Mental Maturity
1
When you make a mistake or do something wrong in life,
how do you wish others would treat you? With comfort, understanding, and tolerance, right?
Then, when others make mistakes or do something wrong in life,
treat them the same way.
Give to others what you once longed for,
treat them as you once hoped others would treat you;
this is a path of mental growth,
the most beautiful way to bless your inner world.
2
Maturity means being just a little above others;
maturity means no longer being controlled by your old habits;
maturity means that when faced with situations, you no longer react like an ordinary person—
especially when encountering what we call bad or unpleasant things.
Whether you are a mentally mature person
depends on how you react to specific events in life.
Mental maturity means being above your habits,
mental maturity means becoming the master of yourself.
3
Because we live within our own “beliefs,”
we create “shoulds”;
because we all live within “shoulds,”
we create “problems.”
In reality, there are no problems at all,
regardless of how things appear or what happens;
it is because of our “beliefs” and “shoulds”
that “problems” arise.
4
When things happen that we label as “bad” or “unpleasant,”
a clear-minded person’s first reaction is to deal with the situation,
rather than feeling sad, complaining, whining, or blaming; they also do not investigate the cause of the situation—
unless understanding that cause helps them address the issue.
A mentally mature person does not waste effort on futile tasks,
they do not expend energy on ineffective matters;
they focus all their energy on solving problems,
their energy is never dissipated uselessly.
5
Another sign of maturity is whether you blame others when they blame you;
if when others blame you, you also blame them,
then your mentality is just as immature as theirs.
When others blame you and you do not blame them,
but instead embrace, comfort, and understand them with mature love,
then you have matured,
no longer standing on the same level as your old self.
6
Love manifests where it cannot love;
love reveals itself at moments when it cannot love.
If reality perfectly matches your story,
loving is nothing remarkable;
if reality does not match your story and yet can still love,
that is true love.
7
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True love shows its existence and strength when it cannot love;
true love transcends the illusion of selfish love created by egoism.
To distinguish between love and selfish desires driven by egoism requires a certain state of calmness and clarity;
many people do not have love within themselves;
what they possess is merely self-indulgence—that seemingly loving thing.
8
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When you desire love and the other party also desires love,
how can you ask him/her for love?
It’s like two thirsty people in a desert;
if there’s no water in your water bag, there’s none in theirs either.
When you’re longing for warmth, love, or comfort,
ask yourself for it—you are the one who can truly give it to yourself;
You must dig a well within yourself;
You must excavate a well of love from within.
9
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In fact, everyone carries more than just one well;
instead, they carry the entire sky and earth;
when we feel lost, we carry a spring yet search everywhere for water;
We always look at other people’s buckets while forgetting that we are actually water ourselves.
Our true nature is love;
when we enter our self-centered stories and lose touch with our true nature,
we become seekers of affection;
We crave love like thirsty people crave water.
10
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Who has made themselves pitiful?
Who has turned themselves into beggars?
Originally a king of spirit,
who has exiled themselves from their own domain?
Some appear to be kings on the surface,
but inside they are beggars;
some appear to be beggars outwardly,
yet inside they are kings.
by – Taiwan Fearless Tathagata Buddhas’ Great Perfection Meditation Center