佛言佛語（五）

Enlightenment should be the objective of practising Buddhism and cultivating the mind.
We must practise kindness and remove evil thoughts from our minds, replace negative relationships with positive ones, and use wholesome thoughts to let go of all karmic affinities.

As Buddhist practitioners, we must forget about our accomplishments once we have achieved them so we will have no worries.
We must bear in mind our mistakes so we will not repeat them.
We must seek wisdom when we encounter problems so we can resolve them.
We may not be clever, but we must not be confused.
We may not be great, but we must not slacken.
We may fall, but we must be able to pick ourselves up.

It is more important to have mental clarity than to be clever.
Having good habits brings more energy than the mastering of skills.

Buddhists must not harm themselves by harbouring the slightest negative thought.
It may be fine if you bear a grudge against others for a month.
However, if you bear it for a year, two years or even three years, it will only cause you serious harm.

We come into and leave this world empty-handed.
We should let go naturally, liberate ourselves naturally, and become a Buddha naturally.

The act of cherishing is a virtue.
By cherishing your relationships with others, you will be rewarded with sincerity.
By cherishing friendship, you will be rewarded with affection.
Cherishing every tree and blade of grass shows you are a compassionate and kind-hearted person.
Cherishing the Dharma shows you are a person of great wisdom.

We are all caught up in the arising and ceasing of karmic conditions, both large and small, that change constantly and unceasingly.
Our lives start from the transformation of karmic conditions until their end, resulting in extinction.

As Buddhist practitioners, we must understand that if we are unable to practise altruism and help sentient beings, we will never attain the state of ‘emptiness of the self’.
If we cannot empty our thoughts, we will not realise the state of ‘emptiness of the Dharma’.

Our minds should not become entangled in the concept of right and wrong.
If our minds do not make judgments of right and wrong, there will also be no conflicts and contradictions.

Understanding your mind and realising your true nature is about seeing through the nature of birth and death.
Once you know that the human soul will not become extinct, you will realise the importance of spiritual cultivation.

We need to repent our negative karma.
Though we can eliminate many karmic obstacles by reciting Buddhist scriptures, we must not create new negative karma after repenting.
Only then can our blessings and wisdom grow.

True cultivation is about cultivating ourselves without seeking shortcuts.
True cultivation yields the result that corresponds to the Buddha nature.
Once the corresponding result appears, all calamities can be eliminated.

We should use our wisdom to turn the illusory world into a state where something arises out of nothing, and where within nothing, there is something.
In the world of emptiness, the illusory self arises.
We should cultivate the spiritual existence, which can remain in this illusory world forever.
In the meantime, in the physical world, we should cultivate to transcend illusion and discover our true Buddha nature.

When you conduct yourself with kindness, you will nurture boundless love.
Kindness should permeate every aspect of your life and career.
Hence, you will enjoy good health and smooth sailing in your career.

People who are generous will have peace of mind brought by wisdom.
People who are morally upright will possess integrity and a noble character.

In practising Buddhism, delighting others is called compassion, and delighting yourself is called wisdom.

Once you know what to do, you should immediately follow through instead of finding excuses to hinder yourself.
Success is achieved by those who act.
Once you hear and have faith in Buddhism, exercise strong faith to put it into action.
This is what Buddhists call ‘faith, commitment and action’.

As we live in the world, it is only by diligently taking action that we can gain real knowledge.
When we practise Buddhism, it is only by making every effort to help sentient beings to awaken spiritually that the Buddha can stay in our hearts forever.

Everyone has, at one time or another, experienced trauma related to family, children or business.
This, in fact, represents a kind of maturity.
Every trauma that you have experienced reminds you that nothing in this world is perfect or permanent.

When you can’t change others, it is best to change yourself.
Only by changing yourself can you gradually change others.
Only by completely changing yourself can you eventually change your world.
You can’t move a mountain towards you, but you can move towards the mountain.

Buddhist practitioners must place filial piety above everything else and regard compassion as a foundation.
Thus, we should regard those who are older than us as our elders, those who are younger as our children, and those who are of the same age as our siblings.
Then we can truly have boundless compassion.

Only through understanding that life is impermanent and perpetually changing will we cherish our limited lifetime.
Let go of meaningless attachments, and face life’s afflictions and vexations with equanimity.

