Quote of The Day (184)
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.
Let this be the year of the changing of your attitude and view of life. It is when you are able to be at peace with the past and rejoice in the present that you are able to tap the spiritual energy to accept the lessons of life gratefully, to become selfless and caring, and to serve others as a return for blessings received. Then the Law of Karma will not take its toll on you.
Spiritual energy is the life energy or life principle of the universe, also called the Universal Consciousness Light. (STQ-1996-p50,10)
Practise happily; Live gratefully; Serve joyfully; the liberating power of selfless service has its ways of helping others to free themselves from fears and pains. Begin with practicing attachment in detachment; then, with the practice of detachment in attachment, if Liberation is to be won. (STQ-1996-p4,19, 1992-p3)
My gaze is upon all, especially those who have fallen and are in despair. If there is still a sentient being left in Samsara, My work is not complete! If you will bring Niang into your heart, there the Pure Land exists! (STQ-1996-p4,1)
Everybody has a part to play in your life, you have a part to play in everybody’s life.
The merit you gain is measured by what you have done to and for those who are in pain and misery. (STQ-1992-p1x2)
The Path that you are on is fully capable of winning you the causes of enlightenment. Through its activities of helpful, considerate, kind, and compassionate deeds, immeasurable merits are won; through worship and contemplative practices, meditative experiences, great insights, and the right view of reality are won. (STQ-1996-p32)
Sit to worship, sit to pray, to meditate, to contemplate, and to perform the meditative exercises. Sit to discover the joy of sitting and what it can do to you physically and mentally. Sit to find out why you have been advised to sit, sit, and sit! (STQ-1996-p58)
Meditate on love to understand what it is and can be. Directing it upwards and devotional love is felt; directing it downwards and compassion will reign. Directing it outwards and you’ll have friendship; directing it inwards and peace and bliss will be experienced! (STQ-1996-p32)
Whenever you are restless, meditate on Me. Whenever you are unhappy, meditate on Me. Whenever you are in fear meditate on Me. I am your Deity! The rewards of meditation are inspiration, insights and mental peace, which all spiritual aspirants are seeking. (STQ-1996-p32,1992-p3)
The Three Stages Of Devotion: Visualisation (Praise), Meditation and Prayer.
- Remember your Divine Guru daily, repeat the mantra with devotion and request that you be blessed and guided to lead a holy life.
- Perform the Sadhana of Purification, practise giving and the like, and meditate on the Guru’s form and virtues.
- Chant the Holy Mantra again and again, mentally absorb the force of its spiritual vibrations to free your mind of all distractions and defilements and be peaceful… (STQ-2010-p1,1996-p27)
A Mystic is one who seeks the Divine through contemplation. Every now and then, spend some time meditating on why Kuan Yin has brought you into the Path; Every now and then, spend time to practise devotion to Her; Every now and then, contemplate on how you can improve your mind and your life. (STQ-1996-p7,34)
True happiness is experienced when you are living in the service of the Divine. This is when your thought, speech, and action are guided by the Divine Will. There is no greater love than the love of the Divine. Receive it and fill your life with bliss! (STQ-1996-p22x2)
The degree of your spiritual development is gauged by the quantity of Light that is surrounding you as well as the quantity and intensity of Light that you can send to others. If you must evolve, then you have to bring Light into your life so that the darkness and illusion that you have surrounded yourself with is banished. (STQ-1996-p30x2)
Thought is energy – great energy, creative energy. All the world is due to thoughts and the energies that manifest from it… Therefore, be aware of your thoughts. Make sure that they are not harmful in nature or you will be creating an unhappy world for yourself and others. (STQ-1996-p8,17)
Chanting mantra leads one to meditation and from thence to Samadhi, or the conquest of the mind. Mantra forms the ‘spiritual bridge’ for us to the Divine! As you polish the jewel of the mantra – so too will you be polishing the jewel of your heart. (STQ-1996-p8x2,6)
Whenever you are criticised, that’s the time to take a thorough look at yourself. If what is said of you is true, be glad that someone is helping you in your cultivation. Correct yourself immediately with gladness. If what is said of you is untrue, do not be agitated. Instead, be glad that you are not what others judge you to be. (STQ-1996-p20)
(1) “Come to Me, come to See, come to follow Me!”
