Correct Concepts in Spiritual Practice

In spiritual practice, if we’re sincere and our concepts are correct, even a wooden Buddha statue will turn into a real Buddha. If our spiritual cultivation is poor and our concepts are incorrect, however, even a living Buddha will become like a wooden statue. Therefore, how we see things is very important. If we don’t have a correct concept about an Enlightened Master, it will be futile even if a real Enlightened Master descends here.

In the first story, the man knew that the real Buddha had come, but he didn’t ask for liberation, Buddhahood, or great wisdom. All he asked for was the Buddha’s pardon and waiving of a one-dollar offering. Can you imagine that? This is why Enlightened Masters can’t deliver sentient beings. Sentient beings don’t pray for great things. Instead, they’re trapped by worldly habits, bound by secular habits and concepts every day. Every word they utter is about worldly things; every thought they have is about worldly things; every wish they make is about worldly things. Therefore, it’s useless for Enlightened Masters to come down here!

In the second story, though the disciple treated the wooden Buddha statue rudely, his concept was more correct, which meant that he was relatively enlightened. He no longer treated the Buddha statue as a piece of wood. At that moment, he saw that everything was Buddha so he even regarded the wooden Buddha statue as a real Buddha. What I mean is that only the concept underlying the wooden statue is important. It’s important that we worship the real Buddha, and not the wooden statue. When we have right concepts and are enlightened, whatever we do to the Buddha, He won’t mind. When our concepts are wrong, even if the real Buddha appears before us, it’s useless. When our concepts are correct, even a wooden Buddha statue will turn into a real Buddha, but when they’re not right, even if we’re in the company of a living Buddha, it will be as though we were with an ordinary human.

There is an ancient story that goes back to the times of Sakyamuni Buddha, when Sariputra built a huge ashram for Him. At that time, Sariputra found a giant ant beneath a tree. Pointing to the ant, he told the people around him, “This ant has been here for many lifetimes and has listened to the lectures of several Buddhas. However, it’s still not enlightened because it continues to cling to the level of an ant.”

Of course an Enlightened Master is capable of helping us to transcend the level of an ordinary human, but we ourselves must be willing. If we’re unwilling, but love to stay at the childish level, the Enlightened Master can’t force us. This is similar to a doctor treating a patient. He can prescribe medication for us, but if we refuse to take the medicine, and cling on to our illness instead, the doctor too can’t force us to do otherwise. ... Previous Page