Recognise that birth is the beginning of responsibility, and death marks the conclusion of our duties. When we enter this world and eventually depart, we leave with nothing, having fulfilled our tasks. But the crucial question is, have you accomplished these tasks effectively? Have you cultivated yourself well?
Wisdom, albeit intangible, can enrich your life. It may be invisible and elusive, but your life’s vibrancy relies on wisdom. A life devoid of wisdom is dry and powerless. What is the purpose of living if one is unable to comprehend anything? The inability to find solutions indicates a lack of wisdom. Those who can find solutions are wise.
I often say that those who hurt others to mask their own flaws are shameful. Inflicting pain on others due to your shortcomings is absolutely intolerable for those committed to cultivating their mind.
So, one should not be too certain of their own opinions. Do not assume that what you’re doing is right or that your perspective is the only one. This approach can spare you from regret. If you place too much emphasis on your viewpoint, you will likely end up regretting it.
The art of getting along with others lies in boundless tolerance. If you cannot tolerate, you cannot coexist. One must understand the importance of tolerance. What Buddhism teaches is a form of tolerance, a kind of patience. Enduring insults and persevering are ways to rapidly progress in merit and virtue. When a person can endure insults, their merit and virtue are significant. However, if a person is plagued by demons or obstacles, persisting in tolerance is not always feasible. Coming to this world, I do not tolerate everything blindly. Cultivating the mind still requires some boundaries. Consider this: the monastic precepts for monks and nuns consist of over three hundred rules. Can monks and nuns even move freely? With so many rules, every action, whether walking, sitting, or moving, is regulated. Their primary focus then is to recite scriptures and sincerely cultivate the mind. The precepts are indeed that strict.
Now, as lay practitioners, we must learn to “endure slander and defamation of others, as they are just like trying to set the sky on fire, which only exhausts themselves in vain.” When hearing such slander, we should “perceive it as drinking sweet dew, letting it dissolve into the realm of the inconceivable.” Let others speak of your good and bad; it’s like using fire to burn the sky, a futile effort. When people berate you or speak ill of you, take it as if drinking from a sweet spring. When you have faults and no one brings them to your attention, you remain unaware. But when someone scolds you, you suddenly think, “Am I really like that? I need to be more cautious.” If you change, isn’t it like drinking sweet dew? Don’t dwell on whether their criticisms are right or wrong. If the criticisms are valid, make amendments; if not, strive harder to improve. Once you have this sudden realization, allow these feelings to dissolve. Think this way – “I won’t dwell on this; I will move past it.” This is akin to how people often bottle up their discontent until they finally release it through arguments and scolding, which then resolves the tension, much like ice melting away.
Even when encountering harsh words, consider them as sources of merit and virtue. When you are scolded, regard it as an opportunity for merit and virtue. You should be grateful to those who scold you. They help you identify your flaws, much like I do with my disciples. This is one way I assist you in accumulating merit and virtue, isn’t it? If you correct your faults, don’t you gain merit and virtue? And if you don’t correct them, aren’t the actions resulting from those faults devoid of merit and virtue? “Not to harbour resentment due to slander” means not to feel resentful when others speak ill of you. “How else can one manifest the power of non-arising compassion and patience?” means that being scolded by others can foster the power of compassion and endurance. Those who are never scolded don’t develop this strength. The more frequently one is scolded, the more this power of compassion and tolerance grows. A person’s endurance builds up and strengthens gradually over time.