安分守己，老老实实，勤加修持，才能得到真功夫。

Being content with our station, guarding our behavior,

and truly cultivating with vigorous energy is only way to attain actual skill.

我在哈尔滨南三十里平房站三缘寺时，有一天在定中观察，知道第二天有个小孩子会来出家。第二天早上，我就对弟子果能说：「今天会有个小孩子来出家。等他来了，告诉我！」中午时，果能到我房中，用山东腔说：「师父！您说的那个小孩子，真地来了！」我到前边一看，是个十二、三岁的男孩子，五官端正，身体强壮，看起来是比丘相。这个男孩见到我，好像见到久别的亲人一般，情不自禁地就哭起来了，所谓「喜极而泣」。

While staying at Sanyuan （Three Conditions） Monastery, which was located south of Harbin, thirty （Chinese） miles away, at the town of Pingfang Station, I saw in my meditative contemplation that the following morning a young boy would come to leave the home-life. The next morning I told my disciple Guo Neng, Today, a young boy is coming to leave home. Tell me when he arrives. At noon, Guo Neng came to my room and said in his Shandong accent, Teacher, that boy you mentioned has finally come! I went down to the front hall and found a strapping boy of twelve or thirteen whose build and countenance were handsome and full; he had the look of a Bhikshu. The boy took one look at me and couldnt control his emotions. Just like one who sees a long-lost relative, he began crying uncontrollably, shedding tears of joy.

我问他：「你为什么要出家？」小孩子说：「因为我有病（他在五岁时，能替人家治病，可是自己有病，不能治自己的病），医生检查不出病源，束手无策，无药可治。父母非常着急，到处求医仍不见效。有一天夜里，我连作三个相同的梦，在梦中有位胖和尚，对我说：『你的病，除非到哈尔滨三缘寺去找安慈法师，跟他出家修道，即能不药而愈。否则的话，是没有希望的。』我清清楚楚地记得，所以征求父母的同意了，来到这里。请安慈法师慈悲，收我为弟子。」

Why do you want to leave home? I asked him.Because I have a serious illness, he answered. From the age of five, he could cure others illnesses, but he couldnt cure his own illness. Doctors couldnt find the reason for my ailment and had no medicine to heal me. They were at a loss as to what to do. My father was very anxious. He sought a cure everywhere, but nothing seemed to work. One night I had the same dream three times, in which I saw a fat monk who came to me and said, ？our illness will never be cured unless you go to the Sanyuan Monastery in Harbin and leave the home-life to cultivate the Way under Dharma Master An Tse. If you do that, you will be cured spontaneously, without medicine. If you dont do this, you have no hope of recovery. The memory of the dream was quite clear, so I obtained my fathers permission to come here and seek the compassion of Dharma Master An Tse, to allow me to leave home.

当时，我笑着对他说：「你认识安慈法师吗？」

I laughed, and asked him, Do you know Dharma Master An Tse?

他说：「我不认识。」

No, I dont, he said.

我说：「既然你不认识，你怎能找到他呢？我们这里没有安慈法师。」

I said, Im afraid there is no Dharma Master An Tse here.

小孩子很有信心地说：「不会吧！刚才我进门时，就看见梦中那位胖和尚坐在那里（他用手指着弥勒菩萨），他不会骗人的。是他教我来的，绝对不会错。」

Oh yes, there is! The lad answered confidently. As soon as I entered the door I saw that same fat monk who was in my dream. Hes sitting right over there. （The boy pointed to Maitreya Bodhisattva.） He wouldnt cheat anybody. He told me to come here; theres no mistake.

我又问他：「你所说的梦话，有什么根据令人相信？你是不是没有衣服穿，没有饭吃，没有地方住，想来出家？」

What proof do you have that this dream-talk is true? Who will believe you? I challenged him. Youre probably just a poor boy with no clothes, food and shelter, who wants to come and leave the home-life, arent you?

