Delivering Sentient Beings Without Haste or Self-Interest

The so-called deliverance of sentient beings does not mean that one must transform beings burdened by deep afflictions and karmic obstacles into saints in a single instance. Rather, it involves raising the cultivation of sentient beings to a corresponding level, achieving a significant improvement compared to their former state, for it is impossible for them to become saints abruptly. The consequence of trying to force growth, like pulling up seedlings to hasten their growth, would be to deliver beings to their demise—plunging them into the three evil paths and leading to the destruction of Buddhism. When the causes and conditions for becoming a saint are not yet ripe, one can only engage in long-term steeping, nurturing them until their character approaches that of a saint. Only then can they be delivered beyond the state of ordinary mortals. Impatiently delivering people, driven by haste for quick results, can only sever heads; the mind remains that of an ordinary mortal, leaving heads and hands separated.