万佛圣城成立育良小学、培德中学、法界佛教大学，一律免收学费，成为义务教育。我告诉你们不收学费的因缘。
Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Developing Virtue Secondary School, and Instilling Goodness Elementary School at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas are all tuition-free and offer free education. Let me tell you the reason we don't charge tuition.
我的家住在东北双城县的山中，交通不大方便，村中又没有学校，所以儿童多数失学，村民大多数是文盲。在我十五岁那年的秋天，才入私塾读书，读四书五经。到十七岁那年冬天，我把四书五经读完，老师随我所读，便为我讲解书中的义理，一共读了两年半的书。
“My family lived in the mountains of Shuangcheng County in Manchuria. Since public transportation was inadequate and there was no school in the village, most children didn't go to school and most of the villagers were illiterate. When I was fifteen years old, I went to an old-style private school to study the Four Books and the Five Classics. I finished studying them in the winter of my seventeenth year. As I studied those books, the teacher would explain them to me. It took me two and a half years to finish.
我到十八岁的时候，无书可读，就辍学在家，研究医术书籍，大约读了十五、六本，明白“望、问、切、闻”的道理，知道“寒、热、温、平”的药性，可以治病，但是就不给人家看病，因为我总觉得在一百个病人之中，纵能治好九十九个病人，只有一个病人的病，或者下错药，或者误医，还是有罪过，所以没打算以行医为业，又兼我一向对钱不重视，一直到现在，仍是这样。
When I was eighteen, there were no books at school for me to study, so I stayed home and read Chinese medicine texts, about fifteen or sixteen of them. I learned to distinguish the nature of medicinal herbs as being cold, hot, warm, or mild, and understood how to diagnose a patient by observing them, asking questions, taking their pulse, and listening to them. I could have treated patients, but I didn't, because I always felt that if I gave a wrong diagnosis or prescribed the wrong medicine in one case out of a hundred, then even if I successfully cured the other ninety-nine, I would still have an offense. That's why I never wanted to be a doctor. Also, I have never cared about money, even to this day.
在这一年之中，我又看了相面的书，爻卦的书，批八字的书，算命的书，我对于医卜星相等书，虽然不算精通，可是皆明白其理，不过，我也没有做这种种行业，因为我不想赚钱，我常想“富贵花间露，功名瓦上霜”，都是无常。
“During the same year, I also read some books on physiognomy, divination, the eight hexagrams, and similar subjects. I was not an expert in those subjects, but I understood the principles involved. However, I did not take them up as a profession, because I didn't want to make money. I always thought of how "wealth is like morning dew on the flowers, and fame is like frost on the roof tiles." They are both impermanent.
是年的冬天，我见村中的儿童没有机会读书，实在可怜，乃发心成立义学，不收任何人的学费。当时有三十多个学生，由我一人担任教学。因为学生的年龄不同，智慧不同，所以采取个别教学的方法。从早晨七点钟开始上课，下午六时下课，在这中间没有休息时间。学生认真学习，进步很快。冬天过去，学校结束了，学生的成绩很好，认识了很多字，也会写很多字，这是我辛苦换来的代价。
“That winter, I saw that the village children had no access to education. It was really pitiful. I decided to start a free school. There were about thirty students, and I was the only teacher. Since the students were of different ages and levels of intelligence, I tutored them individually. The school opened from seven o'clock in the morning till six o'clock in the evening, with no break in between. The students all studied very hard and made quick progress. When school ended after the winter, the students showed considerable achievement. They had learned to read and write many characters. That was the reward for my hard work.
所以育良小学、培德中学、法界佛教大学，也不收学费。有人怀疑，是不是太愚痴？不知钱好用？的确愚痴到极点，我承认这种评论，但我有个构想，教育良才，是人生最快乐的事。
The schools at the City are also tuition-free. Some people may wonder: "Are you people so stupid that you don't know how useful money can be?" Yes, it is extremely stupid, I have to admit. But I have this idea that teaching is the greatest joy in life.
育良小学：旨在教育世界优良的人才，教育世界良善的国民，教育世界尽善的孝子，所以叫作育良。
Instilling Goodness Elementary School: The goal is to develop students' talents and potential, teaching them to be good citizens and perfectly filial children. That's why the school is called "Instilling Goodness."
培德中学：因为人的本来德性不能圆满具足，所以要栽培德行，提倡修福修慧。育良小学注重孝道，所谓“百善孝为先”。培德中学注重忠孝，忠于国家，孝顺父母。爱护自己的国家，作为良善的公民，必须先把人格建立坚固，才经得起考验。不向环境投降，所谓“家贫出孝子，乱世出忠臣”，这都是经得起考验。有高尚的人格，有伟大的志愿，有坚忍不拔、百折不挠的精神，有能做一番轰轰烈烈的大事业，这是培德中学的目标。
Developing Virtue Secondary School: Since people are not born with perfect and complete virtue, we should help them to develop virtue and to cultivate both blessings and wisdom. Instilling Goodness Elementary School focuses on filiality. It is said, "Among the hundred good deeds, filiality is foremost." Developing Virtue Secondary School emphasizes loyalty and filiality--loyalty to one's country and filiality to one's parents. In order to protect one's own country and be a good citizen, one must first establish a strong character and be able to endure tests without succumbing to circumstances. It is said, "Filial sons come from poor families; loyal officials are produced from national turmoil." This describes people who can endure tests. With a noble character, great resolve, and a persevering and indomitable spirit, one can achieve great things. This is the aim of Developing Virtue Secondary School.
法界佛教大学：学生在培德中学把德行栽培圆满，进入法界佛教大学深造，成为出乎其类、拔乎其萃的人才。希望你们能青出于蓝，而胜于蓝，将来到社会成为顶天立地的奇男子或奇女人。要有人溺己溺，人饥己饥的思想。这种抱负要尽虚空遍法界，永不变更。
Dharma Realm Buddhist University: After students have perfected their virtue in Developing Virtue Secondary School, they may enter Dharma Realm Buddhist University to further their studies and become outstanding people. I hope you will surpass your teachers and become preeminent men and women in society. Your attitude should be: "When I see others drowning, it is as if I am drowning; when I see others starving, it is as if I am starving." This ideal should pervade space and the Dharma Realm and never change.
现在多数的学校，无论公立或私立，专在学生身上打主意，学费年年提高，令无钱的子弟，有望洋兴叹之感。万佛圣城为解决这个难题，所以不收学费，以教育天下英才为宗旨。我希望在万佛圣城受教育的学生，知道万佛圣城用心良苦，乃是牺牲大量经费，教育你们成为国的栋梁，弘法的人才。你们不要辜负万佛圣城培育之苦心，要用功读书，所谓：“书到用时方恨少，事非经过不知难。” 你们现在如果不用功，将来到用时就后悔了。这是我今天要对你们说的话。
Nowadays most schools, both public and private, constantly scheme to make a profit off the students. Tuition increases every year, which frustrates the children of less affluent families. The City solves this problem by not collecting any tuition and taking the development of students' talents as its goal. I hope the students here will understand the sincere intentions of the City. We spend a lot of money to educate you so that in the future you may become pillars of society who are capable of propagating the Dharma. Study hard and don't disappoint the expectations placed upon you by the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. It is said, Only at the time of actual application do you realize that your knowledge is limited; Not until you've tried something do you know the difficulties involved. If you don't study hard now, you will regret it when it's time to put your knowledge to use. That's what I wanted to say to you today.
一九八三年九月十九日
A talk given on September 19, 1983
