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.
Why is life so filled with joy and sorrow? That’s because this duality is the nature of life! Since nothing is permanent on earth, do not become attached to anything! (STQ-1996-p25,16)
What is compassion? It’s simply your inability to ignore the suffering in others and your natural response to their cries for help, or the positive actions that you will perform to remove their causes of sufferings. The more you respond to the plights of others, the more compassionate you are, the more you will love to perform kindly actions, and this is how compassion is further developed; this is how Bodhicitta comes into being. (STQ-1996-p25)
Freeing yourself from Samsaric existence does not mean that you have severed your ties with sentient beings! Make as many friends as you can, while you can. Such friendship will go with you beyond this life. (STQ-1996-p20,21)
It is by forgiving that you are forgiven. Hence, emotion has to do with our feeling of love or fear… Love transcends self-interest; In truth, love transcends all. (STQ-1996-p9,11x2)
Sit… Calm your mind… Learn to go deep within… Experience peace… then bliss! The Holy Mother’s Grace is bestowed upon all equally, but spiritual encounters are reserved for those who deserve them! (STQ-1996-p20,21,35)
It is not enough that we love the Divine Mother, we must make sure that we are deserving of Her Love!
Whenever you feel that Niang’s love for you is not felt, that’s the time for some practise. (STQ-1996-p25,35)
Each Season’s Teaching is a life-giving message. Therefore, you, to whom the Teaching is directed to, must listen to it with your fullest attention and love. Then you should spend time reflecting on what have touched your heart. Treat the Teachings with love and respect. Know that they are able to illuminate you and to lead you from the darkness of spiritual ignorance. (STQ-1996-p30,34)
Daily search within yourself, and you will discover your true heart, one that is similar in quality to that of your Divine Guru. It is at this moment that your heart will merge completely with that of your Guru. The devotion you have for your Guru is your most effective means of developing an inner relationship with Her. (STQ-1996-p44x2)
It is your birth-right to live life in happiness and in harmony. Achieve it! The one good way of raising your daily actions to the level of joy is to perform them joyfully. (STQ-1996-p18,24)
Once in a while, go back to the early practice of allowing the mudras to flow freely as you chant the mantras. This is a wonderful way of balancing your inner energies and relaxing your mind. There is much to learn from the practice of the techniques of mantra chanting. (STQ-1996-p33x2)
“A true guru is Divinely guided!” The only way to know whether what you have learned from this Order is beneficial or not is to put the teachings to the test. (STQ-1996-p33)
Make an honest examination of whether you have rightly understood the true purpose of your becoming a disciple of the Order and whether you are fulfilling your responsibilities or not. Reflect on the weaknesses that you have… Purge them, or they will be the most powerful allies of Tempter! (STQ-1996-p31x2)
Often you have been asked, “Why does one have to die?” Instead of answering them with the age-old dissatisfactory answer of “Because life must end in death”, just let them know that when the conditions are ripe, when the next life has to be lived, then one must die. (STQ-1996-p27)
The choice is yours to make, whether to live with reality or chase dreams. Likewise, live wisely, do not spend your life doing evil or your final days will be lived in remorse and with regrets. (STQ-1996-p28x2)
Our life will indeed be most blessed if our love for Kuan Shih Yin P’usa is as deep and pure as the love which She has for us. If our faith and love for Guru Kuan Yin is hollow, then no matter what we say or promise Her, we have but uttered empty words (STQ-1996-p43x2)
You should, by now, understand why you have been asked and given ample opportunities to serve others. This is purely because such wonderful traits of devotional service easily transform your heart into a vessel that is capable of holding the Divine Light that is being sent to you. If you serve and believe that it will bring good to others, you shall receive Divine blessings and help to make it so. (STQ-1996-p30,19)
If you will spend time examining the Teachings, you will find that each line can be imbued with light and profound wisdom. And if you will practise them with sincerity, changes are bound to fill your life. Then you will no longer be unhappy or afraid of whatever responsibilities that your Divine Guru has entrusted to you. Instead, you will carry this out with gladness and diligence. (STQ-1996-p31)
