We are most unlucky, being born in this Saha World. There is no happiness here, only misery of all kinds. People are not like they used to be; moral virtue has so deteriorated that it is dying out. Everyone is selfish and self-interested. You are contentious and I am avaricious. You rob and I seize by force. You hurt me and I hurt you. Even loved ones and our closest family members kill each other. Many countries and families are broken. People are on their way to extinction. This is one of the most unfortunate results from countries not acting like countries, families not acting like families, and human beings not acting like human beings.

Although all this is unfortunate, we still have a ray of hope in a world full of evil and misery. What is this silver lining? It is that the Buddhadharma is still here. Since the Buddhadharma is here, we still have the opportunity to transcend the Saha World. That is, if we can boldly step back from the fierce current, set our sights on Bodhi and be most sincere in cultivating and sustaining the Buddhadharma. Otherwise, we will remain in the endless cycle of the six paths. We will never be able to escape this kind of misery.

For this reason, we must make the great resolve for Bodhi when we cultivate. We must become free of the misery of life and death. This way we will not have wasted our having left the homelife. Otherwise, we only continue to dress, eat, and sleep. We may dress differently than laypeople, eat differently, but we are still just as frustrated and afflicted, fraught with quarrels and arguments. Our thoughts fly east and west all day; we're either seeking fame or fortune. We only waste our time and let our energy disperse. If we always search for answers and the truth outside of ourselves, we cannot change our habits even if our search were to continue until the end of time. We cannot possibly transcend the suffering of Saha. For this reason, each of us must establish our goals and see clearly as to what it is that we need to do.

When we are cultivating, the most important thing is that we do not contend: not contending means not competing to see who's stronger and discuss who's weaker. Fighting over to see who is right or wrong. But we cannot be ignorant about the truth. We must know where we came from and where we're headed, and know how we can change our habits. Do not become worse by adding a few more habits each day. We are being extra greedy that way, never being satisfied. We are always afflicted no matter what situation we're in. That is why it is said that, "Being content is to be happy always, we can be patient and be at peace." When we are content we are happy all the time; we shouldn't be discontent. If we're not content then we're always miserable. It is like frying pancake, when it is overcooked, it becomes burnt. The more it is burnt, the more it continues to sizzle; the more it sizzles, the more it gets burnt. So much so that the pancake turns into charcoal. That kind of pancake cannot relieve anyone's hunger at all.

Eating that kind of burnt pancake is like swallowing charcoal. Your whole body might feel feverish and lethargic because you did not watch for cleanliness and ate charcoal. What does charcoal symbolize? Greed. No matter what happens, we shouldn't be greedy. Be content and be patient. People ignore this kind of supreme and wonderful dharma. If we do not contend and are not greedy, then our blessings and length of life would be limitless. If you are contentious, avaricious, disturbed, and worried, then you will have more than a few offenses. It wouldn't help even if you want to transcend the Three Realms.

We are cultivating so that we may eliminate our habits from since time immemorial. This is crucial. "Why do I always fight with others over who's right or wrong, stronger or weaker, better or worse? What am I doing?" We ought to reflect and ask ourselves these questions and check our own behavior. Do not gossip and compare. There is no gossip, so you create some. There is no affliction, so you induce some. You really do not know how to cultivate then and you do not' realize the importance of leaving the homelife. If each of us can [refrain from contention and greed], there may be hope yet. If we continue to do the reverse, the situation would be hopeless, like having some terminal illness, cancer, AIDS, or the new pneumonia

Now there is a brand new kind of pneumonia in the company of AIDS. AIDS and diseases of this type are fated disaster. Catastrophes of war, fire, flood and plague are happening not just in one country, but are spreading hopelessly throughout the world.
The average individual cannot help and physicians die from them too. Anyone who gets close to patients with new pneumonia can contract it by breathing.

