When we are impatient, lacking compassion, or without kindness, it is a sign that our positive energy is low. In such moments, silently reciting in our hearts and minds the name of the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Guanyin), or the Greatly Compassionate Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Dizang), or chanting “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” can help correct our thoughts and strengthen right mindfulness.
Evil thoughts that have arisen can be cut off; evil thoughts yet to arise can be prevented; wholesome thoughts that have arisen can be increased; and wholesome thoughts yet to arise can be brought forth.
In the span of 36,000 days of a lifetime, true right mindfulness only lasts for brief moments. Ordinary beings are born in a world of the Five Defilements, and 99% of their thoughts cling to the concepts of “I” and “mine.” The root of all afflictions cannot be separated from this sense of self.
Right mindfulness is rare, karmic consequences are inescapable, and to mindfully recite the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is indeed a fast path to reducing attachment to the self and eliminating karmic obstacles. That is why Pure Land Buddhism emphasizes the practice of Buddha-name recitation. Outsiders may think it is merely a ritual, but in fact, the form is itself the essence—there is no distinction between the two. Whether spoken aloud or held in the mind, the power is the same.
As stated in the Samādhi of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra:
“Even if a demon, in order to disrupt the work of the Buddha, falsely vows to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, just by uttering that vow—even insincerely—the demon still plants the causes and conditions of the Dharma and will eventually attain true awakening.”
Thus, form and content may appear different for the time being, but ultimately they are not separate. This is the fundamental principle of the Buddha-name recitation practice.
When your positive energy is low, speak less—words may easily pollute other sentient beings. Instead, calm yourself and silently recite the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in your heart.
Namo Amitabha Buddha.
[Non-Attainment]
To realize the truth of the formless nature of all phenomena, and to be free from attachment and discrimination in the mind, is called non-attainment. This is the wisdom of emptiness—the non-discriminating wisdom.
The Nirvana Sutra, Chapter Seventeen, states:
“One who has no attainment is called wise. One who has attainment is called ignorant.”
It also says:
“Those who seek attainment are bound to the cycle of birth and death. All ordinary beings revolve in samsara because they hold views. Bodhisattvas, having forever severed all ties to birth and death, are thus called ‘those without attainment.’”
The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, Chapter Eighteen, says:
“In the true nature of all dharmas, fixed characteristics cannot be grasped—this is called non-attainment.”
The Commentary on the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra for Protecting the Nation and the King (authored by Liangben of the Tang Dynasty, based on Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra’s translation) states:
“A mind that seeks attainment is a mind that grasps at appearances. A mind of non-attainment is the wisdom of non-discrimination.”
One who upholds the precepts, though asleep, is said to be awake.
One who commits evil, though awake, is said to be asleep.
The world’s end lies within the soul
Yu Li Zi said:
“There is no one who does not love their own parents, but people often fail to consider that others love their parents just as much. There is no one who does not love their own children, but people often fail to consider that others love their children just as deeply. Therefore, some people, when killing the parents or children of others, show no regard for their pain, yet when their own parents or children die tragically, they are overwhelmed with unbearable grief. This shows that their conscience has not been entirely lost, and with proper guidance, they can still be led to develop their inherent goodness.
“There are those who fail to show filial piety to their parents, yet dearly love their own children. They do not realize that their parents feel toward them the same way they feel toward their own children. Such people’s conscience may have been greatly obscured, but it has not been completely extinguished; it is not yet too late to guide them toward goodness. Therefore, the sages set examples and educate others by nurturing the sprouts of goodness that exist within people, encouraging their growth, and patiently waiting for them to emerge and take root deeply in their hearts. If these sprouts of goodness encounter obstacles, the sages find ways to remove them. If they are attacked or damaged, they protect them with external support.
Although a person is born through the work of Heaven, Earth, and their parents, what truly makes a person fully human is the education they receive from rulers and teachers. Without such education, although one may carry the name of ‘human,’ in reality, what difference would there be between them and the beasts?”
"Whether suffering or joy, whether self or no-self, whether pure or impure."
Story: *Vimalakirti’s Illness* – from the *Vimalakirti Sutra*
Once, the layman Vimalakirti fell gravely ill. Many people came to visit him. Someone asked, “You have cultivated so well—why do you still fall ill?”
Vimalakirti replied, “My illness arises from the illnesses of all sentient beings. Sentient beings are afflicted by greed, anger, and ignorance, and I am in harmony with them. When sentient beings are liberated, I too will be healed.”
Someone else asked, “Then how do you subdue this illness?”
