Today, Guan Yin Bodhisattva told me that even if great disasters do not occur or are delayed, humanity’s true disaster lies within—the disaster in one’s own heart. What is a disaster of the heart? It is being at odds with yourself: thoughts of suicide, constant confusion, depression, worry, and sadness. A person may seem fine but then suddenly be diagnosed with cancer—that is a personal disaster. It’s not enough to feel happy simply because a flood or earthquake hasn’t struck. The truth is, you may already be facing a disaster within your own body or mind. Long-term depression and psychological barriers are already signs of being afflicted. I perform Totem Readings for people every day. There was a young girl who attempted suicide by cutting her wrists three times, and I’ve been trying to save her. This is why everyone should dedicate themselves to helping and awakening sentient beings. Think about it—how much effort have you put in? How much merit and virtue have you accumulated? You must gain deeper insight. Look at how others are working hard, and reflect on whether you are making the same effort. If not, you are letting down Guan Yin Bodhisattva and me. Once today passes, it will never return. That’s why I urge you to take care of yourselves and work diligently to avoid disasters.
Now, let’s continue discussing cultivation. We often talk about cultivating, learning, and practising the Dharma, but in essence, cultivation is a skill. If you can cultivate well, it shows you have truly developed this skill. Those who cultivate sincerely do not belittle others. Many people feel prideful because they are young, educated, wealthy, or attractive, seeing these qualities as their assets. Without cultivation, they look down on others. They didn’t practise Buddhism, so they may tend to speak ill of people. Only those who truly understand Buddhist teachings refrain from looking down on others. Buddhist practitioners treat others with compassion, not with disdain. Monks and nuns in temples show kindness to everyone. I am both compassionate and strict with you because you are my disciples, and I must hold you to a high standard. However, you’ve all seen how I treat other elderly men and women—with warmth and kindness. With you, my attitude is one of being tough because I want you to reach your full potential, even if it’s difficult. Even after so much cultivation and listening to my Dharma Talks, some of you still engage in unacceptable behaviour. Why is it so hard for you to change?
Cultivating the mind requires enduring hardship. Only through hardship can one truly cultivate the mind. When life is easy, people often neglect spiritual practice. This is why it is called austere practice. Those who perform meritorious deeds despite hardship develop kindness in their hearts and extend that kindness to others. Such people do not look down on others. People who frequently belittle others cannot be good practitioners. In some temples or practice centres, visitors are treated rudely or dismissively. As a result, those visitors may never return. People come to pray with sincere hearts, and if they are treated poorly or brushed off, it reflects a failure to practise Buddhism and disrespect towards the Bodhisattvas, creating karmic obstacles. Each one of you represents the Bodhisattvas. Whether you are typing, making a phone call, or performing any other task, your actions must live up to the expectations of Guan Yin Bodhisattva and sentient beings because you are Buddhist practitioners. It is your lack of compassion or tendency to look down on others that causes you to feel annoyed or frustrated. What does austere practice mean? It means learning to restrain and discipline yourself—this is true endurance of hardship. When you become accustomed to it, it no longer feels like hardship. This is the essence of “finding joy in hardship.” Every sentient being possesses Buddha-nature; they are all Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. When you are harsh to someone, how can you live up to the Bodhisattvas’ expectations? Sentient beings come to pray and seek the Buddha’s guidance, not to be mistreated.
Ordinary people should not belittle any living being. You wouldn’t kick or scold a dog, so how could you mistreat a fellow Buddhist practitioner? Consider this: if you repeatedly speak negatively to a glass of water, then freeze it, the ice crystals will form ugly patterns. Conversely, if you speak positively to the same water, the ice crystals will form beautiful patterns. This demonstrates that even inanimate objects are affected by intention and energy. Therefore, it’s important to appreciate these principles. A person who understands the Buddha-dharma must be authentic. Dishonesty adds to one’s karmic debts. It’s not that I disapprove of you—it’s that the Bodhisattvas disapprove. Humanity is inherently illusory, which is why we must focus on doing meaningful, genuine work. For instance, when you buy something, it initially seems real, but when it breaks and is discarded, its impermanence is revealed. Similarly, you might resolve not to argue with family members, but after a few words, you find yourself arguing again. Is that real or illusory? Everything in the Human Realm is illusory and transient. The food you eat feels real while you’re eating it, but once it’s consumed, it’s gone—it is only temporary.
From reality to illusion is a natural process. A baby is born, grows up, becomes elderly, and eventually passes away. Isn’t that also impermanent? What in this world is truly permanent? What can you hold onto? I have reminded you time and again that everything is empty. When you die, nothing remains. Many people fear death, but if humans did not die, they would become something mythical. Imagine an elderly woman living to 130 years—what would she become? It’s just the way life is. This world is like a hotel—illusory and impermanent. Both the physical body and the mind are illusory. Today, you might have one thought, but by tomorrow, it has completely changed. You negate your previous thoughts so quickly. One moment, you resolve to do something, but after someone whispers a few words in your ear, you entirely change your mind. Isn’t that impermanence? When I see you kneeling, I see the impermanence within you. Today, you kneel; tomorrow, when you can’t think clearly, you may no longer have the opportunity to kneel at all. What benefit do I gain from your kneeling before me? None. It only adds to my responsibilities and karmic burdens because your minds and bodies are not yet purified. That’s why you must cultivate diligently to eliminate your karmic obstacles.
