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.
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)
Listen to reflect, understand to practise, if Realisation and Self-Development is wished for! Let the Higher Life teach you to let go of your small self and all its preoccupations with restrictive dwellings on thoughts that are discriminating, resentful, miserly, aloof, and so forth! (STQ-2015-p13,11)
Save from suffering, save from harm, Kuan Yin P’usa Come!
Better than praying that "…you would be helped…" or that “…you would be saved…” would be that Prayer that “…you would be taught how to help and to save yourself…” (STQ-2015-p5,11)
Namo Kuan Shih Yin P’usa!
O All Merciful One!
Teach me the love that does not hate!
Teach me the pity that does not destroy!
Teach me the wisdom that does not scorn!
Teach me the compassion that is!
Teach me the Way to your Paradise!
Om Mani Padme Hum!
Namah Saptanam Samyaksambuddha Kotinam Tadyatha: Om Cale Cule Cundi Svaha! (STQ-2014-p5x2)
Be not surprised to find out that when you have reached the Door to Discipleship, you will find that there is no door to prevent you from entering it. This shall mean many things. For example, Niang is ever happy to receive anyone who would want to be Her disciple or to be a member of Her Family of Benevolent Helpers of sentient beings, and so forth. (STQ-2014-p9)
Know that when the Order is established, there will be new duties to be performed to ensure that they are well done. See to it that whatever needs to be undertaken must be done rightly, carefully, thoughtfully, lovingly, and diligently. (STQ-2002-p27)
Why is there so much suffering in this period of time? All kinds of reasons may be attributed to it, but a worthwhile explanation would be that many who have difficult lessons to learn and many who are ready to bring forth the loving heart have incarnated on this planet, which is currently providing them with the right conditions to effect their self-growth. Accept, then, that suffering can be a form of self-cleansing and an awakener of the spiritual heart! (STQ-2002-p34)
Learning to give and give happily and plentifully—this is generosity. Learning to give and give caringly and lovingly—this is true charity! Virtues are built up gradually, day by day, year by year, and stage by stage until they are perfected. (STQ-2002-p38,31)
(1) It is during troubled times that you must learn to be at peace in your heart by reminding yourself that whatever is happening is moving you toward the great healing.
(2) The virtuous heart is nourished through giving and forgiving, not taking and hating. (STQ-2002-p36x2)
What books can teach you is limited, and what the Divine Mother can teach you is beyond measure. Get to know the meaning of truth, not so much in words and discussion, but in action and experience. (STQ-2002-p39x2)
Know that jealousy is the cause of mistrust that will eventually break up a relationship, and possessiveness is that which suffocates it and destroys its harmony. The greatest challenge is to love the other person without being jealous or possessive in any way. (STQ-2002-p38)
At the rate human kindness and morality are deteriorating, and at the rate human cruelty and injustice are growing, humankind is heading towards a great learning arising from a great suffering.
Pray then and lead others to pray for a change of hearts amongst humankind. Pray that heaven will not bring about a correction, or catastrophes will be experienced. Pray that should they come to be, many will be there to render their help with kindness and generosity. Pray that those about you and their loved ones will not be gravely affected! (STQ-2002-p36)
You may not be able to control the outer world, but you can surely learn to control your inner world. Know your mind and make every effort to control it and to become its master. Listen not to it or attend to its demands unless you wish to be its slave. (STQ-2002-p38,41)
Who is to judge whether this age will be better than the last when each age has its high and low points, happy and unhappy periods, peaceful and violent times and so forth?
Know that each age has its lessons for mankind to learn from as well as its opportunities for them to gather experiences essential to their self-growth. This being so, there is no point in welcoming one age and condemning another, since each exists for a specific purpose. What is more important is to be able to witness the ending of one age and the beginning of another since that is a most momentous moment of time, which has much to tell and to learn from! (STQ-2002-p34)
By practicing the letting of love to flow more freely, you will be showing your inner sweetness to others. This is achieved by greeting those you meet with a smile or a cheerful greeting, showing respect for their openness and their privacy, listening to what they have to say with attention, and making use of caring words and so forth. (STQ-2002-p37)
One does not exist to make others sad, but to be there only to make them glad.
Live the quiet life to know its peaceful effects.
Live the simple life to experience its joyous effects.
Live the holy life to practise its spiritual effects! (STQ-2014-p15,2002-p33)
Today is the Second Cho See Wong Lo Sin See Festive Day of the Yin Wood Snake Year 2025. Homage to our Beloved Cho See Wong Lo Sin See Yuen Yuen Sheong Yan. Om Ame Laga Ah Hum!
(1) The Way of Heaven may be just and proper but may often be seen as unfair and ruthless.
(2) True love shines. Like the sun, ever bright, and like the moon, ever clear, and like the stars, ever sparklingly beautiful. (STQ-2002-p33x2)