Whenever I see Guan Yin Bodhisattva, I feel a deep sense of inadequacy because I always feel that I haven’t done enough and that I’m far from reaching Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s level. It’s often said, “If you perform the actions of a Bodhisattva for even one minute, in that minute you are a Bodhisattva.” But in reality, that’s not entirely true. Think of the blood cells in our body—we need red blood cells to carry oxygen and white blood cells to protect us from illness. When this balance is severely disrupted in either direction, our health suffers. Similarly, if someone accumulates too many karmic obstacles while doing very few good deeds or accruing little merit and virtue, over time, the negative will outweigh the positive, leaving their situation hopeless.
Every second and minute of life must be cherished. While time is precious, what truly matters is how you use it. Many people who practise Buddhism are like blind men feeling their way around an elephant, aimlessly searching for the right path (Dharma Door). Some may spend their entire lives searching, only to pass away without ever finding a Dharma Door that truly suits them. In such cases, they gain nothing. If you follow a Dharma Door that isn’t right for you and reach the end of your life, then your lifetime is wasted.
Are there extreme religions in the world? Are there cults? Of course, there are—religions that lead their followers to burn down villages or commit mass suicide. Joining such a religion means straying onto a dangerous path. But what wisdom do you have to discern whether a path is truly right or not?
I encourage everyone to diligently recite Buddhist scriptures. These scriptures that we recite are passed down directly from the Buddha, without a single word being altered or omitted. You must understand that if a scripture is modified by even one or two words, you need to be very cautious. This is because any altered scripture, when recited by followers, will no longer reach Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Instead, it will reach the person who modified it, and it is through them that blessings are redistributed back to you. Their own power grows stronger with each recitation. Many people don’t realise this. That’s why it’s so important to be cautious when reciting, just as it’s essential to take medicine correctly—never haphazardly.
I often say: “A blank sheet of paper can be freely drawn upon, but once it’s turned into a completed picture, it’s very hard to erase.” Similarly, first impressions are powerful. Once someone has formed their own understanding or belief system, shaped by a unique religious approach, it becomes extremely difficult to change their perspective. This is because they lack enlightenment and mistakenly believe everything they’re doing is correct and that all they’ve learned is right.
Did you know that at a youth detention centre, the local government invited a group of prominent figures and educational experts to speak with the young offenders? The discussions revealed that 80% of the children believed their actions were justified. 30% said, “If my mum and dad can do it, why can’t I? Why don’t you arrest them instead of me?” The explanation is simple—mum and dad are experienced and haven’t been caught, while these kids are beginners, inexperienced and easy to catch.
Take major supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles as an example. Every day, many shoplifters are caught—some people won’t even pay for something as small as a toothbrush. This highlights a darker side of human nature—it’s truly sad. That’s why developing wisdom is so important.
Practising Buddhism requires perseverance and overcoming self-attachment. What is self-attachment? It’s the belief that “I am right.” What do you think you know? That pure, shining Buddha-nature given to you by the Heavens—the same Buddha-nature that Shakyamuni Buddha referred to when he said, “Everyone possesses Buddha-nature”—has become so tainted and obscured that it’s no longer visible. What use is it? What insight can you possibly have? Yet you still think you’re extraordinary.
“Those who are aware are called Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.” When you gain knowledge and achieve enlightenment, you are called a Buddha or Bodhisattva. A person who understands the truth is a Bodhisattva. “Those who are unaware are called ordinary beings.” When you are ignorant and confused, you are called an ordinary person. Becoming a Buddha or a Bodhisattva is not easy. We must strive not to remain ordinary people but to become Bodhisattvas. But how many people can truly behave like a Bodhisattva for even a few hours a day? When reciting sutras, refraining from anger, helping others, and practising all forms of kindness, a person becomes a Bodhisattva.
Next, let me explain: “Do no evil” is essentially a concept associated with Theravada Buddhism. It means refraining from committing offences and avoiding all forms of wrongdoing to protect oneself. This mindset is akin to “sweeping the snow in front of your own door,” focusing solely on saving yourself. People shouldn’t do bad things to begin with, and avoiding wrongdoing is simply the baseline for behaviour.
