欢喜快乐，而厌恶痛苦，这是众生的习性。然而，因为众生是愚痴的，他们不知道怎样才可以获得他们所欢喜的快乐，脱离他们所厌恶的痛苦。所以，虽然众生口里，老是喊着寻求快乐的口号，可是很不幸地，却愈来愈痛苦。
By nature, living beings like happiness and loathe suffering. But because of their stupidity, living beings do not know how to attain the bliss they crave and to leave the suffering they dislike. Therefore, although they always say they are “pursuing happiness,” unfortunately they only receive more and more suffering.
菩萨是慈悲的先觉者，他知道怎样才可以离苦得乐，面对着一般可怜的苦恼众生，菩萨便本着大悲的心肠，发出了闻声救苦的宏誓。所以，我们众生，也不是完全没有希望。只要我们至诚恳切地念诵“南无观世音菩萨”的名号，菩萨便会用他无边的法力，度脱我们，使我们离苦得乐。这种乐，是究竟之乐，是西方的极乐。换句话说，念菩萨的名号，不但能够脱离世间一切痛苦，并且能够往生极乐世界，花开见佛，得到“常乐我净”的清净和究竟之乐。
Bodhisattvas are kind and compassionate beings who have already become enlightened. They understand the way to leave suffering and attain bliss. Seeing all the pitiful, afflicted living beings, the greatly compassionate Bodhisattvas vow to listen to their sounds and save them from suffering. And so living beings are not totally without hope. If we sincerely recite the great name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, he will save us with his limitless Dharma-power, and enable us to leave suffering and attain bliss─this kind of bliss is the ultimate bliss of the Western Land. By reciting the Bodhisattva's great name, not only can we transcend all the pain and suffering of this world, we can also be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, see the Buddha when our flower opens, and attain the pure and ultimate happiness of permanence, bliss, true self, and purity.
念菩萨就能离苦，就能了悟心性，恐怕没有这样便宜的事情吧！多疑的钝根众生，也许会这样地问，可是呢？菩萨就是立志要做便宜众生的事；所以，才说出这个方便的法门。然而有些众生，连这种绝顶便宜也不知道，这是多么可惜啊！
It is said that by reciting the Bodhisattva's name, we can leave suffering and understand our own mind and nature─is it really that easy? Skeptical and dull living beings might ask that. But the Bodhisattvas are determined to give living beings a bargain, which is the reason they spoke this expedient Dharma-door. Nevertheless, some living beings are still unaware of this supreme bargain. What a pity!
有些人又会说：“念菩萨的名号，能消罪除苦，这点我相信，可是为什么念菩萨的名号，也能使我们明心见性？”几天前，我曾说过“打电话”的譬喻，现在我再说一个更简单的比喻吧！
Some people say, “I believe that reciting the Bodhisattva's name can dissolve offenses and eradicate suffering, but how can it cause us to understand the mind and see the nature?” A few days ago I used the analogy of making phone calls. Now I will give a simpler analogy.
譬如，一个人被蒙上了眼睛，于是乎他就觉得四周都是漆黑一片，走起路来，到处碰壁，碰得焦头烂额，苦不堪言，可是自己却不晓得解除眼睛上的束缚。幸好遇着一个慈悲的人，看见他这副可怜相，便走上前，替他除下眼睛上的束缚。所以，这个曾经看不见的人，现在可以看见了，不再痛苦，也不会到处碰壁。
Suppose a person is blindfolded so that he only sees total darkness. When he tries to walk, he keeps bumping into the walls until he's bruised and terribly sore. However, it doesn't occur to him to take off the blindfold. Luckily, he meets a kind person who sees his miserable state and removes the blindfold for him. Now he can see, and he won't hurt himself by bumping into the walls anymore.
“念菩萨能明心见性”的道理也是这样。我们众生，就譬如方才所说那个蒙上眼睛的人，这个人本来没有盲，只不过受一块布帛的遮掩。众生也是如此，我们的心性，本来也没有失掉，本来也是磊落光明，只是被无数的罪障、妄念遮蔽罢了。菩萨，譬如那位慈悲的人，他替我们解除那些掩蔽着我们光明本性的业障；于是，我们便可以返本还原，恢复到本来的面目了。
The same principle holds in reciting the Bodhisattva's name. We living beings are like the blindfolded person. He isn't really blind; his eyes are merely covered by a piece of cloth. Likewise, we living beings haven't lost our mind and nature. They are originally clear and bright, but they have been covered over by countless obstructions from offenses and idle thoughts. The Bodhisattva is like the kind person, for he removes the karmic obstructions covering our inherent bright nature, allowing us to return to the source and regain our original face.
所以，我们不可不念菩萨的名号，就像那个被蒙上眼睛的人，若是不肯求援，也不肯接受别人的帮助，那么碰壁事小，可是若因为看不见路途而掉进深渊，那岂不是危害了自己的性命！
We cannot fail to recite the Bodhisattva's name, or it would be like the blind man refusing to be helped by others. Bumping into the wall is a small matter, but if he can't see where he's going and he walks into an abyss, his life is certainly in danger.
世界上诱人的罪恶多得很，若是一不小心，掉进了罪恶的深渊，失掉了人身，那便是万劫不复，千古遗恨了。居士们！赶快接受菩萨的劝谕，常常持诵菩萨的洪名，让菩萨快些救度我们脱离这生死的苦海吧！
There are plenty of offenses which we may be tempted to commit in this world, and if we are not careful, we could fall into the abyss of offenses and lose our human body. We may not return for ten thousand eons, and we will regret it for ages. Laypeople! Quickly accept the Bodhisattva's exhortations and recite the Bodhisattva's great name constantly, so the Bodhisattva can soon save us from the bitter sea of birth and death!
一九五八年六月十七日上午开示
A talk given on the afternoon of June 17, 1958
