About
 
108 Adages of Wisdom IIIKind Behavior and Compassionate Vows
1. Doing good or doing bad is determined in one thought, blessings and wisdom are cultivated through one's mind. 2. A single spark can start a prairie fire, a tiny bit of good intention can save the world. 3. Heaven and earth support all sentient beings without condition, should I not share the same compassionate vows? 4. Take on your responsibility by delivering all sentient beings, let of your attachment by not abiding in any form. 5. Do not be corrupted by worldly vexations that surround one like dust, do not be deterred by a path beset with difficulties. 6. Compassion brings blessings like a spring breeze; wisdom shines like the warm summer sun. 7. Kindness and compassion eliminate suffering and bring forth joy, wisdom eliminates wrongs and dispels false views. 8. Cultivate great wisdom and great vows and one shall gain infinite blessings and infinite life. 9. When one sees one's own Buddha nature, the burning house that is our world turns into blooming lotus flowers. 10. Let your mind function freely, without abiding anywhere or in anything – this is entering the gate of kindness and compassion. 11. In one's resolve to pursue the Path lies the giving of fearlessness. 12. When one puts down all self-centered concerns, one can lift up the world. 13. As you settle your body and mind, you are well on your way to settle your family and career as well. 14. The ancient pine tree may be hundreds of years old, yet what is hundreds of years compared to the age of the stars in the sky? 15. The mighty dragon travels in deep seas and vast swamps, the vigorous tiger rests near high cliffs and perilous caves, the able thrive in adversities. 16. The Buddhadharma is but one flavor - the flavor of liberation through benefiting oneself and others. 17. Recite often the name of Guan Yin, Bodhisattva Avalokitesavara, and you will find your way to a peaceful mind, a peaceful life. 18. Go on a pilgrimage to improve your practice, prayers will be answered and vows will be fulfilled; be respectful, listen intently and sing wholeheartedly, prostrate yourself after every three steps; your body and mind will feel refreshed, karmic obstructions will be removed while blessings and wisdom increase. 19. Carrying a bowl filled with alms from a thousand households, I a lone monk with a bamboo cane who has travelled ten thousand miles; knowing that all comes and goes according to causes and conditions, when causes and conditions dissipate I let go of what's in both hands. 20. Letting go is not giving up, rather it helps one take on new challenges. One cannot take on anything without first letting go. One who can take on and let go of anything in peace is truly free.
Wisdom of the World
21. Interpret everything positively, consider everything from a different angle, and do not falter in pursuing one's goals. 22. Don't be deterred by life's trials and tribulations, don't be corrupted by worldly pleasures and indulgence. 23. Share your power and wealth with all, but treat your joys and suffering as causes and conditions of your own. 24. When one is not tempted by money, power and fame, one has nothing to fear even when facing an army. 25. When you are tempted to blame the environment, first look inward at your mind; when you are tempted to fault others, first reflect upon yourself. 26. Ask not why one has so few good sons and filial grandsons, ask how one has brought up one's offsprings. 27. Research is key to scholarly pursuits; practice is key to genuine experience. 28. The dark and long nights are easy to pass with dreamless sleep, the other shore across the sea of suffering is easy to reach with the Dharma as your boat. 29. Wisdom will help us overcome all obstacles, virtues will help us build a pure land on earth. 30. Command the ship of prajna, wisdom, and help those on the sea of suffering; climb the mountain of nirvana and keep one's mind unperturbed. 31. As time goes by, one sees that nothing escapes the law of impermanence. 32. Happiness and suffering are both created by one's own mind. 33. The green mountains and bubbling streams, the chirping birds and fragrant flowers – everything around you can be an eloquent Dharma teacher if you know where to look. 34. Education is an undertaking that will have impact for a thousand years, morality is a lodestar that will shine for a hundred generations. 35. Even the deepest ocean is not bottomless, even the tallest mountain has a base, everything great starts small. 36. For a Buddhist, every day is a good day, everywhere is a good place. 