We shouldn’t have to suffer the cycle of rebirth (samsara)—it is truly bitter. I’m telling you this: even while we’re alive in this world, we can already taste what samsara is like. Let me give you a few examples. Take someone who once had terrible stomach pain. When he was young, he took a lot of medicine and eventually recovered. But once he got better, he stopped being careful and forgot all about the past. When the pain returned, it instantly reminded him of how it felt before. That’s one flavour of samsara—pain returning in cycles. Or think of a woman in labour. The pain is unbearable, and she vows, “I’m never doing this again; one child is enough—this nearly cost me my life.” Yet, after some time, she has another child, because she’s entered the cycle again.
It’s the same with our habits. I make a mistake today and, a few days later, I make it again. Think about thieves in prison: they steal, get locked up, are released, steal again, and go back in. The police know them by name. They catch a thief, check the records, and say, “Oh, it’s him again—six times in, six times out.” Isn’t that samsara? It’s a cycle of flawed thinking and moral decline, where people can’t control themselves. Whenever you’re in pain, you’re already caught in a cycle.
So, where is the bigger cycle? When you die in this life and are reborn in the next, you won’t be the same person. If you fail to cultivate in this life, when you reborn as a human in the next, you’ll have a different name and a different identity. And some, through failing to cultivate, only realise the truth when they find themselves reborn as, say, a horse. By then, their human consciousness is gone—they only know, “I’m a horse.” Look at those eyes, rolling from side to side—how pitiful. At that point, there’s nothing left to say. Just two words: too late.
If you don’t have a teacher—a master—how can you learn? Do you think you can just pick up a book, read it, and grasp the truth on your own? In this world, you need a wise teacher to guide you. I’ve said it time and again: it’s not about a “famous” teacher, but one who truly understands the Dharma. Everyone’s searching for a wise teacher, and many who meet me say, “I’ve found him.” And what about you sitting here—are you truly cultivating? I often post my Dharma talks online, and as soon as some people read them, they say, “Master has been very strict with us lately—he must have seen all the karmic obstacles and faults we carry.” In fact, the talk they’re reading may have been given long ago. Every time I upload a teaching, Buddhist friends immediately reflect and feel it speaks directly to their own shortcomings. In truth, every article and every talk I give is timely. It’s like certain fruits—they’re good for you in all seasons.
So let me tell you this: if you can free yourself from samsara while still in the human realm, you will attain the “sacred fruit”. What is the sacred fruit? It is a holy result—a profoundly sacred outcome of karma—that brings you complete blessings and virtue. And what does “complete blessings and virtue” mean? It means your good fortune, your moral conduct, and your inner virtue are all growing to fullness. When blessings and virtue are complete, only then can you truly be liberated.
If a person has no blessings, they can’t attain liberation. Let me give you a simple example: someone who has to work every day just to feed their family is a person lacking in blessings. In truth, it means their blessings aren’t enough, so they can’t be free. Why? Because they have no time to recite sutras, and without recitation, they can’t eliminate their karmic obstacles. They work, they’re in pain, they keep working, the pain worsens, and in the end, they pass away like that—because they lack blessings.
But someone who can regularly make time to do good deeds—who can join me to spread the Dharma in Brisbane, Malaysia, or even Europe—that’s someone with abundant blessings. If a wealthy person cultivates blessings, I’m telling you, they’ll progress faster than many who are less well-off. Why? Because they cultivated in their past life, which is why they have so many blessings now, allowing them to advance in their cultivation more quickly. On the other hand, those with less financial means often find it harder to perform meritorious deeds. For example, when it comes to giving, those who are financially well-off can make greater offerings. They are truly blessed, and in return, they can exchange that for more merit and virtue. This isn’t about judging by money alone—because the very money they have now also comes from the merit and virtue they accumulated in past lives. Do you understand?
People suffer when their blessings and virtues are incomplete. For instance, many lack morality—they swear at others, hit people, or have bad habits. This shows they are lacking in virtue. Without virtue, a person cannot truly be a good Buddhist practitioner. The principle is simple: those who can make time to recite sutras are people with blessings. Those who can afford not to work—or whose finances allow them to focus on studying Buddhism and chanting—are blessed because they have the time to practise. There was an elderly lady who could recite more than ten Little Houses in a single day—she was able to overcome her karmic trial. But if you have to work every day and have no time to recite sutras or do meritorious deeds, your blessings are incomplete. If you can work while also reciting sutras, that too is a sign of blessings—because many jobs don’t allow you to recite while working. For example, if your job involves selling meat or seafood, that too reflects a lack of blessings.
You need blessings. So, where do they come from? From the cultivation you did in past lives, which brings blessings in this one. Don’t envy others. Those with financial means can make greater offerings and, in turn, receive more merit and virtue—that’s just how it is. Where did their money come from? It’s from their past-life cultivation. Understand? Why do they have wealth now? Because the insight they developed in their past life has brought them blessings and virtue in this one.
