佛言佛語（一）

A positive affinity is formed when we, as Buddhist practitioners, show love for all sentient beings, our countries, and our fellow citizens, and when we are compassionate and peaceful.

We should take refuge in the Triple Gem of our own nature — the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
We take refuge in our innate Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: to have the Buddha in our minds, to practise the Dharma in our daily life, and to emulate the Sangha by observing the precepts.

Everything ebbs and flows, such is the way of nature.
Following the way of nature is according with conditions.
Only when conditions arise can we act in accordance with them.

We are always our own greatest limitation, obstruction, and hindrance.

Blessings come from a generous heart.
Those who give are the most blessed.

Many people are caught up in the arising and ceasing of their own karmic conditions.
Our emotions are controlled by our intelligence, and our intelligence is subject to our state of mind.
Our state of mind requires cultivation to develop, just like flowers in a garden require our care to flourish.

The ignorant seek understanding from others;
the wise endeavour to understand themselves.

The moment we pick up a book of Dharma and intend to help others, we start to sow the seeds of blessings and good karma.
The moment we set our minds to being kind to others, we begin to plant a field of blessings.
The moment we receive a Dharma book, we have sown the seeds of Buddhahood within ourselves.

Not being reasonable is a flaw, while insisting on reasoning alone makes us miss the forest for the trees.

As Buddhist practitioners, we need to purify our hearts and reduce our desires.
The more desires we have, the less likely we are to ever satisfy all our desires.
We should learn to be content with what we have, to change ourselves through practising Buddhism, and to learn to ask for nothing.

When life gets difficult, keep in mind that we are experiencing the amount of suffering we were destined to go through, therefore transforming our karma for a better future.

Life is like a journey on a train that will reach its destination soon.
It is short and bitter.
Hence, we must contemplate our bodies as impure and our thoughts as impermanent.

What we have today is most precious.
The past is already gone and the future is yet to come.
Therefore, we must seize the present moment, leave the past behind, and look forward to the future.
Only then will our hearts be like the ocean — vast and boundless.

Those who cannot stop gossiping about others are already entangled in gossip.
They will become the subject of gossip and not get rid of it.

Learn to let nature take its course;
let all things in life come and go naturally.
In this way, we can be free from afflictions.
Prajna is the wisdom attained with the mind that is free from ignorance.

The wise always cherish their blessings.
The more they cherish their blessings, the wiser they become.
Bodhisattvas will always be by their side!

With the right mindset, you let the Buddha be your guide.
With a deviant mindset, you let demons become your guide.
The enlightened recognise their true nature, whereas the lost suffer the endless cycle of rebirth.
Only when you understand your mind can you see the intrinsic nature.
Only when you become enlightened will you discover Bodhi.
If you can always find Bodhi, you are a Bodhisattva!

Our state of mind determines our destiny.
We must approach people with compassion, forgiveness and understanding.
If we refuse to forgive, we will end up hurting ourselves.

When we succeed, we must not forget our past.
When we fail, we must remember there is still tomorrow.
When the path leads to nowhere, we can always take another path.
We can make a diversion.

A single flower does not make spring, yet one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden.
We should not only engage in self-practice, but also extensively transform other sentient beings.
Be one of the hands and eyes of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to liberate people from suffering.
Only when we have great compassion can we help and transform people far and wide.

These are the nemeses of our spiritual cultivation:
Worries—they narrow our perspectives;
Resentments—they provoke hostility;
Griefs—they obstruct our advancement;
Anger—it invites enemies.

Although it is difficult for a novice practitioner to attain Buddhahood, their persistence in practising Buddhism will get them closer to the goal.
Their diligence in practising Buddhism will eventually make them a real Buddha!

Transforming sentient beings is very difficult, that is why we do it.
The opportunity to encounter the Buddha’s teachings is very rare, that is why we cherish it.
We strive to elevate the spirituality of sentient beings to liberate them from the cycle of rebirth.
We strive to transform their destinies so that they can attain Buddhahood.

A virtuous person corrects their mistakes, whereas a petty person covers up their flaws.
Those who correct their mistakes will become enlightened;
those who cover up flaws will get lost.
It is always better to correct our mistakes than to cover them up.

The first things we should learn as a Buddhist practitioner are: to never feel as if we are being unfairly treated or wronged, never feel sad, and never get frustrated or worried.
This is because everything in life is impermanent, it ebbs and flows in the blink of an eye.
When we see the truth of life, we become enlightened.
When we are free from afflictions, our wisdom shines.

If we want to change others, we should first change ourselves.
Buddhism recognises the existence of destiny, and teaches us how to change our destiny.

Many people, throughout their lives, love themselves more than anyone else.
The more we love only ourselves, the lonelier we become.
The more we love other sentient beings, the more blissful we become.

