Quote of The Day (181)
This section contains short teachings extracted from the messages that Sifu Kuan Ming received over the years, since 1979. The quotes contained herein are a collection of the daily quotes for your contemplation.
When you are ready to take up a spiritual life, difficult conditions and circumstances will not deter you. Family will be taken as a great blessing and motivation for practice. Possessions will not cause you to suffer great pain when you lose them, one way or another. Both are not evil in any way if the right attitude and views are held.
15-Jan-1984 (3)
The day you finally attain peace of mind, life will become somewhat different, and you will be able to see life as it truly is. When you are filled with faith and confidence, and able to live without too much attachment to worldly things, you will no longer be affected by joy and pain. You will know that the arising and ceasing of pain and happiness are but the natural release of former karmic energies. Then, you will no longer hold the same views on life as you do now. 15-Jan-1984 (2)
The way to gain peace of mind is to search within with patience. The mind must be quelled, freed of disturbing thoughts, and subjected to strict discipline so that all forms of rebellion are stopped through effort. Each time you find that thoughts are harassing you and making it difficult to sit, you must exert greater energy and treat this as an opportunity to practise vigorously. Unless you decide to conquer your mind, no one can help you. Once you have developed your practice to a state where peace of mind is easily attainable, you must sit longer and be prepared for increasingly intense tests ahead.
15-Jan-1984 (1)
Commit yourself to walking the Kuan Shih Yin Path of Compassion. You must understand the great sufferings of all beings who are drowning in the sea of ignorance, cravings, and attachment, known as samsara. You must be aware of this great suffering, and you must be moved to save beings from these conditions. Thus, you will vow to become enlightened first and to remain in samsara to guide as many beings as possible across to the other shore.
You must develop your bodhicitta, creating the vast open space within your heart, to liberate countless beings. This awakened Heart will bring you the meaning of what Kuan Shih Yin stands for, and you will live for the sake of practising the noble virtues of loving kindness and compassion. You will diligently cultivate virtues and gain the necessary wisdom.
Your life will become so meaningful to you that you will have no time for the idle pursuit of worldly fulfilments. These are nothing but illusions that increase your desires, deepening your clinging to samsaric existence. If you have such great attachment, you will never be able to abandon samsara, and you will not be able to manifest the great power of bodhicitta, so you cannot go very far in your cultivation. Reflect on this constantly.
10-Jan-1984 (3)
Those who pray here should not be making any vow created by others. All vows must be self-made, arising from the spirit of sacrifice, discipline, and full understanding of total commitment. That is why this Order is so simple and so meaningful. No one is required to watch you in your observances. The Path is always there, and those who choose to walk it must do so on their own, making an effort and embracing a discipline that will generate energy and deeper meaning. Those who wish may observe or not observe a vegetarian diet on the auspicious days of the month; it is entirely up to them. However, those who have gone through the simple ceremony of admittance into Kuan Shih Yin Practice must observe a strict vegetarian diet on the three festive days of the year, which is the least that they can do.
10-Jan-1984 (1)
To avoid eating meat, particularly beef, is a good habit. It should not be done out of revulsion, nor out of belief that meat should not be eaten. Rather, it should arise from the noble understanding that animals should be given a chance to live and to fulfil their own karma. It should be because you understand that each being has feelings, wishes to live long, and fears pain and death. It should be because you understand that each being has, at some point in the endless cycle of samsara, been part of your family. How, then, could you desire to eat beings who may once have been your father, mother, brother, sister, children, or benefactors in their past existences?
10-Jan-1984 (2)
Praying to Kuan Shih Yin P’usa is an excellent act, but the reasons behind such worship too must be excellent in nature. Outward forms are not necessarily the true forms, and no one should judge by whatever can be seen. All good devotees must begin their practice by being true to themselves so that no guilt feelings are present within their consciousness. If purity of mind is present, the worship becomes pure, and great changes will take place to bring forth a new character. This is because the thoughts have been carefully watched to ensure that they are noble. Each moment thoughts arise; your watching and processing of them will cause you to perform only that which is good and avoid that which is evil, and so your mind is purified. With cleansed thoughts and a purified mind, your entire character is transformed—you have succeeded!
9-Jan-1984 (2)
Each morning as you sit, pray, and meditate, there will be so much that you would like to do for others. Yet, you will feel so helpless and therefore seek the assistance of the Bodhisattvas to help these suffering beings; you will also want to become such a being who is able to help. With this great motivation in practice, how can you ever fail? How can you not attain the meaning of worship and cultivation?
