OK. Let him try (translate). You take a rest. (Master, sometimes I didn’t understand what You said. So she is…) You work here as a professor, don’t you? (Yes, but for a long time I… Maybe seven or eight years…) Only seven or eight years, it is nothing. (Sometimes I can’t understand, therefore…) Why can’t you understand? (Sometimes I just can’t understand, so…) Just joking. You, as a professor, behaving like that. Your students will laugh to death. There is another professor today. Is he here? Or has he left? He asked me a lot of nonsense questions again. You can’t imagine. Is she translating correctly? You sit beside her and listen. If she forgets anything, you just remind her. (Yes, yes.) How come there’s such a silly professor? This is to prove to you that studying a lot may not be of great help. Not necessarily. Our wisdom inside, our original Wisdom, is the most important, which will help us. I’m sorry for hurting their ego. (It’s OK.)
Lord Jesus Christ said, “Think you not that I come to bring peace to you. I bring a sword…” (Sword.) Sword, it’s a sword. “I come with a sword.” And it’s said that Manjushri Bodhisattva also had a sword. What kind of sword was it? For killing? No. No. It’s for chopping our ego. You don’t… Your voice is very unpleasant. Your occasional “oh, oh” sound makes my heart beats fast. Originally, I thought her voice is already very unpleasant, always “Gigi, Gaha, Koko.” She made the Korean language sound very unpleasant. But his voice was even worse. I’ve also used the “sword” just now. Sometimes, when we have a high status outside, and are smart and capable, we easily become arrogant. Therefore, our Master sometimes also needs to use that kind of “sword” to cut off our arrogance. You… Those two are really disgracing the Korean language. People speak Korean softly and beautifully, but I want to run away hearing you speak.
Sometimes when we have status, rich knowledge, and a lot of abilities, we tend to use our brain more. We tend to use our intellect. And this intellect will hinder us. Intellect, intellect. Therefore, it’s very difficult for us… Because we’ve used it for too long, we’re used to being stuck there – very, very difficult to break through, to go beyond the limit of knowledge. That’s why we have to be careful. We have to know our weak points. Then we can progress more quickly. Any Tao, the Tao is not something that you can analyze with knowledge. It’s our inner realization. It’s to be realized and understood from within. The same. Some people know a lot of so-called religious doctrines. He uses knowledge to understand. Sometimes it obstructs spiritual practice.
The best example is Huineng the Sixth Patriarch. In Buddhism, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and Master Shenxiu. Huineng was from a poor family and didn’t receive much education. Master Shenxiu was knowledgeable, understood many Buddhist sutras and the scriptures of other so-called religions. But Huineng was enlightened in eight months. While Shenxiu, having followed his Master for 30 years, was not very enlightened. He was enlightened alright, but not of a high level. After following his Master for 30 years, he still wanted to “clean the mirror.” Clean the mirror. Very tedious. His Master surely taught the method of immediate enlightenment. Because Huineng could also transmit immediate enlightenment afterwards. He said, “Instantly realize one’s true Nature and attain Buddhahood,” which also means immediate enlightenment, the method of instant enlightenment. It meant his Master must have been teaching the method of instant enlightenment. “Instant enlightenment” means immediate enlightenment. Immediate enlightenment. After learning with his Master for 30 years, Shenxiu was still tediously cleaning the mirror. And still “planting the Bodhi tree.” Still planting the Bodhi tree. Translate all I said. (Yes.) It’s fun that way. Waiting for his Bodhi tree to bear fruits, everyone would go to hell, to transmigrate in the birth & death circle. “Ko-ko-ko…” So troublesome.
Therefore sometimes, if we are too attached to some aspects, it’s difficult to progress. Because Shenxiu was well versed in many sutras, he acted as a “professor” there. You. Why did you translate so long, and she translated so short? One is instant realization, and the other is gradual realization. That’s because, being a professor, he was respected by more than one thousand monks. All those disciples respected Shenxiu. Of course, people praised him, which boosted his ego. It would be troublesome. Even though he might be very humble. But if people praised him every day, there would inevitably be obstacles for him. Therefore, I rarely praise my disciples. Normally, our fellow initiates do not… I don’t encourage them to praise each other. Mostly after being praised, they’ll be scolded a lot, to cleanse them. Have to cleanse their mind. Cleanse the karma.
I’ve often told them people’s praise is poisonous to us. Very poisonous. When others slander us or fix us, it’s good for us. Therefore, if you observe carefully or mingle with them longer, you’ll also feel that they have less ego. Our fellow initiates, our group is also like that. If compared with some groups, our fellow initiates are more natural, more humble. That’s all. Because whatever they do, are things that they should do. No one praises them, no one recognizes them. In the whole group, maybe no one knows they go with me or what they are doing; no one needs to know. A Mushroom Which Looks Like a Sink Is Still Just a Mushroom. Same with All Fake Things Such as Fake-Guru!
Photo Caption: Friendship Beyond Boundaries
