Next, I’d like to talk to you about the Three Obstacles. What are the Three Obstacles? They are: the obstacle of affliction, the obstacle of karma, and the obstacle of retribution. So, what is affliction? It’s ignorance—not understanding, being confused. Because you don’t understand, you become confused, and then afflictions arise. If you can’t see things clearly, you naturally become troubled, right? Just think about it. For example, if you see two people whispering to each other, you might immediately think, “Are they talking about me?” That’s because you don’t understand the situation—you’re confused—and straightaway, afflictions arise. Do you understand? So, ignorance leads to affliction, and ignorance itself is an obstacle. A person who can’t see things clearly is carrying obstacles. For instance, someone who can’t hear clearly has an obstacle in their hearing. Someone who can’t see clearly has an obstacle in their sight. Someone who can’t speak clearly has a speech obstacle. I’ve spoken to you over many years about obstacles and karmic obstacles. Today, take a moment to reflect carefully—aren’t these all part of the karmic burdens we carry through human life? And what is intellectual disability? It’s an obstacle to wisdom—an obstacle in one’s mental capacity. So whenever you encounter these kinds of obstacles—whenever you are confused or unclear—you naturally fall into affliction and lose your sense of proper judgement.
Now let me explain obstacles in conduct. What are they? They refer to the acts of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. If today you kill animals that shouldn’t be killed, or you steal from others, this too is a kind of obstacle in conduct—a lapse in wisdom. There are also speech offences. For example, someone tells you something, and when you pass it on to someone else, you leave out or alter their original words. This kind of misrepresentation—taking words out of context—is a form of stealing through speech, and that too is a wrongdoing. Do you understand? When unwholesome thoughts arise, you are already violating the precepts. What do we mean by “unwholesome thoughts”? These are thoughts that go against reason and moral principles. For example, there’s something you clearly cannot or should not do, yet you insist on doing it anyway. That’s going against what is reasonable or proper—and that’s a violation of the precepts. Do you follow? Say you see someone with wealth, and you think, “I want to be rich too. What can I do to achieve that?” Then you start scheming in ways that defy moral sense—that’s breaking a precept.
Acts of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct—these are actions that lead to retributive obstacles, which I will explain first. Retributive obstacles arise because you’ve committed acts like killing, stealing, or engaging in sexual misconduct—and now you must face the karmic consequences. If you kill, will there be consequences? If you steal, will there be consequences? If you engage in immoral sexual conduct, will there be karmic retribution? Absolutely. It’s not just that impure thoughts in this world are wrong—your very body will undergo retribution. In the past, many emperors indulged excessively in lustful behaviour, and as a result, they ruined their health and died young. Isn’t that retribution? That is the obstacle of retribution—a heavy karmic obstacle.
Next, I’m going to talk to you about karmic obstacles—what I mentioned earlier: greed, hatred, and ignorance. So, what do they mean? Greed is when you desire something you shouldn’t desire. Hatred is when you harbour resentment and ill will towards others. Ignorance is when you stubbornly pursue something that clearly isn’t rightfully yours. These three defilements lead to karmic retribution. What does karmic retribution mean? Let’s say today you greedily chase after something, but you don’t succeed. What happens next? Retribution arises—you become angry. Once anger sets in, you feel stuck and frustrated. Emotional suffering follows, building up until you can’t bear it anymore. That’s karmic retribution.
Hatred works in the same way. The more you hate someone, the greater the retribution—because hatred creates backlash. When you hate others, you are actually creating negative conditions for yourself. You trap yourself in a mud pit that’s difficult to escape. Hatred harms your body: it disrupts your blood circulation, causes illness, drains your mental energy, and even invites attacks from others. When you hate others, they are likely to hate you in return. That’s karma. Hatred also generates poisonous energy in your eighth consciousness. This toxin damages both your physical body and your soul. That’s why people who are often angry or full of resentment rarely enjoy good health or smooth careers. Once you create this kind of karma, it becomes a dark mark upon you. Do you understand? For example, the moment you give in to greed, it enters your eighth consciousness. When hatred arises, it too is imprinted there. When you act out of ignorance—doing things you clearly know are wrong—that too gets recorded in your eighth consciousness. These dark and harmful specks gradually accumulate inside you. Eventually, karmic retribution arrives—you could fall into the Hell realms. I’m not joking—it’s extremely serious. However, if you truly repent and change, this negative karma will gradually fade, like a scar that heals over time. But if the wound hasn’t healed and you keep picking at it, the injury worsens and eventually becomes infected. Do you understand?
