The principle of "Dojo is like moon reflection in water, Buddhist activities are like dreams" is to engage in worldly work.

When Shakyamuni Buddha was alive, he performed the Eightfold Path for us, which is the great Buddhist activities in dreams. The word "Buddha" represents enlightenment and profound understanding. Did he perform the Eightfold Path? Yes. How is it different from the worldly ways? The difference lies in the fact that he did not hold on to these matters; he completely let go of them. This is something worldly people cannot match. He let go of everything, acting without attachment, doing without doing, and not doing with self-interest, benefiting sentient beings.

If you hold it in your heart, you are a worldly person. Even if you benefit sentient beings, you cannot free yourself from afflictions.

Bodhisattvas manifest in the world in various roles, as described in the "Universal Door Chapter" with its thirty-two appearances, such as appearing as a king, a minister, or a high-ranking official. When a Bodhisattva governs a country, it is also "Buddhist activities in dreams, Shuiyue Dojo." They cultivate both blessings and wisdom, with a pure mind, generating only wisdom and not afflictions. This is true Buddhist activities. If you still have afflictions and habits, you are an ordinary person, a being in the six realms.

So, what is a dojo? Every dojo is like water and the moon. Like the moon reflected in water, it cannot be said to be true or false. If you say it's not real, there is indeed a moon in the water. The moon in the water is the reflection of the moon in the sky. You can appreciate it, but you cannot grasp it. Use this principle to engage in worldly work, serving wholeheartedly in this world, no matter what achievements you make, don't hold onto them. Act as if nothing happened, so your mind is unburdened, and your physical and mental health is maintained.

If you think every day about how to do things, it can be overwhelming and may not be done well. A pure, equal, and enlightened mind doesn't need to contemplate; when things come, it handles them immediately. After handling them, the mind and body are pure and without attachment. So, wisdom arises, constantly without afflictions. Bodhisattvas and worldly beings, all beings in the ten Dharma realms, have no conflicts.

This is what I often remind students: cultivate the ability to act without acting, to act without acting. Do things diligently, strive for excellence, don't hold onto them, and maintain a pure and equal mind. Why can it be done this way? All phenomena are empty and false; this world is not real but illusory. Understanding this, the world becomes dignified and pure, with nothing to hold onto.

This realm is challenging to comprehend. I often use the analogy of a television. We use it as a tool for learning. The screen represents the oneness of truth and illusion. Truth and illusion are inseparable; truth does not hinder illusion, and illusion does not hinder truth. When you turn on the screen, it's bright and empty, with nothing. When you change the channel, colors and forms appear. Colors and forms depend on the screen; without the screen, they cannot appear. The screen is uncreated and undestroyed, unshaken. Colors and forms arise and pass away in a split second. The colors on our TV screens change a hundred times in a second, creating the illusion of reality. It looks very realistic, and you can't see its flaws. Does the appearance affect the screen? No, the screen remains untainted, and the screen does not hinder the manifestation of colors. They collaborate closely.

From here, wisdom arises, realizing that to teach and help sentient beings in this world, we must apply this principle. Serve wholeheartedly for others, with an untainted and pure mind, is acting without acting. If you hold onto things, you are still acting, and there will be consequences. Good deeds lead to good results, and evil deeds lead to evil consequences. You cannot escape the cycle of the six realms.

Bodhisattvas, such as the Dharma Body Bodhisattva, are like our TV screens. They act without acting, and they don't create karma. Does it mean they do evil? Yes, look at the Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara in the Sutra of Infinite Life; he manifests anger, a strong temper, constantly getting angry. He exhibits this appearance, which is genuine, not fake. What about his mind? Cool and at ease, the mind remains undisturbed. The female Bodhisattva Vasudhara represents desire, greed for wealth, like the Brahmin Sudatta. What does it represent? Ignorance. Greed, anger, and ignorance are part of Buddha's teachings. Buddha uses different methods according to the person's situation, and it is wonderful! The goal is to help the other person awaken and realize, achieving this goal. Any means can be used. The mind is clear, equal, and awakened, not tainted at all. The slightest impurity is wrong; that is an ordinary person, not a Bodhisattva. This is the practice in daily life.