“Practising all forms of good,” in contrast, is a concept from Mahayana Buddhism. It emphasises that once you have gained wisdom and become enlightened, you should perform all good deeds in the world. Good deeds can be transformed into merit and virtue. In fact, good deeds form the foundation of merit and virtue. A person who doesn’t understand the importance of doing good will not benefit from reciting Buddhist scriptures. Let me introduce you to a new concept today: don’t think that someone who refuses to do good or help others but recites scriptures all day long will become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. It’s useless.
Take this analogy: grilling food on a barbecue. The food itself may be plain, but when you add seasoning, it gains flavour. Similarly, if someone recites scriptures without a kind heart or good deeds as their foundation, no matter how many sutras they recite, it will lack meaning; it will not accrue merit and virtue. Only when the inner and outer aspects align will it be effective. This is why cultivating the mind and practising good deeds must go hand in hand.
The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have made it very clear: not only must you cultivate your mind, but you must also refine your behaviour. Once your behaviour is corrected, you must further work on your spiritual development. Do you know that many Dharma Doors focus solely on behaviour without addressing the mind? These practitioners emphasise good deeds but rarely recite sutras. Many lay practitioners, for example, simply “sweep the snow in front of their own door,” retreating to the mountains to recite sutras, offer incense, and worship the Buddha in solitude. This is a form of self-cultivation that does not benefit others and belongs to some schools of Buddhism. These practitioners cultivate only for their own sake, without helping their family, children, or parents. This is also a form of irresponsibility. Such people cannot truly progress in their practice. They might stray in their practice and end up in the Asura Realm at best.
Do you know that there are Bodhisattvas even in the Asura Realm? And are there not Bodhisattvas in the Human Realm? Those who practise the ways of the Bodhisattva in the world are Bodhisattvas in the Human Realm. Time is running out, so you must practise diligently. Think about it—how much time remains? Reflect on your youth and look at yourself now; there isn’t much time left.
Last time, I spoke about the Heavenly Realm; today, let’s talk about the Asura Realm. The Asura Realm is a place for those with spiritual power. People who have practised in the Human Realm, performed many good deeds, and accumulated merit and virtue may enter the Asura Realm after death. However, those who go astray in their spiritual practice may also end up there. In the past, many religions placed the Asura Realm below the Human Realm when explaining the Six Realms. However, in reality, there are two types of Asura Realms: one is an upper Asura Realm located just below the Heavenly Realm, and the other is a lower Asura Realm between the Ghost Realm and Hell.
The lower Asura Realm is inhabited by spiritual beings such as fox spirits or snake spirits who have gained spiritual abilities but whose practice has gone astray. These spiritual beings can move freely in the Underworld due to their spiritual power. Some even become officials in the Underworld, like the fierce spirits who serve as enforcement officers in Hell. Figures like the Black and White Enforcement Officers (also known as Black and White Impermanence) are examples—they can move about freely. In Hell, those who are guilty, regardless of gender, are stripped of their clothing and subjected to great suffering. If a person fails to practise well in the Human Realm or follows the wrong path, they may end up in this lower Asura Realm. The Asura Realm I have spoken about on my radio programs refers to the upper Asura Realm, which is higher than the Human Realm.
Beings in the Asura Realm also have lifespans, which are longer than those of humans. Their nature is similar to that of beings in the Heavenly Realm, but they also experience the “Five Signs of Decay.” When they are reborn into the Human Realm, what roles do they take? For instance, they may become doctors focused solely on making money. Many clever but cunning people—such as politicians, competitive individuals, unscrupulous businessmen, or even thieves and burglars—are believed to have come from the Asura Realm. Within their own groups, they hold positions of influence, enjoy luxurious food and drink, and are served by others. A person’s original realm determines the karmic consequences they are to undergo.
