The Way of Learning and Cultivation 2

The Path of Learning and Cultivation ~ 2

It is easy to learn the way, but difficult to cultivate the truth. One should not blindly practice or refine without guidance; it is essential to have a wise teacher to illuminate the path. Those who are sincerely seeking the way and exploring the essence of life often lack such guidance, leading them to confusion and preventing them from truly entering the realm of understanding.

Therefore, practitioners on the path are numerous, while those who attain enlightenment are rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Today’s modern society is not as straightforward as that of ancient times; even if modern individuals wish to cultivate themselves, they can easily become lost in a materialistic world driven by fame and fortune. Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt, and confusion cloud their true nature, making it very unfortunate that they cannot wholeheartedly pursue the way. Today, for those fellow practitioners seeking the path, it can be said that they have walked a thousand miles in vain yet find what they seek effortlessly.

In ancient times, those who sought the way had to travel thousands of miles to find a wise teacher and even further for teachings. You should take advantage of this moment when wise teachers are present in the world; diligently refine your practice and do not waste precious time on play and indulgence.

Cultivation cannot be separated from merit. Every religion emphasizes merit; possessing both external skills and internal fruits allows us to return to our source. Having wealth, power, and influence is certainly good but becomes worthless when the time comes.

Life is like a play; in the end, it amounts to nothing. We come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing; only our spiritual elevation and enhancement of our character along with the merits we create in this life can be taken with us.

How do we cultivate merit?

One must understand the Three Acts of Generosity! The Three Acts refer to giving wealth (財施), teaching (法施), and fearlessness (無畏施).

Wealth Giving: It does not matter how much you give; what matters is your sincere intention. Contribute according to your ability—even if it’s just one dollar—the merit will be as great as Mount Sumeru. A sincere heart that donates money to help others demonstrates dedication of both effort and resources; this is what heaven desires.

If you have money, contribute money; if you have strength, contribute strength; if you have compassion, contribute compassion. Naturally, giving leads to receiving. It’s important to understand this principle without harboring selfish motives or expectations in return; otherwise, there will be no merit.

Teaching: Using genuine goodwill to help others pray, chant scriptures or seek blessings constitutes teaching generosity. An even better approach is sharing what you’ve learned about principles or laws with others so they may develop aspirations for self-improvement—abandoning evil for good—and awaken themselves; this represents the best form of “Law Rain Distribution.”

Fearlessness: This involves having a selfless heart free from egoism—a willingness to sacrifice oneself for a greater cause—doing what others won’t do or daring where others fear. As long as one acts for the benefit of all beings by alleviating suffering and promoting happiness for others—that’s called fearlessness giving.

Cultivating one’s path is not easy—it can be quite arduous indeed. However long as one maintains an unwavering heart and perseveres consistently through challenges will surely pass their tests because those who are tested do not face calamities while those facing calamities do not undergo tests. If one’s heart wavers even slightly then inner demons may invade your mind disrupting your thoughts making it impossible to maintain purity while practicing thus one must diligently engage in four essential practices: repent for past misdeeds increase merits through good deeds eliminate personal sins engage in quiet reflection so that one may save oneself while saving others—doing so daily fosters love kindness right mindfulness within oneself allowing inner demons naturally dissipate revealing one’s true self again. Practitioners need endurance through trials experiencing hardship before joy reaps rewards after diligent toil many practitioners cannot withstand adversity hence cultivation resembles hair while attaining enlightenment resembles horns—a master opens doors but practice lies within each individual during confusion masters guide while during awakening one saves oneself.

Daily life embodies the way—do not sink into comfort losing sight of your true nature. Life is precious—it’s hard-earned here on Earth—encounters are rare—wise teachers are difficult to find—with all four difficulties present today please do not squander these rare opportunities.

Therefore learning Tao requires engaging in acts of merit cultivating both internally & externally nurturing both life & spirit fostering wisdom & virtue which refers respectively external skills & internal fruits as ancient sayings go: “Having merit without fruit means nothing.” “Having fruit without merit isn’t complete.”

Furthermore: “When merit rounds out fruit fills up one sheds their shell soaring high.” Though merits may round out if fruits aren’t full further cultivation remains necessary—or though fruits may fill up if merits aren’t rounded out further efforts must continue accumulating until achieving fullness across three thousand merits eight hundred fruits signifies resolving cause-and-effect practices thoroughly.”

The so-called three thousand merits eight hundred fruits refer specifically towards resolving causes-and-effects through actions taken among three thousand merits belonging externally accrued virtues practicing these doesn’t simply record gains alone but evaluates actions taken assessing both gains & losses comprehensively whilst prior merits cannot compensate later losses conversely later merits must rectify earlier losses accumulating towards achieving completeness across three thousand meritorious deeds.”

Eight hundred fruits also signify correcting internal cultivation habits derived from daily human tendencies restoring clarity amidst postnatal pollution returning back towards innate goodness beauty originally possessed within us all.”

Cultivating Tao means refining inner virtues allowing us through falsehoods returning clarity transforming faults temperaments restoring true natures akin towards what Sixth Patriarch’s Platform Sutra mentions: “Bodhi nature itself originally pure using original hearts directly leads towards Buddhahood.”

by – Phoenix Mountain Range Compassion Phoenix Palace