The Path that Niang has set you on is not an easy one. Being led into an Unmistaken Path and shown an Unerring Practice that promises Unfailing Fruition, if you are not prepared for a great deal of struggles, then it’s not likely that you will stay long with it! In being a devotee of the Path, part of your challenge and growth opportunity is to learn to serve others. (STQ-1996-p18,24,28)
Receiving the Light of the Divine is no different from receiving the Light of Life, which is the same as receiving the Light of Redemption as the Light of Salvation. Therefore, it is important that all who are already in the Path of Light and Love should work to receive Light daily through spiritual practices of devotional services performed for the benefit of humanity and living beings. It is with the help of Light that you are able to live intensely and happily! (STQ-1996-p30)
Life is subject to a continuous change, a procession of transformations of our past karma brought on by the changing conditions of the present. Therefore, we must learn to accept changes and not fear them. It should be borne in mind that if we do not change then we are lifeless. (STQ-1996-p52)
Fear not what the months ahead shall be, unless you have not lived your life rightly. Instead, look forward to what is about to happen, treating it as a way of realizing the Law of Karma. When this Law is known, it is feared, it is respected, it will be upheld, and its great depth and beauty will be appreciated and revered. (STQ-1996-p47)
Understanding the purpose of life and knowing how to live it well will remove our fear for the future and help us to accept life as it comes. Then even should bad times befall us, we will be able to bear the burden with patient understanding. Likewise, if life should be rewarding, we should know how to live with our wealth and joy. For that has been the result of our efforts and the good karmic cause we have collected. (STQ-1996-p53)
People yearn for happiness and fear sadness. If only they knew that in happiness there is sadness and in sadness there is happiness, then they would learn to stop yearning and instead learn to deal with happiness and sadness whenever they come. (STQ-1996-p59)
According to the Law of Karma, actions based on a powerful thought will yield powerful influences and results. What is a good action? It is a good action when it produces a good influence for those present and is done with a good intention. (STQ-1996-p24x2)
In the philosophy of Karma, the fruit of action unfailingly goes back to the doer. It is also impossible to eliminate karma since life cannot be without activity. Thus, it is not possible physically to escape from karma or to avoid action. (STQ-1996-p24)
Do not be too quick in your judgement of others. Remember, no one can be all good or all bad. Everyone is sometimes good and sometimes bad. Whether a person is good or bad to you is dependent on his past relationship with you. (STQ-1996-p23)
(1) Learn to be a disciple so that you may someday be a guru, one who has practised the disciplines of the Way and developed himself sufficiently to lead others.
(2) When you have practised self-discipline, nothing will distract or tempt you away from your Path. (STQ-1996-p32,20)
Prajna Paramita (Perfection of Wisdom, Transcendental Knowledge) is the excellent knowledge that has gone beyond knowledge. Wisdom power is wisdom practised with Bodhicitta. Preceding this, Purification, Renunciation and Harmonisation are the Three Principal Practices to be adopted. (STQ-1996-p9,8,12)
What are you here for, except to develop the abilities to:
a. Give happily
b. Love purely
c. Help sincerely
d. Forgive willingly and joyfully
e. Serve humbly
f. Worship whole-heartedly
g. Pray single-mindedly
h. Uphold precepts willingly
What, then, is the primary purpose of human life? It is to elevate your consciousness, which in turn, increases your wisdom. (STQ-1996-p19,15)
Let this be the year that will earn you your spiritual awakening and the causes that win you a happier future. Drop all your fears for life. Start living it rightly as of now. Do that by following the Teachings that are freely available to you that teach you how to develop the heart of a Kuan Yin Devotee.
You have been placed onto the Path so that you may awaken your spiritual heart and that of others. Let this year be well lived then. Om Mani Padme Hum! (STQ-1996-p54,17)
Perform your daily duties mindfully. Know that the Divine Mother is there to witness all your actions. Each day do some good to others—do it joyfully and gratefully. It is not enough to be practising virtues; be one who is perfect in virtues! (STQ-1996-p20,12,8)