If you don’t correct your faults and bad habits, you are bound to fall into the Three Evil Realms—this is something I must warn you about. Remember, these realms are incredibly tragic: the Animal Realm, the Hungry Ghost Realm, and the Hell Realm. All three are filled with immense suffering. If a person refuses to do good—even after learning Buddhism—and still goes around speaking badly of others, criticising this person and that, then they are certain to fall into the Three Evil Realms. And once you fall into them, it is very difficult to escape. Do you understand?
That’s why, as Buddhist practitioners, we must be mindful of our every word and action. Why? Because even a single careless thought or movement can create karma. For example, in a Buddhist practice centre or a temple, everyone speaks mindfully, using the words of the Buddha. While I’m giving Dharma talks here, if someone lets their mind wander to impure thoughts, says something disrespectful about the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, or makes a disrespectful gesture, they are planting seeds of misfortune in their consciousness. Do you understand? This is why those who practise Buddhism deeply are cautious about every move they make. That’s why bhikkhus observe over 200 precepts, and bhikkhunīs more than 300. Think about it—so strict that they are even cautious about moving unnecessarily. That’s why bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs often greet others simply by saying “Amitabha”, without displaying much emotion—they are guarding against breaking a precept.
Today, I want to teach you a few updated methods for reciting sutras. The most important thing is that your heart must be sincere—sincerity is everything. I specifically asked the Bodhisattvas about this. When you recite sutras, you must do so with wholehearted sincerity. That means your intention must be genuinely devoted—not just outwardly sincere, but your inner resolve must be firm and true. You should think: “I must do this wholeheartedly. My heart is deeply sincere. My will is unwavering.” And when you recite, you must do so with compassion—with compassion in your heart.
When a person recites sutras with true compassion, they may begin to cry. This is a sign of their wholesome roots expressing themselves. Because goodness has taken root in the heart, it naturally brings forth tears. But as you progress in your Buddhist practice, you should not be crying all the time. Too much crying can bring about demonic obstacles.
Have you heard of the “crying demon”? If someone is constantly gloomy, always weeping and wailing, they have been overtaken by this crying demon, also called the sorrow demon. It’s a force of sadness that clings to them, keeping them constantly unhappy, always reacting to situations with sorrow first. You’ve been learning Buddhism for years and probably haven’t heard of this, have you? I’m telling you now: you must restrain the crying demon. You mustn’t let yourself become overly grief-stricken. It’s fine to feel moved by Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s compassion and to let your heart soften, but you mustn’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by sadness every time. Do you understand? True compassion should be held within the heart—it doesn’t always need to be displayed outwardly. If it constantly spills out, you risk inviting the sorrow demon.
Likewise, when you’re happy, don’t become overly joyful. For instance, say something went really well today, and you feel very happy—if that happiness goes on and on without balance, have you heard the saying “extreme joy begets sorrow”? That’s because excessive joy can also attract the joy demon.
Life really is delicate, isn’t it? You can’t be too sorrowful, but you also can’t be too joyful. When someone becomes excessively joyful, all kinds of demonic obstacles start to gather around them. The joy demon will latch on and make you laugh uncontrollably. Have you ever heard of cases where people laugh so much that they can’t stop—as if they’ve gone mad? Have you ever seen the play Thunderstorm? The character Fan Yi—what happened to her in the end? She fell under the influence of the joy demon. She kept laughing—“Ha ha ha…”—until she completely lost control. That wasn’t normal laughter anymore—that was possession by the joy demon.
This is why traditional Chinese culture teaches us to follow the Middle Way—the path of moderation. When you grieve, grieve appropriately. That’s what the saying “restrain your grief and accept the change” means. You must moderate your sorrow and follow the natural course of things. And laughter must also be kept in check. This is the principle of the Middle Way. In all things, we mustn’t go to extremes—not in sorrow, and not in happiness. Some people get so carried away with happiness that it kills them. Have you heard of elderly people who die while playing mahjong? It happens. They’re thrilled—maybe they pull a winning tile at the end—a rare hand, a big win! They burst into laughter: “Ha ha ha!” And then—boom!—a stroke. That’s the joy demon taking hold.
