我們修行一定要有智慧，不只是有道德而已。缺乏智慧的道德，我們可能會誤用，而傷害很多人，不然就是傷害自己。
就像屈原，他對國君很忠心並勸諫國君，但國君不聽。他是個愚昧的國君，怎會聽得進正確的建議？當那愚昧的國君不聽他的勸告時，［屈原］就投江而死了，還污染了河底的魚群。帶著那麼頑固的頭腦沉下去，那些魚吃了他，也會變得很頑固。（是的。）
還有介之推，他在國君最危急的時候，割下自己大腿肉給國君食用。後來，當國君想賞賜他時，他覺得很不好意思，認為自己是個有氣節的人，就逃走了。如果只逃走也就算了，但當國君前去尋找他時，他面對國君的誠意卻仍不為所動，而不出來說幾句話：「無妨的，我不會接受賞賜，因為我當時所做的一切都是上天的旨意。我知道那是上天的旨意讓您能成為國君，所以那不是我的功勞。您不該賞賜我。如果您想讓我高興，就不要賞賜我。」這樣講就好了。但他什麼也不說，他硬是把自己逼到死。他在山洞中被火燒死，還強迫他母親陪他一起死。他寧可被燒死也不出來。因為國君以為如果把森林燒了，介之推一定會背著母親出來，因為他絕不會讓他母親喪命。但他卻任由母親被燒死。那他就不是一個有道德的人，不是一個懂得天意的人。
那本來就是天意。上帝已把恩賜送到你家門口，讓你母親在等待你多年之後得以不再受苦。你去侍奉國君，此刻正是功成名就的時候，你卻不讓你母親在晚年享一點福。這是對母親不孝，對君王不忠。你既不聽國君的，也不聽母親的，又違逆了天意，那你就是不相信上帝。你只相信你自己，只相信你自己認為對的。上帝已經好幾次將恩賜送到他門前，他還是拒絕。若他要拒絕，就應該出來說幾句話。說：「我不願意接受任何賞賜。」那樣就可以了。可是他竟無禮到這種程度，即便人家把東西送到他面前，他還是待在山洞裡，任憑自己被燒死。他死了，國君將終生受苦。他死了，國君將承受痛苦與悔恨，明白嗎？（明白。）國君並沒有做錯什麼。為何要逼迫國君承受如此大的精神折磨？因此，凡夫不懂道德該怎麼拿捏。道德並非如此。
道德有很多種方式，很多個面向。我們必須靈活應對。我們必須運用我們的智慧。若我們執著且緊抓著「道德」或「節操」這個字不放，反而容易送命。有時也會傷害到別人，就像介之推的例子。我在中文錄影帶中詳細講過這則故事。現在我只簡單說一下。這些故事你們都知道了，所以我就不再長篇大論。像那樣的人很多。就為了一個微不足道的詞彙—「道德」，便甘願傷害自己珍貴的肉身，並傷害別人。所以如果不修行，沒有智慧，那做什麼都是錯的。
We practice spiritually; we must have wisdom, not only morality. Morality without wisdom, we may apply wrongly and hurt many other people, or if not, hurt ourselves.
Like Qu Yuan, who was loyal to the king and advised the king, but the king didn’t listen. He was a stupid king; how could he listen to the right advice? When the stupid king didn’t listen to him, [Qu Yuan] jumped into the river and died, contaminating the fish down there. With such a stubborn mind going down there, the fish ate him and became stubborn too. (Yes.)
Or Jie Zitui, who cut the flesh of his thigh for the king to eat during a time of dire need. Then later, when the king wanted to reward him, he felt embarrassed, thinking that he was a person of integrity, so he ran away. It was fine if he escaped, but when the king went to search for him, he wasn’t moved by the king’s sincerity to come out and say a few words, “That is OK, I will not accept the reward, because it was God’s Will what I did at that time. I knew it was God’s Will for you to be the king, so it was not my credit. You should not reward me. If you want me to be happy, then don’t reward me.” That would be OK. But he didn’t say anything; he forced himself to die. He died due to fire in the cave, and forced his mother to die with him. He’d rather be burned to death than come out. Because the king thought that if he burned the forest, then Jie Zitui would carry his mother out because he wouldn’t let his mother die. But he let his mother be burned to death. Then he was not a moral person, not a person who knew God’s Will.
It was God’s Will. God already brought things to your house so that your mother would be relieved of suffering after years of waiting for you. You went to serve the king, and now it is time for glory, and you didn’t let your mother enjoy a little bit of happiness during her old age. Then it is unfilial to the mother and disloyal to the king. You didn’t listen to the king, nor to your mother, and were against God’s Will, then you didn’t believe in God. You only believe in yourself, believe in what is right according to you only. God already brought things right to his door many times, and he still refused. If he refused, then he should have gone out and said a few words. Saying, “I wish not to receive anything.” It’d be OK like that. But he was so impolite to the point that even when people brought things to him, he still stayed in the cave and let himself be burned to death. He died, and the king would suffer for his whole life. He died, and the king would suffer and feel remorse, see that? (Yes.) The king didn’t do anything wrong. Why would he force the king to suffer mentally to such an extent? Therefore, worldly people don’t know the extent of morality. Morality is not like that.
Morality has many ways, many directions. We have to be flexible. We have to use our wisdom. If we insist and hold on tightly to the word “morality” or the word “integrity,” then we can die easily. Sometimes we can hurt others as well, like the case of Jie Zitui. This case I talked about in the Chinese tapes in great detail. Now I only talk briefly. These stories, you already know, so I won’t be too long-winded. There were a lot of people like that. Just because of a small and insignificant word, “morality,” you would harm your precious body and hurt others. So, if you don’t practice spiritually and don’t have wisdom, then whatever you do is wrong.