Please Listen Very Carefully

Several years ago in Singapore, I was listening to a live translation of a talk by my teacher, Ven. Master Chin Kung, on the Infinite Life Sutra. Venerable Wu Ping was translating for me and we were in the temporary Internet broadcasting room. My brother is a lively translator who becomes thoroughly absorbed in the mood of what is being said.

She had been speaking in a normal voice but suddenly her voice became soft as she said in an almost imploring voice, “Fellow practitioners please listen very carefully.”

It was magical—I instantly focused intently on what she was saying.

She continued the translation as Teacher said, “I have been giving lectures for forty years… Who benefited the most? I DID! I have not missed one lecture while the audience missed many.” I could imagine the audience laughing in delight with Teacher.

The underlying point that Teacher was making is daily study and learning. Very few of us have the good fortune to lecture for forty or fifty years but we can dedicate some time every day to the teachings. Find the teaching you like and then stick with it. We don’t need to jump from one book to another, devouring the words as we read because doing that we will quickly forget what we read.

We need to hear the ideas and principles repeated and rephrased. Gradually, the principles will sink in and, with practice, we will act on them naturally.