浅言之，善知识就是有智能的人，恶知识就是愚痴的人。善知识有正知正见，恶知识有邪知邪见。合乎佛法就是正知正见，不合乎佛法就是邪知邪见。善知识依照佛法修行，恶知识依照魔法修行，善恶的关键在这个地方来分别。
A good advisor is someone with wisdom; an evil advisor is an ignorant person. A good advisor has proper knowledge and views; an evil advisor has deviant knowledge and views. Proper knowledge and views accord with the Buddhadharma; deviant knowledge and views do not. A good advisor cultivates in accord with the Buddhadharma, an evil advisor cultivates in accord with demonic dharma. These are the criteria that differentiate good and evil.
善知识用“四摄法”来教化人。何谓四摄法？就是布施、爱语、利行、同事。这四种法容易和众生打成一片，令众生对于佛法发生兴趣，深信佛法。
A good advisor teaches and transforms people with the Four Methods of Conversion: giving, kind words, beneficial conduct, and cooperation. With these four methods, you can get along easily with living beings, inspiring their interest and eventually their deep faith in the Buddhadharma.
（一）布施：要想令人相信佛法，必须布施财和法给他，令他对你发生好感。
（二）爱语：就是不违背人情，不违背佛法，说些慈爱的话。
（三）利行：随起身口意行，令众生各沾法益。
（四）同事：对于应度的众生与他做同样的工作。
1. Giving: For people to have a good impression of us and to enable them to believe in the Buddhadharma, we give them both wealth and Dharma.
2. Kind words: We speak kindly, following the principle of not going against human feelings or against the Buddha-dharma.
3. Beneficial conduct: With our body, mouth and mind, we bring the benefits of Dharma to living beings.
4. Cooperation: We work alongside the same living beings we want to liberate.
这四种法，是联络感情的方法。你能言行一致，大公无私，以身作则，见义勇为。众生自然相信你所说的话，也就相信佛法是度生死海的宝筏。
These four methods are means to get in touch with and develop rapport with living beings. If you can be consistent in your actions and words, be selfless, set an example with your own conduct, and act courageously and righteously, then living beings will naturally believe what you say and will also believe that the Buddhadharma is a precious vessel for crossing the ocean of birth and death.
你们来到这里听经研究佛法，都是有大知识的人。要知道菩提自性本是清净的。本来清净，就是一法不立，一尘不染，不假造作，本来现前，本来具足。这个菩提自性，也就是佛性。这一点，各位要特别注意！
You people who come here to listen to Sutra lectures and investigate the Buddhadharma are all great learned ones. You should know that the inherent, enlightened nature is fundamentally clear and pure. Within the inherent nature not a single dharma is established, nor is it defiled by any dust. This nature is not produced; it is fundamentally apparent and fundamentally complete. This enlightened nature is the Buddha-nature. Everyone pay close attention to this!
每个人的佛性和诸佛是一样，没有什么分别。不过，我们太愚痴，被无明妄想所覆盖，所以佛性不现前。若能用智慧来处理一切事情，佛性现前，那就是善知识。
Everyone’s Buddha-nature is the same as that of all Buddhas. There is no difference. But because we are too deluded, shrouded by ignorance and idle thoughts, the Buddha-nature fails to manifest. If we could use wisdom to handle all of our affairs, our Buddha-nature would manifest, and we would be good advisors.
