释迦牟尼佛在过去生中，“三祇修福慧，百劫种相好。”修难行能行的苦行，修难忍能忍的法门，为众生发菩提心，修一切智，不惜生命来教化众生。生生世世都是忍苦耐劳，吃人所不能吃，让人所不能让，所以才得以成就佛果。
In his former lives, Shakyamuni Buddha "cultivated blessings and wisdom for three asamkhyeyas of eons, and planted the causes for his hallmarks and characteristics for a hundred eons." He undertook ascetic practices, doing what was difficult to do and enduring what was difficult to endure. He sought enlightenment and universal wisdom, and committed his life to teaching beings. In life after life, he toiled and suffered, eating what others could not eat, yielding where others could not yield. Eventually he accomplished Buddhahood.
佛不是一朝一夕修成的，而是修三大阿僧祇劫，才示现“八相成道”：第一“降兜率”，兜率天是候补佛位的法王子所居处。第二“入胎”。第三“住胎”，佛在胎里仍是转法轮教化众生，为所有有缘的众生说法。第四“出胎”，佛出胎日是四月初八。出胎后，他一手指天，一手指地，说：“天上天下，唯我独尊！”
The Buddha didn't attain Buddhahood overnight. He cultivated for three great asamkhyeyas of eons before manifesting the Eight Signs of Attaining the Way. The first sign is the descent from the Tushita Heaven. The Tushita Heaven is where the Dharma Prince who will become the next Buddha dwells. The second sign is that of entering the womb. The third is that of dwelling in the womb. Even while in the womb, the Buddha turned the Dharma wheel and taught those beings with whom he had affinities. The fourth sign is that of birth. The Buddha was born on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. After he came out of the womb, he pointed one hand toward the heavens and one hand toward the earth, and said, "In the heavens above and the earth below, I alone am honored."
这是不是佛贡高我慢呢？我不是为佛做辩护律师，他的确是够得上这种称号。他一出生就这么说，这是向众生们打招呼，要众生知道。
Was the Buddha being arrogant? I'm not acting like the Buddha's defense attorney, but the answer is no, since the Buddha was indeed qualified to say that. He said it to let beings know who he was.
佛出世当日，有九龙吐水浴佛。后来在宫里学习世间技能，所有一般人会的技能，佛都不学自通，通达无碍。然后他出王宫，去游四门，见到生老病死苦，觉得这是人生最大的痛苦，一切都是生住异灭，也是成住坏空。他感觉如此生老病死苦很没有意义，所以舍弃国荣，而毅然出家，这也是一相。
On the day that the Buddha was born, nine dragons spouted water to bathe him. Being born as a prince, he began learning worldly skills in the palace. The prince mastered the skills of ordinary people without having to learn them. Later upon walking out of the four gates of the palace, the young prince witnessed birth, old age, sickness, and death and felt that these were great sufferings. He saw that everything comes into being, lasts for a while, and then decays and becomes extinct. Regarding the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death as bleak and meaningless, he resolutely renounced his royal position and left the home-life.
佛修的头陀行可以说是第一的，他在雪山六年，天天只吃一麻一麦，来维持生命不断，他并没有吃维他命Ａ、维他命Ｂ、维他命Ｃ、维他命Ｅ这些东西。
We can say that the Buddha was the foremost practitioner of ascetism. For six years in the Himalayas, he cultivated vigorously while living on a daily fare of one sesame seed and one grain of wheat. He certainly didn't take vitamin supplements.
他如此用功修行，以后接受牧羊女供养的奶粥，到菩提树下打坐，他便发愿说：“若未修到正等正觉，绝不起座。”这样坐足了四十九天，机缘成熟了，于是他夜睹明星而悟道，豁然证得不生不灭、不垢不净、不增不减之本来清净明体，妙明真心。
Later, he accepted an offering of porridge with milk offered by a shepherdess. When he went to sit in meditation beneath the Bodhi tree, he made a vow: "I will not rise from here until I have attained Proper, Equal and Right Enlight-enment." He sat there for forty-nine days, and then saw a star at midnight and awakened to the Way. He suddenly realized the original, pure, wonderfully bright, true mind which knows neither birth nor death, neither defilement nor purity, neither increase nor decrease.
