Bodhi resolve. These are microorganisms endowed with Buddha penetrations. Microorganisms that tell people to do good deeds are microorganisms with Bodhisattva penetrations.

我们为何要吃维他命？就为着要养这些菌虫，把牠们养得又胖又肥，虽然你不能吃牠们的肉，但是牠们会吃你的肉。

Why do we take vitamins? It's to fatten up these microorganisms. We can't eat their flesh, but they certainly do eat ours!

在《华严经》上说，人的身体是由无量数的虫子积聚而成的。你想想这么多一串串肮脏的菌虫，你说多么邋遢啊！可是你还为这些菌虫做牛做马，为牠穿好衣，吃美 食，住华屋，这岂不颠倒！

The Flower Adornment Sutra says that a human body is composed of an infinite number of microorganisms. If you think about it, these microorganisms are very messy. Yet you continue to slave and toil on their behalf, wanting to wear nice clothes, eat fine food, and live in a luxurious place. Isn't this delusion?

有时这些菌虫开个会，就令你生病，找医生治也治不好。这时，这些菌虫就拍掌哈哈大笑，牠们正在高兴牠们把你收拾了，你要向牠们投降了。有些人偏偏不欢喜做好事，尽做坏事，想要占便宜，这些都是由于坏的菌虫在捣乱，不令你发菩提心，想令你堕落。你若不信，用刀把肉割开看看，过几天这些虫子就会活动起来了。

When the microorganisms get together, they can make you so sick that no doctor can cure you. When the micro-organisms see that they have beaten you, they clap their hands and laugh in glee. Some people hate to do good deeds and only like to do wicked things, thinking they can gain advantages that way. This is because bad micro-organisms are stirring up trouble, keeping such people from making the Bodhi resolve and causing their morals to degen-erate. If you don't believe it, just cut open their flesh, wait a few days, and watch those microorganisms come alive!

人真是太可怜了，视这个身体犹如珍宝；可是事实上，你喂这些菌虫，才是无聊事呢！你们不信，我也要讲；你们信，我也要讲，我讲来令这些菌虫听听，令他们知道在这个世界上，也有人知道牠们的底细。

How pathetic it is that we treasure our bodies so! It's such a worthless cause to feed microorganisms! That's what I say, whether you believe it or not. I'm saying it for the microorganisms to hear-I want them to know that there's still someone in the world who knows what they're up to!

一九八二年五月八日开示于万佛圣城