法界佛教总会于一九五九年成立，金山圣寺于一九七０年成立，其宗旨是将东方的佛教传到西方来，并在西方开花结果。西方虽然工业发达，物质文明的水平一直提高，可是生活不断竞争，令人欲壑难填，所以发生不良的后果。而佛教是提倡精神胜于物质的道理，教人不要自私自利，要学菩萨的精神。
The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association was established in 1959, and Gold Mountain Monastery in 1970, with the purpose of bringing Buddhism from the East to the West so that it can blossom and bear fruit here. Although Western society is advanced in terms of industry and material comforts, its competitive consumerism creates insatiable desires in people. This leads to an unwholesome outcome. Buddhism emphasizes the importance of spiritual concerns over material ones. It teaches us not to be selfish or concerned with personal benefit, but to learn to be like Bodhisattvas.
《华严经》所讲的道理，就是行菩萨道；《梵网经》所讲的，就是守菩萨的戒律，每一条都是为救众生，利益众生，一切为人不为己。在这物欲横流的时代，佛教是起死回生的特效药。现在菩提种子已经播种在西方，正在发芽生长中，不久的将来，就会开菩提花，结菩提果，来挽救迷途中的众生，令其离苦得乐。
The Flower Adornment Sutra tells us to practice the Bodhisattva Path, while the Brahma Net Sutra speaks of the Bodhisattva Precepts. Every precept is aimed at saving and benefiting living beings; none are for a selfish purpose. In modern times when our desires for material things are so overpowering, Buddhism is the wonder drug that can save our spiritual natures. The seeds of Bodhi have already been sown in the West, and now it is time for them to sprout and grow. In the near future they will blossom and bear Bodhi fruit, and the lost and confused living beings will be rescued, so that they can escape suffering and attain bliss.
在金山圣寺，每个人都要修像真金那样宝贵的戒力、定力、慧力。三力具足了，将来才能担当弘法的重任，才能将佛法宣扬于全世界；否则我们一定不能胜任，反而令佛教的前途黯然无光。因此，无论是出家人或在家人都要注意，金山圣寺是专门培养弘法的人才，更是选拔接法人才的好地方。谁能修戒修得真，修定修得真，戒定慧具足圆满，就有资格做法界佛教总会的主席和金山圣寺的住持。我早想把这两个职务辞去，请人来担任，但是多年来一直找不到一位十全十美的人，所以拖延到现在。今天我们要选拔有道德、有学问的善知识，来做金山圣寺的主人。
At Gold Mountain Monastery, everyone should cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, which are as precious as real gold. With these three kinds of power, we will be able to spread the Buddha's teachings throughout the entire world. Otherwise, if we cannot shoulder the task, the future of Buddhism will be bleak indeed! Left-home people and laypeople alike should pay attention to this. Gold Mountain Monastery specializes in training people to propagate the Dharma. It is the best place for choosing a successor. Anyone who truly upholds the precepts, genuinely cultivates samadhi, and perfects his wisdom is qualified to be the chairperson of Dharma Realm Buddhist Association and the abbot of Gold Mountain Monastery. I have long since wanted to pass these two positions on to someone else, but after all these years I have yet to find a suitable person. Today, we must choose a virtuous and learned good advisor to be the abbot of Gold Mountain Monastery.
释迦牟尼佛曾以以心印心的法门，传授于摩诃迦叶祖师，迦叶祖师又传授于阿难尊者。如此代代相传，传到二十八祖菩提达摩，他把心法带到中国来，也是一代一代传下来。到五祖弘忍大师，他将心法、衣钵传授给不识字的惠能大师。当时传衣钵的意思，是证明而已，证明这个接法人，是一方的法主，可以教化众生。其实有衣钵、没有衣钵，都没有什么问题，只要这个人能作得了主，就可以了。
Shakyamuni Buddha transmitted the Dharma-door of "sealing the mind with the mind" to the First Patriarch Mahakashyapa, who in turn transmitted it to Venerable Ananda. The Dharma was transmitted from generation to generation in India up to the Twenty-eighth Patriarch Bodhidharma, who took the Mind Dharma to China. In China, the Dharma was also transmitted from patriarch to patriarch. The Fifth Patriarch of China, Great Master Hongren, transmitted the Mind Dharma, plus the robe and bowl, to Great Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, who was illiterate. The robe and bowl symbolized that the recipient of the Dharma was a Dharma Master who was able to teach and transform living beings. Actually, whether or not he had the robe and bowl was not important; what mattered was that he had attained self-mastery.
什么叫作得了主？就是不颠倒，不骗自己，有真正持戒的戒德，有真正修定的定德，有真正智慧的慧德。三德具足，真为佛教贡献一切，而能弘扬佛法，广利群生，没有自私自利的心，绝不为自己打算：“我该怎么样？怎样在佛教中把名誉造大一点？把地位提高一点？把利益多得一点？”没有这种思想在作祟，更不会有这种想法：“我要造个大庙，比任何庙都要大；要把斋菜做得好吃，美味可口，令居士常来吃斋菜，香钱源源而来。”我们金山圣寺只想造活佛、活菩萨、活祖师，续佛慧命，替佛教增光。
What does having self-mastery mean? It means not being deluded and not cheating oneself. It means possessing the virtue of precepts that comes from truly holding precepts, the virtue of samadhi gained through genuine cultivation of samadhi, and the virtue of wisdom derived from real wisdom. Being replete with the three virtues, one offers up everything to Buddhism and propagates the Dharma to benefit living beings. One is neither selfish nor greedy for personal gain. One never schemes, "How can I become more famous in Buddhism? How can I reach a higher position and gain more benefits?" Nor does one think, "I want to build the biggest temple. I want to make the best vegetarian food so all the laypeople will come to my temple and the donations will roll in." Here at Gold Mountain, we only want to make living Buddhas, living Bodhisattvas, and living Patriarchs to continue the wisdom life of the Buddha and glorify Buddhism.
佛教正统的心法，传到六祖大师，继而一华开五叶，成立五宗：沩仰宗、临济宗、曹洞宗、云门宗、法眼宗，一直传到现在。（按：虚云老和尚，是沩仰宗第八代祖师，传法于宣公上人，成为沩仰宗第九代祖师）我观察因缘，应该是将心法传于西方的时候了。
The Mind Dharma of Proper Buddhism, after being transmitted to the Sixth Patriarch, split into the five sects of Weiyang, Linji, Caodong, Yunmen, and Fayan, which have been transmitted to the present time. [Note: The Venerable Master Hsu Yun, as the eighth patriarch of the Weiyang Sect, transmitted the Dharma to the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, making him the ninth patriarch.] Observing the conditions, I saw that it was time to bring the Mind Dharma to the West.
不论出家人也好，在家人也好，谁能终生为佛教而努力，献身于佛教，务求佛教发扬光大；有这种志愿的人，从今天起限期七天，每个人可以写一首偈颂，写出所学的心得，我看看有没有见性的人。如果有见性的，就是接法人。但不要学神秀大师，急得坐立不安，连饭也吃不下，觉也睡不着了！
Whether you are a left-home person or a layperson, if you can resolve to devote your life to the propagation of Buddhism, you may write a verse expressing your understanding within the next seven days. I want to see if any one of you has seen your own nature. If so, then you will be my successor. But don't be like Great Master Shenxiu, who was so nervous [when the Fifth Patriarch gave a similar test to his disciples] that he couldn't sit still, eat, or sleep.
一九七四年十月十五日开示
A talk given on October 15, 1974