到今天这个末法时期，我们身为佛弟子，要做真正佛的弟子，要知道佛──我们的老祖宗在过去修行是不容易的。我们虽然不能一天吃一麻一麦，但也不要贪吃好东西、吃维他命，贪有营养的食物。
This is the age of the Dharma's decline, and we must be true disciples of the Buddha. In the past, our forefather, the Buddha, did not take it easy in his cultivation. Even though we cannot live on one sesame seed and one grain of wheat a day, we should not crave good food either. We should not be greedy for vitamin supplements or rich food.
我们这个臭皮囊是四大假合，不是真实的，我们为它做牛、做马、做奴隶做了这么久，造了不知多少罪业；若是仍然看不破、放不下，还是为它做马、做牛，兢兢业业，这真是太没有价值了！所以我们要返本还原，学佛修行，明白人生是痛苦的；证果成佛，这才是真正的快乐。
This body is a stinking skin bag; it is only a false combination of the four elements. We have been slaves to our bodies long enough; we have committed too many offenses on its behalf. If we still can't see through the body and put it down, and we continue to slave and toil for it, we're really wasting our time. Therefore, we should understand that life is full of suffering, and then we should study Buddhism in order to return to the source. Only by realizing sagehood and becoming a Buddha can we find true happiness.
所以值此佛诞纪念日，我们应该效法于佛，应以佛身为己身，佛行为己行，佛心为己心，佛愿为己愿，佛志为己志，要咬起牙来忍苦耐劳，学佛那种不怕艰难困苦的精神。若能如此，每个人都是成佛有份，很快就能了生脱死。
Today is the Buddha's birthday, and we should learn to be like the Buddha. We should take the Buddha's body as our own body, the Buddha's conduct as our own conduct, the Buddha's mind as our own mind, the Buddha's vows as our own vows, and the Buddha's will as our own will. We should bear the toil and hardship, and emulate the Buddha's indomitable spirit. Anyone who can be this way has a chance to become a Buddha, and will quickly be able to end birth and death.
佛为求一切智，不惜生命抖擞精神来修行，我们怎可不劳而获就想成佛？既然出家了，如果再不认真去修行，那怎么能对得起佛、菩萨和过去的祖先呢？若一天到晚贪心不除，争心不去，求名求利心也放不下，自私自利心更大，这样怎么能对得起佛，及我们过去的父母祖先？所以我们不应只为自己着想，也应该为他们着想，要打起精神来修行，不要等过了今天，无常鬼不知何时就来了，到那时想多活几天也办不到了。所以，
In his quest for perfect wisdom, the Buddha dedicated his life to vigorous cultivation. How can we expect to achieve Buddhahood without exerting any effort at all? Having left the home-life, if we don't cultivate seriously, how can we face the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and our ancestors? If we are greedy and contentious, pursue fame and profit, and become more and more selfish, how can we face our parents and ancestors? We should be considerate towards others, and not just care about ourselves. We must muster our spirits and cultivate. We can't put it off until tomorrow, for who knows when the ghost of impermanence will arrive? When he comes, we may want to live for a few more days, but it won't be possible.
莫待老来方学道，
孤坟多是少年人。
Don't wait until you're old to cultivate the Way.
The lonely graves are filled with young people.
在这世界上，生了又死，死了又生，做得不好，就做畜生。一失人身，万劫难复，所以不要自己骗自己，为自己做辩护律师，自己不修行而认为有一天佛会帮助我成佛。要知道即使像阿难是佛的堂弟，佛也不能给他三昧，他还是要自己努力修行。
In this world, we are born and we die, and after dying we are born again. If we don't live virtuously, we may be reborn as animals. Once we lose the human body, we may not recover it for ten thousand eons. Don't fool yourself into thinking you don't need to cultivate because the Buddha can help you attain Buddhahood. Take a lesson from Ananda: He was the Buddha's cousin, but the Buddha couldn't give him samadhi. He still had to diligently apply himself to his own cultivation.
所以既然到了万佛圣城，这是选佛场，就要好好读书、修行，到考试时才能考上，不要等考不上了，才来后悔！
Since you've come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the place where Buddhas are selected, you must study diligently to pass the tests. If you fail to do so, it will be too late for regrets.
一九八二年五月一日开示于万佛圣城
A talk given on May 1, 1982
at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
