Next, I will unfold and explain to you so that you can clearly understand how to cultivate to reach the Bodhisattva’s realm. You must hold yourselves to the standards of the Bodhisattva’s spiritual state, cultivating enlightenment, and thus attaining the complete realisation of Buddhahood.
Firstly, you must “have endurance, the ability to withstand difficulties, and never retreat in your heart.” This means that no matter what you encounter, you must endure it with patience. To learn from a Bodhisattva, you must first learn to endure. In this process of endurance, you must still endure even if you believe you are right. I often tell you, there’s no absolute right or wrong in this world, only cause and effect.
“To be able to withstand difficulties” means to endure tough situations, as in “I can endure any tough situations; I can handle any challenging tasks.” If you have the capacity to perform a task but choose not to, letting others do it instead, that’s selfish, and you cannot reach the spiritual state of a Bodhisattva. Of course, acting recklessly is also wrong.
“Never retreat in your heart” means that your conscience, your inherent nature, will never retreat. If you attain the spiritual state of a Bodhisattva, it will never retreat. For me, my heart will always persist, continuously saving and awakening sentient beings. Only then can you truly embody the essence of a Bodhisattva. If you evade, avoid, or withdraw when faced with challenges, thinking, “I may just abandon further cultivation and simply safeguard my current practice,” you will never attain Bodhisattvahood.
“Avoid arrogance and disputes.” Some people tend to display dominance and engage in arguments or litigation. A Bodhisattva will never resort to reasoning in the Human Realm, arguing or disputing with others. Reasoning in the Human Realm is essentially the karmic seeds sown by humans; they end up undergoing their own karmic consequences.
In fact, practising Buddhism means that your body and mind must be extremely gentle. A Bodhisattva’s heart is very gentle, calm, and settled. This doesn’t refer to your heart being soft and settled, but rather that the actions you perform are gentle, harmonious, mild, and never forceful. Problems are always resolved with softness. If you are a Bodhisattva, when others argue or reason with you, you will always take a step back to reflect and resolve the matter. Stepping back broadens your perspective. When you take a step back, with a soft heart, your body and mind will find peace. A Bodhisattva’s heart is forever calm and settled.
“When practising Buddhism and teaching the Buddha-dharma, the heart is filled with joy.” This means that when sharing Buddhist teachings, your heart is brimming with profound joy. When imparting the Buddha-dharma to others, your heart should overflow with the joy of the Dharma. This approach aligns you with the essence of a Bodhisattva. In other words, when a Bodhisattva helps others, they do it with a joyful heart, guiding and liberating all beings.
Many great Dharma masters have studied traditional teachings passed down through generations before receiving new Buddhist teachings. Once they receive direct blessings from Bodhisattvas, new teachings may emerge. Often, adherents of old and conventional teachings may initially criticise these new insights, viewing anything non-traditional as false and erroneous. However, it’s important to understand that the Dharma evolves with changing times. Reflect on modern society; everything, from material possessions to philosophies, demonstrates that nothing in this world stays the same.
“Have faith in the Buddha-dharma.” If you are a Bodhisattva of the First Ground, first and foremost, you must have confidence in the Buddha and trust in the Buddha’s teachings. Bodhisattvas exist alongside us in the Human Realm, and within our Dharma body and physical body, there are Bodhisattvas. You must believe in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, having faith and a pure mind in the Buddha-dharma. When studying the Buddha-dharma, your mind must be clear and untainted. If you harbour doubt about the Dharma Door (method) you are learning, how can you learn well? This doubt reveals a lack of confidence and a pure mind, which can hinder your attainment of true spiritual growth.
“Show compassion and empathy to all beings, offering them salvation.” A Bodhisattva of the First Ground must embody immense compassion and empathise with all living beings. As I guide and awaken individuals worldwide, I adjust my approach based on their comprehension levels. If you’re unfamiliar with certain concepts, I’ll explain them at your level. If you possess a deep understanding of Buddhism, I’ll impart profound teachings. Nowadays, even the government acknowledges my efforts in promoting Buddhism, as many have regained their health and restored harmony within their families through my teachings – the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, following the right path. How could the government not be grateful? The teachings I advocate promote virtue and discourage wrongdoing, contributing to a reduction in social issues. I guide you in properly studying and practising Buddhism, becoming virtuous individuals, and nurturing wisdom. Everything we do adheres to the right path. You must persevere in what you believe is right, cherish it, and continue learning and cultivating. If you can accept the concepts I explain to you, then they are correct. If everything I told you today is wrong, would you accept it? Think about it.
“Free from anger and hatred, the heart constantly practises loving-kindness in joy.” A Bodhisattva of the First Ground must never harbour anger or hatred, avoiding resentment towards others. When friends or family misunderstand or harm you, it’s difficult to rid your mind of resentment. Reacting with misunderstanding or irritation, or harbouring resentment towards people or situations, obstructs your path to Bodhisattvahood. Only by letting go of all anger and hatred, detaching from the notion of a self, and releasing the attachment to personal gain or loss, can you elevate your spiritual level and attain proper fruition. You must understand that a Bodhisattva has a certain spiritual state, and for the sake of all sentient beings, they may descend to a lower realm to save and awaken others, despite their own suffering. Inability to let go signifies the absence of a spiritual state. To save and awaken all beings, you must renounce self-interest, letting go of everything – this is renunciation.
Guan Yin Bodhisattva urges us to practise joyful giving, that is, joyfully relinquishing things that should not be clung to. Numerous people wait to accumulate wealth, only to realise that life has slipped away during the process. Can money restore your physical health? If disaster strikes, who can escape it? Can you leave this world without attachment and not be caught in the cycle of rebirth? When your time comes, whether you are willing or unwilling, you must go. Therefore, the Bodhisattva teaches us to learn to renounce. If you regularly practise renunciation, in the end, you will no longer feel suffering. For example, someone who usually hesitates to give money may feel upset for days if they are fined a few hundred dollars. This stems from a lack of understanding regarding giving. If you don’t learn to give or renounce, when disaster strikes, you will be forced to let go even if you don’t want to. You cannot escape it. If you want to cultivate your mind properly, you must learn to renounce; otherwise, you cannot succeed. A person who cannot renounce anything will not attain even the Bodhisattva of the First Ground.
“The heart constantly practises loving-kindness in joy” entails maintaining a joyful heart and ensuring all your actions stem from compassion. This embodies the essence of being a Bodhisattva. Help others to elevate their spiritual states; act with compassion and loving-kindness. While helping others, you will also enhance your own spiritual growth.
May disciples exercise caution when practising Buddhism, always holding yourselves to the standards of a Bodhisattva, thus your spiritual state will quickly advance. Truly comprehend these truths.