My talk today is on liberation. If a person wishes to attain liberation, they must possess good roots. Here, I’ll add two more words: “all roots.” What does “all roots” mean? It means all the necessary foundations must be present. You must have a conscience, wisdom, good roots, and a kind heart—you need all of these roots. They form the foundation of your cultivation. Do you understand? The Ten Wholesome Kinds of Action is about doing good deeds and being a good person, and that itself forms your foundation. Let me give you an example. Say someone needs to spit. If they possess good roots, they’ll take a tissue from their pocket and spit into it. If they lack good roots, they’ll just spit anywhere, right? I saw a news story today about 500,000 people affected by floods—utterly devastating. Disasters, both natural and human-made, happen every day. The fact that you’re sitting here, able to listen to the Dharma, is a blessing. Each Wednesday evening, you make the effort to come here and listen to my teachings—that itself is a sign of your blessings and virtue. Isn’t that so?
You need to carry yourself with dignity. What does that mean? Why don’t I like it when you young women wink? As Buddhists, your eyes shouldn’t wink or dart about. You should look at people directly, with respect—especially women, but men too. Winking or giving flirty glances is not acceptable, understand? You need to be upright and dignified. When a Buddhist looks at someone, it should be a straightforward, proper gaze—never a flirtatious wink. Think about those women in films who give those exaggerated flirty looks—what kind of character do they portray? I’m telling you, as my disciples, I don’t want to see that. If I do, I’ll call it out on the spot.
“Carrying yourself with dignity” means your body and appearance should be proper. This helps you “avoid unexpected troubles.” Why? Because someone with an upright face and bearing—who refrains from indecent behaviour—avoids many unforeseen calamities. And what are unexpected troubles? They’re problems that appear out of nowhere. Look at those who often engage in indecent behaviour or constantly expose themselves to unwholesome things—they’re the ones who run into trouble. Many people, after indulging in improper sexual conduct, soon end up in car accidents—that’s what’s called unexpected calamities. There’s an old saying: “Laughing before speaking is regarded as licentious.” A woman who greets a stranger with giggles or a smile without cause is not behaving properly. For example, if you see a man you don’t know and flash him a big smile, saying, “Hi,” trouble is bound to follow. You must always stay mindful and cautious.
You must enter liberation. What does it mean to enter liberation? It means your spiritual state gradually moves into a liberated condition. Each day, you should ask yourself: “What can I let go of today? What will I let go of tomorrow?” Only by practising this can you truly let go when the time comes to leave this world. If you cling to this and hold on to that, you’ll only end up confused and trapped.
Take the example of this elderly lady. From now on, she needs to set herself some rules: “From today, I won’t take my son’s words to heart; when my daughter-in-law speaks, I’ll treat her as if she were just a guest.”—good, she’s let go a little. Then she says, “For food, as long as it’s nutritious and fills me up, I’m fine—I don’t need anything fancy.”—great, that’s another step of letting go. And then, “Clothes? I don’t mind what I wear—so long as they’re clean and keep me warm, that’s enough.”—again, she’s let go of another attachment. By letting go bit by bit, when the time comes to leave, you’ll find it easy to let go of everything. This lady told me she’s let go now, and I can see it—she really has. She even asked me, “Master, can you tell me when I’ll pass away?” She’s not afraid anymore. But how many of you, sitting here studying Buddhism, can honestly say you’re not afraid of death? You may say, “I want to go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss,” but when the moment comes, you panic and rush to the hospital for emergency treatment. If you can truly let go, leaving this world won’t be painful. Why? Because you have faith and you know exactly where you’re going. If you’re certain you’ll ascend to the heavens, there’s no suffering. You need to understand these truths.
Right now, followers all around the world are listening to my radio programs and reading my blog with great diligence. Why? Because never before have they encountered Buddhist teachings explained so thoroughly, or the truths of the universe laid out so simply and clearly. This is what’s called “Buddhism in plain terms.” Some of the points I just explained—you may not fully understand yet. But let me tell you: once your vow-power is fulfilled, you can become a Buddha. I’ve already made my vows, and you should too. If your vow-power is complete, you will become a Buddha or Bodhisattva. But if your vow-power is not yet complete, you cannot attain Buddhahood or Bodhisattvahood.