Those who descend from the Heavenly Realm may be born as the children of high-ranking officials, architects, singers, or others on righteous paths. However, those from the Asura Realm have different tendencies. Women reborn into the Human Realm from the Asura Realm are often strikingly beautiful, while men from this realm are prone to conflict—fighting with others, beings from the Human Realm, or even beings from the Heavens or the Underworld. Many beautiful women in the Human Realm are believed to have come from the Asura Realm. They often work as singers or actors. But look at their lives—how often do they have stable marriages? Their lives are marked by unpredictability and impermanence.
The clothing of beings from the Asura Realm is not as beautiful as that of Heavenly beings. The colours are darker, often green. Have you ever noticed a green or blue glow appear before your eyes? Many people instinctively try to grab it. You mustn’t. If you do, trouble will follow. What does it mean to “touch the soul”? These beings are spiritual entities, whereas humans are physical beings. You can’t feel them with your hands, but they can still be harmed by you. This is similar to how sci-fi movies often depict invisible spiritual beings in visual form.
One major flaw of beings from the Asura Realm is that they have not severed their desires for lust. In the lower levels of the spiritual realms, lust is not yet eliminated. In the Human Realm, lustful individuals who are reborn into the Asura Realm often struggle to overcome these desires. Although they reside in the Asura Realm, it feels to them like a paradise on Earth, and they continue to harbour lustful thoughts. The only difference is that one exists on a higher plane and the other on a lower plane. However, they cannot ascend to higher Heavenly Realms until they sever these attachments.
In the Heavenly Realms, there is no concept of money. In the Desire Realm, there is still a distinction between male and female, but physical intimate relationships do not occur—gestures are limited to holding hands. Do you know how I ascend to the Heavens? I can go up in an instant, in just a second. On one occasion, I found myself in Heaven, seeing children playing on swings. Their laughter echoed, like the sounds in a movie. Looking down from there, everything below seemed empty—how are they swinging? Then I realised I was standing on clouds. That feeling, that sensation—it clears the mind of everything.
Let me tell you: if you are able to ascend to the Heavens, all of life’s troubles will disappear. You will no longer feel sorrow or pain. When the time comes for you to leave this world, as long as you can ascend to the Heavens, all your worries will vanish. Let me give you an example: imagine travelling to Guilin and being so captivated by the breathtaking scenery that your mind becomes completely clear and empty of all thoughts. This sustained sense of emptiness allows you to forget everything.
When you enter a new environment, it can help you let go of all burdens. Similarly, when someone ascends to the Heavens, they forget everything and experience no suffering. It’s only on occasions such as their birthday, or when someone from below keeps calling their name, that they might think of the people and events from the Human Realm. They can hear it and feel when someone is calling them, just as we, in this world, can sense when someone is always thinking about us. In the Heavenly Realm, there is a platform called the “Viewing Platform for the Human Realm”, and from its third level, one can look down upon the human world and see everything happening below.
Do you know that even a mother tiger that kills her own cubs will descend to Hell? It’s said, “Even a tiger won’t eat its young,” isn’t it? Tigers have intelligence, don’t they? They do. I once read a report that said a dog’s intelligence is equivalent to that of a two-year-old child. Yet, when animals commit wrongdoings, they too descend to the lower realms.
Humans are truly pitiful—spending their days drinking, indulging in pleasures, and wandering aimlessly, without understanding the purpose of life, behaving no differently from animals. They don’t even realise what they are doing with their lives. There was an elderly woman who was diagnosed with cancer and was devastated by the news. She had done little good in her life and had accumulated no merit and virtue; she only recited sutras. When encouraged to perform more good deeds, she replied, “I’m too old—I don’t have the time.” Too old to do good deeds? Then how were you able to do bad ones? Sowing discord, using offensive language, speaking with a divisive tongue, and harbouring hatred—these are all wrongdoings.
A person living in this world must learn to cherish their life. If you don’t even understand how to cherish your own Buddha-nature, what kind of person are you? To be born into the Human Realm is already a pitiful state. (To be continued next time.)