AIDS and the new pneumonia are related. AIDS and homosexual behavior are also intimately related. How are they intimately related? It is because people now ooze of lust. People have AIDS because homosexual behavior is contrary to the principle of procreation between males and females. This is behavior that ends countries and races. It is behavior that leads to mutual destruction and assassination. We cannot possibly finish speaking of their negatives. But there are actually monsters and demons, ghosts and goblins that stir up problems by promoting homosexuality. Although I have never counted, I know that half of the populace in each country has homosexual tendencies. This kind of behavior destroys nations, individuals, and all families. This kind of behavior defies creation and the principle of yin and yang. "One yin and one yang is Tao, extreme yin or extreme yang is a sickness." Too much yin or too much yang will definitely create terminal illnesses. We people are here indulging in our greed and lust, doing whatever we please. We are no better than beasts.

Take a look at animals. They do not practice homosexuality. Someone argues, "Lock mice of the same sex together and they will practice homosexuality." That is because you force them. They cannot help but practice homosexuality. But no one forces human beings to practice homosexuality, so why do you? Going against the law of creation leads to illness. These illnesses serve as warnings for people, telling them what to avoid. If you do these things, you will face extermination. But people still refuse to wake up. Thing are getting worse by the day. It is not enough that we have AIDS now, there is also a new kind of pneumonia. Pneumonia could be treated but the mother of this new pneumonia is AIDS. It is because of AIDS that this strain of pneumonia is born. It is pneumonia but it is a fatal disease. People die from this sickness. There is no medicine for this disease, even doctors have their hands tied. A doctor may shake your hand when he's trying to treat you and contract it. Or as you two talk, its virus may reach the doctor by your breath. Even doctors will die from it. Nurses and physicians are defenseless. Even if they wear facemasks, [airborn contagions carried by] breath will still come through and spread. Masks are no insurance. This is the karmic obstruction of living beings. When this disease arrives, everyone dies.

What kind of people can avoid death? People who are really cultivating the Way and who really believe in the Buddha. Graced by the protection of the Buddha, we can avoid these disasters. Why do we want to avoid these disasters? It is because we need to preserve the seeds of the human race. If we Buddhist do not respect ourselves, we'll end up like everyone else. We cannot survive either.

The exceptions are those old cultivators who live in the mountains. They see no one and live a long way from civilization. Only these types of people have a chance of survival. People ought to avoid seeking now. What are we in search of? Men and women are what we sought after. Men are eager for love from women, which is seeking for something outside, always looking for pleasure outside of ourselves. When we find happiness, we've found death. We are interacting with the lord of death.

There is also refraining from being selfish. Why do we lie or exaggerate? It is because we want to be selfish and pursue self-benefit. If you are not selfish and do not pursue self-benefit, you will not lie or exaggerate to deceive people. You will not flatter and fawn, speaking with cunning. Confucius had said, "Being sycophantic and obsequious is inhumane." Someone who flatters and ingratiates does not have the virtue of humaneness.

This is why cultivators must not be self-satisfied and exaggerate. Why should we avoid self-satisfaction? It is as said, "fullness invites damage, humility takes in benefit." If you're self-satisfied and consider yourself outstanding, there will be harm. Humility takes in benefit. Be a bit humble and respectful, be kind and gentle towards everyone. Respect everyone. If you are not humble, you are being arrogant. If you are humble, be sincere; do not be overly humble. When you are too humble, you only brownnose people and flatter them. This contains deceit, which means it is not humility. Everything must be done just right; do not go over or under. If you can be altruistic, you will not lie or exaggerate. Do not be so pretentious and dishonest. No matter what kind of state cultivators experience, they shouldn't consider them "states".

More than thirty years ago, I said, "human beings will not be human beings in the future." People are having their skin replaced. Some people will paste dog skin on their wounded skin. After a while, they become dog-like because they have become one with the dogs. There will even be skin replacement made with horse, cow, sheep, chicken, dog, or pig skin, etc. People will be like automobiles with exchangeable parts: the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney can all be replaced. For instance, when someone gets a heart transplant from a dog, he will behave and think pretty much like that dog. This is extremely dangerous. Do not think such a world will be a better world. Potential danger is rife in that improvement.