The way to attain deeper meanings can only be found through your own cultivation, and how much you may come to know will depend on how much you deserve to know. This is the life of great learning and accumulation of spiritual knowledge; do not waste it by weak commitments. All that you do will benefit others in the future. If it be your vow to serve Me in all your other lifetimes, then serve Me as well as you can in this life!
5-Jan-1984 (4)
Be committed to your practice and be ready for changes that may affect your way of life. To discard harmful habits may require parting with things that are painful, for you will have to practise detachment. To practise goodwill requires so many sacrifices that you may not have the strength to sustain your practice. But by knowing the impermanence of all things, you will soon be able to grow stronger. So, walk the path with care and do not force yourself into extreme views and practices. Apply wisdom, practise contemplation with honesty, and soon all sacrifices that you are making for the sake of living meritoriously will no longer matter to you. You will move on gradually from the material to the spiritual, and the contentment of life shall no longer be measured by selfish wants and possessions but by whether those about you are happy or not. When this becomes your measure, you will have found the meaning you have long been searching for.
5-Jan-1984 (3)
The month has passed, and how many things have happened! Human minds need distance in order to recognise the passage of time, and therefore all things on earth have such indications. Time is often measured by a century, by a year, by seasons, by months, by weeks, and by days, and then by the hour, minute, or second. Yet time moves on, moment to moment, in a way that cannot be realised or appreciated by the worldly. This constant motion of time is recognised by the Enlightened Ones as ‘the flow of time’, which brings about momentary changes to all existential things, which are always in ‘a state of flux’. Therefore, time, in reality, needs no measurement and cannot be defined!
Om Sari Hum! 11-Mar-1986 (1)
Happy Kuan Yin Day!
All who are participating should keep the whole day in a state of equanimity, with a happy frame of mind, so that they will go home in a similar state. This is how it should be for life!
Let your mind be free from defiled thoughts and delusions.
Let there be purity of mind for those who recite My prayers.
Let those who think of Me be able to act as I have acted.
Let their Path be straight and true.
Let there be no narrow views towards any aspect of life.
Let those who call upon Me be true disciples throughout their entire lives—a life should be lived in cultivation for the sake of perfecting this existence and for the benefit of society.
Let those who chant the Mani Prayer be worthy disciples who are clean of heart.
Om Mani Padme Hum! Om Tsale Tsule Chunti Soha!
2-Aug-1982 (1), 16-Jul-1982 (1)
Eve of Kuan Yin Festive Day of the 6th Lunar Month
The Way to cultivate is opened to anyone who is sincere and true to oneself. The search for meaning can then be undertaken, but there will be a great need for perseverance to continue despite difficult situations that are bound to arise. These challenges happen whether you are a cultivator or not. However, because you are now a cultivator on this Path, you will be more aware of such situations and more dissatisfied. Do not mistakenly accept them as a negative consequence of your devotion or for any other superstitious reasons. Remove this superstitious mindset. Be ready to face all challenges, no matter how tough they are, by treating them as part of the purification process. View them as the repayment of past karmic debts, the means to awaken you further, to toughen you, and to test your perseverance and faith. With this line of thought, you will be able to accept all life’s situations with fortitude. You will appreciate life better, and you will feel deep gratitude for all the good deeds that are performed not only by yourself but by others as well.
5-Jan-1984 (2)
It is necessary that one be able to embrace all beings in the universe as his own immediate family. It is important to feel the pains encountered by others, and to realise that one, too, must go through various kinds of suffering during this and all future lifetimes. The mind must be clear regarding the doctrines of the Buddha and must have the great urge to set oneself free from these realms of suffering. Only when the dissatisfactions of samsaric existences are truly felt can there be the energy to move forward and begin the process of learning, purification practice, and participation.
5-Jan-1984 (1)
Live well by maintaining full awareness of all your thoughts, words, and deeds. Great patience is needed to practice; you must be less hasty, less impulsive, and less selfish in all your actions. Whatever you do, ensure you take time to review the nature of your actions so they do not lead you away from the good. By keeping the simple precepts of life, you will easily refrain from doing what is evil or has evil tendencies.
9-Jan-1984 (1)
It’s up to man to use his reasoning powers to understand the way of the Way and the Celestial Beings are always working in accord with the Way.