Next, I want to talk about using the wisdom of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to enter the practice of formless giving. What does formless giving mean? It means giving without attachment. Whether it’s material giving, giving of the Dharma, or giving fearlessness, you must do so without attachment. For example, if I help someone today, it’s not because I like them—that is giving without attachment. But if you only help someone because you’re fond of them, that’s giving with attachment. Got it? At present, most of the people you help are your relatives or friends, and that is still giving with attachment. Who are you really helping? You’re repaying karmic debts from your past lives. Those you have karmic ties with—whether they were your brothers, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, or adversaries—are the ones you keep helping. Doing so again and again keeps you trapped in the same karmic web of family attachments, because it’s still attachment.
This is why I advise elderly men not to take on the task of guiding young women. Why? Because it easily leads to attachment. When you speak with them, they may develop respect or admiration for you, and it’s very difficult to prevent that feeling from sliding into desire. If that happens, not only do you lose merit and virtue, you may even fall back into the cycle of rebirth within the Six Realms of Existence. Remember this well: it’s best not to expose yourself to such risks, because you may lack the strength of concentration to withstand them. That’s also why I tell the male disciples and the young female disciples to limit contact with each other. You haven’t yet reached a high enough spiritual state, so it’s hard to keep proper boundaries. Why do I stop these older gentlemen sitting here, even at their age, from interacting with female Buddhist friends? Do they lack concentration? No—their discipline is often stronger than that of you younger people. Then why do I still advise against it? Because as the saying goes, “If you often walk by the river, how can you keep your shoes from getting wet?” Even the smallest mistake can cause you to lose your merit and virtue and drag you back into the cycle of rebirth. It’s frightening.
As my disciples, you must keep this in mind: men and women must maintain clear boundaries. Don’t test your mind or your willpower. No one can completely rise above worldly afflictions, so it’s best to avoid temptation—limit contact, keep calls to a minimum, and focus instead on cultivating the mind and reciting sutras. Don’t assume that when you’re discussing something with someone, they share your views. Later, they might even question your level of Buddhist practice or your cultivation of the mind. If you chatter on, airing your opinions, are you really practising well? You risk losing their respect. That’s what we call being “attached.”
In our Buddhist practice to awaken sentient beings, we should practise formless giving—giving without any sense of attachment to the act. It shouldn’t be, “I’m helping because they’re my relative or friend, because they give more or less money, because I like them, or because we’re close.” If you give more to one person because of such feelings, that is giving with attachment. In truth, all giving should be treated equally.
When it comes to Buddhist practice, we should focus on the Dharma and on cultivating our mind. Outside the Dharma, there’s nothing to discuss; any non-Dharma chatter should be firmly avoided. Remember—cultivating the mind is tough. Even husbands and wives should treat each other with respect, not bickering or gossiping. Speak more about the Dharma and less about other things, because words can stir up trouble. As the saying goes, “Trouble comes from the mouth.” If you want respect, speak less. Spend more time reciting sutras and listening to my Dharma talks. How can you learn well if you don’t listen? Don’t kid yourself. In this Age of Dharma Decline, time waits for no one. You come here to do meritorious deeds, but if you end up losing merit and virtue instead, your cultivation is in vain—no matter how great your Master is, they can’t save you.
You need wisdom to practise formless giving. Someone without wisdom can’t do it. For example, if I donate $100 at a temple and the monk says, “Please sign your name,” most people would. But a wise person thinks, “I don’t need recognition. I’m here to help, not to seek recognition.” That’s formless giving. Or if you help someone across the street, you don’t go around telling everyone. That is giving fearlessness. But if you broadcast everything you do, that’s giving with attachment. Got it?
As my disciples, I hold you to a high standard. If I hear even the slightest issue, I’ll point it out straight away. In spreading the Dharma, I must be worthy of the expectation of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. If I don’t call out your flaws, I’m failing as your Master. If I do point them out and you don’t change, you’re bound to run into trouble. It’s like a parent warning a child, “Be careful, don’t mess up.” Understand? If you give with attachment, you get caught up in clinging. For example, you donate $1,000, write your name, and kneel before the Bodhisattva, saying, “Bodhisattva, I gave $1,000—why am I still not rich? Doesn’t giving bring returns? Why is my family still struggling after I helped five or six people?” That’s attachment. Helping others doesn’t mean you get instant rewards. Got it?
All phenomena in the world are Dharma. Everything you see, everything you do, and everything you use—this is what we mean by “all things are Dharma.” Even our wisdom arises from Dharma. How is wisdom generated? It is born from Dharma. Because you encounter a certain situation (a Dharma), wisdom arises from it. Let me give you a simple example. Think of Dharma as an event you experienced. Because of it, you gained wisdom. If you’ve been betrayed before, you learn how to avoid being betrayed again. If you once lost $6,000 to a phone scam, would you fall for it again when someone calls? Of course not. That’s how wisdom develops. Everything in life—eating, living, travelling—is Dharma. If you live in this world as though you were a Bodhisattva, then everything you possess, the wisdom you have, and every matter you handle can all be seen as Dharma. Is Dharma powerful? Absolutely. Take eating a bowl of rice, for example. If you don’t regard it as Dharma, you simply eat it and think, “Oh, good, I’m full.” But if you eat it with a Bodhisattva’s mindset, your thoughts shift: “This bowl of rice is the result of farmers watering the fields countless times. How precious it is. By eating it, my body gains energy, my brain functions, and my heart beats.” With that thought, your whole spirit is uplifted. The same bowl of rice gives you vitality, whereas for someone else it’s just routine, like a monk mindlessly ringing a bell each day. Do you see the difference?
Some people say half the effect of a supplement is the same across brands, and the other half comes from how it’s promoted. Your consciousness carries energy, and this energy radiates according to your thoughts. If you believe something is good, it will feel good. That’s why some people rave about supplements, making them sound extraordinary. I once met a doctor who came from America to visit my grandmother. He brought her a vitamin supplement and told her, “Eat this, and you’ll be jumping with energy.” He hyped it up so much. My grandmother, with her vivid imagination, studied that bottle, followed his instructions exactly, and after taking it, she felt wonderful—just as he described. She even felt a slight tingle. He’d told her that by the third day, she’d be jumping. Sure enough, on the third day, she started jumping around the house. Why? Because she thought, “It’s the third day—I should be jumping,” so she tried. Isn’t that the power of the mind? That’s material transforming into mental energy. Got it? If you believe something is good, it becomes good. If you think it’s bad, it feels bad. If I think this old gentleman is great, the more I look at him, the more I like him. But if I think he’s annoying, I’ll see him and think, “Ugh, what’s with this guy?” It all depends on how your mind shifts. This is why our cultivation must focus on the spirit and on consciousness itself. Understand?
Everything in human life—what we eat, wear, live in, and how we act—is Dharma. In other words, when you view all states of being through the perspective of the Bodhisattvas, you embody the Dharma of the entire universe. Am I going too deep for you? Put simply, you can draw on the energy of the universe. It’s actually straightforward. Think of how supplements are marketed: “This is incredible—you’ll absorb amazing energy from it!” In reality, it’s simple. Everything in the universe is Dharma. Take sugar, for example. Sugar itself is created by the universe. We live within this universe, don’t we? When you eat this universal Dharma—a piece of sugar—you feel something. After a while, that sensation fades. Eat another piece, and the sensation returns. You need to truly feel the presence of the Dharma of the universe—the Dharma of all phenomena. And all phenomena are created by the mind. If you believe something is good, then for you, it is good. If you believe it is bad, then for you, it becomes bad. Here’s a simple example. Suppose I give you a bowl of porridge. After eating it, I ask, “Was it good? Did you enjoy it?” You say, “It was wonderful.” Then I tell you, “I put something dirty in it.” Instantly, you feel sick and want to spit it out. But in reality, I never put anything dirty in there at all. This is why you must cultivate properly. With the blessings of Guan Yin Bodhisattva available to you, if you still don’t practise sincerely, then you are truly letting the Bodhisattva down.