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That’s how spiritual practice should be, as if you were already dead. And lying in a tent is no different from lying in a tomb. But this “death” is only according to the material world, toward fleeting fame and illusion. As for ourselves, we are still living as usual. In fact, we live more heroically, more strongly, and better than before. We know what we are doing. In each moment, we clearly recognize who we are and what we want to do. Whatever we do, we know we are acting in goodness, in the infinite Love of Buddha. We know that every step we take is within the Buddha’s Land. We breathe the Buddha’s air. All our thoughts exist within the Buddha’s Universe. Therefore, we become more noble, greater, and happier day by day. […]
When we’ve just begun practicing, we help a little, OK? When we’ve practiced for a long time and become more seasoned and steady, then we can help more. You become the eldest sister in the family, or at least the second or third sister. You can’t always expect your parents to keep feeding you like a little child, that’s not acceptable. So don’t compare or feel jealous about anything at all. The scriptures are always full of examples like this. […]
Ananda was very careless in keeping the precepts. For example, the Buddha taught that you must not touch women or girls. You must not look into the eyes of the opposite sex. […] He was very undisciplined. He thought, “I’m a practitioner, I’m doing just fine. I’m not affected at all. I’m not thinking about anyone. To me, girls are the same as boys.” When we get too close, when we’re too careless, we’ll inevitably be drawn in by that energy field, that’s all. Or many times, it’s past karmic connections. Those karmic ties from the past are old karmic bonds. In the past, you were husband and wife. Or in the past, you made promises to each other. Or maybe in the past she was infatuated with you and you left her, and so on and so forth. Now she has returned and is looking for you again. Yeah, like that. That’s why the Buddhas and Heaven teach us to keep the precepts carefully, otherwise, later on it (the karmic bonds) will come looking for you again. […]