Human nature itself is illusory and impermanent, as are our words. What begins as a promising discussion may not turn out as expected later. This is why we must express the Buddha-nature within us with sincerity and substance. While you are inherently impermanent, you can strive to make your expressions and actions as grounded and authentic as possible. In other words, even though you may change, aim to minimise unnecessary changes. True Buddhist practitioners are humble. For example, when you choose a teacher, you follow their Dharma Door. If you seek guidance from a particular Master, you follow the teachings they impart. It is the same principle: you should never disparage another person’s Dharma Door or believe your own to be superior. In your Buddhist practice, if you’ve already chosen a teacher and a Dharma Door, it’s important not to belittle it. Choose a Dharma Door that you believe is best for you, but never criticise other Dharma Doors. This, too, reflects true nature.
Let me remind you again: whether you are my disciple, a formal student, or just attending my Dharma Talks, never speak poorly of any Dharma Door. All Dharma Doors are valuable. Let’s use a doctor as an analogy: I am like a doctor, and all doctors deserve respect. Just because your Master is a renowned specialist doesn’t mean you should speak disparagingly of others. That’s never acceptable. And don’t let arrogance take hold. Even if people say to you, “Wow, you’re Master Lu’s disciple—that’s amazing,” don’t let it inflate your ego. What is there to be proud of? Others may be cultivating far better than you. Simply sitting here doesn’t automatically make you a qualified disciple—it’s meaningless without true practice. Look at those Buddhist friends. Many of them live far away, all around the world, yet they still perform life liberation for me, striving to accumulate merit and virtue. Now, the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door has flourished globally, with practice centres established worldwide. This is all due to the compassion of Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
The greatest suffering in life is self-inflicted—this is the latest teaching Guan Yin Bodhisattva shared with me. Guan Yin Bodhisattva said, “Human disasters actually stem from themselves.” On a global scale, it’s the destruction of the ecological environment. On a personal level, it’s the damage we do to our own living environment. Many people are aggressive and angry—doesn’t that destroy their surroundings? Others neglect their health by eating poorly, not sleeping enough, worrying excessively, and dwelling on troubles. Isn’t that harming their internal environment? This is why they fall ill or develop conditions like cancer. People are constantly damaging their inner and outer environments, turning their lives into disasters.
Let me explain why people become arrogant. It’s because they focus too much on themselves. Why does a person think they’re so extraordinary? Because they constantly dwell on thoughts like, “Who am I? What do I deserve? What should I have?” Everyone believes they are the most important. At events, they expect red carpets, a police motorcade, and a VIP seat on the stage. If their name isn’t on the list, their face darkens, and they leave in anger. I recall a Member of Parliament who always assumed he was the most important figure wherever he went. As Buddhist practitioners, you should understand that sooner or later, you will have to let go. At the end of life, lying on your deathbed, you’ll have no choice but to let go. So why not let go earlier? Letting go earlier might even help you live longer. Why is it so hard to let go? Because a defiled soul, a tainted spiritual entity, and karmic obstacles weigh you down and cloud your mind, leaving you confused. There are countless people in this world obsessed with saving face, yet they live in misery. They cling to pride at all costs, even when they’ve lost everything else. Some are so attached to saving face that they take their own lives. Pride can destroy a person but solve nothing.
To truly solve problems, you must let go of yourself. Stop clinging to pride and ego. What matters is not saving face but living a meaningful life. Focus on your future, personal cultivation, spiritual growth, and ultimately reaching the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or the Four Sagely Realms. That is the true place of spiritual attainment. Pursue what genuinely resides within your heart and soul, not worldly possessions, status, or wealth. To achieve this, you must diminish your attachment to fame, wealth, status, and ego. In other words, take yourself less seriously. Ask yourself: “What makes you so special? Who are you? What are you worth?” Or, “Refusing to apologise over something trivial—who do you think you are?” Now you understand why I often criticise you. It’s to help you reduce your ego. When I correct you in front of others and you can say, “I’m sorry,” it shows that your spiritual level is rising, not falling. The more humble and polite you are, the more noble and respectable you become. This reflects your level of spiritual development. In contrast, those who stubbornly refuse to admit their mistakes for the sake of pride lose the respect of others. If people criticise you behind your back and you think, “As long as I don’t hear it, it doesn’t matter,” then you’re just deceiving yourself. If you can simply say, “I’m sorry, I’ll change,” others will respect you.
What kind of mindset do you have? When you make a mistake, you blame others, run away, or deny it outright. Is that the mindset of a Buddhist practitioner? You must take yourself less seriously. My purpose in pointing out your faults today is to teach you to let go of ego. What do you truly possess in this fleeting life? In the blink of an eye, your life will be over. If you have neither money nor fame, you may actually live more freely. By abandoning greed and ego, others’ insults can no longer affect you, and their blows cannot harm you. That is true freedom. Be like a ripened wheat stalk—the fuller it grows, the lower it bends. Why do so many people die, suffer illnesses, or live in anger? It’s because they cling to their past glories and refuse to let go. But the past is the past; the present is the present. The Bodhisattva teaches us: “The past is unattainable, the present is unattainable, and the future is unattainable.” In essence, nothing is truly attainable—everything is empty. Be humble. If you look down on others, you are truly looking down on yourself. Even someone working as a cleaner deserves respect. They are honest, hardworking, and earning money to care for their families. They are noble. Those who are greedy and corrupt, focusing only on making money and neglecting others—living like parasites—are far less respectable than a cleaner.
What I share with you are the most practical and wisest teachings of the Buddha. I hope you take them to heart. Don’t think less of yourself simply because you’ve made mistakes. That’s not true at all. You are human, and humans will always make mistakes—even at the moment of death. What matters is that you recognise your past errors, reform, break through confusion, and become awakened. Then you will be a virtuous person. Do not ignore sentient beings. They are all around you. Their pain is our pain. Practising Buddhism begins with learning to let go of yourself. Be willing to endure hardship. Through hardship, you eliminate your karmic obstacles.