STAY TRUE TO YOUR INITIAL ASPIRATION
Master Jun Hong Lu: You must strengthen your power of vows to protect the impetus that propelled you to make those initial resolutions. What does strengthening your power of vows mean? It means to regularly recollect the time when you gave rise to your initial resolve.
At the early stages of your Buddhist practice, you were extremely pious and kind as you knelt before Guan Yin Bodhisattva. But, look at yourself now, and how slovenly you have become. Not only have you stopped performing recitation, but you are also whinging all the time. Look at that less-than-pleased expression on your face. It is as though no one seems to please your eyes.
Think about it, aren’t you vastly different from the person you were when you made your initial resolve? This goes to show the importance of protecting your initial aspirations. You should regularly think, “How did I pray to the Buddha for the first time? That was when you called out, “O Bodhisattva! I am so deeply touched”. This is what is termed as the initial resolve. You will be charged with energy if you can always recollect your initial resolve.
Many people hope to be admitted to university but they fail to cross the hurdle. In their initial resolve, they tell themselves, “I must get admitted. I mustn’t bring disgrace to myself”. They wake up at 5am daily to study, only to slack off a month later. When this happens, they should question themselves about the reason behind their initial vows.
If you can always think, “I must make my parents proud. There are so many children in the school and everyone is putting in his best effort. I must not fall behind”, you will feel motivated and driven, making it possible for you to continue to get up at 5am daily. This is why you must stay true to your initial aspiration and never lose it. When you complement this with diligence in your Buddhist practice, only then can your kind intentions and thoughts, and meritorious blessings proliferate.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 10 Chapter 14
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