住道场要随众

When Living in a Way-place, Follow the Assembly

你不做早晚课，就是轻视道场；轻视道场，就是轻视佛。

If you don't do morning and evening recitation, you are showing disrespect for the Way-place.

Disrespect for the Way-place implies disrespect for the Buddha.

道场的规矩，就是有事情大家一起做，吃饭一起吃，做工一起做；可是还有例外，譬如真正会用功打坐的人，天天静坐，旁的事情可以少做一点，为什么呢？因为他已经在修行了。或者念佛，或者拜佛，他已经在那里用功修行。如果有这种特殊情形，那就另当别论，否则绝对不可以躲懒偷安，一律要守道场的规矩。

At the Way-place we have the rule that when there's work to do, people do it together. They eat together and work together. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, people who truly work hard sitting in meditation day after day can do a little less of the other work. This is because they are already cultivating, either reciting the Buddha's name or bowing to the Buddhas. They already work hard in cultivation. But these are special exceptions; ordinarily we cannot be lazy in our work. We must abide by the rules of the Way-place.

你不是时时都在打坐，也不是时时都在拜佛，做早晚课没有时间，讲是讲非却有时间。或者在做早晚课时，拖延时间，你来晚，我来晚，他也来晚，那么这样早晚课由谁来做呢？修行人不做早晚课做什么呢？在道场中做早晚课是常住的公事，任何人都不能避免的。你不作早晚课，就是轻视道场；轻视道场，就是轻视佛；轻视佛，等于轻视住持；若是轻视住持，那就不能共住，也就是不能与大家在一起修行。

Other people don't always sit in meditation or bow to the Buddhas, and yet they don't have time to attend morning and evening recitation. In spite of this, they find time to gossip. Or they drag their feet when going to morning and evening recitation. If everyone comes late, then who does morning and evening recitation? If cultivators don't do morning and evening recitation, what do they do? In a Way-place, doing morning and evening recitation is the duty of the residents. No one can be absent. If you don't do morning and evening recitation, you are showing disrespect for the Way-place. Disrespect for the Way-place implies disrespect for the Buddha, which in turn implies disrespect for the Abbot. If you have no respect for the Abbot, then you cannot live and cultivate with everyone else.

除了做早晚功课的时间以外，其余的时间可以随自意去做，愿意翻译经典的人，就翻译经典；愿意看佛书的人，就阅读佛书；愿意讲是非的人，就去讲是非；愿意听是非的人，就去听是非。没有人会干涉你，没有人去限制你，可是呢，到了做早晚课的时间，必须参加，因为早晚课是道场必修的法门。

Apart from the time spent in morning and evening recitation, you can do whatever you want at other times. People who like to translate Sutras can translate them. People who like to study Sutras can study them. People who like to gossip can gossip. People who like to listen to gossip can listen. No one will stop you from doing what you want to do. However, when the time comes for morning or evening recitation, you must attend, because morning and evening recitations are required for all cultivators at a Way-place.

修道人要护持道场，要尊重道场，要遵守道场的规矩。闻到钟鼓声，就要把工作放下，准备上殿，不可落后，要有争先恐后的精神。如果对于早晚课不当一回事，或者敷衍了事，那简直是在道场中等着下地狱，所谓「地狱门前僧道多」，无论是出家人，还是在家人，在道场必定要随喜功德，认真做佛事，不可以随梆唱影。如果不这样子，那太没有出息了！

Cultivators must protect and maintain the Way-place, respect the Way-place, and abide by the rules of the Way-place. Upon hearing the bell and drum, one should stop doing the work at hand and eagerly get ready to go to the Buddha Hall. If one does the morning and evening recitations perfunctorily and does not take them seriously, one is simply waiting to fall into the hells. “There are many Sanghans at the gates of hell.” Whether you are a left-home person or a layperson, you should participate and rejoice in meritorious activities, do the Buddha's work in earnest, and not just absent-mindedly follow the beat and go along with the crowd, for that would really be pointless.