In the Diamond Sutra, there is a phrase: “Practise generosity without attachment to form.” Let me give you an example: a man donates $3,000 and signs the donation as “Anonymous.” Later, when a friend visits, he shows his friend the newspaper and says, “Look, $3,000 from Anonymous—that was me.” Although this man intended to practise generosity without attachment to form, in the end, he couldn’t resist revealing it himself. This is still generosity with attachment to form. People often have attachment to form. For instance, if you send flowers to a friend and sign them as “From someone who loves you,” the recipient will likely know who sent them. The giver may intend to practise generosity without attachment to form, but the recipient perceives the gift with attachment to form. Buddhism adopts a dialectical approach. If you understand Buddha-dharma well, you can apply it in everyday life effortlessly, as if it were a walk in the park. Generosity without attachment to form embodies the spirit of great fearless compassion. Remember, great fearless compassion involves selfless sacrifice, and this is what it means to practise generosity without attachment to form. For example, if I make a donation today, I do good deeds anonymously.
Whenever I visit temples to make offerings, I never sign my name in the donation register. Signing your name makes it “generosity with attachment to form,” which greatly reduces the merit and virtue. Let me give you another example: a teacher asks, “Who cleaned the classroom so thoroughly today? Who wiped the blackboard so clean?” Nobody answers. The teacher says, “This child is so kind! Thank you—I’m truly grateful.” Then someone speaks up, “Teacher, it was me! Did I do well?” “Yes, very well!” As soon as the teacher praises the student, the merit and virtue are diminished—once spoken about, they are gone. That’s why, when you do good deeds or create merit and virtue, you should not attach to it.
In the Amitabha Sutra, there is a Bodhisattva named Nityodyukta Bodhisattva (Bodhisattva of Constant Diligence). Do you know what this means? Nityodyukta Bodhisattva reincarnates countless times to help and awaken someone. If he doesn’t succeed in helping that person in one lifetime, he follows them into the next life and tries again. If he still doesn’t succeed, he will continue in the next lifetime, and so on. This is what it means to be Nityodyukta Bodhisattva. Nityodyukta Bodhisattva is both fearless and wise. Bodhisattvas must have this spirit—to continuously help others, to have faith, and to persist. If you fail at something today, you must still try again tomorrow. Persevering until you achieve your goal is what diligence truly means. So, who among you is diligent?
I’d like you to know this: money can always be earned in this world, but human life is short. You must make the most of your time to cultivate your mind; other worldly matters can be set aside for now. Think about it—no matter how glorious someone’s life may have been, in the end, they are left with nothing. On the other hand, if a person held no position or status but consistently recited Buddhist scriptures, when their time comes, they won’t suffer. Why? Because they will have no worries, no attachments, and nothing holding them back. Passing away peacefully, free from illness or suffering, is not easy—it depends on the merit and virtue, and spiritual strength that you have built over time. I know life can be challenging for all of you. Every disciple makes mistakes, but every disciple also does good deeds. When I point out your shortcomings, it’s actually a way of helping you develop self-restraint. Only by allowing yourself to be criticised can you cultivate the mental strength needed to grow. Remember: learn to restrain yourself and let your environment shape and train you. Challenging environments are the ones that best cultivate a person. The more difficult and unhappy a situation is, the more you should make yourself happy. When you are happy despite adversity, it frustrates those who wish to see you upset. Conversely, if you are unhappy, they become even more pleased. Mastering this mindset is an early stage in Buddhist practice.
People Who Are Awakened to Their Inherent Nature
How can you tell if someone understands their inherent nature? Look at whether they are willing to help and awaken sentient beings. Those who can guide and awaken others are enlightened individuals. Those who retreat to the mountains for solitary cultivation are not. Who retreats to the mountains? Those who practise only for themselves, isolating themselves in seclusion and focusing solely on personal cultivation. Such individuals are not truly enlightened. Relying solely on self-cultivation makes it very difficult to realise the Buddha nature. Only by helping and awakening sentient beings can you gain greater wisdom and fulfil your soul. Without learning from others, you cannot grow. For example, by interacting with many people, you can learn a wide range of skills and gain insight. But if you isolate yourself from a young age, living in the mountains and avoiding all human interaction, you will remain a person with limited wisdom. Why? Because you would never have encountered different circumstances. Such a person would lack understanding. So, how far could they really go? Do you see my point here?
Enlightened Beings Must Awaken Sentient Beings
When a person is not enlightened, almost nothing they say or do is correct. This might be difficult to grasp at first. Does it mean that unenlightened people are completely without value? What does “completely without value” mean? It means there is not a single thing they do that is truly right or makes sense. When we live in this world without learning Buddhism, we are essentially living without understanding—making mistakes without even realising it. We think arguing with others is justified. We think filing lawsuits against others is the right thing to do. When we fall ill, we don’t even understand the root causes of our sickness. Living without understanding is what it means to “have no value”; this is what an unenlightened person is like. Today, people are so stingy that they won’t even give someone a smile. How many people are willing to share the simple gift of a smile? Instead, people are cold and harsh towards one another.
