Contributed by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated, Australia
Mentor: Bennie Spirit
Editor: Yinyue(Ivy)
With gratitude to Google AI Gemini
With gratitude to Gemini NotebookLM
Draft Date: August 26, 2026
Location: BPI Meditation Center
Attendees at the Dharma assembly: Bennie, Ivy, Ellie, Grace, Enid, Dawn
Proofread by: Qingdeng, Wenshu
If a person covets profit, they will become extremely stingy even toward their own family and friends because this arrogant delusion arises within them. For instance, a petty person becomes rampant when they achieve success; it can also be said they become rampant when they gain money or power. This rampancy stems from miserliness, and they become deeply attached and immersed in it. A petty person only acts rampant when they gain something; if they get nothing, they won’t be rampant—a person starving to death is guaranteed not to act this way. The moment this rampancy begins, ruin follows, and whatever was just gained is lost. Therefore, this means you can never truly obtain good results. Even if you do get something good, it is quickly squandered. You could say such people live their entire lives completely unaware that it is this very personality trait that ruins all their good opportunities. Many highly capable individuals fall into this trap too: they work diligently and are promoted for their good work, but once promoted, they become rampant and consequently fall from power.
Why this rampancy? It is because they are stingy, greedy, immersed in attachment, and refuse to let go. They will never get better because they are constantly ruining things. The key point is that when people gain a little money, power, or status, they start becoming stingy and greedy. Husbands and wives in every household face this issue. Before their status is confirmed, they don’t force their partner. Why do they forcibly control the other? Because of stinginess and greed, immersing themselves and refusing to let go, which ultimately breeds suffering and leaves them living in infinite pain. This applies to the workplace as well; greedy and stingy people only want good things for themselves, not for others, and even fear others doing well. Ultimately, none of these people will end up well. You can observe this everywhere in real life; if you commit this fault, the consequences will absolutely manifest, 100% of the time.
Therefore, Buddhism emphasizes that you must verify for yourself what constitutes suffering and happiness. Without verifying, you will never know whether your preferences truly bring you suffering or joy. This is called realization. Achieving the Buddha’s merit and wisdom is also a matter of realization. Can you see reality as it is?. How do you behave after obtaining something, and what is the final result?. Once you truly see things as they are, you wouldn’t dare to be stingy, greedy, immersed in it, or clinging to it, because you know it leads to total destruction.
For example, Devadatta’s cultivation was already very high; the precepts he observed were even stricter than the Buddha’s, and his samadhi was focused on miraculous transformations, yet his outcome was only falling into hell. At the time, the group of six bhikshus (*Chabbaggiyā*) had differences with the Buddha’s teachings; they disliked them and held onto their own ideological concepts. In the end, the Buddha did not argue but yielded, letting them do things their own way if they liked. Ultimately, the group of six bhikshus fell. When sentient beings were left without support, the Buddha manifested again to guide them. As long as you fight and argue, you align with afflictions (*kleshas*) and are not acting as a Buddha; you are just competing to see who is more foul and rotten.
Remember: acting in accordance with conditions is the mark of a truly superior person. Truly acting in accordance with conditions means clearly knowing what the current condition is, who the person is, what their spiritual level is, what they are attached to, and whether speaking to them will be effective. If it is ineffective and will only cause them to create more negative karma, then you must stop speaking. Continuing to speak and provoking them to create worse karma means you are harming them. Some people only believe in their afflictions and follow their own feelings; they will never believe you, making everything you say ineffective. Why would you still speak? Doing ineffective things is not the way of a Buddha. Your words are only effective if they are absolutely obedient. For those who cannot listen, speaking is useless, and a Buddha does not need to say useless things.
The *Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra* clearly states that you must see all sentient beings exactly as they are—whether humans or beings in hell—knowing their foundation, their inclinations, and more specifically, what they believe in: do they believe in delusions or the Buddha?. You must first see this truthfully. If you see truthfully and know the situation, yet still speak knowing it is meaningless, that is foolishness, not the act of a Buddha. Thus, you must know their wholesome roots, inclinations, and karmic conditions to speak words that resonate. If you find it does not resonate, there is no need to speak further, as it would cause harm without benefit. The Buddha does not do things that are harmful and unbeneficial.
Observe further: a person who covets profit can taste the “flavor” of it. What is this flavor? It is nothing more than the labels and definitions they attach, which they love deeply and refuse to let go of, thus becoming defiled. They constantly use unscrupulous methods, taking detours and going in circles, but ultimately returning to the point of their greed and attachment. This is from the perspective of the lowest level of sentient beings. If one’s cultivation reaches a certain level, they will clearly know that these obstacles to cultivation will prevent them from achieving swift, uninterrupted success; it will only make them go in circles because they cannot renounce the attachments they love. Therefore, progress is impossible because they keep circling back. For example, one might say, “The food is bad, I won’t eat that,” but for the flavors they love, it is extremely easy to circle back to them, unless there is a point of complete breakthrough. Without a breakthrough, it is very easy to revert. You move forward, then loop back, and you can never reach the goal. This is the terrifying part: it means you can never achieve realization, and you can never leave suffering and attain bliss, because you will always find an absolute excuse to revert back.
For instance, if you used to love eating ice cream cake, but once you discovered how terrible it is for you, you genuinely didn’t dare to eat it anymore—completely stopping—that is true liberation. If every point of attachment is like that cake, and you liberate yourself from each one, there is no reverting back because you have already succeeded. The bad habits of sentient beings are the same; it is not that they cannot be changed, but that the person has not realized the harm. Once they realize the harm and generate a profound sense of fear, they will inevitably abandon it. Abandonment is called liberation. If you want to keep improving, you can only move forward by liberating yourself from these things. Otherwise, you will keep circling your afflictions and never advance; this is called bondage. You grasp onto that thing, hold it tightly, and eventually loop right back.
Therefore, the *Sutra of the Buddha’s Last Bequeathed Teaching* states: “The thieves of afflictions are always seeking to kill people, even more than your enemies; how can you sleep without startling yourself awake?. The venomous snake of affliction is sleeping in your heart, like a black viper sleeping in your room; you must quickly use the hook of observing precepts to remove it. Only after the sleeping snake is out can you sleep peacefully; one who sleeps without expelling it is a shameless person. The garment of shame and remorse is the foremost of all adornments. Shame is like an iron hook that restrains human unruliness. Therefore, Bhikshus, you must always harbor shame and never let it lapse for a moment; if you abandon shame, you lose all merits. One who has shame possesses wholesome dharmas; one without shame is no different from birds and beasts.” (CBETA, T12, no. 389, p. 1111b1-9).
The *Mahayana Mahasamnipata Ksitigarbha Dasacakra Sutra*, Scroll 5 states: “What is called a shameless monk? It refers to sentient beings who, for the sake of making a living, take refuge in my Dharma and seek to leave home. Having left home, they violate all the Pratimoksha precepts they have accepted and held, possessing no shame or remorse, and not seeing or fearing the bitter karmic results in future lives. Inwardly rotten, like a filthy snail, sounding like a conch but walking like a dog, they constantly speak falsehoods without a single truth; stingy, greedy, jealous, ignorant, arrogant, departing from the three supreme karmas, greedily attached to offerings, respect, and fame; addicted to the six dusts, delighting in lust and dissipation, loving the realms of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; all such *pudgalas* (individuals) are classified as shameless monks who slander the true Dharma; these are called shameless monks.” (CBETA, T13, no. 411, pp. 749c23-750a2).
Are we ultimately benefiting ourselves and sentient beings, or are we harming ourselves and the sentient beings who treat us well?. If you often reflect like this, you will know whether you are truly a person lacking virtue or one possessing virtue. One who can benefit self and others is a virtuous person. One who harms self and others is a person lacking virtue. If you constantly praise others’ goodness, regardless of whether they actually have it, this goodness is established within you. If you always speak ill of others, regardless of whether it is true, this badness is established within you. This is spoken of extensively in Buddhist scriptures.