(2) “Don’t just Survive, be VICTORIOUS!”
(3) “It is not so important what life was, but what is and it should BE” (STQ-1996-p5x3)
The Path that you are in is the path that leads you out of Samsara. It is up to you to pursue it to gain your liberation from suffering. The way to avoid suffering is simply by right living, which accumulates no causes of suffering. (STQ-1996-p18,17)
Understanding suffering is the first essential to Dharma practice. It is due to this understanding that the will to get out of suffering arises. This explains why the earliest teaching of the Buddha is that of the Four Noble Truths of Sufferings. (STQ-1996-p17)
You are your own creation and your own destiny. If you will practise the Dharma, you will lead yourself out of trouble and pain. If you don’t, then you will spend this lifetime accumulating numerous causes of unhappiness and downfalls. The choice is always yours as to whether you practise the Dharma or not. (STQ-1996-p18x2)
“Be ever kind, be ever caring. Let the sorrows of others move you to tears. Let the kindness of your deeds move them to tears. Be ever humble; Be ever helpful. Om Mani Padme Hum!” (STQ-1996-p4)
“In praying, we speak with the mind.
In analyzing, we think with the mind.
In contemplating, we listen to the mind.
In meditating, we observe the mind.
In realizing, we clear the mind.” (STQ-1996-p5)
This unique contemplative practice is capable of winning you a downpour of Divine Energies and the arising of your own inner energies. Knowing how to make use of these energies will help to bring forth many of your innate good qualities and capabilities. Understanding their workings will help you to bring health and joy to your life and to others. More than that, the right use of these energies will gain you spiritual strength and knowledge that are useful for your life’s journey. (STQ-1996-p29)
Why is contemplative practice so wonderful? It’s because they easily bring about feelings of warmth, serenity, tranquility and peacefulness. This explains why many who practised them have freed themselves from the chains of illnesses and distress and are able to develop spiritual qualities that they thought were beyond them. Be in practice constantly, and you will soon be rewarded with states of joy and union with the Divine. (STQ-1996-p29)
What then is karmic relations? Whatever is related to karma, causes karma and conditions karma will shape our personality, character, talents and destiny. We are indeed manifestations of our karmic relations at any given moment, and upon their change of forms we too change accordingly. (STQ-1996-p52)
It is through understanding that the past is past, and the future is being shaped by you, that you will accept the Law of Karma as right and will not complain about whether your present condition is deserved or not. On the other hand, it will make you feel grateful with whatever circumstances are before you. (STQ-1996-p49)
There are many who think that they have already gained a thorough understanding of this Universal Law. They are able to accept that good will always produce good, and evil always followed by evil, but what happens when they see the opposite happening? There are so many evil people who enjoy good health and great wealth, while many who are righteous have nothing but woes and bad luck! Is there a Law of Karma then? (STQ-1996-p48)
Three qualities must you teach to those who come into the Order to develop: to be kind-hearted, honest, and helpful.
Three qualities must you also teach them to abandon: greed, anger, and wickedness.
Then, you should also encourage them to take on the practice of these wonderful qualities: filial piety, devotion, and compassion. (STQ-1992-p3)
Growth is a process which involves pain, and healing requires love. It is love that sustains, nurtures, and enriches life. Love with only the thought to make the lives of others brighter and lighter. (STQ-1992-p2,3)
Know that by being kind, caring, and helpful, you are developing the ability to cease doing evil, to do only good, and to keep pure your heart each day. The purpose of being good is not for the sake of collecting happy causes for the future, but for the sake of overcoming the demon of selfishness. (STQ-2002-p29,1984-p107)
Know that a momentous milestone in your spiritual journey will be reached, and though it will not necessarily be a day that is different from the others, yet those who are deserving will know the difference in the days to follow! (STQ-2002-p31)
Be calm, tolerant, benevolent, patient, and accepting. Be kind, disciplined, simple, sincere, helpful, and good at heart. Then, nothing is able to keep your goodness from you once the Light and Love of the Path has found its way into your heart and made it its home. (STQ-2013-p28,2002-p25)