Vimalakirti answered, “I take the medicine of ‘nothing to attain.’ Even when illness is present, I do not cling to it as suffering. Even when joy arises, I do not cling to it as joy. Whether it is suffering or joy, self or no-self, purity or impurity—they are all like illusions, all ultimately unattainable.”
Another person asked, “Since you know all things are like illusions, why do you still care about being ill?”
Vimalakirti smiled and said, “Although all is like illusion, sentient beings still suffer within the illusion. I must follow the illusion, enter the illusion, and rescue the illusion. I will not depart from wisdom, nor will I abandon compassion.”
Meaning of the Story:
Vimalakirti teaches us:
Whether suffering or joy, all is illusion—there is no need for attachment.
Whether one holds the view of self or no-self, one should not fall into dualistic thinking.
Purity or impurity, too, should not become attachments.
A truly awakened one transcends all opposites but still acts with great compassion to help sentient beings within the world, without escaping, without indifference, and without attachment.
For all feelings — whether suffering, joy, or neither suffering nor joy — one is able to truly understand their arising, cessation, sensation, affliction, and relief. Based on this true understanding, one observes the impermanence of these feelings, their arising and ceasing, and then observes their liberation from desire, the cessation of desire, and the abandonment of attachment. Such observation leads to the boundary, the ultimate boundary, the boundary of purity, and the completion of the holy life.
One should rely and dwell much upon two principles: never being content with wholesome (virtuous) qualities, and never abandoning the effort to eradicate defilements. … By cultivating in this way, before long, one will quickly bring all the taints (defilements) to an end.
When heavy rain falls from the sky, ants, flying insects, and small creatures on the ground are all swept away and drowned. Ordinary people see this as a common occurrence, but bodhisattvas give rise to great compassion.
Once, there was a young novice monk who went out traveling with his master. On the journey, they suddenly encountered heavy rain, and the stream swelled and overflowed across the land. Many ants were being carried away by the flood, facing imminent death. Seeing this, the novice felt great compassion. He quickly took off his robe, used soil to build a dam to block the floodwaters, and carefully picked up the ants with his hands, placing them in high, dry places to save their lives. Because of his compassionate rescue, he gained boundless merit, extended his lifespan, and eventually attained the fruit of Arhatship.
— From Miscellaneous Treasures Sutra, Volume 4
**"One who is cursed does not return cursing; one who is angered does not return anger; one who is struck does not strike back; one who is provoked does not retaliate — this is called 'not returning'."**
**"To not respond to insult with insult, to not return anger for anger, to not strike back when struck, nor retaliate when provoked — this is known as the practice of non-retaliation."**
**The Four Levels of the Two Truths**
**First Level:**
Taking “existence” as the conventional truth, and “emptiness” as the ultimate truth.
**Second Level:**
Both speaking of emptiness and speaking of existence are conventional truths; only that which is neither empty nor existent is the ultimate truth.
**Third Level:**
Emptiness and existence are dualistic; that which is neither empty nor existent is non-dual. Yet both duality and non-duality are conventional truths; only that which is neither dual nor non-dual is the ultimate truth.
**Fourth Level:**
The previous three levels are still within the realm of language and conceptual thought, and therefore belong to the domain of teaching—they are all conventional truths. Only that which transcends speech and thought, beyond name and form, is the supreme ultimate truth.
**Three Anecdotes**
**1. The Man Who Lived Twenty Years**
Duke Huan of Qi went on a journey and asked a man, “How long have you lived?”
The man replied, “Twenty years.”
Duke Huan thought that was too short, but the man explained:
“In just a quarter of an hour, a person can have thousands of thoughts racing through their mind. When awake, we rush around as if running; when seated, we feel trapped and weary; when we dream, it's as if we’re dead; and upon waking, we rush off again. Life is always like this—how can it possibly feel long?”
Duke Huan greatly admired his answer and rewarded him with a piece of cloth.
**2. A Father’s Final Words**
Before passing away, an old man told his children and grandchildren:
“Life is like staying overnight at an inn—you should leave by morning and not linger too long. To live in this world is a temporary lodging; only after death do we return to our true home.
But people mistake the temporary for the permanent, and view returning as a loss. That is confusion.”
After saying this, the old man passed away peacefully.
His youngest son understood his father’s wisdom and felt neither sorrow nor fear.
**3. Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream**
Long ago, Zhuangzi dreamed he had become a butterfly—light and carefree, fluttering vividly through the air. He was completely immersed in the joy of being a butterfly, with no awareness of being Zhuangzi.
Suddenly, he woke up and realized he was Zhuangzi.
Then he began to wonder: Was it Zhuangzi who had dreamed he was a butterfly?
Or was it the butterfly now dreaming that it was Zhuangzi?