Dear friends, hello everyone! Today, we’re exploring the Ten Good Deeds, the nature of the spirit, and the critical role of wise teachers in practice. These are the three pillars of cultivation. We’ll draw from the Agama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, Lotus Sutra, and more, explaining it plainly to guide us toward the true path.
Ten Good Deeds: The Foundation of Practice
When it comes to the Ten Good Deeds, we must constantly study and reflect on their fruits versus those of the ten evils. The contrast makes it clear—only the fruits of the Ten Good Deeds provide the minimum foundation for practice, while monastic precepts offer the highest setup. All methods specify who can practice. The Agama Sutra says: “Good men and good women”—defined in the scriptures as those who’ve mastered the Ten Good Deeds. When Ten Good Deeds bear fruit, the six faculties naturally obey, free of chaos—that’s concentration. With only evil karma’s fruits, body and mind spiral, shattering focus. Ten Good Deeds are the starting point, ensuring a steady mind.
Spirit’s Nature: Unmoving and Unchanging
What is the spirit? It neither grows nor shrinks, inherently pure—extra practice doesn’t add to it, neglect doesn’t diminish it, eternally unchanging. Any concept—Ten Good Deeds, extra effort, or a calm mind—arises and disrupts its inherent stillness. Simply awaken, know, and remember it. In its function, discipline prevents wrongdoing, restoring body and mind’s clarity—obedient yet orderly. Realizing the spirit’s supreme nature keeps it unforgettable—even psychic powers are its expression, spanning the universe with perception. Mistaking the three obstacles (karma, retribution, affliction) for oneself, the spirit still operates within them. The best way to dispel these obstacles is to know illusions are the spirit—rest in its stillness, no waves arise, the three obstacles cease to perpetuate, entering a decline until they vanish completely.
Wise Teachers: Guiding to Success
With a teacher, you needn’t fear incomplete questions or gaps—they understand your intent, capacity, and conditions, offering timely reminders, guidance, and teachings. A teacher’s watchful care lifts you through life’s distractions and doubts, reducing obstacles. A true wise teacher—profoundly wise, vastly experienced, unwaveringly compassionate—ensures your success, like Sudhana’s fifty-three visits, tirelessly reflecting on finding such guides. The Avatamsaka Sutra says: “Never ceasing to long for the sight of wise teachers, never breaking the heart of respect for wise teachers, always able to follow the teachings of wise teachers, resolute in deep trust in the words of wise teachers, constantly generating a profound heart to serve wise teachers.” Five essentials—longing to see them, unwavering respect, absolute obedience, unshakable trust, fulfilling their needs—are non-negotiable for success. If you can’t recall or achieve them, vow and dedicate to plant these causes; their fruits will naturally emerge. Knowing all achievement stems from wise teachers fuels your drive. The Lotus Sutra says: “If good men or good women, having planted good roots, encounter wise teachers in every lifetime, those wise teachers perform the work of a Buddha, teaching, benefiting, and bringing joy, leading them to enter supreme perfect enlightenment. O King! Know that a wise teacher is a great cause and condition, guiding them to see the Buddha and awaken the mind for supreme perfect enlightenment.”
Focus and Awakening: The Path of Practice
Repeated study of scriptures awakens the spirit—faster with a wise teacher’s guidance. Such teachers are rare and hard to recognize, so rely on diligent reading and reflection—reading sparks thought, and a teacher accelerates understanding.
Conclusion: Ten Good Deeds, Spirit, and Teachers Together
Dear friends, Ten Good Deeds lay the foundation, six faculties obedient in concentration; the spirit, unmoving, reveals illusions to end the three obstacles; wise teachers guide with five essentials to success. May we uphold the Ten Good Deeds, awaken the spirit, follow wise teachers, and walk the path to Buddhahood. Thank you all!