Buddhist practitioners must be aware that arrogance represents disappointment whereas humility represents clarity.
Lower your head and you will reach the pinnacle of life.

Those who love only themselves and not other sentient beings will have an extremely lonely existence.
Only when you have sentient beings in your heart will you know why you have not become lost.

Inner misery is due to not having wisdom and sentient beings in your heart.
Only when we truly understand ourselves can we trust others, understand sentient beings and possess wisdom.

The friendships and relationships between individuals all depend on firstly, affinities, and secondly, sincerity.

Buddhist practitioners must always remember that what truly lies in the depths of our heart is unconditional love and unreserved, unspoken compassion.

Practising Buddhism teaches you how to conduct yourself.
The Dharma helps you understand the law of cause and effect.
Learn to make room for a pure land in your heart.
Having a pure land in your heart will leave you with a mind that is well-adjusted to sentient beings.

We must value time and cherish life.
Be passionate about life, live life to the fullest, cherish it and value it.
To survive is to succeed, to earn money is only a game, to be healthy is our aim, and to be liberated is the truth.

One who has a sincere heart will have friends;
one who has a kind heart will have compassion.
When one has compassion, one has the Buddha nature.

Being ordinary is great, being strong is long lasting, but only being compassionate is eternal.

Only when you frequently recite Buddhist scriptures and become less troubled by worries will your pure mind and compassion emerge.

Even if you are unhappy, do not disrupt the happiness of others.
Even if you experience failure, do not slacken.
Everything in the world is impermanent and even though you have failed, things would change if you are persistent and make relentless effort.

Do not attempt to predict or make assumptions about the future;
it is most important to look at the present.
The Diamond Sutra states that ‘The past is unattainable, the present is unattainable, the future is unattainable’.
Let bygones be bygones.
The future is still in the process of cultivation.
Take good hold of the present and you will enjoy Dharma bliss now.

Many people’s hearts are forever closed, like rooms with locked doors.
Unwilling to engage with others, they become withdrawn.
When you know the door to your heart is closed, learn to open it and liberate yourself.

Everything is a result of karma.
In this world, love and hate do not arise without reason.
Having learnt Buddhism, we learn to give and to be compassionate to all.

As Buddhist practitioners, we should care for and repay the kindness of our parents without complaint.
Practise kindness and compassion in accordance with karmic conditions.
If we have compassion, our lives will certainly be transformed for the better.

The Dharma is capable of solving the problems of modern life.
The Dharma is not history, but the key to solving life’s issues and worries.

As we practise Buddhism, it is essential that we know what kindness is.
Kindness is about helping others with all of your heart.

According to the law of cause and effect, karmic retribution is certain when it ripens.
How then do we extricate ourselves from this karmic cycle?
The best solution is to exert effort on the ‘cause’.

This is how karma works:
When you give wealth, you receive wealth.
When you let go of worries, you gain wisdom.
When you let go of the self, you gain happiness.

Your academic qualifications are in the past, your intellect is in the present.

Do not let the mind engage in mischief and conceive of calculating thoughts.
Refrain from doing evil.
Instead, think good thoughts and help others often.
Think always of being a Bodhisattva and your mind will become like that of a Bodhisattva.
Constantly think of and learn from the Bodhisattva’s noble qualities.
Future generations will praise your compassion, your kindness and your charitable and meritorious deeds.

Those who cultivate their minds must learn the ways of the Bodhisattva and use them at all times.
We need to handle change with ease.
Act in accord with karmic conditions when misfortunes arise and be grateful when blessed with good fortunes.
Let nature take its course.

If a Buddhist practitioner is well-versed in Dharma but still behaves like an ordinary person when faced with worries and lets anger get the better of them when matters arise, then it indicates that they have not been cultivating well.

Having an unwholesome state of mind may easily result in the accumulation of negative karma.
When you hate others and always look at the dark side of things, you will be caught up in karmic obstacles.

If you become excessively fixated on dealing with worldly issues, regrets will await you and your karmic obstacles will increase in vexation.
If you handle things appropriately with Dharma wisdom, your heart will be filled with Dharma joy.

Worry not about the future toward which you are yet to exert effort.
Instead, work hard at what is left to be done in the present.

If you wish to attain the right intention of Bodhisattvas, you have to change your attitude first.

Success in your career depends on effort;
Change depends on effort;
Buddhist practice depends on effort.

Reality and your ideals always alternate between pain, suffering, failure and success.
What remains unchanged is patience and diligence.

Do not indulge in pleasures when you are young.
Do not wait till you experience its efficacy before practising Buddhism.
You must be persistent.
Only then will your prayers be answered.

You feel pressure because others are working harder than you.
You experience even greater pressure because those successful people never stop working.

Those who are jealous of others are the least successful.

Hard work doesn’t necessarily pay off immediately.
When you fail, that doesn’t mean you will never succeed.
It is just that you are still sowing the seeds of success.

Instead of complaining about not being respected, change yourself to be noble-minded.

Happy are those who are contented;
their happiness will endure.

Have faith in Bodhisattvas that everything will be arranged for the best.
Bear in mind that this is not the final arrangement but the best arrangement.

To recite Buddhist sutras and mantras is to communicate with Bodhisattvas.
Frequently performing recitations allows Bodhisattvas to understand and bless you.

It is essential for Buddhist practitioners to observe the precepts, and most importantly, to guard against greed for monetary gain and sensual lust.

The size of a temple and the social status of a person are immaterial.
So long as you are sincere in cultivating your mind, prayers will be answered.

As you attain a higher level in your spiritual cultivation, the Dharma Protectors will be stricter with you.

A day without Zen (meditative concentration) is a day without wisdom.

Walk the path of the Bodhisattva;
Think the thoughts of the Bodhisattva;
Speak the words of the Bodhisattva, You will then become a Bodhisattva in the human realm.

If you cause others to conceive of evil or wrongful thoughts, you will beget karmic obstacles.
If you cause others to conceive thoughts about you, you have to bear the burden of their negative karma.

Life is like playing a game of football;
a brief lapse of mindfulness will cause you to be sent off the field.

Compassion is an ideal, a state of mind;
it is light that radiates from one’s innate nature.

The Bodhisattva’s wisdom embraces the human realm, bringing infinite compassion to humanity.

One who is happy is in heaven;
one who worries is heading downwards.

One who can still have a hearty laugh while recalling the past is one who has let go of things.

Dignity is not found in one’s external appearance, but rather in one’s inner cultivation

Being able to make others think straight is wisdom.

Through propagating the Dharma, we not only achieve our goal but also illuminate the path for others.

Being greatly merciful and greatly compassionate means loving other people more than yourself.

People who keep a low profile are attached to nothing.
Those who learn to lower their heads possess wisdom and courage.

Being aware of the suffering experienced by sentient beings enables us to rouse their inherent nature.

Universal love can sometimes appear selfish because those who pursue it leave their families.
But this love is, in fact, truly universal because it achieves a greater good.

Use collective wisdom to conquer your own thoughts.

Great acts of kindness may seem to be merciless whereas minor acts of kindness may seem to be great evil.
When doing good, one needs to take the effect into consideration.

A petty person will look upon a Bodhisattva as yet another petty person, whereas a Bodhisattva will look upon another Bodhisattva always as a Bodhisattva.

Our thoughts can shape our lives.
Good thoughts will make us cheerful and bring us happiness.
Erroneous thoughts will lead us astray and even cost us our lives!

Do all kinds of good and you will attain all-embracing wisdom.
Eliminate all evil thoughts and you will reap good karma.

Everything in life is due to self-awareness;
it all depends on our choices.

Life is impermanent and everything is subject to formation, existence, decay and emptiness.

Refusing to budge from delusion will only land you in the sea of suffering.
Cultivate diligently and the shore of Enlightenment will be in sight.

Those who constantly think of themselves are petty.
Those who are devoted to serving others have a noble character.

Thoughts arise unceasingly as long as we live.
Failing to control our thoughts will land us in the cycle of birth and death.

People who have accrued merits and virtues have Buddha nature.
When they apply their Buddha nature to perform good deeds, they accrue merits and virtues.

One must be able to see the light and future and break free from their afflictive obstructions or else they will be unable to find the path back to heaven.

In cherishing, we possess.
It’s because we fail to cherish something that we lose it.
Everyone must know that, in this world, we must learn to transcend the ‘self’.