Great patience and contemplation are needed. These are the very practices that purify one’s character and purge all defilements. They make a man whole, and he who is patient and wise, the understanding of the Way to live as a human being is with him.
Om Sari Hum! 15-Jul-1986 (2)
The Way cannot be described yet can be walked by all.
The Way leads one to the Goal of Life, yet where can the Goal be found?
The Way cannot be clearly expressed, yet by calm thinking, reaching into one’s own heart, it can easily be perceived.
It is an impossible Truth, yet it is Truth itself.
All men are born with the ability to achieve it, but only a few will strive for it even though it is the greatest treasure in the universe.
Knowing the Way, it is difficult to walk. Not knowing and with righteous living, one is walking towards it; one is on the Way without effort.
To be effortless is to have expanded effort. This is how the Way is attained.
Om Sari Hum! 15-Jul-1986 (1)
All worldly attractions fail to remain attractive perpetually. This is the teaching of impermanence. Understanding this truth leads to the abandonment of clinging to all kinds of experiences, which, though exciting and satisfying at first, soon lose their appeal once the mind has tasted them sufficiently. Therefore, those who continually try to satisfy their cravings will always end up in dissatisfaction. Unless they have the wisdom to understand this truth, they may degenerate into worse versions of themselves, and some may even end up as lunatics.
Craving breeds further craving, and this vicious cycle leads the mind astray. When the true purpose of life is forgotten, the passion-filled persons lose their human values and are likely to act like a beast. All their actions in life will no longer be worthwhile or fruitful; as long as they can appease their unruly mind, they are willing to perform any kind of action, even the worst!
Om Sari Hum! 2-Jul-1986 (2)
Nothing is fully satisfying in samsara, not even the most wonderful experience, for soon the mind grows accustomed to it, and even the miracles of life come to be seen as common or mundane.
Any experience is good, whether it is happy or sad, profitable or unprofitable, meaningful or unmeaningful. Any experience is beneficial when one is able to learn a lesson from it and become a wiser being. The average person seeks only happy and gainful experiences; he longs for them and prays very hard for them to happen. Yet how many truly happy faces can be seen among such people?
Om Sari Hum! 2-Jul-1986 (1)
Man is always living in irony. He sees, but again, he sees not. That is the meaning of having eyes but seeing not! Unless man wakes up to realise what time is, seeing how it rules his life, he will be caught by time and in time! Having lived timelessly and suffered so immensely over such inconceivable periods of time, he still places no value on time while he has the intelligence to appreciate it as a human. Instead, he prefers to be like a moth that watches other moths playing with fire and perish by it, and yet foolishly flies into the fire and is consumed by it. Such is man’s stupidity!
11-Mar-1986 (2)
Be simple, be relaxed, be kind, and be understanding when dealing with others. Know what you want, know your hopes, and remind yourself that others share the same thoughts. Dharma may be practised simply and effectively, or it may not. However, you can be sure that the spirit of Kuan Yin cannot enter the hearts of those who find faults with others and complain about the difficulties of adhering to right practices. Even if they show a spiritual front, they are not true to themselves!
20-Feb-1986 (3)
Knowing oneself is far more important than knowing everything about the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Realising one’s own nature and taking deliberate steps to improve oneself with the intention of removing all evil tendencies and habits is better than knowing the meanings of Sutras and spiritual teachings. Having a warm heart towards others is as good as practising the highest of teachings!
20-Feb-1986 (2)
Whatever you do, make sure there is an intention to benefit others in one way or another. If your mind is not tensed, not too expectant, but gentle and full of faith, Kuan Yin’s energy will flow through you very easily. There is no need to strive to be good, to be in a state of prayers the whole day through, or to forsake the world and live in isolation. Many who have become ascetics have not had any divine experiences; the only satisfaction they feel is the belief that they are holier than others and closer to the Truth.
On the other hand, those who practise the highest methods have no interest in striving to be good and wise, nor do they need to sever all ties with the world or spend the whole day in constant prayers trying to perceive the Truth. Instead, they live naturally and harmoniously with others, rejoicing in others’ happiness and remaining deeply concerned with the miseries of the world so that they are ever ready to lend a helping hand. Such are the ones who have developed the Bodhisattva nature, and Kuan Shih Yin will be with them.
20-Feb-1986 (1)
Each miserable case that you witness is not merely to show what suffering is, but to stir your heart so that you may know what compassion is and develop the Thought of Awakening to receive the energy of compassion.
