Q: Have fewer desires and be content. How can we be content with fewer desires? How could this be considered real satisfaction?
A: Without desires, you would no longer be greedy. Free from greed, you're content! Why are you dissatisfied? It is because of greed. Greed is a form of desire.

Q: Although vegetables have no blood or breath, they are unhappy when we pickle them. They resist. Isn't that a form of killing? Is it true that we're committing murder when we eat meat, but it's considered less severe when we eat vegetables?
A: If you really think that you're committing murder when you kill and eat vegetables, then you wouldn't do anything. Wouldn't that be better? Of course, as you breath, you're drinking in air that contains microorganism too, which have their lives. There are even more organisms in water. There is life in dirt too if you were to eat dirt. So you're only left with eating fire. There's life in fire too. You tell me what you should do at that point.

Q: Our environment has been destroyed. If all the animals were to die, where will their spirits go to become reborn?
A: They will have immigrated to other countries! You don't believe it? Some Chinese like the United States, so they become American citizens. Some Americans like China, so they become reborn as Chinese. They don't need to naturalize to become Chinese citizens. Souls are the same. You ask me what evidence I have? The things I say now are evidence.

Q: How do we cut off sexual desire? We may want to cut off our desire, but it just becomes more acute. It becomes so intense that it's impossible to control.
A: I have a good solution for you if you want to control your sexual desire. Don't eat for six months and you will definitely have no thought of sexual desire.

Q: Is the consequence just as severe for people who have abortions because they don't have the financial means [for rearing a child] and other reasons?
A: Without the financial means, they shouldn't have been pregnant in the first place. They should have avoided the problem that would follow that act. Without the financial capabilities, why do they attempt to resolve problems only until they occur? Why do they have to wait until it's too late before they know that they're hungry and have to cook? They should have anticipated this in when planning their yearly budget.

Q: People are born, age, get sick, and die. Is it because of cause and effect that people become ill? Would people become free of illnesses if they were to do good deeds?
A: Not necessarily. For instance, some people want to have an abortion because they're afraid that the doctor would not earn enough money. The doctor [who performs abortions] must be intimately related to you, perhaps a relative or a friend of yours; otherwise, why would they be afraid that he would not get enough to eat?

Q: Is the Truth of Actuality talking about "emptiness?"
A: It could also contain "existence." If you think it exists, then it exists. If you think it's empty, then it's empty. Emptiness does not obstruct the mundane, while the mundane does not obstruct actuality. Wonderful existence is contained in true emptiness; while wonderful existence contains true emptiness. You don't want to be confused by true emptiness or misled by wonderful existence.

Q: How can we ease others' sadness when we're sad ourselves?
A: Find the root to that sadness and throw it away so that you will no longer be sad! What is its root? Its root is unsatisfied desires. That is why you're sad. You would definitely be happy if your desires were satisfied. Have no desires and there would be no problems.

Q: How can we lighten our evil karma?
A: Do good deeds.

Q: How do I do good deeds?
A: You should know how to do good deeds since you know how to do evil deeds.

Q: What does the Venerable Master think of building temples?
A: It's better to build people than to build temples; it's better to build Buddhas than to build people. It's a waste if a temple is built, but there were to be no one to guard it. I'm not against building temples; I am telling the truth. I approve of your building large temples. I don't approve of the building of small temples. I dismantle small temples to build large temples. I build temples where there are no temples.

Q: What is the difference between consciousness-only and prajna?
A: Consciousness-only is what is known only to consciousness. Prajna is wisdom, which is unknown to consciousness.

Q: Please explain, "One's character is naturally noble when he seeks nothing. All the victories have been won since ancient times solely because of patience."
A: Don't expect anything from people. Patience means that one bears what one cannot bear. However, a master cannot be completely tolerant of his disciples, he has to use both kindness and strength. He spoils his disciple by being too patient with them.

