Can One Who Has Not Attained Sotāpanna Introduce and Explain the Dharma to Others?

Question: Is it possible for those who have not attained the first fruition (Sotāpanna) to introduce and explain the Dharma to others?

Answer: As long as one has some understanding of the Dharma, they can truthfully introduce and explain it to others. However, one should only speak according to what they genuinely know, avoiding exaggeration. Matters about which one is uncertain should not be discussed, adhering to the principle of acknowledging what is known and admitting what is not. Simultaneously, one should avoid causing others to misunderstand, intentionally or unintentionally, that one has attained genuine realization. Without having attained fruition, one should not teach others how to attain fruition or how to realize the mind, nor should one presumptuously attempt to validate others' experiences, thereby misleading students. Speak according to one's actual level of cultivation, without overstepping boundaries or exceeding limits. Honestly inform others of one's actual level of practice, presenting anything beyond that only as a reference, not as guidance. By doing so, there will be no fault.

There are not a few who, lacking genuine cultivation, act presumptuously. Such individuals enjoy self-promotion and ostentation, often leading them to make exaggerated statements. This stems from severe self-attachment; the "self" within their minds is so inflated it seems ready to burst. Their notions of self and sentient beings are firmly entrenched and difficult to break. Consequently, they create unwholesome karmas such as false speech. In reality, they gain no true benefit; even if they do, it does not necessarily earn them others' admiration or respect—it is merely a sense of self-satisfaction. Thus, the afflictions and fetters of sentient beings bind their own minds so tightly, leaving them unaware of the taste of liberation. This is both pitiable and lamentable.