淨空法師：【「水月道場，夢中佛事」的原則做入世的工作】

釋迦牟尼佛當年在世的時候，為我們表演的八相成道，那就是大作夢中佛事。佛這個字代表覺悟，大徹大悟，他所做的事，八相成道有沒有？有。跟我們世間法有什麼不一樣？有不一樣，就是他沒有把這些事情放在心上，他全放下了，這一點世間人比不上。事情統統放下了，就作而無作，無作而作，做跟沒做是一不是二，做是利益眾生，不做是利益自己，自他兩利。

如果把它放在心裡面，這是世間人，放在心裡頭，你雖然利益眾生，你沒有辦法離煩惱。

佛菩薩示現在世間，無論示現什麼身分，《普門品》裡面講的三十二應，能現國王身，做國王，能現宰官身，示現為宰相，示現為高級官員。他治國，佛菩薩治國，也是「夢中佛事，水月道場」，他福慧雙修，心地清淨，只生智慧，不生煩惱，這才叫真正的佛事。如果你還有煩惱、還有習氣，這是凡夫，六道眾生。 

所以什麼地方是道場？凡是道場都是水月。水中之月，不能說真，不能說假，你說不是真的，水中真有月亮，水中月亮是天上月亮現在水裡面的影子，你可以欣賞它，你不能執著它。要用這一個原理原則做入世的工作，在這個世間全心全力為眾生服務，無論做出什麼樣的功勳都不放在心上，若無其事，所以他的心沒有負擔，身心健康。

如果天天想著要怎樣做、怎樣做，這個可不得了，累死人，未必能做得好。清淨心、平等心、覺悟的心，他不用思考，事情來的時候立刻就處理掉了。處理掉之後，身心清淨，一無所有。所以他生智慧，他永遠生智慧，他不生煩惱。佛菩薩跟世間眾生，一切眾生，我們講十法界的眾生，決定沒有衝突。

這就是我常常提醒同學的，我們自己去修就修這個本事，學佛菩薩作而無作、無作而作，做，認真努力在做，盡善盡美在做，不放在心上，心上是什麼？是清淨平等覺，這是心。為什麼能做到這樣？凡所有相，皆是虛妄，這個世界是假的不是真的，明瞭這個事情，這個世界莊嚴清淨，一無所有。 

這個境界很難體會，我常常用電視做比喻，我們學習都用這個工具，這個工具就是屏幕。屏幕就是真妄一如，真妄不二，真不妨礙妄，妄不妨礙真。屏幕打開是一片光明，什麼也沒有，我們把屏幕打開，頻道打開，色相就出來了。色相依屏幕顯出來，沒有屏幕它顯不出來，屏幕是不生不滅，沒有動搖，色相是剎那生滅。我們現在用的電視，這個色相是一秒鐘一百次的生滅，也就是一百張的動畫在一秒鐘當中放出來，你看到好像是真的，這很逼真，看不到它的破綻。色相妨不妨礙屏幕？不妨礙，屏幕絲毫沒有沾染，屏幕也沒有妨礙色相的發揮，它們兩個密切的合作。

我們從這裡開了智慧，明白了，在這個世間教化眾生，幫助一切苦難眾生，就要用這個道理。全心全力為別人服務，心地裡頭乾乾淨淨絲毫不染，就是無作。放在心上你有作，有作就有報，善的事，善因，就有善果，惡因就有惡報，你沒有辦法脫離六道輪迴。 

佛菩薩，這講法身菩薩，他跟我們現在電視屏幕一樣，他作而無作，無作而作。他有沒有業？他沒有，他作善沒有三善道的果報，他造惡沒有三惡道的果報。那示現有作惡？有，你看善財五十三參，就有三個菩薩，都是等覺菩薩。甘露火王他表什麼法？表瞋恚，脾氣很大，一天到晚在那裡發脾氣，表的那個相給大家看，是真的，一點不假。心地呢？清涼自在，心沒動過。伐蘇蜜多女是表淫欲，那代表貪，貪色，也像勝熱婆羅門一樣，代表什麼？痴。貪瞋痴是佛法，佛用這個教人，應當用什麼方法他就用什麼方法，妙極了！目的都是幫助對方省悟過來，覺悟過來，能達到這個目的，什麼手段都可以用。心地決定是清淨平等覺，絲毫不染，有一毫染污就錯了，那就是凡夫，那就不是菩薩。這個是在日常生活當中去鍛鍊