Q: May I ask the Venerable Master how we should study and cultivate Buddhism so that we will have excellent positions of fruition?
A: Cultivate honestly and earnestly. Respect and do what the teachings have taught. Don't try to be clever and look for shortcuts. Don't think that you're special. Buddhism is most impartial. You reap however much you sow. If you don't work hard, you will not have anything as a result.

Q: Some people say that it seems like there are more Buddhas than human beings?
A: Buddhas do not have conflicts. They are all one. However many Buddhas there are, there are just as many human beings. However, people fight each other.

Q: It's extremely difficult to cultivate so that one reaches Buddhahood because one has to become pure personally and purify one's six senses, which is already a state very difficult to reach.
A: The Buddha cultivated blessings and wisdom for three asankhyeya eons and sowed the seeds for fine physical features for a hundred eons. He spent three asankhyeya eons to develop his blessings and wisdom, whereas we talk about how we've been cultivating after two and a half days. It's such a joke.

Q: What is the lotus sit?
A: It's because this sitting position resembles a lotus. It's also because to sit on a lotus all the time symbolizes that one's body is light and concentrated. It also represents the meaning as contained in the Worlds of the Treasury of Lotuses. That's why this sitting position is the lotus sit, or the auspicious sit.

Q: The Venerable Master says that the Buddha's teachings are the teachings about wisdom. What is Buddha? What is great wisdom? Great kindness and compassion? Great humaneness?
A: These questions cannot be answered in a few words. The Buddha is half of a transliterated Sanskrit word. "Buddhaya" is the entire word. It's "Buddha" in English, which sounds like "Not Big" in Chinese, so I've called it that too. He's not big, but is he small? He's not small either. I said Buddha is "Not Big" when I spoke at Lancaster. The Buddha is like people, he's not too big; he just has superior wisdom. The Buddha cultivated the Three Bodies, the Four Wisdoms, the Five Eyes, and the Six Penetrations successfully. The Buddha is absolutely capable. The Buddha has terrific wisdom, which is why he is immensely compassionate. He always has the greatest energy and resources; he's never lacking. No one can compare to the Buddha in terms of abilities. Most people are limited in their capabilities; but the Buddha's capabilities are unlimited, which is also why he has boundless kindness and compassion, boundless joy, and boundless equanimity. Kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity are the four qualities of the Buddha's Boundless Mind. Most people have limited kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. They are not like the Buddha. The Buddha can give up what other people cannot give up. He is "greatly kind to those with whom he has no affinities; and greatly compassionate because he considers everyone the same." What is kindness? What is compassion? Kindness makes others happy. Compassion ends others' suffering.

Q: Some people say that there are 360 billion Amitabah Buddhas in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Is that number accurate?
A: Everyone becomes a Buddha when he reaches the Land of Ultimate Bliss, so as more people go there, the number of Buddhas increases by the day. The figure, 360 billion, was given several thousand years back. I'm afraid the number is even larger now. Don't have any doubts about this.

Q: Why doesn't Buddhism build more temples and give more Sutra lectures? Would more people learn about Buddhism that way?
A: Buddhism has its hideousness too sometimes. How is it hideous? In China, Buddhists want to rule their individual turfs. They're not united, like sand that has been strewn about.

Q: Many monks know martial arts, such as certain sects of the Shaolin Monastery. Why do they have to know martial arts?
A: This was an expedient means that the Patriarch Bodhidharma used when he went to China. Monks sleep when they have nothing to do after a meal. They don't cultivate. So the Patriarch Bodhidharma had them develop their martial arts skills so that they strengthen their bodies after they've had their food. This is for the sake of their personal cultivation.

