Today, I will provide a detailed explanation of the Bodhisattva Realm, going through it line by line. A Bodhisattva is someone engaged in profound meditative practice. Upon reaching an advanced state, the Bodhisattva attains stable and deep concentration in meditation, surpassing the level of a First Ground Bodhisattva. True meditative concentration is not an ordinary practice—it is a form of concentration grounded in wisdom. Genuine meditation integrates both wisdom and insight. Therefore, spiritual practice requires not only the knowledge of how to cultivate but also the skill to sustain it.
One must base their practice on the foundational principles of Buddhism: hearing (learning), contemplation, cultivation, and wisdom. Practitioners must strive to attain the highest state of Buddha, using the most profound Buddhist teachings to guide their cultivation. “Hearing, contemplation, cultivation, and wisdom” refers to applying what we hear and reflect upon to nurture our root of wisdom, with the fundamental principles of the Buddha-dharma serving as the foundation for cultivating the mind and vastly accumulating blessings and virtues for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Even after entering the Bodhisattva Realm, why does one still need to vastly accumulate blessings and virtues for the benefit of all sentient beings? Although you are a Bodhisattva and could choose not to guide or awaken others, a Bodhisattva at the highest level does not remain detached. Instead, they return to the world to guide and awaken others. It is like preparing provisions for a journey. This is what it means to vastly accumulate blessings and virtues for the benefit of all sentient beings.
I descend from the realm of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to guide and awaken sentient beings. I am mentally prepared: “When I enter the human world, how should I practise? I must have endurance, the ability to withstand difficulties, and I must show compassion and empathy to all beings.” I have experienced much hardship since entering this world. From childhood, I have come to understand the impermanence of life. Entering this world requires mental preparation, as well as preparation of provisions.
Provisions are resources—just like worldly provisions, they represent energy and strength. Vastly accumulating the blessings and virtues that benefit sentient beings can be thought of as gifts a Bodhisattva offers. And what are these gifts? They are blessings and virtues. The gifts I bring to this world help people regain health, restore harmony in families, recover from illness, and more. This is what it means to vastly accumulate the blessings and virtues that benefit sentient beings.
As a Bodhisattva, you must carry the blessings and virtues of the Buddha Realm into the world, delivering this positive energy to all beings. Only by doing so can one progress towards spiritual attainment without obstruction. With mental preparation, a Bodhisattva not only escapes the cycle of rebirth in the Six Realms but also focuses entirely on benefiting sentient beings. Their state of mind aligns with the path to Buddhahood, having already prepared the necessary provisions—blessings and virtues—to descend into the human world and awaken others.
A high-level Bodhisattva holds this intention wholeheartedly, descending to the human world solely for the purpose of awakening sentient beings. It is through this selfless dedication that their spiritual state continues to elevate.
The more you focus on helping sentient beings in the lower realms (the Six Realms), the more compassion you generate. As your compassion grows, so does your energy and spiritual attainment, allowing you to enter a meditative state without obstacles. Attaining this state reflects your mental state. When a person’s state of mind reaches a high level, obstacles no longer exist.
For example, in a relationship, if one person recites sutras and the other doesn’t, the one practising will elevate their state of mind through good deeds and the accumulation of merit and virtue. Meanwhile, the person not practising may create obstacles to prevent the other from doing good or meritorious deeds. However, when a Bodhisattva reaches an advanced level of spiritual practice, they can break through these obstacles with ease and enter this state of attainment.
How are obstacles removed? Imagine standing on the roof of a small house. If there’s a taller building in front of you, your view is blocked—that’s an obstacle. But if you climb to the top of a tall mountain, nothing blocks your view. In other words, as your state of mind rises, the path ahead becomes clear, and obstacles disappear.
When you let go of everything and free yourself from worries, your mental state naturally improves, and obstacles vanish. The higher you climb, the fewer obstacles you encounter. With an elevated mindset, life’s challenges appear smaller, and you gain a new perspective—realising how insignificant things truly are.
For example, when you look down from a plane, houses and cars appear no larger than ants or cockroaches. Buildings resemble matchboxes. How small and insignificant people seem from that height! Yet, sitting at home, you might think your house is large and impressive. But from high above, it looks no bigger than a matchbox. So, learn to think this way and see the world from that perspective—does that make sense?
A Bodhisattva at a high level of realisation is said to have reached the “Ground of Light.” This state is associated with radiance and illumination. With such elevated realisation, the eyes of the Bodhisattva are sharp and bright, perceiving everything with remarkable clarity. Whatever you say, the Bodhisattva understands it clearly with a luminous mind—fully aware and insightful.
When it comes to hearing and listening to the Dharma, the term “hearing” here refers to the way Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas engage with teachings. In this context, there is a subtle yet important distinction between “hearing” and “listening.”
