观世音菩萨在佛教里，是占很重要的地位的。这观世音菩萨，有的人说他是中国的，有的人说他是外国人；有的人又说他是男人，有的人又说他是女人。现在我告诉各位，这观世音菩萨，他也不是中国人，也不是外国人。他是哪儿的人呢？他是尽虚空遍法界，哪个地方都是他，哪个地方也都不是他。他是随类应现，应该以什么身得度的，他就示现什么身而为说法。所以他没有一定的。
Guanshiyin Bodhisattva holds a very important position in Buddhism. Some people say Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is Chinese, while others say he is another nationality. Some people say this Bodhisattva is a man, while others say the Bodhisattva is a woman. Now I will tell all of you: Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is neither Chinese nor any other nationality. Where is he from then? He can be found everywhere throughout space and the Dharma Realm, and yet there is no place where he is. He manifests in response to different kinds of beings, appearing in whatever form is most appropriate to speak Dharma for living beings. Therefore, his appearance is not fixed.
这观世音菩萨他也现佛身来度一切应该成佛的众生；他也现菩萨身来度一切应该成菩萨的众生；他也现天上的天王身来度一切众生。总而言之，这个众生应该以什么身得度的，观世音菩萨就现什么身，来给这一类的众生说法。
Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appears in the body of a Buddha to cross over all the living beings who are meant to become Buddhas. He also appears in the body of a Bodhisattva in order to cross over all the living beings who are meant to become Bodhisattvas. He also manifests the body of a heavenly king to cross over all living beings. In general, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appears in whatever form a living being needs to see in order to be crossed over, and comes to speak Dharma for that kind of living being.
在佛教里头，观世音菩萨各处去教化众生，要度一切众生发菩提心。他先看这个众生欢喜什么，他先就投其所好，他一投其所好，这个人就欢喜了，所以他说什么法，这个人也都欢喜听，于是乎就把这个众生度了。所以说观世音菩萨，他也不一定是男身，也不一定是女身，他也是男身，也是女身，不过都是变化的。那么观世音菩萨的本体呢？他是如如不动的，和佛是一样的；并且观世音菩萨在很久以前，就已经成佛了。他的名字叫正法明如来，现在他化菩萨身来教化众生。
In Buddhism, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva goes everywhere to teach and transform living beings. He wants to cross over all living beings and cause them to bring forth the resolve for Bodhi. He first contemplates to see what a living being likes and then caters to his likings. When he caters to that person's likings, the person feels happy and is glad to listen to whatever Dharma he speaks. Thus he successfully crosses over that living being. So I said Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is not necessarily male or female; he is both male and female, but that's just his transformation. In his fundamental identity, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is thus and unmoving, just like the Buddhas. What is more, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva became a Buddha a long time ago by the name of Light of Proper Dharma Tathagata. Now he is manifesting as a Bodhisattva to come teach and transform living beings.
在佛教里他现菩萨身；在外道里边，他也现外道的身。所以往往有一个穿着白衣服的，在耶稣教里就说她是圣母；其实这个圣母是谁？也就是观世音菩萨去教化那一类的众生，他去现那么一个穿白衣服的人的样子。一般的耶稣教说这是圣母，其实也就是观世音菩萨，去显现令这个众生来发心，无论早晚都会令他明白佛法；明白佛法之后，就要发菩提心。这是观世音菩萨他这种妙用无穷的一种不可思议境界。
He appears as a Bodhisattva in Buddhism, but he also appears in other religions as personages of those religions. There is a white-robed figure known in Christianity as the Holy Mother. Who was the Holy Mother in fact? She was just Guanshiyin Bodhisattva coming to teach and transform that class of living beings. He appeared as a person in white robes and the Christians all said that was the Holy Mother, but in fact it was Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appearing to inspire those living beings to bring forth resolves. Sooner and later, they would come to understand the Buddhadharma, and after they understood the Buddhadharma, they would bring forth the Bodhi resolve. That's the inconceivable state of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's inexhaustible, wonderful functioning.
今天我就给各位讲一讲 “观世音菩萨”这几个字。
Today I will briefly explain the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, the "Bodhisattva Who Contemplates the Sounds of the World."
