Without Sufficient Wisdom, No Task Can Be Accomplished Well

If one lacks direct experiential wisdom and wishes to rely on authentic teachings, that too is difficult. Buddhist scriptures are written plainly in black and white, yet how many people misinterpret them? How many misconstrue them? Even when reciting the scriptures verbatim without altering a single word, the intonation and cadence of the spoken voice can change the meaning of the text. In the current Tripitaka, many texts have been recompiled and proofread by modern people, with punctuation marks incorrectly placed. Ancient Buddhist scriptures were generally written as continuous text; after modern proofreading, they are revised with modern punctuation, twisting the meaning of the scriptures and obscuring the original intent. In short, when ignorance is present, wisdom is deficient; when wisdom is deficient, nothing can be done well.