There will be no discontentment in life if we see that all faults are ours and never others.

A person who keeps their desire to a minimum and reaches maximum rationality is a sage.
A sage always thinks about how they can benefit and help others.

Being safe and well is a blessing.
Being virtuous leads to longevity.
Being content is a mark of prosperity.
Letting nature take its course is noble.

Learn to give.
When we let others gain first, then we can truly benefit.

When we cherish our lives and everything in the world, we effectively own this world.

In this world, with rise there is decline, with birth there is death, with coming together there is separation.
Everything by nature is temporary.
What we possess today may not last forever, and what we gain today may not always be ours.
However, what we lose today may be ours again tomorrow.
Indeed, “Our minds are free from obstruction, because there is no obstruction”.
Life is just a dream;
we must return to our natural state.

If we want to have favourable causes and conditions in this life, if we want to have blessings and receive help in times of need, we should always form positive connections with all beings.

An enlightened person will not be worried in times of hardship.
Whatever circumstances they encounter, they act in accordance with conditions;
they are not bothered by gains or losses.
Their mind remains steady, neither increasing nor decreasing.
They turn themselves from an ordinary person into a sage.
The mind is free from obstructions.
This very mind is Buddha.

Prayers from a pure heart will be answered.
Illnesses will arise from an evil heart.

A kind person may not have received their blessings, yet calamity is already far away.
An evil person may not have been stricken by calamity, yet blessings are already out of range.

Our state of mind is most important.
If we cannot think clearly, we will not accomplish anything.
If we think clearly, we can achieve everything.

Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door provides solutions for our spiritual needs.
How can we be happy with a troubled mind?
Practising Buddhism is about changing our personality and destiny.
Because Buddha-Dharma provides solutions to our everyday issues, it is the world’s Buddha-Dharma.

Compassion is the foundation for changing our destiny.
Spare more thought for others, and less for ourselves.
In this way, we can reduce our desires and our heart will be pure and calm, unperturbed by any circumstances.
We can then gain control over ourselves and be the master of own destiny.

We must understand that Bodhisattvas have no mind;
Bodhisattvas take the minds of sentient beings as their own.
The minds of sentient beings are my mind.
The forms of sentient beings are my form.
The afflictions of sentient beings are my afflictions.
In essence, the minds of Bodhisattvas are the same as the minds of the sentient beings.

We need to rid ourselves of the defilement within us to regain our inherent Buddha-nature.
We need to let go of everything to transcend this world and to help all sentient beings become enlightened and be free from suffering.
Only when we attain a high level of spirituality can we be liberated from the cycle of rebirth.

A Buddhist practitioner should hold themselves to high standards of spiritual cultivation, complete with merits and virtues.
It is necessary to have both merits and virtues.
Never belittle or diminish the Buddha-nature, or we will lose merits and virtues.

An evil person is ignorant.
A benevolent person is wise.
A Buddhist practitioner is enlightened.

When dealing with people, we must be infinitely patient.

There are three unique characteristics of wise people:
1．They are highly tolerant and impartial;
2．They practise the giving of kind and truthful words, and never lie;
3．They think of nothing but the well-being of sentient beings.

A Buddhist practitioner should first learn to forgive.
Forgiveness brings about miracles, helping save broken relationships.
Forgiveness helps us understand others like a lamp that illuminates our hearts, enabling us to let go of resentment, vengeance, and jealousy.
Forgiveness is the path to a healthy state of mind.

Happiness has nothing to do with money.
Money cannot buy Dharma joy.
In fact, the more we have in this world, the more afflictions we may face.

We never know the value of what we have until we lose it.
There is no medicine for regret in this world.
Everything is already gone when we begin to regret.
However, for a Buddhist practitioner, there is a cure for regret—reciting the Eighty-eight Buddhas Great Repentance.

As Buddhist practitioners, we must treat everyone and everything with kindness and compassion, and relieve ourselves of worries with wisdom.
Be grateful to others for their hard work.
Adopt the Buddhist philosophy of feeling others’ pain and suffering as our very own to protect ourselves from disasters and to understand the true meaning of life.

Bias happens when one fails to see things in their entirety.
No matter how good a watch is, it is biased if it is not accurate.
Life’s journey can be compared to buttoning a shirt.
If the first button is put wrong, then every button will be wrong.
If a person takes one wrong step, all his life will go wrong.

A road cannot be driven on without the effort of its builders.
A flower cannot blossom without the care of gardeners.
Sentient beings cannot be liberated from suffering and attain happiness without the compassion of Buddhist practitioners.

When we help others, we sow the seeds of being able to receive help in times of need.
When we form good affinities with others, we can come together like a family reunion.

