Please self-examine whether you are truly practicing your faith.

|

Please self-examine whether you are truly practicing? Millions of people are learning Buddhism, Taoism, and practicing, so why is there still life and death? Aside from not yet realizing one’s true nature, most are merely engaging in superficial practices (surface-level … (Continue Reading)

Reflection, Introspection, and the Elevation of Spirituality

|

Reflecting on Inner Reflection and Spiritual Elevation As the saying goes: “Heaven’s calamity can still be avoided, but self-inflicted calamity cannot be survived.” It is important to understand that the main reason humanity often overlooks its own faults lies in … (Continue Reading)

The Dangers of Desire

|

The Dangers of Desire Boiling a Frog in Warm Water The phrase “boiling a frog” illustrates the principle of gradual change leading to a qualitative transformation, explaining how one can lose vigilance and invite disaster due to adaptation and habituation … (Continue Reading)

Understanding How to Amend the Law: Whether to Ordain or Not is Irrelevant

|

Where there is delusion, there will be peace. Ajahn Chah When people encounter unfavorable situations, they often close themselves off. For example, when criticized, one might respond: “Don’t bother me! Why are you blaming me?” This is a reaction of … (Continue Reading)

Teachings of a Zen Master

|

  The Teachings of Zen Masters § In one aspect, I appreciate the teaching methods of Zen masters because their teachings are the simplest and most direct.

Several Questions on the Path of Cultivation

|

Questions on the Path of Practice 1. Making Aspirations In reality, you do not need to make aspirations. When you are in extreme pain, you have no choice but to make an aspiration: a determination to escape suffering and reach … (Continue Reading)

“Achieving Buddhahood Effortlessly with a Heart of No Desire”

|

But with no mind, one can directly become a Buddha. All sentient beings originally have no mind. Within the no-mind, they mistakenly conceive of having a mind, leading to the cycle of birth and death, wandering through various existences, experiencing … (Continue Reading)

Who Can Take Away My Happiness?

|

Who can take away my happiness? Life is noble or lowly, poor or rich, and whether we sink or float in the endless cycle of life and death is all arranged by our own karma. The ancients said, “Fortune and … (Continue Reading)

An Empty Chair

|

An Empty Chair An empty chair is my teacher; it remains silent and still from beginning to end. It quietly waits there for someone to sit on it—whether a poor person or a rich person, a healthy person or a … (Continue Reading)

Directly Recognizing the Essence, Directly Reaching the Source

|

Directly recognize the essence, directly reach the source. The issues one faces in life, when examined in essence, are fundamentally problems of the mind and the self. There are no problems between the mind and external objects because there is … (Continue Reading)

Key Points for a Day of Practice

|

A Day’s Practice Essentials Before starting the day’s work in the morning, I remind myself that everything I do today with body, speech, and mind must not deviate from the right path. I aim to benefit others and continuously expand … (Continue Reading)

The First Matter of Zen Buddhism: Speaking of Practice After Enlightenment

|

The first matter of Zen is to realize and then talk about practice. There are countless methods of practice, but when it comes to Zen, it does not concern reasoning or involve branches and leaves. The foremost matter in the … (Continue Reading)

The Merits of the Three Studies

|

The Merits of the Three Studies In the practice of awareness, some people believe that the practice of “concentration” is unimportant.

Practical Cultivation

|

Practical Cultivation It is precisely because we have been seeking fulfillment outside of ourselves that we suffer. What we need to seek is not perfection, but the ease of the mind.

The Modern Perspective on Spiritual Practice

|

The Modern Perspective on Cultivation 1. Lack of Clarity in Understanding Many people mistakenly believe that by learning Buddhist teachings and the classic writings of great masters, they can attain enlightenment and Buddhahood solely through studying scriptures and cultivating their … (Continue Reading)

Reciting Scriptures and Meditation

|

Chanting Sutras and Meditation Knowledge comes from books, while wisdom arises from deep contemplation and tranquility. Chanting sutras is a method to inspire wisdom, to transform habitual tendencies and innate nature; only the wisdom of the mind can be subdued.

There Are a Million Paths for the Body to Walk

|

The body has a million paths to take. The body has a million paths to take; why must it walk the path we call “health”? In the journey of the body, some bodies head towards rheumatoid arthritis, some towards lupus, … (Continue Reading)

Just Focus on Observing Your Breath

|

Just Observe Your Breath Observing the breath is a simple yet profoundly meaningful and powerful practice that is both ordinary and miraculous.

