佛言佛語（八）

Behind affluence lurks sadness, while happiness breeds afflictions.

With pure emptiness and non-action, one attains the ‘nirvana without remainder’.

In whatever we do, we must refrain from being selfish;
we must be open-minded and desire nothing from others.
Then we will have wisdom in dealing with things.

Death is the final destination of life, so it is imperative for we Buddhist practitioners to use the Six Paramitas to guide ourselves out of the road to death.

The spiritually pure land means a mind of selflessness.

Leading a monastic life of spiritual practice enables a person to uncover their true nature.

With in-depth understanding comes profound liberation.

Change is the only way, albeit with pain.

Space and time are simply reasons for our existence.

Truth manifests more of its value in a world of illusion.

Faith is the source of strength.

There is a price to pay for being compassionate, and that is forbearance.

Enlightenment is gratifying, but blunders are regrettable.

Compassion is the foundation of morality.

By living in a state of enlightenment, you are able to see light.

Once we have awakened, we come to realise that we have been in a spiritual coma for too long.

There is no reason for you not to change yourself;
there are no grounds for you not to be spiritually awakened.

A great career begins small;
a great level of spirituality begins from compassion.

To cultivate the mind is wise;
to be awakened is to gain wisdom.
The path from cultivating the mind to being spiritually awakened is the process of developing wisdom.

Arguing over right and wrong or over merits and demerits is not a wise act.
Putting one’s mind to elevating levels of spirituality is Prajna wisdom.

Only when a person practises mindfulness of perception and conduct to perfection can they achieve enlightenment.

The four great aspirations refer to the Four Boundless States of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity.

Compassion is the platform for spiritual practice.

Once awakened, one succeeds in breaking through the shackles of delusion and attaining enlightenment.

Cultivating the mind is a process by which we understand life.

The body may be in the world of vanity, but the heart is with the Buddha.
Transcend this mundane world to attain nirvana.

Cultivating the mind is one way of regulating the mindset by ourselves.

Causes and conditions lead to cycles of rebirths.
To break off consciousness demonstrates the level of spirituality.
Realising the truth through meditation gives rise to Prajna wisdom.
Extinction of all defilements is nirvana.

Fears come from the desires which lie hidden in our heart, so we must always be on guard.

Trustworthiness and honesty are the basic values of Buddhist practitioners.

Awakening is a kind of spirituality while enlightenment is a kind of wisdom.
Practise Buddhism earnestly to elevate oneself to a higher level.

Slothfulness and greed are the problems of human beings.
One who is diligent is like a lotus flower which grows out of the mud but remains untarnished.

Change comes with pain, but the joy of Dharma that comes with change is blissful.

The elevation of one’s level of spirituality symbolises the elevation of one’s quality.
To depart from the human realm is the fundamental basis for spiritual cultivation.

Enlightenment is the wisdom of Bodhisattvas;
compassion is the source of spiritual cultivation to Buddhahood.

One will only cherish something upon realising the value of it.
Progressing from feeling moved to feeling grateful, you gain the foundation for compassion.

The path to becoming a Bodhisattva begins with the potential for the realisation of Prajna wisdom.

Regret is the result of foolishness;
change is the cause of wisdom.

Awakening arises when a person realises their mistakes and mends their ways.

The existence of consciousness is the cause of ceaseless karma.

Consciousness arising from delusion is merely false emptiness;
the void consciousness arising from conditioned origination and inherent emptiness is true Prajna wisdom.

Words steeped in wisdom make up the energy field of the mind.

The potential for enlightenment originates from one’s innate nature and actions from the innermost part of one’s mind.

Those who can’t get along well with others are arrogant and attached to the self.
It is noble for them to let go of the perception of self.

Bodhisattvas silently help people in need.
One can attain eternity only by acting in accordance with karmic conditions.

Upon experiencing real pain, we will learn to cherish what we have and realise that whatever we have is the result of toil.

In life, people live in contention with each other, vying for their self-interests.
They may gain wealth and fame, but what they get in the end is failure.