One cannot be a true Kuan Yin disciple when altruism is absent. One must make selflessness and compassion an active aspect of practice. Seeing misery, and recognising that it affects every living being, helps remind one of the realities of suffering within cyclic existences; it helps to do away with discrimination and nurture the gentle heart.
What the world needs is more people with such kind and gentle hearts, for without them, love cannot manifest.
7-Jul-1986 (1)
To others, the lotus may be regarded as the Flower of Enlightenment, but to you, it shall be the Flower of Compassion of your Heart. For its blooming shall be the result of the compassion that you have for others, especially those who are in misery and pain! Like the lotus whose roots are in the mud and yet its flower is untainted, the Flower of Compassion of your Heart too has its roots deeply embedded in the samsaric soil, and yet its purity is unaffected by it!
(1987 Short Teachings, p1)
Those who are sound in body and mind are the fortunate ones, although many still lack either material wealth or spirituality, or both. No one is born with a fully developed mind; everyone must learn to develop their mind in every lifetime until it is fully perfected. Future happiness rests upon today’s state of mental development, which drives one’s physical behaviour. If this is recognised, why not guard the mind carefully? Each day, spare a few moments to consider the importance of ‘mental hygiene’. Learn to understand the mind, and life becomes meaningful at once!
One whose mind is filled with poisons may be more dangerous and useless than the mind of a lunatic. Both have minds disturbed by different factors, which come in varying guises of ignorance! Many who appear normal are actually quite abnormal, and vice versa. Look, then, into your mind daily, and know yourself!
27-Jan-1986 (2)
Seeing is learning. Learning is what life is for. A learned person will feel the need to learn more, and through this realisation, he will remain humble in speech. This is your year of learning, and so the experiences that you have encountered thus far are to be appreciated. How you benefit from what is directed your way depends on your ability to see through what must unfold before your eyes—sometimes involving you, sometimes not. Wisdom is gained by perceiving the necessity of life’s experiences, and through them, you will emerge as a more useful being!
27-Jan-1986 (1)
This Compassionate Path is the Path for mankind to follow if they sincerely wish for world peace. This is the Path where all are equal, and where prejudices, discrimination, and all forms of bad traits are removed by the Heart of Love and Compassion. I have given you the simplest and most potent prayer to recite: the Mani Mantra. Use it throughout your life and use it with great faith. It will carry everyone across when they are able to utilise this prayer in every moment of their lives.
31-Jul-1982 (3)
To be guided is to be reminded that you are on My Path—the Path of Mercy and the Compassionate Path.
To be on the Compassionate Path is the greatest route one can choose in life because it purifies the entire being of those who walk it. It requires no training, no great prayers, and no high standing in life. Even the poorest and simplest may walk it and end up as leaders.
31-Jul-1982 (2)
The purpose of life is to take up the act of “awakening Bodhi". This is not accomplished merely by studying or praying to the Gods or Buddhas. It begins with the firm decision to free oneself from the bondage of ignorance, and then to set forth the work of removing the defilement from one’s mind—a task that may take many lifetimes of diligent effort to succeed, yet must nevertheless be pursued; otherwise, the samsaric sufferings cannot come to an end. This may be excellent advice, but who will follow it?
10-Jun-1988 (2)
Ignorance
People are crazy indeed! They seek peace of mind, yet they act in confusion They know that doing good for others will bring happiness to themselves and others, yet they act selfishly. They know that by following the right paths of life, they will have peace of mind and happiness; however, they avoid such paths and instead prefer the evil paths. They know that certain acts are bad for their body and mind, yet they fail to restrain themselves. Despite knowing that they have nothing to lose by heeding the words of their Great Teachers, yet they will not make their efforts to attain their goals. When things go wrong, they moan and ask, “Why?” When things are right, they become careless. Ignorance is a fetter hard to break indeed!
10-Jun-1988 (1)
Too many people believe they are cultivators simply because they worship, yet worship alone is insufficient. The act of worship must be accompanied by the proper practice of seeking the knowledge of self-liberation. One must first learn to acquire a calm and pure mind, and one must engage in constant practice to understand the meaning of mind‑cultivation.
Even those who come here to pray with the right intention must learn to attain a mind free from unrelated thoughts, for their minds are filled with such distractions even during prayer and during moments meant for meditation. This is why they have failed to make any inroads into understanding the true nature and the results of one‑pointed concentration in worship.
12-Jan-1982 (2)