怎么叫“观”呢？这“观”是一种 “观智”——能观的智慧；“世音”就是所观的境界。以这个能观的智慧，观这个所观的境界，观这个世间所有一切的境界，一切的音声。这音声有苦声，有乐声，有善声，有恶声，有好声，有坏声；观世音菩萨观看这世界种种的音声，他就遂心满愿。众生无论向观世音菩萨求什么，观世音菩萨一定就遂心满愿的。
What is contemplation? It refers to a contemplative wisdom, the wisdom that is able to contemplate. The sounds of the world are the state that is contemplated. The wisdom that is able to contemplate is used to contemplate the state that is contemplated—all the states within this world, all the sounds. The sounds include sounds of suffering, sounds of happiness, wholesome sounds, evil sounds, good sounds, bad sounds. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva observes all the various sounds of the world. He fulfills all wishes. No matter what living beings seek from Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, he will grant their wishes for sure.
“世”，有过去世、现在世、未来世，这三世。观世音菩萨观这一切众生过去世的因缘，现在世的因缘，未来世的因缘，观看他三世的因缘，然后应该用什么方法去救度这个众生，去教化这个众生，观世音菩萨用他所修行成就的这种神通去救度众生，所以这叫“观世音”。
The Chinese character shi (¥@ ) for "world" can also refer to "period of time," as in the three periods of time—past, present, and future. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva contemplates the past causes and conditions, present causes and conditions, and future causes and conditions of all living beings. Observing the causes and conditions in the three periods of time for each living being, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva employs whatever method is suitable for saving and teaching that being. He uses the spiritual powers he has accomplished through cultivation to rescue living beings. Thus, he is called the One Who Contemplates the Sounds of the World.
“菩萨”是半梵语，具足叫“菩提萨埵”，翻译成中文的意思“菩提”，就是觉；“萨埵”就是有情，就叫觉有情，觉悟这一切的有情。又有一种讲法，说是有情里边的一个觉悟者。什么叫有情呢？就是一切有知觉性的，有感觉，有气血的这一些个有生命的东西都叫有情。观世音菩萨以前和我们是一样的，就因为他不怕苦难去修行而觉悟了，是有情众生里边的一个觉悟者。也就是他以他这个觉悟的这种智慧，再来觉悟我们这一切的众生，这叫菩萨。
Pusa is an abbreviated transliteration of the Sanskrit word "Bodhisattva" in Chinese. The meaning is translated thus: "Bodhi" means enlightenment and "sattva" means sentient being, so it means "one who enlightens sentient beings," and also "an enlightened one among sentient beings." What is meant by "sentient being"? It refers to any living thing endowed with awareness, sentience, breath, and blood. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva used to be the same as all of us, but because he cultivated without fear of suffering or hardship and became enlightened, he is an enlightened one among sentient living beings. Moreover, he uses the wisdom of his enlightenment to further enlighten all of us living beings. Such a one is called a Bodhisattva.
菩萨又有一个名称叫“大道心的众生”，他这个道心最大的；有大道心的众生这就叫菩萨。观世音菩萨也就是这一类的众生。
Bodhisattvas have another name: They are called beings with a great resolve for the Way. They have the greatest resolve for the Way. Beings with a great resolve for the Way are Bodhisattvas. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is such a being.
在没有成佛以前，所有的菩萨也都叫众生，不过他是众生里边一个觉悟的众生，而不是迷昧的一个众生。迷昧的众生遇到一切的境界，就执迷不悟，遇着一切的事也都看不破，放不下。观世音菩萨对一切的事也都看得破，放得下，无所执着了，所以他觉悟；不单自己觉悟，而且又觉悟其它一切没有觉悟的众生，所以这叫“观世音菩萨”。这是观世音菩大概的意思。
Before they become Buddhas, Bodhisattvas are called living beings, but they are enlightened living beings, not confused ones. When confused beings encounter any kind of state, they cling to it and fail to awaken. No matter what situation they come across, they cannot see it for what it is and let go of it. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is able to see through and let go of all matters. Since he is not attached to anything, he is enlightened. Not only is he himself enlightened, he can also enlighten all other unenlightened beings. Therefore, he is called Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. That's a general explanation of the Bodhisattva Who Contemplates the Sounds of the World.
一九六八年九月于三籓市佛教讲堂
A talk given in September, 1968, at the Buddhist Lecture Hall, San Francisco, during the Shurangama Sutra lecture series