他坚定地说：「不是的！我是受胖胖和尚的指示，教我来找安慈法师，只有他才能医好我的病。所以，我走了一个多月，步行一千多里。（当时日本无条件投降，东北的铁路已经不通车。）有时候，走过旅店，前边没有村庄，只好在荒地上睡觉。为赶时间，不顾一切，有一天夜里，我在草坪上睡觉，忽然有狼群，很快将我包围在中间，可是我不怕，我对狼群说：『快点离开！不然，我对你们不客气，给你们个弹（手榴弹）吃。』这时，狼群就乖乖地走了。」这是他求法的一个小插曲。

No, Im not! he replied firmly. Im simply following the instructions of that fat monk, and he directed me to look for Dharma Master An Tse; hes the only one who can cure my disease. Thats why Ive been on the road for over a month, walking one thousand miles to get here. （At that time the Japanese had just surrendered unconditionally, and the railroads in Manchuria had not yet resumed operation.） Sometimes along the road I walked right past the last inn in a town, and found no village ahead, so I could only camp out in the open fields. I was in a hurry to get here, and I paid no attention to anything else. One night I was sleeping in a meadow when suddenly a pack of wolves surrounded me. I wasnt afraid of them, though, and I said, ？et out of here, or else Im going to give you trouble. Youre going to get a taste of these eggs （hand grenades）！ And the pack of wolves ran away obediently. That was an episode that occurred in his quest for the Dharma.

他说完经过之后，用乞求的眼光看着我。我要考验他是否有诚意，于是将馒头用口嚼烂，吐在地上，对他说：「你把它捡起来，吃下去，吃完再说。」他毫不考虑，也不嫌口水肮脏，捡起来就吞到肚中。他这个考试及格了，证明他是诚心诚意来出家，于是我给他授了沙弥戒，成为一个小沙弥。

Having said his piece, he looked up at me with pleading eyes. I decided to give his sincerity another test. I picked up a piece of steamed bread and, after chewing it up thoroughly, spit it out on the ground. I said, First pick that up and eat it, then well see whats what. He didnt hesitate for an instant or worry about my unsanitary saliva, but promptly scooped up the bread and swallowed it down. Having passed his test, he had demonstrated that his wish to leave the home-life was sincere. I gave him the Novice Precepts, and he became a young Shramanera.

他受戒（沙弥戒）之后，用功修行，勇猛学习，毫不懈怠，又不放逸，不到半年的时间，便证得五眼六通，本事很高，可以说是神通广大。这不是夸大之词，是千真万确的事实，当时的人，皆知这个小沙弥有神通。可惜他后来生出贡高我慢的心、自满的心，认为自己了不起，所以神通就不翼而飞，要显也显不出来了。

Having received the Precepts, he worked hard in his cultivation. He was quite a courageous student, not at all lax or lazy. Before six months passed, he realized the attainment of the Five Eyes and Six Spiritual Penetrations. His skill was considerable, and his psychic abilities were vast. This is not an exaggeration, but a matter of absolute fact. Everyone in the area knew that this young novice monk had psychic powers. It is sad that afterwards he fell into arrogance and pride. He grew haughty, and his psychic abilities vanished. When he wanted to demonstrate them, he couldnt do so anymore.

我们修道人要注意，无论有神通也好，没有神通也好，千万不要生骄傲的心、执着的心，更不可以自我宣传，自卖广告。要安分守己，老老实实去精进，勤加修持，才能得到真功夫。千万不可在皮毛上用功夫，听到什么音声，看到什么境界，便认为了不起，要晓得那离真道还有十万八千里呢！

Cultivators of the Way must pay close attention to this. Whether we have psychic powers or not, we shouldnt indulge in pride or attachments for any reason whatsoever! Even less should we advertise for ourselves and create our own publicity. Our proper role is to be content with our station, guard our behavior, and truly, honestly, cultivate with vigorous energy. Be valiant and forge ahead; thats the only way to attain actual spiritual skill. Under no circumstances may we toy with the superficial aspects, and when provoked by a certain sound, or struck by a certain vision, feel that we have become extraordinary. To make such a mistake leaves the true Way a million miles away!

一九八一年禅七七月十六日至廿三日开示于万佛圣城万佛殿

A talk given given during a Chan Session from July 16-23, 1981 The Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas,The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas