Thoughts from Patriarch Yin Guang
Whether a layperson or a monastic, we need to respect those who are older than we are and to exist harmoniously with those around us.
We are to endure what others cannot and practice what others cannot achieve.
We should do all we can on behalf of others and help them to be good.
When sitting quietly, we would do well to reflect on our own faults.
When talking with friends do not discuss the rights and wrongs of others.
In our every action, from dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn, mindfully chant the Buddha’s name.
When chanting, whether aloud or silently, do not give rise to wandering thoughts.
If wandering thoughts arise, immediately dismiss them.
Constantly maintain a modest and regretful heart. Even if we have upheld true cultivation, we still need to feel that our practice is shallow and never boast.
We should mind our own business and not the business of others.
We should see only the good examples of others instead of their shortcomings.
We would do well to see ourselves as ordinary and everyone else as bodhisattvas.
If we can cultivate according to these teachings, we are sure to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
