Full-texts Contents:

Affirming, Developing, and Dissolving the Self

Cultivating a Strong Character



Affirming, Developing, and Dissolving the Self

At Dharma Drum Mountain meditation camp, I emphasize affirming and developing the self, but after we do that, we should dissolve the self and transcend our human character to perfect pure mind. We do not measure success or failure in terms of visible or invisible fame, fortune, power, or status. Who do you think will become a Buddha first? Will it be someone here in the audience, or will it be me? You might think it won’t be one of my disciples, but me. In fact, that’s not necessarily so. In a marathon, people who are ahead early may fall behind, and people who are behind at first may move ahead. People are continuously changing positions. Therefore, in practice, do not pay attention to whether others are running faster or practicing better than you, and don’t be concerned about who’s ahead and who’s behind. The most important thing is to give your best all the time.More...

Cultivating a Strong Character

Strong character can be developed and nurtured through education, art, and religion, but these avenues of self improvement are not entirely dependable. Some, lured by the temptations of fame, fortune, and power, take up education, art, or religion, and appear to be of noble or saintly character, but in the depths of their hearts, they may harbor unspeakable ambitions and schemes.
There are hypocrites who are highly educated and bad people who attend churches and temples. This is because religious doctrine, ethics, and art are imposed from the outside—sometimes in a very authoritarian manner—so they do not necessarily resonate with one’s inner state.More...