Hsing Yun Quotes

Respect the freedom of others. Freedom is priceless. The history of the world is full of martyrdom for the cause of freedom. However, in a modern democracy, misconceptions of freedom can lead to great misfortune and confusion. Freedom requires respect for the freedom of others, and the Buddhist Five Precepts embody this spirit of freedom. No killing means to respect the lives of others. No stealing means to respect the property of others. No lying means to respect the reputation of others. No sexual misconduct means to respect the integrity of self and others. No intoxicants means to respect our own body. Upholding the precepts is honoring the freedom of others. When we examine the penitentiaries, we can see that inmates are being held because they have broken the Five Precepts.

Our achievement is proportional to the size of our heart. If we can show magnanimity towards those in our family, we can be leaders in our homes. If we can show magnanimity towards those in our community, we can be leaders of our communities. If we can show magnanimity towards those in our nation, we can be leaders of our nation. If we can get beyond all opposites, appreciate everything in the universe, and help where it is appropriate, we will be as free as the king of the Dharma realm is. It is said: "Bamboo packs tightly, but water can still flow through it. The mountain is high, but clouds are not stopped by it." If we have magnanimity, we can be like clouds and water, penetrating all obstructions. We will be able to travel freely throughout the universe.

Before attaining Buddhahood, Prince Siddhartha lived a privileged life of abundance and joyful bliss in the palace, never knowing what suffering is. Till one day came the time for him to step outside the palace, where he saw for himself what old age, sickness, death, and rebirth are like in the world. At that moment, it finally dawned on him: “So this is the reality of the world!” Right there, he realized that people should fully bring forth the value of life and to actively elucidate the meaning of life. Soon after, he decided to give up the throne he was to inherit and trod alone on the path of cultivation. In the course of his cultivation, the Buddha had profound realization of two states:

One, the lasting nature of life: Life may appear to be one span after another, arising and ceasing, however, within the arising and ceasing, there is its unchanging nature, which is always timeless, coexisting with space, and nature.

Just as the Venerable Master once said, “Life is a marathon race; we need to persevere over distance and time.” It is the same with learning Buddhism and cultivation, it is a lifetime undertaking or even life after life till the end of time, all of which needs perseverance. Of course, every lifetime will bring us much wisdom and experiences. Ultimately, if we can combine the experiences we have gained life after life, we will be like the Buddha’s “realization” in fulfilling the meaning of life.

Compassion is not a demand on others, nor is it a standard by which we judge people. It is a way to discipline ourselves. Compassion does not mean blind tolerance to physical attack or verbal abuse. When justice is threatened or when good people are being slandered or attacked, we should stand up bravely for them. Compassion is not a momentary emotion, but a persistent service for others. Compassion is not just being kind only to our friends and family, nor does it mean we are to expect anything in return. Compassion is not always about praises and encouragement. Sometimes, in the interest of common well-being or to subdue the hard-headed, an angry expression is required to subdue villains. This is actually the greatest and most difficult form of compassion.

Equality among people leads to wholeness and freeness in the human world. Everything in this world is originally whole and free. However, our ignorance and delusion give rise to perceptions of dualities, such as superior and inferior, coming and going, with and without, arising and ceasing, large and small, internal and external, good and evil, wise and dull. Such distinctions, subsequently, cause continual fighting among people, deepen antagonism among people, increase animosity among races, and escalate warring tensions among nations.

In today's world, technological and medical advances have prolonged the human lifespan. However, such advances have also led to increasing estrangement and apathy among people. More and more people are feeling the lack of happiness and peace in their lives.

Places with water mean survival, places with water mean prosperity, and places with water are more suitable for communities to flourish. In this world, not only is the Sun important. The reason that humanity is able to surpass other animals in survival is because they discovered fire, which is extremely important to a civilization. No living creature in this world can live without air, just as has been said, “Life exists between each breath,” without the flowing of wind, there will be no air, and all forms of life will suffocate to death.

Throughout our lives, we needed parental caring, instruction from our teachers, support from society, and assistance from our mentors and encouragement from our friends. However most important of all, we must rely on our own self-awareness. We must not lose our awareness and become totally dependent on others.

Develop a true mind that is as immense as space: The universe can be used as a metaphor for our mind, “the mind is like the universe; its capacity immeasurable like grains of sand.” Within the universe exist the sun, moon, and stars; within the universe exist thunder, lightening, rain, and dew. Every phenomenon is embraced within. Therefore, the nations of the world are all interested in exploring the universe, hoping to discover treasures from within. Our mind too is like space filled with limitless treasures of joy and contentment. It is only through development that we can discover the treasures.

It has all been for Buddhism's sake. Despite having grown up inside a monastery living a frugal and simple life, I never for a moment felt mistreated or deprived, because it was all for Buddhism’s sake. I became ordained for Buddhism’s sake; I remained firm against temptations of rich offerings from conducting chanting services, because I had resolved to devote my life to propagating the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings for Buddhism's sake; I declined positions of abbot and those of authority and fame from a young age, because I had my own thoughts and directions, and it was “all for Buddhism's sake.”

Buddhism reveres nature by stressing human nature and the human mind above all else. The Eastern and Western Pure Lands described in Buddhist sutras are characterized by the beauty of their natural environments. In them, streams and rivers are clean, the air is fragrant and the trees and flowers are magnificent as birds sing everywhere. The people that live there need only think of what clothing they want or what food they want for it to appear before them. The purpose of these descriptions is to show that there are states of consciousness in which it is possible for human beings to live in perfect accord with nature. When those states are reached, one need only think of what one wants and it will appear. There is no difference between thought and "reality."

Before we start any task, we must set ourselves a goal. Once a goal is set, we will be able to identify a direction in which we can apply our energy and effort. To set a goal is to “make a resolution’ or in Buddhist terms “to resolve and make a vow.”

Universal truth is beyond duality, beyond pleasure and pain, beyond the selfish interests of the individual who sees only himself and no one else. The Buddha's teachings on cause and effect tell us that karma is a law that applies to the workings of all conscious minds. No one can escape this law. When we behave with bad intentions, we create conditions that we ourselves one day will have to endure. The selfish person thinks that no one is seeing him, or that no one knows his thoughts; this is the logic of subjective "truth." The Buddha taught that our thoughts are precisely what make us who we are.