When faced with difficulties, many will say that there is nothing they can do.
In this world, there is always a solution.
It is just that you wish to reap without sowing and you don’t want to work for it.
Buddhist practitioners must have a clear conscience, only then will you live up to your true nature.

Deluded people are attached to materialism, holding onto their own interests and acting only for their own benefit.
Enlightened people have Prajna wisdom;
they apply their wisdom to solve problems that they encounter in everyday life.

The deluded mind is the source of suffering.
When you are intent on getting what is beyond your reach, failing to do so causes you to suffer.

As we live, we must always be cheerful and think of the positive side of things and be happy.

One who has no self has attained a high level of spirituality.
One who clings to the self cannot make spiritual progress.

Once you are able to think straight, the whole world goes your way and the world seems beautiful to you.

Once you have criticised someone, you should treat them better.
The more you want them to be good, the more you must point out their shortcomings.

When you are able to illuminate the emptiness of the Five Aggregates, you are able to eliminate all hindrances in life.

When a person has no wandering thoughts, what remains in their memory is the knowledge of right thoughts.

When you sow kindness, you gain compassion.
Only by helping others can you achieve your aims.

The basis of Buddhism is kindness, compassion and abstinence from false speech.

Others may forgive your shortcomings, but you must not forgive yourself, otherwise you will not correct your mistakes.

Zen is about gentleness within strength, and strength within gentleness.
Strength and gentleness complement each other.
We should be strong when the situation warrants it and be gentle when the need arises.
If ‘strength’ is stretched to its limit, it will break.
On the other hand, we cannot get things done if we are too gentle.

In practising Buddhism, what is most important is to correct erroneous thinking.
If you think clearly, you can make headway in all matters.
On the other hand, if you can’t think clearly, everything will stand in your way.

The process of learning is like sowing seeds;
it all depends on the right timing, favourable conditions and interpersonal harmony for the seed of enlightenment to grow.
Only then will Prajna wisdom develop.
We must first learn well if we wish to achieve success.

When practising Buddhism and spiritual cultivation, one who doesn’t observe the precepts is not compassionate.

A person must have faith.
A person without faith is like a person without a soul.

A person who experiences no pressure will not correct their shortcomings.

Practising Buddhism is a tough climb, but joy awaits at the summit.
As there are many difficulties on the way, perseverance is a must.

Buddhist practitioners must rely on their potential for enlightenment and wisdom in order not to waste away their time.

We can only attain the Bodhisattva’s level of spirituality when we thoroughly break off human emotional ties.

Practising Buddhism and spiritual cultivation is truly good;
taking the middle way is of utmost importance.

One who has the courage to assume responsibility is noble-minded;
one who always wants to evade responsibilities will see the beginning of foolishness.

People who desire nothing are noble in character.
People who have no desires will be respected, and their minds remain calm.

Buddhist practitioners must act like a clock to constantly regulate their frame of mind.

We must confess when we have done something wrong because trustworthiness is of great importance.
Confessing our mistakes indicates our awakening.
Concealing our mistakes will lead to more blunders.

Buddhist practitioners must be serious.
Do not conceive unwholesome thoughts with Bodhisattvas.
Do not lie to Dharma Protectors.
Do not joke with your own spiritual life.

While practising Buddhism and spiritual cultivation every day, we must make progress every day, and get closer to the noble level of heaven every day.

Every crisis precedes a turning point.

Those who are not awakened will live a life riddled with blunders.

Sooner or later our image will decline but our wisdom remains forever.
Hence, we should get rid of our attachment to the self.

When someone is down and out, we mustn’t rub salt into their wounds.
We need to rejoice when seeing others in good times.
When someone says something bad about us, we must exercise forbearance and diligence.
When someone speaks well of us, we must avoid becoming arrogant.

While in the human realm, train your heart to be compassionate so that you can return to heaven.
If you still harbour greed, hatred and delusion, you will not achieve any level of spirituality in this life.

To be grateful is to cherish;
to cherish is to be grateful.

We can only change ourselves by repenting.
There is no chance for us to change without repentance.

Morality can be used to make up for the inadequacy of our wisdom, but wisdom cannot be used to make up for the inadequacy of our morality.

Though we are human beings with emotions, we must treat feelings with equanimity.
As we can’t take with us anything from the mortal world, we must look beyond it.
Human relationships are not eternal.