When we recite sutras, we should avoid over-stimulating ourselves. Many people say, “I feel energised when I recite—I really lift my energy when I do it.” But when you deliberately lift your energy too much, your eyes widen, you use too much force in your breath, and you start reciting rapidly without pause. This causes heart fire to rise. Eventually, you may develop mouth ulcers, feel unsettled, or become mentally scattered—that’s a sign that your heart fire has surged. Do you understand?
You need to take what I’m teaching you seriously—these are truly timeless lessons. If you recite with your eyes bulging, thinking, “I’m full of energy!” you’re actually veering off track. Recitation should also be balanced. We should learn from the Bodhisattvas. When you look at a Bodhisattva’s eyes, they’re always thirty percent open and seventy percent closed—partially open, partially at rest. This is how you should recite too: keep your heart fire under control so it doesn’t harm your body.
Another important point—don’t recite too loudly or too forcefully. If you recite at full volume, or use too much physical effort, you’ll end up draining your vital energy (qi). Recite like that for a whole day and your entire body will feel weak—because your energy has been depleted. Let me give you a simple example: if you talk nonstop from morning to night, doesn’t that wear you out?
Sutra recitation has its subtleties—there’s a method to it. There should be sound, but not loud sound. You should express your heart’s voice, but the volume must be gentle. The best way to recite is to move your lips with just a whisper of sound. This is actually the most effective method. What I’m teaching you today are things you must be mindful of during your recitation. Many people, getting anxious when praying to the Bodhisattva—perhaps something has gone wrong at home—start frantically reciting. But when I tell you to recite intensively, I don’t mean recite forcefully or loudly. I mean recite many times—once, twice, three times… forty-nine times… 108 times. That’s what I mean by intensive recitation—not reciting loudly. Do you understand?
There’s another method of sutra recitation that you must keep in mind. Many people like to recite while holding Buddhist prayer beads, right? There are pros and cons to this. When your mind is unsettled, using prayer beads can be helpful—you can recite one bead at a time to help calm yourself. But on the other hand, if you’re preparing to meditate, enter seated practice, or go into retreat, then moving your hands might actually disturb your stillness. The more your hands move, the more agitated your mind becomes, and the harder it is to settle down. In fact, when you’ve reached a higher state of calm, you won’t even need to touch the beads anymore. Do you understand? Once you enter that serene state, leave the beads alone—your mind will remain still. Think about it—when your hands move, doesn’t your mind move too? Who controls your hands? Your mind. And what controls the mind? The brain, right? So when your hands move, your mind moves, your brain is active—and how can your mind truly be still? In this context, “mind” refers to the heart, and “consciousness” refers to the brain. When your heart and brain are moving, your hands follow—and that’s why we say “a moving heart leads to restless action”. A person who is truly advanced in their spiritual practice doesn’t even need prayer beads. If you still rely on prayer beads, it shows that your cultivation is not yet deep. Why? Because you’re still using a physical aid to try to restrain your thoughts and reach a certain state—but that’s actually quite difficult to achieve. Do you follow?
Earlier I mentioned that when you move your prayer beads, your mind also moves. If you do this excessively, it can even lead to health issues. You may not have heard this before—but it’s true. Overuse of the prayer beads can affect your health over time. I’m telling you this: even your thoughts must not become overly active. When your mind is meant to be still, you shouldn’t even allow thoughts to arise. Only then can the mind truly settle.
If your hands are constantly doing something, your heart can’t be at rest. You’ve seen this in films: when someone is deep in thought or can’t figure something out, their hands start twitching, tapping, or fidgeting—tapping their legs, or making repetitive gestures. That’s a sign that the mind is agitated. Do you understand? It all means the heart-mind isn’t at peace. This is why many employers, when interviewing potential staff, can tell a lot just by observing whether they can sit still. If you’re constantly shifting your feet or fidgeting in front of the boss, it shows a lack of self-discipline. Even right now—while you’re sitting and listening to my teaching—those of you who can sit still are demonstrating self-control. But if you’re swaying left and right, or your body and eyes keep moving, that’s a sign of poor self-discipline—and weak spiritual foundations.