Today, I’d like to talk to you about “Afflictions Are Bodhi.” Where do human afflictions come from? First, they arise from what your eyes see. Second, from what your ears hear. Third, from what your nose smells. Fourth, from what your tongue tastes. Fifth, from what your body touches. Sixth, from the thoughts in your mind.
In Buddhism, this is referred to as the “six sense bases.” That’s why you might hear people say, “This person’s six sense bases are impure.” Let me explain: when your eyes see something unpleasant, doesn’t it make you feel annoyed? When your ears hear someone speaking ill of you, doesn’t that create affliction? If your nose detects an unpleasant cooking smell, doesn’t it bother you? When your tongue tastes bitterness or something you dislike, isn’t that frustrating? When your body comes into contact with something it shouldn’t, doesn’t that trouble you? When someone passes by and there’s a particular smell, doesn’t it irritate you? Or when your mind entertains thoughts it shouldn’t, doesn’t that bring affliction? Finally, thinking about someone you don’t want to see yet having to face them—all these are examples of what it means for the six sense bases to be impure. However, if you can skilfully use these six sense bases, they actually possess supranormal powers.
In many temples, you’ll find Bodhisattvas depicted with supranormal abilities. For example, there’s clairaudience—the ability to hear sounds from great distances, and clairvoyance—the ability to see faraway objects. Even in the animal realm, a dog’s nose is incredibly sensitive, capable of smelling scents that are undetectable to others; this too can be considered an extraordinary power. Similarly, some people can discern subtle differences in tea leaves or the flavour of coffee from one shop to another. This is an example of skilful application, which can also be considered a type of supranormal power. How can your ears possess supranormal powers? For instance, you might hear a voice close to your ear saying, “Don’t get angry, don’t be upset.” Where does this supranormal power come from? It stems from your mind directing your six sense bases. When you experience affliction, with the right approach, it can transform into Bodhi. Bodhi is wisdom, so the key is to turn affliction into wisdom. Experiencing affliction provides the opportunity to transform it. Without encountering affliction, you would have no way to learn how to turn it into wisdom.
The human body is inherently empty—its essence is empty. However, your spirit is not. The body is empty because it will no longer exist after a hundred years. The flesh will decompose into fluid, leaving only a few bones. Someone once said to me, “What heroes, what great men? No matter how wealthy or accomplished a person is, in the end, they’re just a pile of white bones.” This statement isn’t wrong, though it’s a bit blunt. Do you want to preserve your body? Your body is empty, but your consciousness, spirit, and awareness are what truly exist. Therefore, you must ensure the clarity of your consciousness.
Let me give you an example: imagine a transparent bead. When you place it on a table and light shines on it, it reflects dazzling colours. This is the bead’s intrinsic energy. However, without light, if you pick up the bead and look at it, it remains just a transparent bead. Only when the bead interacts with its external environment, such as light, does it undergo a transformation, creating colourful reflections. This is because it has its original form and the ability to reflect colours, but in reality, the bead itself has no colour. Only under sunlight does it radiate a spectrum of colours. Similarly, the human soul or colours reflect different energies in various ways. All the different colours arise from the coming together of causes and conditions. When these causes and conditions combine, they produce colours; when they cease to exist, the colours disappear. Here’s another example: if you have a pen in your hand, you can draw a picture. Only when the causes and conditions come together can you create something new. For instance, if a woman wants to marry, she needs a man for the marriage to occur; only then can the required conditions be fulfilled. Likewise, if you are engaging in spiritual practice at home without a good teacher, how can you cultivate effectively? It’s like the bead—it is transparent and will remain so, unable to produce a spectrum of colours without the right conditions.
Let me share three very important statements with you. Many people ask, “What is the purpose of learning Buddhism?” Let me explain: the purpose of learning Buddhism is to become a Buddha. So, what is the purpose of becoming a Buddha? The purpose of becoming a Buddha is to awaken sentient beings, helping them attain freedom from suffering. And what is the purpose of awakening sentient beings? It is to become a Buddha. And so, we come full circle: becoming a Buddha is to awaken sentient beings, and awakening sentient beings is to become a Buddha.
I am here to guide and awaken sentient beings. Once my task is complete, I will return to the higher realms, and my spiritual level will be even higher than before because I will have accumulated boundless merit and virtue. For example, if you aspire to be a leader, you must work hard and undergo rigorous training, often in the toughest environments. It’s like being a manager—you need to train at the company headquarters, gain hands-on experience at the grassroots level, and through these efforts, you may eventually be promoted. In the same way, I have come down from the higher realms to guide and awaken sentient beings. Once I complete my mission, I will return, and my spiritual level will be even higher. In fact, even before I return, I am already at a higher level than I was before. For instance, my speed in reading Totems is now much faster than it used to be. The truth is, any change in circumstances is a form of test. When you pass the test, you ascend to a higher level. This is a dialectical way of thinking. Do not foolishly wander through life. Instead, when you face a test and successfully overcome it, you elevate yourself. You should actively seek opportunities to accumulate merit and virtue, so cultivate diligently.
Now, I will talk about awakening sentient beings. As you practise Buddhism and aspire to become a Bodhisattva, how should you guide and awaken sentient beings? And what is the purpose of awakening sentient beings? There are two approaches to guiding and awakening sentient beings: one is called awakening sentient beings with intent, and the other is awakening sentient beings without intent. Awakening with intent means you have a specific purpose in mind when helping others, while awakening without intent means you help them selflessly, without any particular motive. Both approaches are good. I advocate practising both methods—awakening sentient beings with and without intent—side by side.
Now, you might ask, which is better: doing good deeds with intent or without intent? The truth is, both are valuable. However, from a certain perspective, helping others naturally and selflessly is better. Helping with intent is still beneficial, but it is slightly less ideal. For example, if I find a particular woman appealing and go out of my way to share the Dharma with her, enjoying every conversation—even if I have no inappropriate intentions—it still reflects an underlying personal preference. This would be an example of awakening sentient beings with intent. On the other hand, awakening beings without intent means having a Bodhisattva’s heart and helping everyone equally, regardless of whether they are an elderly woman or man, or how they look. You help simply because of a pure intention to free them from suffering. If you speak more to a young woman but less to an elderly mother, it reflects the difference between awakening with intent and awakening without intent. When we practise Buddhism, we must strive not to let our thoughts commit wrongs, our words commit wrongs, or our eyes commit wrongs.
If the conditions are ripe, then you take action to guide and awaken sentient beings; if they aren’t, you don’t. However, even when conditions aren’t yet ripe, you should wait patiently until they are before helping them. That’s why, when conditions are not yet mature, you temporarily hold off. Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma for 49 years, enduring countless hardships. Under the Bodhi tree, he and his disciples spread the teachings, and as a result, all his disciples ascended to become Bodhisattvas. The greatness of Shakyamuni Buddha’s resolve cannot be overstated. Why did he endure so much suffering? It was all for the purpose of awakening sentient beings and helping them be free from suffering. It was for this purpose that he became a Buddha. Even after attaining Buddhahood, he still descended to continue guiding and awakening sentient beings. Through awakening sentient beings, he gained more energy, merit, and virtue, and thus, he became a Buddha again. It’s like when you do good deeds and are recognised as a role model in the community. After being recognised, you continue to do even more good deeds, and the following year, you are named a role model again. Isn’t it the same principle?