Differences Between Modern and Ancient Buddhists

The characteristics of modern people are that they live in complex environments where the six dust realms are excessively alluring. While it is easy for them to study the Dharma and they possess abundant knowledge with remarkably sharp intellects, their meditation practice is poor. They cannot cultivate the Way or attain the Way, thus they can only be called "Dharma learners," with very few being true cultivators. In contrast, ancient people lived in simple environments where obtaining the Dharma was difficult. They had little knowledge and few theories, yet their minds were pure, making meditation easy to cultivate. Therefore, there were many cultivators and many who attained the Way.

Abundant knowledge ultimately becomes an obstruction to cultivating the Way, turning into the obstacle of knowledge. Though theories abound, the Way does not manifest. They perish beneath theories, like dying of thirst by the sea.

The ancients asked: "How do you modern people all die?" Modern people replied: "Crushed by theory, poisoned by knowledge, perished from excessive cleverness." There is another kind of death: death by excessive research.