“Hearing” implies that all aspects of your wisdom are fully open—your eyes, ears, and all your faculties are engaged, allowing your inner wisdom to shine forth. It represents a state of wisdom where you grasp the meaning behind what is being communicated. For example, if you listen to my Dharma Talk today and only catch the words without comprehending their deeper meaning, that would be “listening.” However, if you understand the teachings and internalise their essence, that would be “hearing.” These two are fundamentally different concepts.
This is how the Śrāvaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva engage with the Dharma. In this context, ‘hearing’ means that you have fundamentally understood the principles—only then can it be considered true hearing.
Contemplating the meaning of Dharma” refers to how a Bodhisattva’s mind reflects upon the Dharma Realm. In this context, the Dharma Realm specifically refers to the Human Realm where we currently dwell. While we commonly call it “the world,” Bodhisattvas refer to this realm as the Dharma Realm.
What does the “meaning of the Dharma” imply? Here, the term “meaning” can be understood as a state of mind or realisation. Everything you think about and reflect upon is part of this “meaning of the Dharma.” It refers to thoughts that transcend the Dharma Realm while simultaneously guiding your contemplation within it.
“Awakening to the truth“ means coming to an understanding of what one believes to be true. The Bodhisattva’s task is to help you recognise that what you consider to be the truth may not always align with the ultimate truth. The Bodhisattva carries the responsibility of resolving these misunderstandings and guiding others toward awakening.
For example, some Buddhist practitioners may become overly attached to their methods of practice. If you tell them about the benefits of the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, they might respond, “I’m already following a certain method. I already recite these sutras; I do this and that,” demonstrating their strong attachment. They believe their approach is correct, so they stubbornly cling to their perception of the truth. This is how people make mistakes—because they believe they are in the right. The same applies to everyday life. If someone is upset with another person, it is often because they believe their view or reaction is justified. They believe it’s the truth.
The Bodhisattva’s role is to help dissolve such attachments and guide you to awaken to the truth, helping you assess whether what you are doing truly aligns with the ultimate truth. Why do Buddhist practitioners sometimes stray from the correct path? It is often because they mistakenly assume their understanding is infallible, believing their chosen path is the truth. If their path were genuinely correct, it would accumulate merit and virtue. However, when they go astray, it leads to negative karma.
This is why I explain that the Bodhisattva’s state of mind involves helping people awaken to the truth of life, resolve their attachments and guide them towards enlightenment.
“Forgetting oneself for the Dharma” means sacrificing one’s own body to spread the teachings of the Buddha and selflessly saving others. Practising according to the Dharma requires aligning one’s actions with Buddhist teachings and cultivating abundant blessings and virtues. But why does a Bodhisattva still need to accumulate blessings and virtues? Aren’t these associated with the Human Realm? Why should one continue cultivating them even in the heavenly realms?
This is because blessings and virtues originate from the human world. Practising the Bodhisattva path is like pursuing academic degrees—there are different levels to attain. Even in the Human Realm, you can practise the path of the Bodhisattva, but the challenge is: can you achieve it? Can you do it well? If you fail to cultivate the Bodhisattva path properly, your next rebirth might still be in the Human Realm. Since everyone’s level of spiritual development varies, if you set your goals too high and fail, you might lose even the basic achievements you’ve already attained.
Many people chant the holy name of Amitābha Buddha with the aspiration to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. They believe that at the moment of death, chanting Amitābha Buddha’s name just once will ensure that Amitābha Buddha comes to receive them. But what if, at the time of death, their soul becomes disoriented—unable to speak, think, or even perceive clearly? How will they manage to chant Amitābha Buddha’s name then?
This is how karmic obstacles prevent one from chanting Amitābha Buddha’s name. These obstacles arise from past actions and can block a person from fulfilling their aspiration to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. If you haven’t completely eliminated these karmic obstacles during your life, they will hinder you at the crucial moment, stopping you from chanting Amitābha Buddha’s name and being received by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The practice of chanting Amitābha Buddha’s name at the moment of death, as taught by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, comes with certain qualifications (conditions). You must be free from karmic debt, at peace, and without illness at the time of death. Only under these circumstances will your mind be joyful and clear enough to recite Amitābha Buddha’s name and ascend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
If a person carries deep karmic burdens from past wrongdoings and believes that a single chant of Amitābha Buddha’s name at the moment of death will be enough for rebirth in the Western Pure Land, this is impossible. Such a belief disregards the law of karma. If your karmic debts are heavy and unresolved, how could you ascend to the Western Pure Land? It’s like owing someone a million dollars in Sydney—running away won’t absolve your debt. No matter where you hide, you can’t escape the legal consequences.
I am teaching you the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door to help you clear your karmic obstacles and repay your karmic debts so that you can return “home”—home being the Buddha Land. As the Amitabha Sutra says: “One cannot be reborn in the Land with only a few wholesome roots, blessings, virtues, and causal connections.”