We should cherish the Buddhist friends we encounter in this life.
Such good affinities were formed from countless past lifetimes of cultivating minds and going through trials and tribulations together.
We should not be envious of the wealth and fame others possess in this life.
Such blessings are the results of performing good deeds and accumulating virtues in the endless cycle of rebirth.
Likewise, some of the misfortunes in our lives are merely the inescapable retribution for our evil deeds in the past, caught up in the endless cycle of rebirth.
Hence, we should be careful of our actions.

We should cultivate blessings and virtues by doing good in this world.
Leave to our children more virtues, so that they can pass these virtues onto their children and protect them.

Wisdom is the key to sparing us from the many karmic obstacles brought upon by the impermanence of life.
Live a life free from attachments, and let nature takes its course.
Recognise that when we are born into this world, we start taking responsibility for our behaviour.
Our lives are the place where we generate positive karma and eliminate negative karma.

One who conceals his own weaknesses by hurting others is someone who not only suffers from mental instability, but also is hurt by demons of the mind.

Selfishness is like a time bomb—it will certainly explode one day, just like a selfish person will certainly hurt himself.

Only when we truly believe in Bodhisattva will we be trusted by others.
Only when we truly believe that our pure hearts can help others will we truly get help from others in times of need.

Learning Buddhism is learning to push aside all worldly afflictions.
All people and all things have aspects that pose obstacles for us.
To return to the original state of our inherent virtuous nature, we must see through the truth of life and become completely enlightened.

Recite the Great Compassion Mantra, and make praises to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

We are capable of being enlightened if we discover our faults.
We begin to be enlightened if we correct our faults.
We will awaken if we discover all our mistakes.
We will be thoroughly enlightened if we correct all our mistakes.

We should take a good look at this world and see it clearly.
If there are still things that we cannot make peace with, it means we do not have enough compassion.
If there are still people that we look down upon, it means we are not wise enough.
If we are still occupied by worries, it means we are still disturbed by demons.

A wise person has no desire.
With desire comes disappointment.
If we indulge ourselves in disappointment, we will lose hope in the end.
As such, we should not have any expectations in the first place.
Expectation will only lead to more disappointment.

Happiness is not defined by our wealth or our status, but by how we choose to live our lives.
Only when we are not entangled in the pursuit of fame and wealth will we truly be liberated.
A liberated life is a life truly worth living.

We as Buddhist practitioners should learn to let go of our bottomless desire for materialistic enjoyment, otherwise we will harm our minds.
If we can let go of our desire for materialistic enjoyment, we will be able to bring our mental and spiritual well-being to perfection.

Our character determines how well we practise Buddhism and enlighten others.
Our wisdom determines how well we turn ourselves into decent people and propagate Buddhism.
Our virtues determine how well we build and maintain interpersonal relationships.
When we face everyone and everything in life with compassion and wisdom, we find ourselves more open and free.

To respect others is to respect ourselves.
Respecting others is not something we give but something we reap;
it is a true expression of the compassion within ourselves.

A Buddhist practitioner should first learn to respect others.
Respect generates trust, allowing us to turn a foe into a friend.
Treat people equally, acknowledge the achievements of others, praise others, respect the good character of others, unite, and make our families more peaceful.
Respect all people.
A most important virtue for Buddhist practitioners is to respect the elderly and love the young.

If we wish to have blessings, we must fulfil our filial duties.
Those who fulfil their filial duties will surely have blessings in the living world.

A true Buddhist practitioner is one who recites Buddhist scriptures, acts like Amitabha, and thinks like the Buddha.

To practise Buddhism and to be a good person is a kind of transcendence—a notion that goes beyond the human realm.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas told us what is good and what is evil.
However, they did not tell us which paths to choose.
The choice is ours;
our life is in our own hands.
Practising Buddhism is a way to hold ourselves accountable for our conscience.
Thus, we should be mindful of our conscience and true nature.

There is nothing in this world that we cannot come to terms with.
Everything happens following the law of cause and effect.
We should not bring worries upon ourselves.
Others may say or do something wrong, but we should not punish or distress ourselves over the mistakes they have made.

Understand that everything in this world is an illusion, it is empty by nature.
To live a life truly worth living, we need to overcome our afflictions and desires.
With tranquillity and purity, we can be free from obstructions.
Do not be greedy.
We must often remind ourselves that “I do not need anything more”, “It’s good enough” and “It’s OK”.

A believer in Buddhism will never doubt;
a doubter will never believe.
A benevolent man practises Dharma in his daily life, while an evil man drifts away from practising Dharma.
The wise practise Dharma sincerely, while the foolish practise Dharma half-heartedly.

Enduring hardship is a process of eliminating karmic obstacles.
Those who can accept reality understand how to change reality.
For a Buddhist practitioner, suffering is only temporary.
For a non-practitioner, suffering will be long-lasting.

Holding onto resentment only deepens our sadness.
Showing compassion opens our hearts.