Next, let me share with you the Ten Precepts for Personal Conduct.
First: Be cautious with your words and actions to minimise mistakes.
This means you should be especially mindful of what you say and do to avoid making errors. As the saying goes, “Disaster comes from the mouth.” Speaking carelessly or acting recklessly often leads to trouble. For instance, in Australia, some incidents of assault have involved women going out late at night wearing very short skirts, which unfortunately triggered harmful actions from others. Such issues have been discussed in many religions, often leading to debates. Today, I won’t address whether this is right or wrong, but I will say this: situations like these can sometimes provoke wrongful thoughts in others, resulting in harm to oneself.
Second: Moderate your eating to preserve mental clarity.
Eating in moderation shows respect for your mind and helps keep it sharp. The brain and heart are closely connected. Have you ever noticed that overweight people often seem to think more slowly? How many highly intelligent people do you see who are significantly overweight? Overeating can lead to weight gain, which may contribute to a slower, less agile mind.
Third: Reduce your hobbies to cultivate inner peace.
The fewer hobbies you have, the calmer your mind will be. For example, enjoying tea isn’t inherently a bad hobby, right? In some cultures, people take part in elaborate tea ceremonies, spending an entire day sipping small cups of tea. But isn’t that a waste of time? Ideally, the fewer hobbies you have, the better—especially harmful ones like drinking alcohol, smoking, gambling, or pursuing lustful pleasures. The less desire you harbour, the calmer your heart becomes. Without inner peace, how can you effectively cultivate your mind?
Fourth: Endure hard work to fulfil your duties wholeheartedly.
A person who endures hardship and works diligently without fear of blame cultivates a steady and content heart. When you can say, “I did this—I truly gave it my all,” doesn’t that bring a deep sense of fulfilment? The teachings of the Bodhisattvas guide us on how to live as virtuous human beings. Life follows its natural course, yet some people insist on smoking excessively. You’re advised not to participate in street racing, yet some still do. You’re told to drive carefully, yet some choose to drink and drive. Such reckless behaviours only lead to negative consequences. The Bodhisattvas encourage us to embrace hard work, as it is a form of exercise, and through labour, beauty is created. When you dedicate yourself wholeheartedly, you’ll feel at peace, free from regret or sorrow.
Fifth: Be mindful of joy and anger to maintain inner balance.
This means being especially cautious when you’re happy or angry, as your emotions are closely tied to your qi (energy flow). Whether it’s anger, losing your temper, feeling elated, or bursting with joy, it’s all driven by your qi. Without qi, there is no life. Isn’t life itself sustained by a single breath of energy? That’s why it’s crucial to manage this energy flow well. Take, for example, someone who thinks they’ve won the lottery but later realises they mistook a 6 for a 9—they end up happy for nothing. Both joy and anger must be handled carefully.
Before losing your temper, ask yourself: “Should I really get angry? Is it worth it? Will it harm my health? Will it hurt someone I care about?” Reflecting this way will likely help you choose not to get angry. Similarly, when you’re happy, don’t let it go to excess—extreme joy can also lead to misfortune. This reflects the balance of yin and yang, where one always follows the other.
No one’s life is perpetually smooth, nor is it filled with endless setbacks. When reflecting on joy and anger, people often forget their moments of joy because they don’t consciously register their happiness while it’s happening. For instance, when watching a comedy, you laugh but don’t actively think, “I’m happy.” However, when you’re angry or upset, you’re keenly aware of your distress. Do you see the difference?
In truth, the Bodhisattvas are always guiding us in this human world. Think about it—these teachings show us how to be better human beings. As Buddhism often teaches, “When one perfects what it means to be human, Buddhahood is attained.” Therefore, when you embody these teachings and live like a Bodhisattva, aren’t you becoming one yourself? Maintaining balance in your qi means cultivating a calm and composed heart.
Sixth: Avoid exaggeration to achieve collective success.
Boasting is a form of exaggeration. Taking a small matter and blowing it out of proportion is also exaggeration. In life, it’s important to avoid exaggeration. For example, when I help others through my radio program, I stay humble and low-key. Yet many listeners can’t help but call me a Bodhisattva. I simply refer to myself as Master Lu. While living in the human realm, I use a proper title within the Buddhist community, maintaining equality with others. If you call me a “living Bodhisattva,” it creates a sense of inequality between us, which makes me uncomfortable—it distances us and separates our states of being.
