Speculation on the Dharma Cannot Yield True Benefit

Without practice, merely explaining to others is like a deaf person without ears playing music for others; though the music is beautiful, they themselves cannot hear a single note. So it is for those who do not practice the Dharma.

Just as a boatman on the ocean often ferries people across the sea, yet may himself perish in the ocean, so it is for those who do not practice the Dharma.

It is like verbally describing how sweet sugar is, yet never tasting it oneself. If one has not practiced the Dharma, no matter how eloquently one speaks, the heart cannot experience the sweetness of the Dharma nor savor its flavor. Therefore, if one only speaks without practicing, one’s mental continuum cannot truly benefit.

Many people assume that merely being able to expound the Dharma means they have already realized it. Yet the reality is: this is not so. If one teaches without having realized it, there is no genuine guidance. Having never traversed that path oneself, yet telling others how to walk it seems absurd—it relies on conjecture. How can others realize it that way? Except for those with exceptionally good karmic disposition from past lives.