The term “wisdom and rationality” combines two essential aspects: “rationality”, which represents a person’s true nature, and “wisdom”, which is already embedded within that nature. Your true nature inherently contains wisdom—this is what I always teach you about “nature”, referring to your true nature and original spirit. When rationality and wisdom merge, this is true cultivation. When your rationality and wisdom become one, you have attained genuine spiritual practice.
Now, let’s talk about the Mani Pearl. The Mani Pearl is a gem, also called the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl. This pearl is extraordinary—it can grant whatever you desire. But it is not a physical object you hold in your hand. So, what is this pearl? It is your true nature. Your true nature is like a smooth, perfect pearl residing within your heart.
“The Six Perfections and countless deeds form a complete whole within.” The term “countless deeds” does not mean merely ten thousand actions, ten thousand efforts, or ten thousand events—it signifies something vast, like the number of grains of sand along the Ganges River, boundless and infinite.
“A complete whole within” refers to something round and flawless that exists within you. Yet people fail to recognise themselves. They do not know their own energy, their own abilities, or even what they truly are—this is what we call “people do not see.”
“People do not see, yet everyone possesses it.” This means you fail to recognise the energy within you, the innate foresight and wisdom capable of comprehending the truths of the universe and the human world. This source of profound intelligence is something every person has.
You may not be aware of it, but it exists nonetheless. Consider an elderly woman in a rural village—she may not know about the cosmos, the elements, or the vastness of existence. She may not believe in any of it or understand it, but that does not mean it is not real. “No one is without it”—every single person has it; there is not one individual who lacks it.
“Yet no one realises it.” You possess this remarkable treasure, and yet you remain unaware of it. Think of your hands: you can paint, another person can play the piano, someone else can play sport—you understand that your hands are capable of anything. In truth, there is no one who cannot achieve something; it depends only on whether you have learned how. The same applies to your mind—why does my mind contain this wisdom, while yours does not? The reality is that you have not yet uncovered your true nature. I have descended from the heavens and, just like you, have undergone cycles of learning—listening to great Dharma masters and Bodhisattvas preach the Dharma, spreading the teachings over multiple lifetimes, and ascending once again, before descending again to guide and awaken sentient beings. This process follows the same principle.
Thus, every person possesses Buddha-nature. A child may be called a “little Bodhisattva,” an elderly person an “elder Bodhisattva.” If you regard them all as Bodhisattvas, then you yourself are a Bodhisattva. However, many do not live up to this. Do you resemble a Bodhisattva? The impurities within you have clouded your Mani Pearl, and your tarnished soul prevents others from seeing your original nature.
The Tathāgatagarbha and the Mani Pearl are not two separate entities. This means the Mani Pearl represents your true nature, seamlessly integrated with the Tathāgatagarbha. It is the original spiritual essence bestowed upon us by the Bodhisattvas. I am sharing these teachings with the hope that you will awaken swiftly. We no longer have the luxury of spending years in monasteries, studying scripture one text at a time as monks did in the past. Instead, I wish to directly help you awaken your wisdom—because time is running out. I want you to polish your Mani Pearl, to restore the clarity and purity of your true nature, so that you may realise it for yourself. Let your true nature awaken its own wisdom and conscience. Do not engage in evil; do not even allow unwholesome thoughts to arise. The Mani Pearl represents a pure and untainted nature, while the Tathāgatagarbha is the union of one’s true nature and ignorance. The Tathāgatagarbha is the most original, innate essence we once possessed. When it is reawakened in your heart, you rediscover your true nature. However, over time, external layers have formed around it—these are ignorance. And what is ignorance? It is something that was not originally there, but has since attached itself to you.
Imagine a car freshly washed—spotless and shining—but after just a week on the road, it’s already covered in dirt. Or a clean shirt—after being worn for a month, it becomes soaked in sweat and odour. In the earliest of your lifetimes, your true nature was completely pure. But after dozens of cycles of rebirth, it has become deeply stained and decayed. I feel great compassion for all of you. I am patiently helping you clean away the layers of decay, bit by bit—week by week. But consider this: there are seven days in a week, twenty-four hours in each day—and even in your dreams, many of you are still chasing wealth. Human life is the most precious thing—and yet, ironically, the most precious things are often the easiest to lose. You might think money is most valuable, and in a sense, it is—but it can vanish overnight. It can turn a wealthy person into a beggar, or push someone to the brink of despair. True wealth must be earned through honest effort. Your true nature is something that arises from within. And the Mani Pearl—it is even more important than the Tathāgatagarbha.
The Mani Pearl represents the most primordial aspect of your true nature and original spirit. In the Bodhisattva’s teachings, one’s true nature is called the Mani Pearl. However, the Bodhisattvas also preserve it within the Tathāgatagarbha. If you truly cultivate yourself, the Bodhisattvas will activate the power of the Mani Pearl within you. Yet, external layers of ignorance may still exist, and restoring your true nature requires purification—this is the function of the Tathāgatagarbha. How can you recognise this? If you do not know that your Mani Pearl can be sought within the Tathāgatagarbha, or if you do not understand your true nature can be acquired from things created, employed or set in motion—this means purifying your heart and mind, you will inevitably encounter disasters.
Seeking the Mani Pearl is like excavating the earth in search of oil. You may not know oil lies beneath, but if you persist, you will uncover it. However, the process of digging is arduous, and a moment of carelessness can bring disaster. Why? Because you do not yet understand that you possess such an invaluable treasure within you. You are unaware that you have an immense reservoir of wisdom, and you do not realise the boundless energy you possess. It is precisely this ignorance—this unawareness of your own power—that attracts calamity into your life. Therefore, you must recognise and understand that your Mani Pearl can be sought within the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha has already operated through lifetimes of reincarnation, aligning with your karmic path. Within it, your most valuable treasure—the Mani Pearl—is always present.
When it comes to laughter, if you laugh from the Tathāgatagarbha, it’s also the laughter of ignorance. Do you know who the Tathāgata Bodhisattva is? Have you ever seen Him? In Chan Buddhism, He is called Mahāvairocana . In Pure Land Buddhism, He is known as the Buddha. In Western religions, He is referred to as God. Mahāvairocana Bodhisattva is formless and without appearance—He is the greatest and most supreme being in the heavens.
There are too many things in this world that you do not yet understand. What is the laughter of ignorance? What are the habitual tendencies of ignorance? “Ignorance” means not knowing, not understanding. When you do not understand, that is when you laugh at others. Yet, this ignorance is naturally embedded within you—you are unaware of it. For instance, imagine a child growing up with his father. The father has a fiery temper, and over time, that habit of ignorance rubs off onto the child. In truth, the child picks up his father’s ignorant tendencies. The child does not even realise that smoking is harmful. But because his mother smokes every day, he thinks there is nothing wrong with it, so he starts smoking too. In ancient times, it was said: “A woman does not laugh with her teeth showing, nor does she walk with her skirt swaying.” This reflects a person’s refinement, dignity, and class. What I teach you is about cultivating what is innate within you—your true essence. You must not be influenced by external distractions—because external influences are rooted in ignorance.
The laughter of the Tathāgatagarbha mocks human life, mocks everything in this universe. It laughs at the negative things you’ve carried through countless lifetimes—things you’ve brought with you. Let me give you an example: a villager from the countryside arrives at your home after getting off a boat. You see him in tattered clothes, carrying a worn-out sack, and you laugh at him. That’s what’s meant by “Tathāgatagarbha laughter.” Why? Because you think “you’ve brought all these dirty things with you —all these dirty habits—and you think I don’t have them here? My home has everything already, yet you still carry all this ignorance with you” That’s “ignorance laughter, laughing at ignorance.” When you don’t understand, others laugh at you; when you do understand, they no longer have reason to.
Let me give you another example. Many people drink coffee—do you know what the little spoon is for? If it were meant for drinking, why is it so small? The coffee spoon is used for stirring, and only then do you drink the coffee. A listener of my radio program once saw a woman using the tiny teaspoon to finish an entire large cup of coffee, spoonful by spoonful. He stood by and laughed at her out of ignorance. She did not understand the proper use of the coffee spoon, which is why she was laughed at. Many people are like this—they simply do not understand. That is why I am teaching you now—to help you understand the Buddha-dharma, life’s principles, and proper etiquette. Women should carry themselves with dignity, and men should do the same. When looking at others, your gaze should be upright and direct. If your eyes dart around or linger with deep emotions, you are already demeaning yourself. Look at people properly—if it is appropriate to look, then look; if not, then don’t. If you see something inappropriate, do not keep staring. There are so many billboards on the streets. Some people curse at them under their breath but still can’t stop gawking. This is ignorance at work. People can be so foolish. The laughter of the Tathāgatagarbha and the laughter of ignorance are like the smiling Maitreya Buddha. You should listen to my teachings carefully—listen once, then listen again— there’s so much wisdom to uncover if you keep listening.
Next, let me talk about greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt—they all come from the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha is the true nature you were born with, but it is also what carries the remnants of your past lives. This means that if you did not cultivate properly in your previous life, you carry the same tendencies into this one. If someone is willing to be reborn as a human in their next life, they will still bear the imprint of this life. For example, if someone is wild and mentally unstable in this lifetime, in their next life, they may still carry traces of that wild streak. You hear people say it: at 50, “This is just who I am”; at 60, they say, “This is just who I am.” By 70, they are still saying, “This is just who I am.” This should not be the case—you must change! I am truly anxious for all of you as my Buddhist disciples.
There are many things I have already let go of. In the past, I was a highly respected leader in the overseas Chinese community; my name was constantly in the newspapers. But now, do you see my name in the papers anymore? No, because I have chosen to give that up in order to dedicate myself to guiding and awakening sentient beings around the world who have an affinity with Buddhism. Today, when you kneel before Guan Yin Bodhisattva, who among you dares to make a great vow? My vow is enormous—it is real. Guan Yin Bodhisattva is granting me more time to save and awaken sentient beings. It is like a mission that must be fulfilled. Think of it this way: imagine the headquarters assigns you a mission— once it’s done, you report back and return to your position. But before the mission is done, you request permission from your leader, saying, “I need to go and save more people.” The greater your vow, the longer you will be allowed to stay, but the more hardship you will endure.