37. The difference between "pure" and "impure" only exists in a discriminating mind. 38. When the sun sets, remember that it will rise again tomorrow; when the sun rises, remember that the sunset is not far behind. 39. Those watching a play often forget it is only a play, those dreaming often forget they are in a dream. 40. As soon as thunder and lightning begin, one can expect a rain storm to follow. This is the workings of causes and conditions. 41. Turn a crisis into an opportunity, turn a dead end into a new path. 42. Heaven and hell are both in one's mind, there is no attaining Buddhahood outside of one's mind. 43. You are already near enlightenment if you are aware of your faults; you are near a disaster if you refuse to recognize and rectify them. 44. Everybody says life is like a dream, so why does everybody refuse to wake from this dream? 45. You can plan and plot your life down to the smallest details, yet is when you let go of all self-centered concerns that your life will finally flourish. 46. As you do not wait till you are thirsty to start digging a well, do not wait till you are in trouble to start learning the Dharma. 47. When you can keep your mind unruffled by the ups and downs life, you will experience true joy. 48. The study of Ch'an is the study of mind. All phenomena are manifestations of one's mind. 49. Whoever wakes from this never-ending dream of ours will be far removed from illusions and inverted views. 50. Always keep humility in mind and one can accomplish anything. 51. Walking is a great way to train one's body and mind. Walking fast helps dispel illusions, walking slowly helps nurture concentration and wisdom. 52. While the moon waxes and wanes, it is always there. When all the obstructions are removed, it reveals itself. 53. What characterizes an ordinary person: The body is a tree swaying in the wind, the mind a placid lake with the reflection of the autumn moon. 54. What characterizes a practitioner: The body is the Bodhi tree, the mind a mirror bright. 55. What characterizes one who is enlightened: There is no Bodhi tree, nor sign of a mirror bright. 56. Existence and emptiness are one and the same. 57. Make friends with those who are honest, sincere, and knowledgeable; have faith in the Buddhas without getting caught up by the occult; learn the Dharma without dabbling around; revere the Sangha without blindly following any individual.
Cultivating Gratitude and Blessings
58. Whether one finds oneself with or without blessings, continue to cultivate them; recognize and remember the kindness of others and never neglect to repay it.
59. A mind of kindness and compassion will resolve any rivalry ; a mind of wisdom will dispel all vexations.
60. Uphold the Three Jewels with a mind of reverence, spread the Dharma and benefit others with a mind of purity.
61. View every experience in life with gratitude, make good use of one's life with diligence.
62. Virtues are cultivated through a sense of contrition, karmic obstructions are eliminated through a mind of repentance.
63. As we conserve and cherish our water source so that water will never run dry, recognize and repay the kindness of others so that the chain of kindness will continue.
64. Persistence will get you through everything, resilience will help you achieve anything.
65. Your mind and my mind are exactly the same as the Buddha's mind; recognize, cherish, and nurture our blessings.
66. Repay one drop of kindness with abundant generosity, return the favor of one meal with utmost devotion.
67. When you have water to drink, share it with others; when you receive kindness from others, repay it with gratitude.
68. Untie the knot of love and hate, of passions and enmity; instead, learn the generosity of kindness and compassion, of sympathetic joy and equanimity.
69. The kindness of one's parents is greater than heaven and earth; the virtues of the Three Jewels are greater than the countless grains of sand in the Ganges.
70. Be grateful to and repay the kindness of others. Avoid emotional entanglement that causes suffering.
71. Harboring gratitude will nurture blessings that you can use all your life, harboring hatred will create obstructions that follow you forever.
72. One who does not use his wealth to benefit others is analogous to one who is all dressed up in complete darkness where no one can see him – it is vain and foolish.
73. The value of managing wealth lies in giving; the reason for possessing money is to cultivate blessings.
74. Cultivate blessings, and family wealth may last for a hundred years; be selfish, and family fortunes will not survive three generations.
