Giving not only brings merit and advances one's spiritual path, but also repays the Buddha's kindness.

Everyone's attachment to self is very heavy; only through studying Buddhism and recognizing the true nature of the world can the attachment to self gradually dissolve. In past lives, some people studied Buddhism for a long time and some for a short time, which is why sentient beings differ in their spiritual faculties (indriya). However, no matter what kind of faculties one has, as long as one enters the Buddha-dharma, one is a person who awakens before other sentient beings, and should feel fortunate. Behind us, there are countless and again countless sentient beings who cannot even obtain a human body, let alone have the opportunity to encounter the Buddha-dharma; their suffering is boundless and endless. By the time we attain buddhahood, we will not even know what mode of existence they are in as sentient beings. Therefore, we who study Buddhism should give rise to a compassionate heart—not only pitying ourselves but also pitying sentient beings. If we can bring forth the aspiration to save and liberate sentient beings, our own cultivation will progress very quickly.

Cultivate as much merit as possible; only when merit is abundant can one's path of practice advance and wisdom grow. Many people do not value the cultivation of merit, so that although they have studied Buddhism for a long time, their knowledge and view of the Buddha-dharma remain shallow, and their wisdom gains no improvement at all—the fundamental problem is insufficient merit. Those who actively cultivate merit progress quickly, and their wisdom increases rapidly. Whether cultivating merit benefits oneself or not cultivating merit benefits oneself—please think this over carefully.

The Buddha is the doubly honored one, perfect in both merit and wisdom; attaining buddhahood emphasizes only merit and wisdom, and the two complement each other—neither can be lacking. Merit and wisdom are twin brothers and cannot be separated. When each person cultivates to a certain point and their merit runs short, they often get stuck at a certain place and stagnate; some even regress. This is what I have observed from watching some Buddhist practitioners.

The study and practice of the Buddha-dharma proceeds in stages. Giving with freedom from marks, giving without abiding in marks, and not being attached to the retribution of giving—ordinary beings simply cannot do these. If, out of fear of becoming attached to the retribution of giving, out of fear of giving with attachment to marks, one refuses to give, then one will forever remain a meritless ordinary being. Only after seeing the mind and cultivating to a certain fruit-position can one gradually accomplish giving without marks. At the stage of an ordinary being, giving is certainly done with attachment to marks. But attachment to marks does not matter; after all, giving can bring blessings. With merit, one can attain the Path—this is what is most important.

In our study and practice of the Mahāyāna dharma, we must not be like the arhats, looking only after themselves, caring only for themselves and ignoring the suffering of sentient beings. Arhats are all self-liberators. Although they can end their own suffering and have the ability to escape saṃsāra, they are reproached by the Buddha as scorched sprouts and rotten seeds, fallen into the pit of quiescence, unable to grow the roots and shoots of the Buddha-dharma. If everyone were like the arhats, who would rescue the sentient beings of this world? All of us rely on the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for salvation. If arhats do not transmit the dharma, and if Bodhisattvas likewise do not transmit the dharma, sentient beings will remain forever in the ocean of saṃsāra and karma, with no end in sight. Even the small kindness we have received was given by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Sentient beings transmigrating through the six realms all depend on Bodhisattvas for rescue; if Bodhisattvas did not transmit the dharma to save people, we would never have had the day of encountering the Buddha-dharma. None of us wishes for this, so we should put ourselves in others' shoes, always keeping in mind the suffering of other sentient beings, always seeking ways to help other sentient beings and relieve their afflictions. Only then will we not have wasted the care the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have given us, not have wasted our encounter with the Buddha-dharma that can save us, and only then can we repay the kindness of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.