I remember once at a Christmas gathering, a Buddhist friend sitting next to me asked, “Master Lu eats too?” She was surprised, thinking a Bodhisattva wouldn’t need to eat. But we shouldn’t mythologise people. Don’t exaggerate who you are. While you may use your soul and the wisdom of the Bodhisattvas to help others, the actions of your physical body don’t necessarily mirror those of a Bodhisattva. However, when you are sharing the Dharma or guiding others toward awakening, in that moment, you are a true Bodhisattva.
In daily life, it’s fine to crack a joke now and then. Just yesterday, while walking, I helped someone spontaneously. After our conversation, he was completely convinced and stood there in awe. This is how to guide others—wherever you go, you should help awaken those around you, using whatever methods are needed to assist them. Do you understand?
When I meet someone, I speak in a way that resonates with them. Don’t act superior; instead, work collaboratively. Collaboration means bringing everyone together to achieve success. When tasks are carried out collectively, there’s less risk of error. Acting alone increases the chances of making mistakes. Drawing on the collective wisdom of many minds is the key. These concise teachings translate profound Buddhist principles into everyday language to guide sentient beings toward awakening. You must learn them well.
Seventh: Embrace humility and yielding to foster harmony.
In society, it’s essential to learn the value of yielding and stepping back. A person who doesn’t understand how to yield will struggle to get along with others and find it difficult to integrate into a group. What is there to be arrogant about? Look at some powerful nations that act like global police—attacking whoever they choose. As a result, they often face retaliation, and their economies are usually the first to decline. Many other countries don’t like them. Whether it’s a person or a nation, humility and yielding are indispensable virtues.
The word “embrace” here means respecting, valuing, and promoting the practice of humility. Take a step back, and the sea becomes vast; yield, and your prospects become boundless. Many people discover that the more they yield, the better their future becomes; while those who charge forward recklessly often find their path more difficult.
Eighth: Be cautious with promises to preserve trust.
Promises should be made carefully to earn and maintain the complete trust of others. If you want to build credibility, avoid exaggeration and dishonesty as much as possible. My expectations for you are already quite modest—I only ask that you strive not to boast or lie. A single lie often requires ten more lies to cover it up, and many people forget the lies they’ve told, unintentionally exposing themselves later. Keep this principle firmly in mind.
Ninth: Reduce waste to cherish blessings.
Minimise waste in your daily life and household expenses; cherish the blessings you have. Why is it that humans have the potential to ascend to the Heavens or fall into Hell? The Human Realm is, in fact, a unique realm—it allows you to use this temporary, illusory world to cultivate your true, inherent nature. If you diligently cultivate in the Human Realm, you may avoid descending into the lower realms. But if you misuse this opportunity to commit countless wrongdoings, you may never be reborn as a human again.
The Human Realm functions as a kind of transit station. On my radio program, many listeners have asked me, “Why is it that cultivation is possible only in the Human Realm?” I often don’t have the time to explain, but today I’ll tell you: it’s because humans have both a spiritual essence and a physical body, enabling dual cultivation. Do beings in the Ghost Realm have physical bodies? Do beings in the Asura Realm have physical bodies? Do animals possess the necessary wisdom for their spiritual essence? The spiritual essence of animals is fixed—it doesn’t have the same type of wisdom as humans possess, nor the wisdom of the Bodhisattvas. It’s like a discarded product, a second-hand item, no longer in its original form.
Tenth: Maintain compassion to cultivate virtue.
How is virtue developed? By showing compassion for others. When you empathise with others’ suffering—witnessing one person’s struggles, another’s hardships—your virtuous nature begins to emerge. I teach you to see everyone as deserving of compassion. When you regard everyone with compassion, you will naturally cultivate a kind and forgiving heart and, in turn, accumulate blessings and virtue.
What does it mean to “cultivate virtue”? It means virtue must be nurtured and developed. The word “cultivate” here refers to fostering and bringing it to fruition. Compassion is the fundamental principle of being human and the essence of Heaven and Earth.
Practising Buddhism and cultivating the mind help preserve your “essence.” Only by using this illusory world to cultivate your true, inherent nature can you truly cherish this essence. By nurturing the Buddha’s state of being and persistently guiding and awakening sentient beings, you can restore this essence to its pure origin, return to the Heavenly Realm, and attain unsurpassed, complete, and perfect enlightenment alongside all beings.