Our hearts can be changed.
It all depends on sincerity first and then persistence.

Care and concern in the human realm are affection;
loving-kindness and compassion in the human realm are enlightenment.

Bear in mind that everything in the world is perpetually changing.
You won’t feel pain as long as you learn to view things from the perspectives of progress and change.

Energy is formed in wisdom and enlightenment.

One who fully understands the law of cause and effect will never have regrets.

When the heart is upright, heaven and earth are upright too.
When the heart is evil, heaven and earth are deviated too.
To cultivate the mind is to reform ourselves.

With awakening comes realisation.

Enlightened ones are hard to come by.
Once you are filled with the potential for enlightenment, hope will bring you eternity.

The formation of our outlook on life is reshaping the concept of equanimity.

One becomes a Buddha if one lives for the sake of all sentient beings.

To live without worries is to be liberated.

A life without helping to elevate the spiritual life of sentient beings is a life without purpose.

Everyone seems to know about helping sentient beings to be spiritually awakened, but you must forget about yourself and endure hardships so that you can be truly committed to it.

Covering unwholesome thoughts and words or distorting the truth amounts to making false speech.

An interpretation of suffering is to let go.

The human realm that we live in is a creation of our mind;
all phenomena are attributed to the mind.

A pure mind is the foundation for elevating one’s level of spirituality.

Practising meditation itself is realising the truth;
realising the truth itself is Prajna wisdom.
When you realise emptiness, you will understand the truth about Zen.

When you get rid of your inner demons, you will discover that the ‘true self’ is actually a ‘false self’.

Without going through gruelling trials and tribulations, how can one be pure like a lotus flower glowing with Bodhi light?

We will cherish something only when we have lost it.
This is acquired wisdom.

Affinity in itself is merely a feeling.
Do not plant the seed of affinity in your heart, and you will succeed in having great compassion towards all, even with whom you have no affinities.

Life is but a dream.
We can be easily jolted awake from illusory dreams;
and dreams, like bubbles, will eventually vanish into thin air.

By transforming the mind and perception, one can change one’s destiny.

Having understood the pain in life, you will know that pain is the gift of success.

Be open-minded and study the strength of various schools of thought.
Thoroughly understand one dharma;
then one can penetrate myriad dharmas.
This is what makes Buddha-dharma extraordinary.

To observe the precepts is to find the freedom of the mind.

Conserving one’s internal energy creates unlimited power of diligence.

Being moved gives rise to positive energy.
Only those who are frequently moved will have frequent appreciation and insight.
Buddha nature is found in the potential for enlightenment, whereas energy is found in the sentiment.

Aspiring to be liberated can be compared to a lock while a Buddhist method is the key.
One who chooses the correct Buddhist practice can be liberated.

Explore the innate nature from the wisdom of sentient beings and elevate our level of spirituality amidst simple life.
Always thinking of others can lead us closer to the Buddha.
By observing the precepts, we can perfect the illumination of our innate nature.

In the face of troubles, one who remains calm is not rash.
In the face of troubles, one who breaks through ignorance attains true concentration.

A calm mind will filter out the defilements in the heart.
A mind of discipline and concentration will filter out a myriad of karmic obstacles.

Perfection of wisdom comes from identifying oneself with sentient beings;
the perfection of merits and virtues is attributed to the Triple Gems of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Everyone must learn the infinite compassion of Guan Yin Bodhisattva and be generous and compassionate to all, even with whom you have no affinities.
Tolerate and understand all sentient beings.

As Buddhist practitioners, we must open our hearts to cultivating a higher level of spirituality.
Only then are we able to harmonise with sentient beings.
Attachment to deluded thoughts and prejudice only serves to build a barrier dividing ourselves from sentient beings.

When the heart becomes quieter, the energy becomes purer.
Such energy is like tea leaves in a cup;
when they are submerged in hot water, the fragrance of tea will permeate the air.

Giving is not the highest level of spirituality;
understanding the act of giving is a more ideal way of cultivation.

