The principle of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association has always been:

Freezing to death, we do not scheme.
Starving to death, we do not beg.
Dying of poverty, we ask for nothing.
According with conditions, we do not change.
Not changing, we accord with conditions.
We adhere firmly to our three great principles.

We renounce our lives to do the Buddha's work.
We take the responsibility to mold our own destinies.
We rectify our lives as the Sangha's work.
Encountering specific matters, we understand the principles.
Understanding the principles, we apply them in specific matters.
We carry on the single pulse of the patriarch's mind-transmission.

Speaking of cultivation, I feel that left-home people should: (1) not go around exploiting connections with rich or powerful people, (2) not always be soliciting donations from outside, and (3) not ask for people's help in everything.

Freezing to death, we do not scheme. This line describes my entire life. When I was in Manchuria, whether it was winter or summer I always wore three layers of cloth. There was one layer inside, and on top of it was a patchwork robe with many patches sewn on top of the original robe. Did I feel cold then? Of course! Then why did I insist on doing that? Because I wanted to follow the motto, "Freezing to death, we do not scheme."

Starving to death, we do not beg. During the time I was living in Guanyin Cave on Furong Mountain in Hong Kong, there were two weeks when I didn't have any food. I sat in the cave meditating, preparing to starve to death. There was a layman named Lao Kuansheng, nicknamed the "Local Dharma Master," who lived at the foot of the mountain. Weitou Bodhisattva manifested in his dreams three times and said to him, "There is a Dharma Master named An Tse in Guanyin Cave. You should go and make offerings to him." So, this layman came to make offerings to me, bringing over thirty catties of rice and more than seventy dollars. Three or four months before, his leg had been bitten by a dog. Both Chinese and Western doctors had treated it for several months without being able to cure it. There was nothing they could do. Weitou Bodhisattva, who liked to meddle in other people's affairs, said to him, "Go make offerings to the Dharma Master in Guanyin Cave, and your leg will get well." The layman believed it and brought me rice and money. I had been prepared to die in the cave. I never said to anyone, "Take pity on me! I haven't had anything to eat for days!" That's "starving to death, we do not beg."

Dying of poverty, we ask for nothing. When I first drew near to Elder Master Hsu Yun at Nanhua Monastery in Canton, I was penniless. I didn't even have enough money to mail a letter. But I never asked for anything from laypeople. Therefore, these three principles of mine all have their history. They are not just empty words. When I purchased the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, everyone saw that it was such a huge place and feared that I might solicit funds from them, so they were scared away. Even so, I've never complained to anyone about the hardship. When I work, I don't seek any compensation and I certainly wouldn't ask other people for help. I just put my nose to the grindstone and toil by myself.

We renounce our lives to do the Buddha's work. That means we have no concern for our own lives. We put our lives at stake. Bleeding, sweating, and not pausing to rest, we come to work for Buddhism. Since we are Buddhist disciples and we have left the home-life, we cannot simply watch as Buddhism declines and is held in contempt by people. Even if it means giving up our lives, we want to make Buddhism flourish. We want to use the Proper Dharma to save the people of this cruel and oppressed world. We want to allow living beings to live in peace and contentment.

We take the responsibility to mold our own destinies. The ancients said, "A superior person has the learning to create his own destiny. We establish our own destinies and seek our own blessings. Calamities and blessings are not fixed. We bring them upon ourselves." We are ordinary people, but we can transform ourselves from ordinary people into sages.

We rectify our lives as the Sangha's work. Left-home people must strictly follow the Buddha's regulations. For example, the sash is worn by left-home people as a distinctive hallmark. If one doesn't wear the sash, then one no longer has the appearance of a Bhikshu. Eating one meal a day at noon is also a rule set up by the Buddha. Reducing the intake of food and drink results in a lessening of desires. With less desire, it's easier to cultivate. So we shouldn't eat food that is too nutritious. That's the way we do things at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Even though it is far from perfect, we hope people will work hard to improve themselves.

Encountering specific matters, we understand the principles. Understanding the principles, we apply them in specific matters. With these as our standard, we carry on the single pulse of the patriarch's mind-transmission. Everyone should work honestly and sincerely. We need not talk too much, and our deeds should exceed our words. If we have faith in ourselves, then others will certainly follow after us. That way, not only will we fulfill our obligations as left-home people, Buddhism will be revived, and the Dharma-Ending Age will turn into the Proper Dharma Age.