When we gather together, even just one or two unpleasant individuals can disrupt the entire atmosphere. This is why those who practise Buddhism and cultivate their minds must completely transform their thoughts and mindset. If someone clings to worldly distractions and scattered thoughts, they will never experience the joy of the Dharma. Living life constantly criticising others and finding fault in people is exhausting. What are you learning by following my guidance? You’re learning to see the goodness in everyone. In this world, there are no inherently bad people—only the law of cause and effect. If, even now, you still view some people as bad, let me tell you—it’s you who is the problem. I don’t like hearing you speak ill of others. Say anything you like, but there’s one thing you must never do: don’t badmouth others. Listen closely: if anyone comes to you, saying this person is bad or that person is bad, you can be certain they are the one with a problem.
As you are cultivating your mind, you must be kind and diligent. Sitting here, watching so many of you in the audience, I can clearly see who is working hard to accumulate merit and virtue and who is putting in genuine effort. Practising Buddhism is about learning how to be a good person. When you become a good person, you are on the path to becoming a Buddha. What is a Buddha? A Buddha is someone who teaches us how to live as good people and to act like Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. If you excel at being human, you’re already on the way to becoming a Buddha. But if you can’t even be a good person, what are you cultivating your mind for? Starting now, make an effort to change. Don’t speak negatively about even your own family members—whether it’s your spouse, your children, or anyone else. If you really must comment, say something like, “Oh, they’re improving. They still have a few small flaws, but we’ll help them.” Practising Buddhism means letting go of pride. You must humble yourself and see yourself as an ordinary person. It doesn’t matter who you are—when you come here to learn Buddhism, we are all equals.
Take a look around you. Among my disciples, how many do you see gossiping or speaking poorly of others? Are there people unwilling to contribute or make an effort to spread the Dharma? Think about it—isn’t it true that it’s easy to receive praise and just as easy to be criticised? This is why we must cultivate the mind. Wherever you are—whether eating, working, or engaging in any activity—everything arises from karmic connections. Our gathering here today is also the result of karmic connections. You may have read online about a person who shared the story of her sister-in-law contracting AIDS from a blood transfusion. Her father worked incredibly hard and lived frugally, yet he still managed to save several thousand dollars to perform life liberation. It wasn’t easy for him, but his compassion created a karmic connection with us. Compassion is essential in human interactions. We must show compassion, making others feel that love exists everywhere in this world. Her article moved many to tears. It evoked sadness but also awakened compassion in us.
I have made my point very clear: every cause inevitably leads to its corresponding effect, and every effect arises from a cause. No one can escape the law of cause and effect in the Human Realm. I want you to start with yourself. Whether you are a disciple, attending my Dharma Talk, or volunteering at the Guan Yin Citta Hall in Sydney, if you don’t correct your flaws, I will be displeased. You must make thorough and sincere changes. If anyone continues to gossip or speak ill of others behind their back, they are not practising sincerely. I urge you not to practise superficially. If you are serious about following my guidance to cultivate, then do it properly. If you intend to fake your practice, then leave. Karma is real. Those who cultivate well will receive significant karmic rewards—they will improve and grow. But if you don’t practise sincerely, things will only deteriorate for you. Those who repeatedly commit negative speech karma will descend to the lower realms. This is not a joke. Haven’t I told you before? Many people who stutter in this life are paying for the karma of their past lives—perhaps they insulted others or spoke ill of them. Think about it—being unable to speak clearly in this life, isn’t that a heavy price to pay? You must take your practice seriously.
Your gathering here today is, in fact, an expression of my care and love for you. I’m also observing how you accumulate merit and virtue. Many of you naturally step forward to take on tasks, working tirelessly, and I see it all. On the other hand, there are those who do nothing to perform meritorious deeds—do you think I don’t notice? Don’t take the Buddha-dharma lightly; otherwise, you won’t even realise when something goes wrong. Right Dharma is Right Dharma. If you remain confused and fail to do good deeds, karma will follow you like a shadow.
