Only Through Diligent Pursuit of Realization and Enlightenment Can One Avoid Misinterpreting the Buddhist Scriptures and the Buddha's Intent

Anyone may misinterpret the Buddhist sūtras and the Buddha's meaning, but as long as one does not assert one's own views with certainty, there is no great fault, and one will not necessarily mislead others. In the process of studying Buddhism, one is bound to err again and again—no one is exempt from this. The key lies in what attitude one holds toward one's own views, and in knowing to what extent one can be confident that one's views are correct; this sense of proportion must be grasped well. Only the Buddha alone is without error; even when Maitreya Bodhisattva expounds the Dharma, the Buddha would not affirm it one hundred percent. Enlightened bodhisattvas may also make mistakes when expounding the Dharma, and those who are not yet enlightened make even more errors. Ordinary mistakes do not matter; what matters is that there be no error at the most crucial points, because the crucial points involve the great issue of whether the sentient beings who follow and learn from you can attain realization. This is the turning point of sentient beings' lives, and at this turning point there must be no mistake. As long as the goal and direction are correct, everything else is a minor issue that can be corrected and turned around. When we study Buddhism, we should strive diligently to seek realization; after attaining realization, as we follow and learn the Dharma, we gain with each thing we learn, and often achieve twice the result with half the effort.