When someone becomes awakened, they see through the illusions of this world and understand the principles of cause and effect. However, some people, after grasping a small part of Buddhist teachings, mistakenly believe they should stop taking action. This mindset is called passivity. They think: “Now that I’ve realised the truth, I don’t need to do anything anymore. I understand how much suffering there is in life.” They see their inherent nature and conclude, “It’s just like this.” Yet, they fail to perform meritorious deeds after seeing their inherent nature. This is a form of generosity with attachment to form. Such individuals recognise the suffering in the world and think: “Since everyone is going to die eventually, I might as well live like everyone else, eating and drinking without further effort.” This attitude reflects generosity with attachment to form and reveals that their nature has not yet been fully purified. If a person’s inherent nature is not purified, any happiness or blessings they experience in the Heavens will only be temporary. Even if they ascend to the Heavens, it will not last. Without a selfless resolve to guide and awaken sentient beings—even to the point of being unafraid of personal sacrifice—the joy of doing good deeds will be short-lived. This is what we call limited enlightenment, or awakening rather than true enlightenment.
It is like shooting an arrow into the sky. The arrow rises high, but as soon as its force is spent, it falls back to the ground. The energy behind the arrow is limited, lacking the strength to sustain its flight indefinitely. Similarly, without understanding one’s inherent nature, heavenly blessings will eventually be exhausted, and one will return to the human world. Upon returning, they will have forgotten everything, starting over without any knowledge. In this sense, their efforts are like shooting arrows into emptiness—unreal and insubstantial. Much of what we learn and do in the human world is similarly empty because we are living in an illusory Dharma Realm. True Thusness, the true and inherent nature of humanity, is like the sun—it always shines. Our karmic obstacles are like clouds in the sky. These clouds may obscure the sun, but they can never extinguish it. The sun represents your inherent nature. When the clouds pass, your inherent nature is revealed once again. Sometimes, people act with kindness—that is the sunlight shining through. But when people are consumed by hatred, their inherent nature is hidden behind dark clouds. For example, when a couple fights and harbours resentment toward each other, they might even come to blows. However, when one sees the other injured and bleeding, their heart is suddenly filled with sorrow. In that moment, the dark clouds drift away, and their inherent nature shines through once more.
After cultivating the mind and practising Buddhism for so long, you now begin to appreciate the importance of repentance and the act of saying “sorry.” You must understand that when others help you, it is for your benefit, and in truth, it is a form of joy. When you see someone doing something, if you think of it as them assisting you, your heart will be filled with happiness. Clouds may appear to obscure the sun, but do they ever truly block it? From our perspective on Earth, it may seem as though the clouds are covering the sun, but that’s simply due to the position and angle from which we are observing. If you were to view it from another place, another perspective, would the sun still appear hidden by clouds? We often say, “Step out of the shadows.” This means letting go of troubling thoughts, overcoming your sadness, and opening your heart. These are the words of Bodhisattvas—language imbued with wisdom. When a person is troubled and cannot think clearly, it’s as if clouds are covering the sun in their heart. Yet, from another angle, the sun is still shining brightly.
Remember: different viewpoints solve different problems, and different positions offer different perspectives. These teachings are words of wisdom from Bodhisattvas. So why don’t we apply them in our daily lives? For instance, if you want to contact someone, you could make a phone call, send an email, or use another method. There are many ways to solve problems, yet people often fixate on one approach and fail to consider alternatives. This is human nature—to become stuck in a rut. Bodhisattvas and divine beings, on the other hand, always find a way. Even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, such as being diagnosed with cancer, if you wholeheartedly believe that Guan Yin Bodhisattva will help you and never doubt it, your cancer could miraculously improve or even heal completely.
In the human realm, there are times when we should remain only partially aware. Sometimes, it’s better not to see things too clearly, as even the things we do understand are ultimately illusory in this empty Dharma Realm. However, there are also times when we must see things very clearly—using the Bodhisattva’s perspective to discern matters in this human world. If something pertains to wholesome matters, you should seek complete understanding. If it pertains to unwholesome matters, there is no need to seek clarity. Knowing too much about harmful things only brings pain, while understanding positive things leads to happiness. Which would you prefer—happiness or suffering? What I am sharing with you are truly words of profound wisdom.
Finally, let me share this with you: your true nature is infinitely virtuous and omnipotent. It contains boundless morality and energy. In Buddhist scriptures, Shakyamuni Buddha often referenced the Ganges River in India, using analogies like “the number of grains of sand in the Ganges River” to symbolise something countless and immeasurable. If you can tap into your inherent nature and make full use of it, you will possess infinite wisdom—just as limitless as the grains of sand in the Ganges. The problem is, this inherent nature often becomes obscured or defiled, making it impossible to see or access. But if you can activate and fully utilise this energy, you can transform any situation. There is no need to fear illness or adversity. The human hand and mind are incredibly agile and resourceful, capable of wonders. We must explore our potential and purify our hearts and minds. Failing to cleanse the heart and mind is foolish, like someone who never learns from a young age and remains ignorant. Remember, practising Buddhism requires you to learn human wisdom and worldly skills. The words and teachings of Bodhisattvas are best suited for practical use in this human world. Listening to them is like basking in the sunlight of the Dharma—how wonderful is that! So, are you still angry? Are you still upset?