75. One shall find lifelong happiness by being of service to others. Sow favorable conditions whenever one is able or regrets will follow.
76. Plant your seeds, weed and fertilize your field, be grateful when you have a full harvest and pray for more auspicious years to come.
77. Those seeking blessings should first plant, cultivate, and cherish the seed of blessings; those seeking wealth should first create good causes and conditions; those seeking longevity should first take good care of one's body and mind; those seeking good luck should first be pleasant and kind to others.
78. Reflect upon oneself with a sense of contrition, and always be mindful that one has not done enough for and given enough to oneself and others.
79. Always reflect upon oneself with a sense of contrition. Without self-reflection on one's behavior, one is in constant danger of going astray.
80. View everything in the world with gratitude. If one is not grateful and does not repay the kindness of others, one will soon run out of good luck.
81. To live happily ever after, be grateful and respectful to one another, learn from one another, forgive one another, and love and support one another.
Cultivating Virtues and Merits
82. Be sincere, and your prayer will be answered; be diligent, and anything can be accomplished. 83. Do not slack off because you are smart enough; always compensate for a lack of intelligence with diligence. 84. One will not suffer any loss by being disciplined with oneself, one has much to gain by being forgiving towards others. 85. Be content with poverty, but hard work and thrift will lead you to wealth; stay calm in the face of turmoil and keep your mind from being perturbed. 86. Simple meals and clothes are as good as fancy ones. Hard work leads to good health and thrift leads to wealth. 87. While it may seem romantic to seize the moment and enjoy life's pleasure to the fullest, it is doing good deeds whenever and wherever you can that will truly bring you life's blessings and rewards. 88. There is always competition. Just focus on your own endeavor without envy or jealousy. 89. Good advice is usually hard to take, just as good medicine usually tastes bitter. 90. Be the heaven-sent rain when there is a draught, be the person who brings warmth and care in the dead of winter. 91. The Phoenix, a symbol of luck, will only nest in an auspicious household; the white crane, a symbol of longevity, will only visit blessed home. 92. Keep your mind free from thoughts of gain and loss, and you will be free and at ease at all times. 93. Those with both talent and virtue will benefit all, those with talent but no virtue will only bring harm. 94. Recognize your wrongs and never repeat them. Even the butcher becomes a Buddha the instant he puts away his knife. 95. Beware that wealth rarely lasts and power often corrupts. 96. History teaches us that great men often emerge from difficult circumstances, and that those who sacrifice their own selfish desires for the common good lead society to peace and prosperity. 97. Avoid the attachment to one's ego and be open minded, always behave in a way that is helpful to others. 98. Cultivating one's blessings is crucial to maintain one's wealth. Where blessings abound, wealth usually follows. 99. Boundless blessings are found in upholding and reciting often the name of Guan Yin, Bodhisattva Avalokitesavara. 100. Rather than plunder another's bowl of rice, plow your own rice field; if you do not have a rice field of your own, then help someone with his. 101. Always keep in mind the spirit of humility, respect, tolerance, and generosity; always act with the principles of honesty, civility, thrift and diligence. 102. Fame and wealth obtained overnight are difficult to keep. Be sensible and realistic. 103. It is difficult to find a kindred soul, but don't let that stop you from befriending others. Minimize worries and vexations, and your blessings will grow while obstructions lessen. 104. One who is paranoid is prone to be deceived, one who is understanding is bound to find a helping hand. For richer or poorer, don't hesitate to give, for giving is the key to benefiting oneself, others, and all sentient beings. 105. There are four conditions for a good life: born at the right place, blessed at old age, maintaining a healthy mind in sickness, and death at the right time. This would truly be a life of bliss. 106. The wealthy shall cultivate blessings; the poor shall be diligent. Any household that follows these principles will find itself blessed with great wealth and great characters. 107. Doing good is without condition. 108. Cherish one's life and always cheer oneself on.
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