If an ordinary person can reach the spiritual state of the First Ground Bodhisattva, they have undergone a qualitative transformation. For example, you are currently following my guidance in learning and practising Buddhism, and if you can meet the conditions of the First Ground Bodhisattva that I have explained to you, then you are a Bodhisattva of the First Ground. Your will transform qualitatively, your spiritual state will be different, and you will no longer be an ordinary person. In an instant a hundred emanation bodies can arise. Only by becoming a Bodhisattva of the First Ground can these emanations (or shadows) emerge. It’s as if, when you are a piece of gold, the gold shines and reflects layers of light, like multicoloured rays of sunshine. A single mirror can reflect only one place, but you, as a piece of gold, can illuminate all directions in sunlight because you are pure. If your gold is entirely covered by defilements, can it emit light? Once you possess the emanation body, you’ll have supranormal powers. You must then recognise that in this world, you’re not just yourself; you’re a Bodhisattva, and you must empower your lifespan through the power of merit and virtue.
If you become a Bodhisattva of the First Ground, possessing supranormal powers, you will know that you must use your merit and virtue to empower your lifespan in the world. In other words, your lifespan can be prolonged through your merit and virtue. The extension of your lifespan is supported by your merit and virtue. The higher your spiritual state, the more you resemble a Bodhisattva. Reflect upon yourself every day, examining your progress. If you consistently assess yourself and gradually fulfill the requirements, your Dharma body will manifest. The most crucial aspect is to extend your life to awaken and liberate sentient beings. You must cultivate your nature, persevere, and merge with the Bodhisattva to improve your practice continually. By using the power of merit and virtue to empower your life, your lifespan can endure a hundred kalpas and you have no fear. After these hundred kalpas, you will come to understand your physical body is unbreakable, a testament to your cultivation.
The most painful aspect of departing from this world is attachment. If a person has no attachments, they won’t suffer when it’s their time to go. Life has many helplessnesses and tragedies. One must learn to let go. If you don’t learn to let go now, it will be challenging in the future. Embrace the opportunity to detach and find joy in the Dharma. Detachment means not clinging to fame or gain. Many people, for the sake of position, do not retire, and they might end up falsely accused or imprisoned due to corruption. When it’s time to let go, you must do so, even if it involves your beloved home and children. Loving too deeply makes detachment difficult, much like some parents who love their children so much that they would do everything for their children. However, if the children are disobedient and cause constant worry, the parents’ anger may eventually consume them.
“In extensively awakening and liberating sentient beings, one can realise and see the Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva of the First Ground can know all events from a hundred kalpas ago and beyond.” This is why I am able to foresee many things. By reaching this level, you will be able to avoid many calamities; this is also an indication of your intuition. You will be able to resonate with a hundred worlds and enter into samadhi meditation. Samadhi meditation means being able to settle down; it’s a power of concentration derived from wisdom. The Bodhisattva speaks of the three thousand great thousand worlds, while astronomy refers to this as the galaxy. This Earth is but a small planet, and like humans, it also has a life cycle, with both birth and cessation.
“A Bodhisattva’s single thought and the light they radiate can illuminate a hundred worlds.” This means the brilliance of a Bodhisattva can touch one hundred different realms. Whether you do good or ill, both the Heavens and the Underworld are aware; don’t believe your actions remain hidden. As the saying goes, “If you don’t want others to find out, it’s best not to do it in the first place.” Bodhisattvas’ interventions adhere to the law of cause and effect. They alter karmic outcomes by identifying the initial causes. Essentially, they adapt to specific situations. For instance, if a person is due to face certain karmic retributions, the Bodhisattva seeks out the originating cause to reduce the severity of its effects. While a Bodhisattva might not eliminate the karmic outcome entirely, they can lessen its severity, turning major issues into minor ones and making minor issues vanish.
The body of a Bodhisattva emits a powerful light, resonating with and illuminating a hundred worlds. As a result, their supranormal powers intensify, enabling them to guide and enlighten sentient beings. This is precisely my current endeavour: guiding and enlightening sentient beings. This process is termed the ‘purification of original karmic connections’. It means that people originally possess certain karmic ties, and you progressively guide and enlighten them. This is the purification of sentient beings. When guiding sentient beings, a Bodhisattva doesn’t limit themselves to just one Dharma Door. Instead, they choose from a hundred kinds of wondrous and profound Dharma Doors to best enlighten the sentient beings. This explains why, during my Dharma teachings, I frequently reference various Dharma Doors. One should always be open to absorbing the virtues and wisdom of others.
“One should cultivate and awaken to wisdom to feel and receive the Dharma wisdom.” This means one should cultivate their capacity for enlightenment, enabling their wisdom to gradually arise. Through this, they can feel and receive the Dharma wisdom stemming from their own realisation of enlightenment, genuinely understanding these principles.
“Persistently imposing conception or attachments onto illusory matters leads to karmic obstacles.” That is, when one finds themselves in a void, a hopeless world moulded by their own false imaginations, but still tenaciously pursues unachievable goals, they are, in fact, accumulating karmic obstacles.
For instance, striving for roles one isn’t qualified for, such as contesting a high-ranking position that’s nonetheless temporary and up for re-election in a few years, is essentially chasing after the wind. These ephemeral pursuits weren’t with you at birth and won’t accompany you in death. This illustrates “imposing conception and attachments onto illusory matters”. However, if you continue to chase them obsessively, you’re just adding to your karmic obstacles. Such obstacles are perilous, potentially leading one to Hell. In layman’s terms, this is termed “sin”, but within the Buddhist practice, it’s called “karmic obstacles”.
“People in the world are held accountable to the law, while those on the spiritual path are accountable to the law of cause and effect.” If you, as a Buddhist practitioner, experience the consequences of your own actions, refrain from blaming others. The suffering you endure stems from the negative causes you’ve sown, and when karmic retribution comes, no one else can shoulder it for you. This is much like “understanding the pain of illness only when you fall sick.”
“In good health, many are preoccupied with serving others.” Similarly, when you’re healthy, you often find yourself working tirelessly for others, only to realise your own hardship when your health deteriorates.
Don’t obsessively pursue things. If you let them be, they tend to fall into place naturally. Rain falls from the sky, and streams effortlessly collect it. You don’t need to chase success; with genuine effort, it either comes to you, or it doesn’t, and both outcomes are acceptable. Striving too hard might, in fact, prevent success. This is akin to the rain and the streams’ natural relationship. Isn’t this also a lesson in practising Buddhism?
I want to remind you that a true teacher’s guidance isn’t about literal direction. Once clarity arises in your heart, everything becomes clear. Don’t let your physical body dictate your soul; instead, let your soul lead your body. This is the first step in embarking on the Bodhisattva path. This concludes today’s discussion; I’ll provide further teachings to my disciples in our next session.