Q: The passage on the Ten Commandments in the Bible talks about how one of the commandments is related to being filial to one's parents. But Westerners have ignored this commandment. As for Buddhism, how can it claim that filial piety is the root of virtue since the Buddha had left his parents?
A: Buddhism elevates filial piety so that it reaches its pinnacle. Most people think there's no filiality in Buddhism from what they see. The Buddha had said, "Every man has been my father and every woman, my mother." He saw that all living beings are his parents from the past and are Buddhas of the future. Hence he is not condescendingly toward any living being. He wants to save all living beings so that they become Buddhas. He has vows as terrific as that. That's why after he had cultivated and realized Buddhahood, he then comes back to save all living beings so that they become Buddhas. This is filiality perfected. Every Buddhist Sutra talks about filiality. It's just that most people who don't understand the Buddhadharma see only the surface of the Buddha leaving home to cultivate, which to them meant that he didn't care about his parents. Actually, this is about wanting to be categorically filial to one's parents.

Q: How do we prevent malicious people from violating us and cheating us?
A: Will you let wolves swallow you if they came to do that?

Q: Some people mean well, but their actions actually result in harm. How should we deal with that?
A: If you try to help people in all respects, you will not cause people problems. If you try to help yourself in all respects, you will cause everyone problems.

Q: Catholics and Christians basically don't believe in reincarnation. Do you have any way to resolve that?
A: You may talk to elementary school kids about high school courses but they will not understand. You may talk to high school kids about college courses, but they will not understand either. Whether they believe reincarnation or not is just a matter of time. We don't need to be concerned about these issues needlessly.

Q: I had wanted to leave the householder's life to become a monk in the past. But, now, I'm already the father of two children, the husband to my wife, and someone with certain hopes and desires. United States is a machine that creates desires. With the promotions on television and various advertisements, someone who has no desire will still turn into someone who has desire. As a husband and father who is supporting a family, I am the one who end up facing this unfortunate trend and these desires. Do I have to become a monk to sever desires and end love? I should be responsible for the life that I have created up to now. At the same time, how can I be at peace?
A: "We transcend the world when we see things and reflect upon them; we become lost when we see things and become confused." Don't ask me, ask yourself. You have to figure out the solution to the problems that you've created for yourself

Q: The society is divided into two different echelons: one is the wealthy while the other is the poor. The divide has become more and more obvious. The rich has become richer, and the poor has become poorer. Essentially, we are already seeing the fire pyre down the road. How should we face this reality?
A: Put out that fire.

Q (by a disciple): We should organize non-religious activities more often so that more people will come to believe in the Buddha.
A: Anyone who is my disciple should cultivate well. I am more concerned about quality than quantity in order to avoid violating the law of cause and effect.

Q: The Venerable Master had said that if you don't have a good heart, that if you are not proper, and if you are selfish, then you would bump into walls. The question is, how do we tell what is the right goal, the right direction? How do we tell the difference between good and evil? Not only do we have to pick the path of goodness, but we have to work hard as we travel on this path. But how can we tell the difference?
A: Laotzu said, "Everyone knows what is ideal, but behaves badly anyway. Everyone knows what is good, but acts unkindly anyway." People could easily change for the better, but they too often become confused on the path of light and run quickly toward the path of darkness. It's actually as easy as the turning over of one's hand! I believe you don't need to ask any more. Kids know how to drink milk though no one had taught them. Why do you have to have someone tell you how to grow up and what to do?

Q: The Venerable Master says that if we eat too much, we cannot develop our wisdom. So why is one of the Buddhas so chubby and has a big stomach?
A: I've never seen the Buddha. I don't know.

Q: What kind of status and role do women have in Buddhism? If they were to learn the Buddhadharma from you, how should they apply themselves?
A: There's no difference between men and women in Buddhism. There are only rules in Buddhism. Women have more rules to follow than men do because women have the habit of being picky over the smallest things. Men are unrefined and more imprecise. So Buddhism is about equality, but each gender has its set of rules that they have to follow.

Q: I would like to hear more said on this topic, "Developing inherent wisdom."
A: You have to discover your own wisdom. Begin with do no evil and respectfully do every good.