When the cause is exterminated, the effect becomes void.
Emptiness refers to the principle that when one ceases to create the ‘cause’, the karmic seed will bear no fruit.
This is the so-called celestial law expounded in the Buddha’s teaching;
this is the right way of cultivation.

Where there is no regret in life, there is merit;
where there is no disgruntlement in life, there is virtue.
Where there is neither disgruntlement nor regret, there are true merits and virtues.

Attachment is a burden that leads to confusion, which in turn causes pain.

Observing precepts is a kind of disciplinary concept;
one must abide by the precepts.
Any mental indulgence in sensual pleasures amounts to breaking the precepts.

At a high level of spirituality, one experiences fewer ups and downs in life;
one who has a low level of spirituality is emotionally erratic.

Charisma which develops from one’s cultivation is the manifestation of one’s wisdom.
Being serious is a sign of diligence, a manifestation of wisdom.

Cows that drink water produce milk;
snakes that drink water spit out venom.
Only by learning Buddhism can we finesse in speech and frequently praise others.

Observing the precepts is like stopping when the traffic light turns red and proceeding when the light turns green.
Abiding by the precepts means that one must see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil.
Observing the precepts is the concept of discipline.

When speaking, our words must carry weight;
we must conduct ourselves with strength.

When a person gets the ideals wrong, they miss many opportunities.

To cultivate the mind is to be able to see one’s own destiny and energy.
It is like seeing one’s soul.
When there is hope in the heart, one will not be disappointed.
With the blessing of the Bodhisattva, the Buddha Dharma becomes our lifeline.
With firm determination, there will be hope in the heart.

Any heedlessness in the mind is tantamount to breaking the precepts.
The process of observing the precepts is cultivating the Way.

Act prudently from beginning to end;
remain true to our original aspiration.

Slow-flowing water runs deep;
one who is cautious in words is noble.
We need two years to learn to speak but ten years to learn to be discreet in what we say.
To learn to be discreet in speech is the beginning of spiritual practice.

The distinction between ‘doing’ and ‘non-doing’ lies in intention and purpose.
The former is attached to appearances while the latter breaks through the attachments to four kinds of appearances.
Doing something without expecting any reward shows the ability to avoid attachment to appearances.

Liberated from the cycle of rebirth are those who are no longer subject to birth and death.

When it comes to reciting Buddhist scriptures, we must recite the right ones.
We must conduct ourselves with uprightness and nobility.

Those who are awakened are matured spiritually.
Those who harbour immature thoughts for a long time will develop autism and depression.

One must be morally upright so evil will not affect them.

It is most important to nurture a kind heart.
Kindness is a gift bestowed to us by the Bodhisattva.
People who are kind to others are rewarded with kindness.

Those who perpetually do good are virtuous;
those who do not care much about wealth will have people rally around them;
Those who are disciplined will convince people;
those who are tolerant will win over the hearts of many;
those who take initiatives will become leaders.

Regard hardships as contributing factors to our betterment.
We will not cultivate the mind well without the tests of tribulations.
The more adversities we encounter, the more merits and virtues we attain in fulfilling our Buddhist practice.

Do not regard pain as everlasting.
We need to search our Buddha nature in the midst of pain.

It is easy to let ourselves off the hook but difficult to be tolerant of others.

Those who suffer the most are those who have to wait in agony for the consequences of their own action.

If we wish to break free from the vexations of life, we must never trap ourselves in our lives, which are hard to come by.

A man of great wisdom does not care about worldly matters;
hence they appear foolish;
whereas a fool pretends to know everything;
hence they appear wise.

Be tolerant of others and take a step back, you will see a wider perspective.

A wise man is willing to forgive others.
The Buddha Dharma is the philosophy of the human realm.
People who are muddleheaded can only be wise sometimes, whereas people who think they are clever are muddleheaded at all times.

To let go of excessive desires is the beginning of liberation.

Greatness comes from the ordinary.

It is important to know one’s own limitations.
When it comes to cultivating the mind, it is important to know one’s own shortcomings.

One kind of potential for enlightenment can generate a myriad of wisdom.