Buddha has given people authority to investigate in Buddha’s teachings and the Buddha himself. Buddha doesn’t say you have to be His followers, but Buddha says you have to study before you become a follower of Buddha’s tradition.
Sometimes people do not know but people still go around to receive teachings. Even though people don’t know the teachings, the deity and the empowerments and what the importance [of the teachings, empowerments] is and what’s necessary for doing that [teaching, empowerment]; but still they do that.
To have a good teacher is very important for one’s education, learning, success and for one’s everything. Once we accept someone to be our teacher, we should respect the teacher, listen to the teacher, we should follow whatever instructions given by him.
A good dharma teacher means very knowledgeable, good conduct and good experienced. Those three qualities make one a very good Dharma teacher.
The first of three important qualities to be a [good] Dharma students is honesty. Honesty is very important. For students, to be honest is very important.
The second one is also knowledge. One should be intelligent to understand the qualities of Dharma teachers.
Diligence is the third one. Because when one doesn’t put any efforts, then one still doesn’t get anywhere, even one have knowledge.
”How do we use it?” The answer from Buddhist tradition is very clear. It is a great way, good way; it is valuable because this [life] would be lost. Therefore, while we have this human being knowledge, human life and many opportunities, we should use it and [know] how to use it. Therefore, it is very important to understand the value of the time that we have now.
What is compassion? Compassion means to wish, to have genuine wish that others are able to avoid or reduce sufferings. Compassion means you really wish, from the bottom of your heart, that any sufferings of others will diminish.
To develop Bodhicitta, to develop renunciation, it is very important for a Dharma practitioner to see things in the society, to see problems, to see sufferings, to see troubles that are in society. Without seeing this, without knowing this, one does not have interest to develop this motivation.
