天下最害人就是「爱重情深」，最高尚就是「修清净道」。

The thing that harms people most in the world is deep love and heavy emotion, and the most exalted thing is cultivating the way of purity.

大家看看这块木头，两棵树干，却长在一起，上下枝节连着，这是什么呢？就是无量劫以前，有一对男女，彼此相爱得很深。他们发愿：「在天愿作比翼鸟，在地愿为连理枝。」这对男女一见钟情，结为夫妇。他们共同有一个嗜好，就是「钱」！男的拼命赚钱，女的拼命花钱。一个来，一个往，非常热闹。

Take a look at this piece of wood: two tree trunks which have grown together. The upper and lower parts are stuck together. What is the reason for this? Countless eons ago, there was a man and a woman who were very much in love. Together they made these vows, In heaven may we be like two birds tied together to the same wing, and on earth may our roots intertwine. For this man and woman, it was love at first sight, and they got married. They had the same hobby: money. The man did whatever he could to earn the money, and the woman did her best to spend it, and they busied themselves with the game of making money and spending it.

可是，爱得太深，罪造得太重，生生辗转沉溺，堕落到畜生、饿鬼、地狱道。今已成草木，这两棵树干本来应是两棵，可是依然长在一起，缠绵不相舍离。你看！左根伸出一枝来交抱右根，右根又伸出一枝来拥揽左根。这就如同男女各自伸出胳臂，互相交抱。可见夙世痴爱之劣习，至今形成草木，犹不能舍！并且这两干之中，有一块石头。他们视若珍宝，究竟这是什么呢？原来是他们往昔银行存款的簿子。

But they were so much in love, and the offenses they created were so serious, that in life after life they sank lower and lower, falling into the realm of the animals, then into the realm of the hungry ghosts, and then into the hells. Now they have already turned into plants. This piece of wood was originally two separate tree trunks, but they have grown together and become hopelessly intertwined. You see? The left trunk is stretching out a branch to embrace the right trunk, and the right trunk is extending a branch to grasp the left one. Its just like a man and woman holding out their arms and hugging each other. From this, one can see that even in the form of trees, they cannot renounce the habit of infatuation carried over from their former lives! In addition, there is a little stone lodged between the two trunks, and they cherish it as a precious gem. What is it? Its their bank account book from past lives!

这棵树干，早在几年前，某次我们到城内河边说法，就把它捡回来，你看：头也割断了，根也被刨破了，只露出赤裸枯藁的枝干，但仍然如胶似漆地纠缠在一起，这不是太可怜了吗？

One day several years ago, we went to speak the Dharma by the creek in the City, and we found this piece of wood. Look at it: the top of these tree trunks have been chopped off and the roots have also been severed. Only the exposed, dried up branches are left, and yet they are still stuck together like glue. Wouldnt you say this is pitiful?

由此可见，爱得太深，是多么地危险，这绝对不是开玩笑的。有人心想：「法师，你说这个法，我是不可能相信的，既没有根据，又不合乎逻辑，大概是你哄孩子，说梦话。」信不信由你，我也没有办法一定要你相信。因为这个法是很难说的。人迷恋到爱情上，不论你如何点醒他，他还是不能接受。天下最害人就是爱重情深，最高尚就是修清净道。人不是不知，但明知故犯，而不能出离旷劫之习气。

This shows how dangerous it is to love too deeply. Its not all fun and games. Someone might be thinking, Dharma Master, I simply cannot believe the Dharma you speak. You have no proof to back it up, and theres no logic behind it. Probably youre just putting us on as if we were children. Its just dream talk. Whether you believe or not is up to you, because I have no way to make you believe it. This Dharma is very difficult to speak. When people are confused by love, no matter how you try to wake them up, they cannot accept it. The thing that harms people most in the world is deep love and heavy emotion, and the most exalted thing is cultivating the way of purity. Its not that people dont know this. They know it, yet deliberately go against it, unable to extricate themselves from habits accumulated throughout countless eons.

中国有句俗话：「手拿着干屎橛，你给他麻花他不换。」这好比人揽执情爱，你告诉他：「舍弃这个邋遢东西，修道可贵。」可是他仍会固执不肯回头，所以说：

天雨虽宽，难润无根之草；

佛门虽广，难度不信之人。

Theres a Chinese proverb: He holds on to a piece of dung; and if you try to give him a delicious doughnut, he wont relinquish the dung for the doughnut. Thats like a person who hangs on tightly to his love. You tell him, Throw away that dirty thing. Cultivation is worth a lot more! But he obstinately holds on and refuses to turn around. So its said,

Although the rain from the heavens is vast,

Its difficult to nourish grass that has no roots.

Although the gate of Buddhism is wide,

Its difficult to save people who have no faith.

这块木头，我保存很久，多数人来我也不让他们看，因为说这个法他们也不相信，还要等待时机成熟。十月二十四日，诸位从远方来朝圣，我把这块木头带到万佛殿，搁了差不多三个星期犹未开口，可是若再不讲恐怕就没有时间了，所以不管诸位相信与否？我也要说出这块木头的因缘。

I have kept this piece of wood for a long time, and I dont show it to most people, because if I spoke this dharma, they wouldnt believe it. I had to wait until the time and conditions were ripe. On October 24, when all of you came from afar to visit, I brought this piece of wood to the Buddha-hall, but didnt talk about it for about three weeks. If I didnt tell you today, maybe there wouldnt be any more time. So I dont care whether you believe or not; I have explained to you the causes and conditions behind this piece of wood.

一九八二年十一月十二日晚间开示于

万佛圣城

A talk given on the evening of November 12, 1982,

at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas