Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt—most people are already familiar with the “three poisons” of greed, anger and ignorance, so I won’t elaborate on those. But what is arrogance? Arrogance means pride, a sense of superiority or looking down on others. A lack of diligence is also a kind of arrogance. And doubt—having a suspicious, mistrustful mind—can be a serious problem.
A person must be brave enough to acknowledge their own shortcomings. The moment you admit your flaws, you are, in essence, cleansing the stains from your being. Only then can you see your true nature, and your wisdom will begin to emerge. Being suspicious of others all the time is harmful. Persistent suspicion is a fault in itself. There’s a saying: “Suspicion breeds demons in the dark.” If you stop doubting others, your heart will be open and at ease. You will naturally act in a way that is free from mistrust, making it easier for other people to accept your approach. But the moment you begin to doubt someone, your actions shift to match that mistrust, and soon enough, they’ll respond negatively towards you. For example, if you trust someone and say, “Thanks for picking that up for me—how much was it?” and they reply, “$86,” things are smooth. But if you had doubted them, and they sensed it, they’d be upset. Next time you ask them for help, they might say, “Oh, they were sold out,” even if that’s not true.
There’s a teaching in Buddhism: even when you know someone is deceiving you, you should still let them deceive you. This, in essence, is an act of compassionate giving. You know in your heart they are lying, but you feel pity for them. If you have wisdom, you can let them deceive you—yet in your mind, you transform that act into an expression of deep compassion. The biggest fault people have is knowing they are being lied to and flying into a rage.
You must search for the Mani Pearl in the midst of affliction. That means, the more troubled you are, the more you should seek out your true nature—your original essence. This is how you realise the truth that affliction itself is Bodhi (awakening). How can you find the Mani Pearl? It truly can be found. One way is through focused intention; the other is through cultivation. Cultivation involves reciting sutras, doing good deeds, and accumulating merits and virtues. Have you ever seen a fireball or a bright, glowing light? Within a person is this fireball—shining and radiant. This is the Mani Pearl: a sparkling, luminous essence that can float and move around. When a person passes away, this light departs the body—this is your true nature, your spiritual essence. Now imagine: “My Mani Pearl is clean and pure.” Visualise it like the sun—brilliant, spotless, radiating circles of pure white and golden light. When you envision it this way, you’ve begun to uncover your Mani Pearl. It can travel throughout the body—an extraordinary thing. It can even leave your physical form. But once it does, although you’re still breathing, you may become mentally unstable, a fool, or even in a vegetative state. This glowing light is the Mani Pearl, the most original and primal essence of your being. And it is always luminous.
No matter how bad a person is, they still possess a Mani Pearl. However, their Mani Pearl may be very dim and very small. For someone who is on the verge of falling into Hell, their Mani Pearl might only emit a faint glimmer—like the weak light of a torch running out of battery. The more good deeds you perform, the brighter your Mani Pearl becomes—like a powerful searchlight. But if you commit too many wrongdoings, your Mani Pearl will become like a torch with no power at all. Whether people respect you or not often comes down to whether they can sense the presence of your Mani Pearl—this is essentially your energy field.
Affliction is Bodhi. When you have wisdom, you will no longer be troubled by afflictions. When you are consumed by afflictions, wisdom disappears. But if you are able to transform your afflictions into Bodhi, then in essence, you are removing your afflictions—and what remains is wisdom.
Many Buddhist friends especially appreciate it when I explain the Buddha-dharma in plain, everyday language, because these days, many people make it too complicated and no one can follow. When explaining the Dharma, it must be grounded in human experience and aligned with the universal laws of the universe. That is how it helps us reconnect with our original nature—like finding our true mother. If seeing Guan Yin Bodhisattva brings you to tears, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve found your true spiritual mother yet. The most original and ultimate mother figure in Buddhism is Mahāvairocana Bodhisattva. A person of elevated character is able to master the entire universe and enable you to become the master of yourself.
There’s a saying: “Character determines destiny.” Whatever character traits you carry will shape your destiny. If someone is stubborn and unyielding, they may be the first to suffer in times of political upheaval. People with poor character may struggle in relationships and end up divorced. One listener of my radio program was always wavering in his practice of Buddhism—believing one moment and doubting the next. That inner conflict ultimately led to his downfall. Those with good character tend to succeed; those without it often fail. If you reflect on your life and feel you haven’t achieved success, look inward—you’ll likely discover that unresolved character flaws were holding you back. On the other hand, success is often the result of having many positive qualities. Right now, you’ve already succeeded —you’ve become disciples of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, so blessed—which shows you already have good qualities within you.
If you’re not yet able to accomplish something great, then carry out the small things with a grand and noble attitude—and eventually, you will achieve something great.
Every time I give a Dharma talk, your strengths and weaknesses flash through my mind. Why am I sharing this particular teaching with you today? Because today’s message is about letting go of everything and committing to true spiritual cultivation. “What is false can never become true; what is true can never be made false.”
In reality, the Bodhisattvas often try to enlighten us—it’s just that we don’t accept it. When a Dharma Door is passed down, it always carries with it the joy of the Dharma. You must use the Buddhist teachings you’ve already learned to assess and verify any new Dharma Doors that come your way. Let me give you an example. Suppose a batch of shiitake mushrooms arrives—you already know the price, the weight, and the quality. In the past, you may have known nothing about mushrooms at all. It’s similar to how you’ve now encountered the Dharma Door taught by me, and you’ve begun your cultivation under my guidance. But imagine you’re halfway through your practice, someone might come along and tell you, “There’s another Dharma Door that’s very good.” At that point, you must use the Buddhist principles and wisdom you’ve learned from this Dharma Door to assess that new teaching.
Think of it this way: if you’d never sold shiitake mushrooms before, you wouldn’t know their weight, their price, their variety, or where they came from. But once you’ve got this packet of mushrooms and become familiar with them— if someone brings you a new batch and says they’re excellent, you’ll be able to evaluate them using the knowledge you already have. You weigh up the price and quality of the mushrooms you have against this new lot to see if it’s genuine or not, if it’s good or bad. It’s the same when it comes to evaluating a Dharma Door. The logic is no different. In Buddhism, there is no attachment or rejection.
Cultivating the mind and reciting the Buddha’s name should be done in accordance with karmic conditions. “What is absolute is neither true nor false.” If you insist that something is absolutely a certain way, that statement is already incorrect. In this world, there is no such thing as “absolute”—nothing is truly absolute. The moment you say something is definitely or absolutely true, you’ve already made a mistake.
The concept of “absolute” implies something beyond duality—it is neither true nor false. In other words, absolute things are not truly real. “Not false” means not holding delusions about anything in this human world. Yet, the reality we live in is made up of particles born from deluded thoughts. Therefore, “not false” means not engaging in deluded thoughts.
In fact, deluded thoughts are simply the ultimate reality that is completely harmonious. If you regard “absolute” as “neither true nor false,” something relating to your original spirit, then there is only one thing that is truly absolute: the reality that emerges after complete harmony. If you see worldly matters as absolute, then you are absolutely mistaken—because they are not the true reality. But if you see the “absolute” as your true nature, then you possess the state of complete harmony.
If a person lacks stability, it means their cultivation is not solid. Upholding precepts takes great effort. What is the power behind precepts? It is a special force granted by the heavens—a kind of spiritual strength—that allows you to restrain yourself and eliminate your faults. Every time I give a teaching, my ultimate goal is to help you awaken, to let your true nature come to its own realisation.