For example, back then, heretics insulted the Bhikshus, saying they shouldn’t receive such good offerings and only deserved to eat horse oats. Even if that person achieved realization, the karma of eating horse oats for an entire lifetime still had to be fulfilled, because the target was the Bhikshus, the Sangha, which included many great accomplished practitioners. Therefore, you must be truly careful about every word you speak. A Bhikshuni was once very kind to others, but when she asked for help and they refused, she cursed them, calling them female dogs. The end result wasn’t that those people became female dogs, but she herself did; whatever was said manifested exactly upon herself. When you curse someone as lacking virtue, regardless of who they are, known or unknown, whatever you create will manifest upon you. If the other person happens to be a Bodhisattva, you are in deep trouble, and you will fulfill this consequence in the future. Of course, there are fools who will curse you back, turning both of you into people completely lacking virtue.
Whatever you do, every single action, insult, or praise, is already written into your future DNA and stored in the repository of your Eighth Consciousness (*Alaya-vijnana*). These codes originate from the movements of your body, speech, and mind. As soon as you act, the coding begins and is stored in your Eighth Consciousness. When the time is right to mature, they will be arranged one by one; for instance, at the time of rebirth, the mature seeds will be programmed in, and you will face the consequences. Formed DNA can be altered, which is like a genetic mutation; some mutate for the better, while others mutate into worse misfortune.
Why does it mutate? For example, through repentance. Powerful repentance can remove DNA information of karmic retributions that have not yet formed. Previously, this was found in your DNA, but after you repent, this segment of information is gone because you excised it. You can also add to it; for example, through intense spiritual practice, you can upload inevitable positive outcomes for this lifetime into your body’s DNA, which is also a genetic mutation. A person who seemed unable to attain good fortune suddenly develops the informational root to attain it. Such informational mutation is not impossible to change. Modern science doesn’t know why it mutates, but from a Buddhist perspective, it is easily understood: repentance has this power; it can expiate the formed information and the imminent evil karmic retributions.
Regarding repentance, the *Mahayana Jataka Mind-Ground Contemplation Sutra*, Scroll 3 states:
“If one can repent in accordance with the Dharma,
All afflictions will be entirely eradicated.
Just as the fire at the end of the kalpa destroys the world,
Burning up Mount Sumeru and the great oceans.
Repentance can burn the firewood of afflictions,
Repentance can lead to rebirth on the heavenly path.
Repentance can attain the joy of the Four Dhyanas,
Repentance rains down precious Mani jewels.
Repentance can extend life to that of a vajra,
Repentance can allow entry into the palace of eternal bliss.
Repentance can free one from the prison of the Three Realms,
Repentance can cause the flower of Bodhi to bloom.
Repentance reveals the Great Perfect Mirror of the Buddha,
Repentance can lead one to the treasure abode.” (CBETA, T03, no. 159, p. 303c3-10).
This passage tells you that what you have created in the past can be broken through repentance. What you lack can be established, because after repentance, one makes vows. Making vows is establishing; repentance is eliminating. Repentance excises a segment of information from your DNA, and making a vow adds a segment of information to your DNA. With powerful, great diligence over a long period to aggressively break through, you will possess it. If you spend a dozen years trying to break through a specific point, it is entirely possible. You must break through the three obstacles; otherwise, they will block you. By removing the three obstacles, you can charge forward single-mindedly.
Of course, it is relatively difficult to record this into your genes by yourself; it is much easier if you rely on the Buddha. For example, regarding the issue of Right View, if you want to be fully endowed with Right View yourself, you must at least master the Tripitaka scriptures to maintain it completely. Alternatively, you must have already attained the ability to observe everything as it is and generate true insight. Otherwise, even attaining a single Right View is impossible. Aside from Right View, the Buddha can also grant you many benefits directly. The *Medicine Buddha Sutra* states: “Gaining right view and diligence, well-regulating their intentions and joy, they can then leave home and go to the homeless state. Within the Tathagata’s Dharma, they accept and uphold the precepts without any violations; possessing right view and vast learning, they understand profound meanings, abandon overweening pride, do not slander the true Dharma, and do not become companions of Mara; gradually cultivating all Bodhisattva practices, they swiftly attain perfection.” (CBETA, T14, no. 450, p. 406a8-12). Therefore, relying on the Buddha provides comprehensive and practical results.
The key is whether you have affection (deep devotion) for the Buddha. When have you ever had affection for the Buddha?. What is affection? It means everything you have belongs to the Buddha. Everything you do is for him. That is called having affection. If everything you do is to satisfy your greed, and everything is for the sake of greed, that is having affection for Mara. In essence, you are someone with affection for Mara; no matter how well you speak, your actions and thoughts are nothing but demonic. You get whatever you have. If you honor Mara, you receive the benefits Mara gives you, which is being half-dead and eternally suffering. If you are filial to the Buddha, you receive the benefits the Buddha gives you. The benefit the Buddha gives you is leaving suffering and attaining bliss.
Bodhisattvas are those who benefit all sentient beings. For instance, when Earth Holder Bodhisattva (*Dharanimdhara*) was repairing roads, he didn’t think, “This road is for officials to walk on,” nor did he say, “I will only let those who give me steamed buns pass.”. Because he had the strength at the time, he practically and directly benefited sentient beings, cultivating compassion. Thus, he was able to evoke the Buddha to finally appear and tell him: If you just level your mind, all the land in the world will be leveled. He thought, this is much faster, and he instantly achieved realization. On what basis did he achieve such a sudden leap? It was because he had been doing it for so long previously, and his intent was incredibly pure; thus, once his merit reached the required measure and his wholesome roots matured, the Buddha naturally appeared. As stated in the *Avatamsaka Sutra*, as long as your wholesome roots are mature, the Buddha will appear immediately to tell you what to do. Therefore, he took a direct approach and achieved direct realization.
If a Bodhisattva acts for themselves, they haven’t even entered the door of Mahayana Buddhism. The minimum standard of Mahayana is benefiting all sentient beings. The gate of demons rejects sentient beings and benefits only oneself. Truly benefiting oneself, pure self-benefit, belongs to the Arhat dharma; it does not reject sentient beings but solely focuses on one’s own rapid realization of suffering, accumulation, cessation, and the path. Remember: do not assume that no one in the world knows; unless you do not move, no one knows. The moment you make a move, everyone knows; you are the only one who doesn’t know.
Observe again: Those who covet benefits not only fail to attain the Four Noble Lineages but also worldly blessings. Generally speaking, because you covet benefits and greedily desire everything, the result is that you will inevitably be unable to escape the three evil realms; there is absolutely no possibility of attaining any of the Four Noble Fruits for you. Why do people covet profit and offerings? Coveting benefits means they lack shame and remorse. What does lacking shame and remorse mean? It means keeping the five snakes of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt in one’s heart, and the moment these five snakes want to do something, you immediately show loyalty and do it for them. Moreover, the things done are harmful and entirely unbeneficial to oneself; this is called lacking shame and remorse, and being brazenly shameless. It is like being covered in dog and cat feces yet believing oneself to be adorned.
The *Mahayana Mahasamnipata Ksitigarbha Dasacakra Sutra* mentions that a shameless monk walks around draped in corpses yet thinks himself majestic. For example, when you are greedy, hateful, and arrogant, it is sheer shamelessness. By driving others away, you end up with even less. For example, many people think they are so impressive when they manage to greedily obtain something. Many people say, “I have a big temper; I’ve knocked people down,” but in reality, they are just draping the stench of corpses on their bodies, because when you wear these things, the expression is foul, and no normal person likes this. Even if the person draped in this foulness can tolerate their own stench, they cannot stand seeing others stink. Therefore, do you understand that this stench must not be draped on the body, and these five snakes must not be kept in the heart?. Knowing this and acting upon it is called possessing shame and remorse. Not knowing, or even viewing it as glorious, is called being shameless.
A person with shame, no matter how well-dressed, clean, or beautiful, is still the most adorned among all adornments because of their shame; thus, someone with shame is the most majestic. A person without shame is the foulest. Now, reflect on your life thus far: how many times have you acted with adornment, and how many times have you been the foulest?. Wherever you go, do you make people like you or despise you; do you win the world or lose it; which kind of person are you?. Such a person will not only fail to gain benefits but will also lose all the benefits given to them by others. Because even if others cannot defeat you, they can at least avoid you and ignore you, right?
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