Respect

|

Respect Practitioners should start by respecting their own bodies, feelings, and thoughts, and extend that respect to everything in the world—a flower, a blade of grass, an ant, a cockroach, a homeless person, a murderer… all deserve your respect. You … (Continue Reading)

The Nature of Impermanence

|

The Nature of Impermanence All beings are impermanent and must face death; all accumulations are impermanent and must come to an end; all gatherings are impermanent and must disperse; all heaps are impermanent and must collapse!Human life is impermanent. Day … (Continue Reading)

I Have No Supernatural Powers

|

I have no supernatural powers. I am a person without any supernatural powers because I do not need them. I do not need to know the past or the future; I do not have the ability to see fate. I … (Continue Reading)

Mindset Determines Destiny

|

Attitude Determines Destiny A philosopher once said, “Your attitude is your true master.” A great person said, “Either you control life, or life controls you. Your attitude determines who is the rider and who is the mount.” An artist said, … (Continue Reading)

The Matter of Pain

|

The matter of suffering In Buddhism, regarding the matter of suffering, if the mind wants to ask why, be wary of it; if it tries to give you an answer, be wary of it.

Without Desire and Attachment, the Heart of Entering the Path

|

No seeking, no attachment, the heart of entering the Way. Question: How can I recognize my true heart? Is it by reciting mantras, chanting scriptures, or meditating? The true heart is something everyone possesses; it is not cultivated by oneself … (Continue Reading)

Just Call You Unoccupied

|

Just tell you to be untroubled. Whether it’s hitting or scolding, covering or revealing, speaking or saying, all Buddhas and ancestors, Zen masters and bodhisattvas, countless scriptures and discussions, a myriad of methods and words—what ultimately do they want us … (Continue Reading)

The Problem of Zhengding

|

The Issue of Right Concentration Question: What is right concentration? Is there a distinction in right concentration? Are the Four Jhanas and Eight Concentrations considered right concentration?

Business

|

Career The way a Bodhisattva engages in their career is different from that of sentient beings. Sentient beings pursue careers that are grand, lofty, profitable, and well-known, seeking places that attract more attention and recognition.

Understanding, Enlightenment, and Realization

|

Understanding, Enlightenment, and Realization Understanding belongs to the wisdom of language, Enlightenment belongs to the wisdom of observation, and Realization belongs to the wisdom of ultimate reality. Understanding is the result of names, forms, and distinctions; Enlightenment is the embodiment … (Continue Reading)

What Should Practitioners Pursue?

|

What should practitioners pursue? If we are not accustomed to a pure environment and have not yet valued liberation, it indicates that we are still unable to let go of the worldly things our hearts desire. You can go back … (Continue Reading)

Compassion and Wisdom

|

Compassion and Wisdom § There are two types of compassionate masters in the world: the motherly type and the fatherly type.

The Practice of Ultimate Reality and the Practice of Phenomenal Reality

|

The Practice of True Reality and the Practice of Appearance Previously, we mentioned “Deep Hidden Practice.” What is Deep Hidden Practice? It can be practiced in any religious sect, which means “cleansing the life essence,” purifying our own spirit, energy, … (Continue Reading)

A phenomenon occurs to you.

|

A phenomenon occurs within you Disease is a phenomenon that occurs within you, regardless of what kind of phenomenon it is; it is merely a phenomenon. Pathologists, doctors, or even you may assign various names to this phenomenon, but you … (Continue Reading)

Essentials of Cultivating the Mind

|

Essentials of Cultivation We live in a tense and busy society, so we must learn to cultivate a healthy and peaceful mind (through meditation and Zen sitting, we can purify our thoughts, helping our minds achieve stability and tranquility). Otherwise, … (Continue Reading)

One Hundred Contemplations, with Impermanence as the Foremost

|

Among a hundred types of contemplation, impermanence is the foremost. The Buddha opened the teachings by first discussing impermanence. Why is that? Impermanence is known to all ordinary beings and externalists, as well as to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Impermanence … (Continue Reading)

The Best Environment for Cultivation

|

The Best Environment for Practice Practicing should occur in the most difficult and adverse environments. The more one can endure humiliation and the more one is tested, the better the environment for practice.

Why is it necessary to eliminate selfishness and desires in cultivation?

|

Why is it necessary to eliminate selfishness and desires in practice? A person who cannot control their emotions must remove selfishness and prejudice to achieve inner peace. One should always think positively, avoiding getting stuck in ignorance and pushing responsibility … (Continue Reading)

Reminders on the Path of Cultivation

|

Reminders on the Path of Practice 1 On the journey of practice, if you are unclear about where you are and what situations you are encountering,

Empty Observation, Still Observation, and Inner Observation

|

Emptiness Observation, Still Observation, and Inner Observation Emptiness observation, still observation, and inner observation all contain the character “觀” (to observe). The meaning of “觀” is to look. To look means to directly use one’s eyes without relying on excessive … (Continue Reading)

A Lamp at the Center of Ignorance

|

A lamp at the center of ignorance No matter what kind of child you have, he is not the cause of your suffering, your thoughts about him are the cause of your suffering.

Walking on the Stable Path of the Noble Eightfold Path

|

Walking on the Stable Path of the Eightfold Path 1 The Buddha’s Eightfold Path, is a safe and stable path for the mind. By stepping onto it, your heart will not encounter troubles, nor the causes of troubles; you will … (Continue Reading)

1 2