So, what is virtue? It’s when a person lives uprightly—never doing bad deeds—and has good character. Such a person can receive the blessings of the Bodhisattvas, earn the trust of others, and be capable of learning Buddhism. In other words, they have the moral foundation to become a Buddhist practitioner. Sometimes you want to help a family member. But if your spouse is constantly swearing or cursing, that shows a lack of virtue. By marrying them, first—you yourself lacked virtue; second—they lacked virtue; and third—if you have no money, no time, and can’t spare time to study Buddhism and recite sutras—that’s also a lack of blessings.
That’s why learning Buddhism requires both blessings and virtue. Someone with ample blessings and virtue can make time to do meritorious deeds. For example, even if I don’t have much money, I can choose to spend less and still perform meritorious deeds. If my virtue is lacking—say I curse or lose my temper—I can work on stopping that, making time to slowly cultivate my virtue. Such a person still has blessings and virtue, even if it’s less than others—and that’s far better than having none at all, right? You might say everyone’s equal, but in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, practitioners are divided into nine grades of lotus flowers based on their level of cultivation. Isn’t that true? There are distinctions in spiritual attainment. If everyone’s practice were the same, there would be no such grades in the Pure Land. You reap what you sow: put in a little effort, get a little reward; put in great effort, get great reward. Got it? Someone with blessings already has a strong foundation. But how do you build on that foundation? That’s up to you. Understand? So, if you seek liberation, you must cultivate both blessings and virtue.
In this human realm—the realm of afflictions—there arise 84,000 kinds of illnesses. In other words, in our human world there are 84,000 kinds of diseases, and so there are 84,000 Dharma Doors. People’s troubles are countless, their suffering is unbearable, and their exhaustion pushes them to the limit. That’s why Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Dharma Door came into being—it is a practice where every sincere request receives a response. Do you understand? You must realise that practising Buddhism takes place right here in the human realm, the path of afflictions. From this path arise 84,000 kinds of illnesses. These illnesses throw your body and mind out of balance, tormenting you. How do you change that? You need the power of vows to transform it. Understand? Who among you has the power of vows? What vows have you made?
You must increase your blessings and extend your life. Increasing blessings and longevity really means increasing blessings and virtue—because only a virtuous person can live a long life, and only a person with blessings can live in comfort. People who are stuck working endlessly, struggling for the basics—food and shelter—can’t let go; that’s a kind of affliction too. Who among you can truly let go? Let me tell you a story. There was a man who took on a gruelling job, working day and night, utterly exhausted. He thought it was a great job and clung to it, refusing to let go. I advised him, “If you keep holding on to this job, you’ll never find one that truly suits you. Let it go. Don’t rush—look for something that matches your professional training.” He had studied chemistry, specialising in the reflective pavement markers used on roads, but he was working in a nursing home, aching all over from the physical labour. He was a highly skilled engineer. Because of my advice, he resolutely quit the nursing home job and began studying chemistry online. Even though he didn’t have Australian qualifications in chemical research, he landed a job in a research institute’s lab. Because he let go, he was able to gain something better. If he’d stayed stuck in that nursing home job, when would he ever have found his true path? Now he’s thriving, working in the research lab of a major Australian company, specialising in chemical research. Some Westerners initially didn’t rate the research skills of Chinese professionals highly, even though the principles are the same. But as his English improved and he integrated with his Western colleagues, they began treating him as an engineer. That’s success—because he let go, he was able to gain.
Today, a taxi driver came to see me, and I pointed out a number of health issues. I laid it out clearly for him. I said, “If you keep driving like this, your whole body is going to be riddled with problems. Your urinary system is already playing up.” He said, “Yeah, we taxi drivers have to hold it in.” I said, “Your stomach’s not right.” He replied, “We never get a proper meal.” I said, “Your sleep’s off.” He admitted, “We can’t tell morning from night.” Then I said, “One more thing—you’re too involved with women.” He shrugged, “Well, taxi drivers are pretty casual about that.” Plus, he has a gambling problem. This was the man who came this afternoon. I gave him a clear direction forward. I told him, “You can’t keep sinking like this. Set yourself a deadline—say, six months—to change careers. No more taxi driving. Find something better, even if it’s opening a small café or a corner shop.” After hearing me out, he left my office feeling lighter, saying, “Master Lu, I feel like there’s hope now.” Otherwise, he’s in constant pain—sitting there with an aching back and hips. Driving’s tough, you know: back pain, a foot stuck in the same position, driving for hours—sometimes 12 hours a day. Think about it: if he doesn’t let go, how will he secure a better future or better health?
That’s why I urge you to let go. Let go of the bad stuff—the filthy things that drag your life down. Let go of the clutter in your mind, the things that harm your body and soul—that is unwholesome karma. When you stop creating unwholesome karma, you’ve essentially let go. Learn to let go; cultivate blessings and virtue. A person needs virtue to inspire others. Someone with good character can win people over and earn their respect. But if you lack morals, no one is going to look up to you. Can someone who hits others make people respect them? Or someone who’s always cursing? No. You win people over with virtue. To lead in this world, you need high virtue to earn respect. What you’re hearing is the highest wisdom—the language of the Bodhisattvas. Study it well.