Generate Bodhicitta and cultivate the path to liberation.

Many practitioners — especially beginners and those who study mainly on their own — do not give right view the importance it deserves. Some do not see the importance of taking refuge or of a teacher; some cannot explain, or do not believe in, karma across the three times and rebirth in the six realms; some perform many rituals and practices yet do not know the basic “three excellences”; some find the Four Noble Truths and the twelve links unnecessary, are frightened by renunciation, and chase only what is high and profound. Some mistakenly believe that studying Buddhism requires no teacher, no practice, no continuous daily discipline and no graduated path, and that awakening will come from casual effort; others think that holding to one particular method is enough, without study and reflection. These are common misunderstandings.

“Without someone to explain the Dharma, even the wise cannot understand it.” Without guidance from those who have walked the path, and without the support of practice and daily discipline, even reciting the whole canon from memory may give us only words and learned knowledge, not true realisation. It may even increase wrong views and misunderstandings that become obstacles on the path. We may read the great sutras and treatises, yet the understanding remains our own; without studying the teachings according to proper sequence and principles, we may become self-assured and mistake the ordinary for the holy, believing we have gained much while having entered a great error unawares. Likewise, holding onto a single practice while rejecting study — not even knowing the importance of Bodhicitta, let alone cultivating it — and expecting Mahayana attainment, is hardly possible.

The heart of the Mahayana is Bodhicitta. Without Bodhicitta, no practice is a Mahayana practice, and there can be no Mahayana attainment. Whether such mistaken views arise from superstition, opportunism, the wish for shortcuts, or even self-interest, is worth honest self-examination. These are only common problems; may every practitioner recognise through them the importance of right view.

There are countless ways to fail, but only one way to succeed — although skilful means are many, none can go against the stages and the core of the path.

The path of humans and gods, the path of liberation and the bodhisattva path form the stages of the three vehicles; each later stage rests on the earlier one. Without a sufficient foundation, later attainment cannot come. So-called supreme capacity is really “cultivated over many lives, accomplished in this one”. The Sixth Patriarch was no exception: we should not look only at the life in which he became the Sixth Patriarch, ignoring the roots of virtue he accumulated through diligent practice life after life.

Some practitioners have not let go of the eight worldly concerns at all; their attachment, anger and habits may be heavier than those of ordinary people, falling short even of the standard of the human and divine path — yet they constantly invoke the Sixth Patriarch, speaking every day of “this very moment”, “no practice, no attainment” and “already complete”, rejecting teacher, practice, daily discipline and stages, always talking of “directly seizing supreme awakening”. Whether this is true is known only to heaven, earth and oneself. Is it really capacity beyond the Sixth Patriarch, or ignorant pride and timidity before diligent practice? A true practitioner should reflect honestly, without self-deception. Perhaps following the graduated path is the faster way to supreme awakening, while self-assurance only wastes the years.

Renunciation, Bodhicitta and the view of emptiness are the “Three Principal Aspects of the Path”. Beginning here grasps the root and heart of practice, so it is direct, ultimate and swift — without detours or wrong turns. What is unique to the Dharma is wisdom and motivation, not techniques or meditative states.

These three are the watershed between the Buddhist path and other paths. Without working on these three, it is hard to say that one's practice is the Dharma; at most it is preliminary practice, or a good connection with the Dharma — or worse, one may have entered a non-Buddhist path unawares. If practice departs from the Three Principal Aspects and leans towards techniques and states, at best it neglects the root for the branches and takes a long detour; at worst, it is something no practitioner would wish to speak of or see.

At the beginning, one should value study and reflection to gain right view, so understanding is very important. Some practitioners have this reversed: they plunge straight into practice with enthusiasm, and only after years without result do they recognise the importance of study and view. In fact, one should not rush at the start to pursue techniques and states, but work on one's views and understanding, turning improper attention into proper attention.

Ordinary people are full of wandering thoughts and heavy afflictions; taming the mind and its thoughts from the start is very difficult. Whatever the method — counting breaths, visualisation or recitation — it is hard to control this mind and stop it from engaging.

So it is best to work with its momentum: not forcing it to stop engaging, but guiding that energy in the right direction — turning improper attention into proper attention. For beginners this is the most effective and most necessary step. In this process we gain right view, and as our views change, many afflictions and karmic obstacles fall away together with wrong views. With clear understanding the mind grows calm, wandering thoughts and agitation naturally subside, and practice then becomes easier — achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Combine study and reflection with practice: progress in understanding is refined in action — in formal practice and daily conduct — and progress in action deepens understanding further. Each supports the other, and progress becomes very swift. The two must never be separated, or imbalance will surely arise. Master Qingliang said: “Understanding without practice increases wrong views; practice without understanding increases ignorance.” These compassionate words from one who walked the path deserve deep reflection.

The graduated path, the Three Principal Aspects and right view are study content no Buddhist school can do without — teachings shared by Chan, Pure Land and Vajrayana, not belonging to any single tradition. Yet modern students easily fall into taking things out of context, praising themselves while disparaging others, and closing themselves off.

The Centre's programmes draw widely from many sources. The only standard is whether a teaching is the true Dharma taught by the Buddha. Without distinction of school or lineage, the teachings of any genuine spiritual friend may serve as study material.