Differences Between Practitioners of the Dharma Ending Age and Ancient Practitioners

As the Dharma-ending age approaches, sentient beings' blessings grow increasingly scarce and their virtuous roots increasingly shallow. Consequently, in the practice and realization of the Buddha Dharma, there are gradually more who merely discuss principles than those who comprehend them, more who understand the path than those who walk it, and those who can truly attain fruition through practice are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Liezi said: "The great path loses the sheep because of its many forks; scholars lose their lives because of their many methods." When Dharma study becomes too fragmented, one cannot delve deeply and thus fails to discern order or method. In practice, often the more one knows, the less one realizes, for without meditative concentration, genuine realization is impossible. Extensive listening and learning allow one to intellectually understand much Dharma without requiring meditative concentration, but actual realization remains out of the question. Modern people cannot cultivate meditative concentration; if they are not taught more correct principles, they will resort to broad learning everywhere, studying theories that are not in accordance with truth. If even the principles guiding realization are incorrect, then realization becomes even more unattainable.

What we should most earnestly investigate are the ancient practitioners. We must explore how they cultivated the path, how they applied effort—whether they all studied vast amounts of theory, then engaged in eloquent debates everywhere, or delivered eloquent sermons all around, setting themselves up as teachers. How can one teach others to practice and realize without having attained realization oneself? Why then the desire to be a teacher? Is there not within this a heart seeking self-display? We observe that even after attaining the Way, the ancient sages and worthies remained humble and low-key, continuing their personal cultivation. They did not lightly occupy positions of authority or accept the transmission staff passed from their masters. Because they were selfless and possessed self-awareness, they recognized that with so many sages and worthies propagating the Dharma, sentient beings could sufficiently be liberated. Since their own realization was not yet firm, why force themselves into prominence? Modern people, in contrast, care little for the Way itself—they simply seek prominence wherever possible.