Unlocking the Heart: Teachings from Lay Practitioner Zhao Puchu

The Weight of Self-Interest

What is the fundamental reason that the human face has become so marked by greed? Why has the human physical body become something so precious that we cannot bear for it to be taken advantage of, even in the slightest? In the era in which I lived, there were many brave souls who would sacrifice themselves without hesitation for the sake of the public and the nation. Today, however, such individuals are few and far between.

The mindset of constantly thinking, "I must consider myself a little more," acts like a rope that binds you tightly. The more you think this way, the more constricted you become. If you often feel as though you cannot catch your breath, perhaps you should observe yourself. Are you thinking too much about your own interests?

The True Measure of Sincerity

You should give whatever you have, and contribute whatever strength you possess. The value of your contribution does not lie in the quantity you provide, but in the sincerity of your heart. Throughout my life, I have sincerely dedicated my efforts to the nation and to the Buddha’s teachings. I have always done my absolute best in everything I could, without calculating how much I might gain or lose. As long as something was helpful to the public, I would act without a moment of hesitation.

This drive naturally brought me strength. It was a force of one hundred per cent, filling my work with energy and vitality. However, if you allow even a single thought of self-interest to enter your mind during the process, your energy will naturally diminish. Sometimes, it may even decrease by ninety per cent, because selfish thoughts agitate the sentient beings within your entire body, which inevitably drains your energy.

The Darkness of Insecurity

How much do you truly understand about selfishness? I wish to speak about it today because this very selfishness has changed the worldly realm. Why are human beings becoming increasingly selfish, even those who study the Buddha’s teachings? The root cause is a lack of security. Because one does not have enough faith in the Buddha, one tries to protect oneself by considering one's own needs, worrying about one's own future, and holding back for one's own sake.

Ignorant people do not realise that the more they try to protect themselves, the more they actually harm themselves. They make their entire being so tense that they cannot relax. The path they walk becomes narrower and more blurred. The light does not belong to them; instead, darkness envelops their entire body, leaving no pore through which the light can enter. Do you feel this exhaustion?

The Path to Liberation

The habit of greed causes you to think not just once for yourself, but twice, three times, and more. Your mind constantly circles around plans, the distribution of benefits, and whether the effort you put in is proportional to the gain you receive. With so many thoughts and shackles, how could you not feel tired? If you wish to regain your vitality, please try to let go of yourself. Do not think too much about your own needs.

You may feel that your body is not cold, yet you insist on adding layer after layer of thick clothing. In the end, you are so burdened that you cannot move or walk. People often believe that holding back for themselves provides security, but this is not the case. When you give everything you have, you are greeted by the vast, bright path of the Great Way. Since it is a Great Way, it is filled with infinite vitality, infinite development, and infinite possibilities. Why should you worry about losing anything?

However, if you hide things for your own sake, this dark side will ferment and even rot within you. What you possess will be limited to only what you have tried to protect, and there will be no further development. You may even become lost in the darkness. The culprit who binds you is yourself, and the only one who can untie the ropes is you. Why not grant yourself a way out?

The Great Heart of the Buddha

The Buddha’s teachings are about great love, a great heart, great capacity, and great compassion. The sutras of the Great Vehicle state that all men are my fathers and all women are my mothers. Can we truly achieve this? To study the Buddha’s teachings is to study compassion and selflessness. If you are a practitioner who still harbours selfish thoughts for your own benefit, do not loudly proclaim that you are studying the Buddha’s teachings. The great mind-capacity of Buddhahood does not teach us even a shred of selfishness. It is the selfishness of human beings that makes the ocean of karma in the worldly realm impossible to cleanse, causing it to become increasingly polluted.

We can all learn the spirit of sacrificing the small self to complete the greater self. Your selflessness and compassion can connect the entire world, untie the ropes that bind your body, and open the doors of your heart to welcome all beings. Namo Amituofo.