A father said to his son, “I love you very much but I’m going to send you to a place far away so that you won’t be too sad when I die.” Such is the compassion and love of a father.

A good captain is always ready to correct the course of navigation.
Success of an individual lies in constantly correcting oneself.
If weather and temperature can be adjusted, why can’t you adjust your life?

Don’t take things too seriously, then you won’t hurt yourself.
If you take things lightly, you will be able to quickly get through the hurdles in life.
By taking things too seriously, you will get stuck in a quagmire with no way of extricating yourself.

In practising Buddhism, one must maintain strong faith and persist without slackening.
Spiritual progress cannot be made by merely listening to others.

The mental states of normality and abnormality are measured by one’s level of wisdom and morality.

Attachment to dharmas includes attachment to the methods and teachings of Buddhism.
For instance, a smoker would argue that the five precepts make no mention of abstinence from smoking!
It is only when you eliminate your ignorance through cultivation that you will discover your previous attachment to dharmas.
It takes relentless cultivation to eliminate the attachment to the self and delusion, only then can you eradicate attachment to dharmas.

Being grateful means understanding the law of cause and effect.
Gratitude will arise when one makes an effort to understand the cause.

A Bodhisattva is one who helps sentient beings to develop their good spiritual foundations, positive affinities and moral conduct.

The unfathomable connection of affinities is a by-product of impermanence.
The arising and ceasing of karmic conditions as well as the phases of formation, existence, decay, and emptiness are all associated with karmic conditions.
Where there is matter, there is extinction, but the spirituality is eternal.
Practising Buddhism and cultivating the mind is all about maintaining the spiritual joy within.

Live in the present, forget the past and look forward to the future.
Break away from the suffering of hell and enjoy the Dharma bliss of the Pure Land.
Through cultivation, our minds become increasingly pure and sincere.

If you can think straight when faced with an issue, this is regarded as good affinity.
On the other hand, it is regarded as negative affinity if you can’t think straight.
Both are considered to be karmic affinities, be it good or bad.
It all depends on how you deal with it.

In whatever we do, we must know how to let go of the ‘self’.
Buddhist practitioners will not give up spiritual happiness.
The worldly pleasures enjoyed by mortals are not true happiness.

Bodhisattvas help people to achieve spiritual attainment according to the level of their aspirations.
“Bodhisattvas” are those who can let go of themselves to accomplish the state of ‘no-self’.

Human beings are divided into three grades according to their spiritual attainment.
Those who help people readily are in the upper grade;
those who act in accordance with karmic conditions are in the middle grade, while those who observe the precepts are in the lower grade.

Awaken immediately and do not be confused by worldly desires.
If you fail to become awakened, how will you know where your true home is?

Transform the Five Aggregates into ‘positivity’, and the ‘eight types of suffering’ into real happiness.

If there is no ‘self ’, the attachment to dharmas will not arise.
Hence, the human factor is important.
If we fail to free ourselves of worldly concerns, we cannot end our attachment to dharmas, and we will remain in an ignorant state.
If we wish to become a Buddha, we must eliminate ignorance (even a thought of it), and extinguish our attachment to the ‘self’.

When we integrate wisdom and the Dharma into our life, we can transcend the vexations of the human realm and reach the shore of liberation.

We must view everything as changeable, only then will we understand impermanence.
Everything is perpetually changing.

Let meditative concentration lead us to perfect wisdom.

Those who practise equanimity are able to contemplate karmic conditions in a positive way.
Those who are easily agitated are unable to act in accordance with karmic conditions.

Being a Bodhisattva in the human realm is all about a kind of potential for enlightenment.

When we regard an issue we encounter as something normal, we will slowly adjust and remain calm no matter what happens.

Every thought that we conceive, our state of mind, and how we conduct ourselves in daily life, should all remain the same no matter what we encounter, because humans all live within a concept of reality.

Those who are able to solve any issue have Prajna wisdom;
those who have worries when faced with an issue are devoid of wisdom.

Those who observe the precepts will not be arrogant;
those who believe in sentient beings will have no doubt.

Contemplate the spiritual state your inner mind is in.
If you constantly contemplate yourself as within the Buddha realm, you will transcend the human realm spiritually.