shouldn't be that one day you hear someone say that the Manifest School is good, so you decide to study in the Manifest School, but the next day another person says that the Secret School is good, so you go over to the Secret School to study. You may study for a lifetime, but because you don't hold firmly to your principles, you don't concentrate and focus singlemindedly, and you don't guard the "one," you end up wasting your whole life in vain.

Ÿ You should see cultivation as your personal duty. There's no need to be greedy. In time, your merit and virtue will naturally become perfect and full, and you will naturally accomplish the fruition of Bodhi.

Ÿ In cultivation you should apply effort naturally. Don't be greedy and ask whether there is any efficacy or good results. Don't think about anything; just keep applying effort and changing your faults every day.

Ÿ Cultivators, no matter what their practice--be it reciting the Buddha's name, reciting mantras, studying the teachings, upholding the precepts, or meditating--should not be greedy for quick attainment. If you want to have quick attainment, then that's a form of greed. Once you have greed, it will obstruct your wisdom, your inspiration, and the light of your own nature. The light of your own nature is without greed, and your inspiration and wisdom are also devoid of greed. When you are greedy, it is like dust accumulated on a mirror. People who apply effort must be sure to understand this point. Don't be greedy for a lot. Don't be greedy for bargains.

Ÿ People who are greedy are never happy. If they are not greedy, they will be happy. Therefore, we should put an end to greed.

Ÿ How many people have ruined their health and reputation because they gave rise to greed? How many people have ruined their countries and families because of it? This is something that harms people. We cannot fail to be on our guard!

Ÿ Why are you moved by external states? Because of curiosity. Curiosity is basically a form of greed.

Not Seeking
Ÿ No matter what kind of skill we apply, we don't obtain any response in the Way. We never manage to get going. Why? Because we have an illusory, unsubstantial "false mind." We aim for what is high and far, and we seek fame and profit--these are all the false mind.

Ÿ You look outside for happiness, seeking happiness from morning to night. If you obtain it, it is only a temporary happiness. If you fail to obtain it, then you will have all kinds of affliction. You are insatiably greedy, and you both hope to obtain it and worry about losing it after you obtain it. This is not true happiness. True happiness is free of seeking. "When one reaches the place of no seeking, one has no worries." If you seek nothing, then that is true happiness. That is the true calm and peace of your own nature.

Not Being Selfish
Ÿ Basically, there is only one precept--do not be selfish. If people are selfish, they will violate the precepts. If they are not selfish, they won't violate the precepts. Likewise, if people are selfish, they will break the law. If they are without selfishness, then they will not break the law.

Ÿ A proper mind is unselfish. If you are selfish, then you don't have a proper mind.

Ÿ Why can't we recognize our original face? Because we have not gotten rid of the mark of self, and we have not gotten rid of selfishness. If we do not have a mark of self or selfishness, then we will recognize our original face.

Ÿ Worldly people busily run around, always on the go. Their motive is always selfish--they want to protect their own life and property. The Buddhadharma is public-spirited and unselfish--its purpose is to benefit others.

Ÿ In cultivating, we have to "turn it around." What does that mean? It means we "give the good things to others, and keep the bad things for ourselves." We give up the small self in order to realize the great self.

Ÿ What kind of person is a bad person? A person who is selfish, who pursues personal advantage, and who forgets righteousness when he sees benefit.

Not Pursuing Personal Advantage
Ÿ When we have the ability, we should hurry up and benefit others. As it is said, "Foster the ground of the mind and nurture the sky of the nature." If we constantly benefit others, in time we will come to have virtuous conduct. If we always ask others to benefit ourselves, but we do not benefit others; if we always look for bargains and develop the habit of being dependent on others, then we are totally spineless.

Ÿ If you can benefit people and make them happy, then no matter where you go, everyone will be influenced by your example.

Ÿ When students are just beginning to learn how to be people, we should teach them not to allow their minds to be permeated by the desire for profit, not to see money as important. The ancients studied in order to understand principle. Nowadays people study for the sake of fame and profit. They want to obtain a good name and a big profit. Why is this? Because the schools are teaching students incorrectly. Thus the world is getting worse every day, degenerating day by day.

Ÿ One who always thinks of benefiting living beings is a Bodhisattva. One who always thinks of benefiting himself is a devil. A Bodhisattva is only aware of others and is not aware of himself. A devil only knows of his own existence and doesn't know that there are others. These two are exact opposites.

Not Lying
Ÿ If we don't talk, that's one thing. If we talk, we always speak truthfully. We would never say anything to deceive people. No