To learn Buddhism, it’s critical to internalise it. That’s because even if you are very knowledgeable about the Buddha-dharma, failing to internalise and apply is the same as not learning it at all. There are some people who might seem to be learning Buddhism, but they are yet to internalise it into their thoughts and their conduct. They are not yet awakened. So how do you go about internalising the Buddha-dharma? It’s done by applying the consciousness of the universe, which means expanding your mental capacity so that it is as vast as the universe itself. You must feel concern for the suffering of humanity. And your mind and feelings must be as expansive as the universe. When suffering occurs anywhere in the world, it should feel as though you are the one that is suffering. When others are hurt, you feel their pain as well. If you think in this way, you will become compassionate. And with that sort of awareness, you are able to integrate the Buddha-dharma with your thoughts. Only then will you internalise the essence of the Bodhisattva in your everyday life. And once it’s truly internalised within your mind, then you will attain contentment and happiness.
Without learning Buddhism, how many people are capable of such broadmindedness? Humans may be classified as advanced animals with high intellects. Indeed, the most significant difference between us and animals is our mental capacity for complex thought. So we must gain an understanding of the thoughts of Buddha, and then internalise the consciousness of the universe and the Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ thoughts with our everyday lives. Our minds must be able to tolerate all of humanity – and even as much as the entire universe. It’s this kind of thinking which is Buddha’s way of thinking. The wisdom of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is able to accommodate all sentient beings. They lead you onto the path of the Buddha-dharma, and forgive sentient beings for any offence they have committed in their past lives. They also guide you towards understanding the underlying principles, reduce pain and afflictions, and teach how to internalise the Buddha-dharma. They teach about the principles of the universe and how it functions, and the principles of Heaven and the Underworld. Who supports the act of murder, for example? Who wants war? Indeed, people inherently love peace, while those who dislike it violate the natural moral principles and the principles behind the normal functioning of the universe.
You must be able to integrate your way of thinking with the spiritual state of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Within the vast universe and its universal truth, you need to seek the direction and the right way of life so that you will not deviate from the right path. People must learn to empathise with and tolerate each other. You must be able to tolerate anything and forbear. For example, when somebody makes a mistake, you should empathise with them, forgive them, and tolerate them. But right now I would like to emphasise the importance of internalisation, because tolerance alone is not enough. Tolerance is merely one of the prerequisites – to tolerate does not mean that you have internalised the Buddha-dharma in your mind. Only with internalisation can you possess the potential for the Buddha’s enlightenment.
We need to receive the Buddha’s light that shines down from Heaven. There’s a saying that the “Buddha’s universal light shines everywhere”. Indeed, the Buddha’s light shines on us each and every day – it’s just that you can’t see it, and are not able to receive it. How does the Buddha’s universal light shine everywhere? It’s like the rays of the sun, which shine down on every corner of the world. But because your negative karma is so heavy, and the defilements in your mind so significant, that’s why you are unable to feel it. There are too many defilements – it’s like hiding inside your room and closing the doors and the curtains. How will you see the sunlight that way? Do you think you can still see the light of the Buddha? Surely the Bodhisattvas were not lying when they said the Buddha’s universal light shines everywhere. In fact, it is true. It’s just that you have closed the doors and the curtains, making it impossible to receive the light of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas in those conditions. So take note: to receive the light of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas when it shines down, you must have a physical body and a spirit that is pure. If you are unable to receive the Buddha’s light when it comes, that just means you do not have the affinity. Where sunlight shines, it is bright. But when you hide away in your room, the sunlight cannot shine on you. People like this are like those with a lot of karmic obstacles in their minds – just as they cannot see the sunlight, they cannot see the light. We refer to them as “sentient beings with no affinities”.
People have outflows that don’t necessarily take place within the body. The mind has outflows, too. For instance, wicked thoughts can cause an outflow of merits and virtues. In other words, the emergence of distracting thoughts while reciting Buddhist sutras trigger an outflow in their energy and their spirit. When people commit bad deeds with their body, they incur a corresponding outflow in their body. Moreover, physical outflows refer not just to outflows in the organs, such as when people listen to inappropriate things or verbally abuse others. Outflows also occur spiritually and mentally. The outflows in our minds cause outflows in our organs, while outflows in organs are tantamount to outflows in our minds. When you are unfocused, or you have unwholesome thoughts, or you are depressed, there will be outflows in energy and spirit. This will affect your physical conditions, leading to symptoms such as head and stomach aches. Remember: poor health will affect your state of mind, and in turn, your state of mind will affect your health.
A cultivated person brings both body and spirituality together as one. It’s what we call “one entity, two intellects”. One entity includes both the spirit entity and the physical entity, while the two intellects refer to life-intellect and body-intellect. Life-intellect is your spirit, and it’s a combination of your past lives. Your body-intellect is your body, and is a combination of the karmic force from your previous lives. A practitioner should cultivate both intellects. For body-intellect, you must keep your body pure and clean, and refrain from doing any unwholesome deeds with your body. You must also purify and cleanse your spirit entity, or your spiritual state. That’s what “one entity, two intellects” is all about. It’s also known as “one entity, paired cultivation”.