Time is precious! Look at the disasters happening in the world today—the deaths and injuries. Think about it: in China’s Yangtze River region, 13 million people were affected by floods. In Haiti, 250,000 people died in an earthquake. You must validate your cultivation of mind through your actions. Learn to work diligently—labour is an excellent way to strengthen your will and cultivate your mind. This is why many temples encourage labour—it serves this very purpose. I’ve made it clear: I will protect any disciple who is good. This world helps the good first, not the bad. Start by being mindful of your speech and cultivating your mind. Understand this: when you stop comparing your life to others, that’s when you truly begin to enjoy it. When you stop comparing yourself to others, you truly embrace your life. For example, you might say, “I live in a big house,” but then compare it to someone who has an even bigger one. That’s not truly living, because comparisons only breed greed. Everything is illusory and impermanent. You might have this house today, but you could sell it tomorrow. None of it is real; only your heart is real.
I hold disciples to very strict standards. If you follow my guidance, there is only one path—to cultivate diligently and learn earnestly. If you don’t commit yourself to proper practice and instead behave however you please at home, thinking, “He’s just my husband,” or, “She’s just my wife,” saying and doing whatever you like, you will not reap positive outcomes. If others are practising and you are not, you’ll be left behind—not just by society but by your own Buddha nature. Constantly finding fault in others while they improve through their cultivation will only lead to your own decline. If your husband is improving through cultivation while you are not, you risk being left behind. Why is your body in constant pain while others are not? Why does someone with cancer seem to thrive? Why has one person passed away while someone else continues to live? This is all a manifestation of karma in their spiritual practice. A person who doesn’t understand the importance of cultivating the mind is considered unawakened in this world. Cultivating the mind is for refining your conduct, and refining your conduct is for cultivating the mind. Outward appearances or external behaviour mean nothing if there is no true inner transformation. Remember this well: cultivate diligently. I allow you to make mistakes, but if you refuse to correct them, I won’t be pleased. Keep in mind, if you follow my guidance in your cultivation, I can guide you towards well-being, Guan Yin Bodhisattva will care for you, and you’ll avoid disasters. But if you don’t cultivate, you’ll simply be carried along by fate.
Power is like shackles, and wealth is no different from fleeting clouds. When you have power and influence, it’s as though you’ve chained yourself with shackles. When you possess wealth, it’s like a passing cloud—once the moment has passed, it’s gone, leaving you with nothing. If you follow my guidance and practise the Buddha-dharma earnestly, you’ll develop a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude must come sincerely from the heart. Whether the tasks are many or few, it doesn’t matter. A true Buddhist practitioner, like a Bodhisattva, eagerly takes on responsibilities. I can see clearly who genuinely delivers on their actions and who only talks without following through. Talking without action achieves nothing. The root of many problems lies in the tongue, and it is also a key focus of one’s cultivation. Cultivate diligently.
My energy field is incredibly pure—there is no room for even the slightest impurity. If something is unclean, I would rather not have it. Let me tell you this: genuine practice requires genuine effort and true sincerity. Only then will you succeed. If you practise without sincerity, you will not obtain the true Buddha-dharma. Failing to attain your inner essence is equivalent to wasting your practice and losing the most pure and precious things in this world.
In everything you do at the Guan Yin Hall, the Heavens are fully aware. Only those who don’t understand this would dare act carelessly. It’s like someone ignorant of the law, unaware they could be arrested. Have you seen Zhou Tsang Bodhisattva standing beside Guan Di Bodhisattva? Zhou Tsang Bodhisattva is also a Dharma Protector. Look into his eyes for a full minute—see if you feel fear. Unless you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ll certainly feel afraid if you have. That’s why I remind all of you: do not speak ill of others. You must monitor and guide one another. If anyone speaks negatively about others, it shows they haven’t been practising sincerely. I’ve made it clear to you disciples: you must care for and support one another. Only then will I truly take pride in you as disciples. Strict self-discipline is essential. Listen carefully to my Dharma Talk and follow my guidance in your cultivation. Everyone wants to cultivate well so they can transform their destiny and improve their circumstances immediately. But why do some people find reciting sutras particularly effective while others do not? It all comes down to the heart. If your heart is in the right place, everything else will naturally fall into place.