各位青年的老朋友，各位老年的小朋友，大家今天聚会在一起，就算没有大缘，也有小缘，我说这个道理，你们谁也不能否认的。

All young old friends and old young friends, if we don't have great affinities, then we must have small affinities in order to gather here today. No one can deny this.

为什么我称呼你们为青年的老朋友？因为我看你们青年人都像很有志气的样子，老成持重，态度谨慎，所以把你们称为青年的老朋友。为什么又叫老年的小朋友呢？在这里有几位老年人，看上去很活泼天真，不用心机计谋，也没有什么妒忌心、障碍心、人我是非心，所以把你们叫做老年的小朋友。去年你们有些人来过，今年不知是否仍是那班人继续来？或者有新的，或者有旧的，所以可以说是新朋友，也可以说是旧朋友。

Why do I call you “young old friends”? I call you that because you all seem to have great resolve, and you look mature and sensible. Why did I also call you “old young friends”? It's because there are a few older people here who look very lively yet mild, who are not scheming, jealous, obstructive, or inclined to discriminate about people's rights and wrongs.

A group came from your school last year, but I don't know if you are the same group. There probably are some new people and some who have been here before, so we can say you are both new friends and old friends.

在万佛圣城，我们的宗旨是想要改变教育的风气。世界上三教九流，五行八座，有形形色色的行业，他们各自都在谋生，而不是在“谋死”。从来谁也没有想一想将来怎样死法？活着是活了，但死了要怎么样死呢？没有人想到这个问题，所以说没有人“谋死”。但是在万佛圣城的人，有的人就在谋死，有的人也在这儿谋生。

Here at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas our mission is to reform the atmosphere of education. In this world, people in all walks of life are preparing to make their own living, not preparing for their death. No one thinks at all about how we are going to die in the future. Indeed, we are living, but how are we going to die? No one thinks about this question. So I say that nobody is “preparing for death.” But at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, there are some people who are preparing for their deaths, and others who are preparing for life here.

我们一般人谋生的方式有做生意的，有种田的，有做官的，或做工，或读书……等等。士农工商官这五大行，人人都愿意选择其中一行来做，于是有人就选择办教育，可是就在学生身上打算盘：“我开个学校，有人来读书，我能赚多少钱，那我就可以谋生了。”于是用种种方法把学校的名气吹捧成“最高学府”。可是得到了最高学府的头衔，反而又堕落了，怎么堕落呢？这种事说出来，我都觉得很丑陋，就在很多学校里公然贩毒、吸毒，你说这可怜不可怜？又在学校里边有很多公开的秘密不合法的活动。万佛圣城鉴于这种情形，所以也成立学校，创办小学，教人怎样去尽孝道；成立中学，教人怎样去忠心爱国；也设大学，教人忠孝仁义──孝顺父母，忠于国家，对社会人士要用仁义来相待，这是万佛圣城的宗旨。还有万佛圣城的小学、中学、大学完全是免费的，为什么免费呢？因为我不想在学生的身上打算盘，不想在学生身上谋利，这是万佛圣城的教育作风。在万佛圣城，无论是小、中、大学的学生、出家人或在家人，最通行的就是遵守六大宗旨：第一、不争：我不与人争，人也就不与我争；人与我争，我也不与人争，能够如此，就可以将世界的争端化为乌有。第二、不贪：对于一切一切都不贪。第三、不求。第四、不自私。第五、不自利。第六不妄语。这是在万佛圣城大家必修的六大宗旨。诸位来到万佛圣城，我不是向你们宣传，但我要向你们介绍万佛圣城的宗旨，希望青年人特别努力，帮助你的国家，令国家人民得到幸福快乐。盼共勉之！

Ordinary people make their living by doing business, by farming, by doing manual labor, by studying, by being government officials, and so forth. People choose to follow a career in one of the five major types of occupations—scholar, farmer, laborer, businessman, and official authority. Some people choose education. They, however, are making a business out of their students—“If I establish a school, how much money will I make from the students? I can make a living!” And they use any means possible to make the school well known, turning it into a “top school.” But after getting a "top school" rating, the school is demoralized. How does this happen? It's a very embarrassing situation to talk about. In many schools, people are openly selling and using drugs. Isn't this pathetic? Many illegal activities occur openly on the campuses.

Seeing this situation, we at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas decided to establish schools: a primary school to teach students how to be filial; a secondary school to teach students how to be loyal to their country; and a university to teach students the principles of loyalty, filiality, humaneness, and righteousness. This means being filial to one's parents, being loyal to one's country, and treating people humanely and righteously. These are the principles of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Also, the primary school, secondary school, and university at the City are tuition-free. I don't want to make money off the students; I don't want to make a profit out of them. This is the City's educational style. At the City, all the students at the primary school, secondary school, and university, as well as all the left-home people and laypeople, are expected to abide by the six great principles. The first principle is no fighting: if I don't fight with people, then people won't fight with me. And even if people do fight with me, I still won't fight with them. If we can be like this, then the disputes in this world will disappear. The second is not to be greedy, not to be greedy for anything. The third is no seeking. The fourth is not being selfish. The fifth is not pursuing self-benefit. And the sixth is no lying. These are the six great principles that people at the City must cultivate.

You are now visiting the City. I'm not advertising; rather I'm introducing the principles of the City to you. I hope you young people will be especially diligent in helping your country, so that the people of this nation will attain happiness. I hope we can mutually encourage each other to do this!

一九八三年五月廿一日中午开示于万佛圣城
（为红木大学学生访问团开示）