Cultivating the Bodhi Path
by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua |
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At
all times be attentive; at all times be cautious. Do not slack off for
even a single second. Leave no good undone, no matter how small; and do
no evil, no matter how minute. Diligently cultivate the Bodhi Path; purify
and transform the gates of the three karmas. Increase your blessings and
wisdom, plant and nurture your good roots. Irrigate the field of mind;
moisten and nourish your body with virtue so that you can withstand unforeseen
misfortunes. Take them in stride and remain unmoved; understand and recognize
them so that no anger arises. Develop
a great stupidity, endure what others cannot endure. Really do it! You
cannot stop up your ears and steal a bell; this is cheating yourself and
cheating others. If you pander for name and fish for fame, you are a thief
among the virtuous and a pretender of the Way. You must become resolved
and progress on the great road of brightness. Until you become a Buddha,
you should be irreversible and dauntless. A verse says, The great Path
of Bodhi is straight as can be. And rejoin the Buddhas
of the ten directions at the Lotus Pool. Who is the Buddha?
If people ask you "Who is the Buddha?" you can answer them by
saying that one who has wisdom is the Buddha. Studying the Buddhadharma
is just the study of wisdom. The Buddha's wisdom is extremely great, and
Buddhist disciples want to learnhow not to be so topsy-turvy. Not being
upside down is just holding the Precepts. However, one needn't always
bring up the word "Precepts," since the majority of people have
absolutely no idea what the Precepts are. Instead we can say that we're
investigating how not to be so muddled and confused. The Buddha is one
of great wisdom. To be without wisdom is just to be stupid and ignorant.
We want to destroy ignorance andwipe out stupidity-just that in itself
is wisdom. Wisdom is the Buddha; lack of wisdom is a demon. How is it that demons
become demons? It's just because theylack wisdom and they harbor hatred
and anger. Demons have anger; Buddhas have kindness and compassion. Demons
also have an asura-like, fighting nature. But the Buddhas don't fight.
Why? They have wisdom. They don't have even a trace of stupidity. They
are a treasury of great clarity and understanding. |
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