Buddhist Practice Turns on Awakening

The whole point of Buddhist practice is whether you awaken or not. Awaken, and you're a Buddha. Don't, and you're an ordinary person.

So what is it that bewilders you? What is it that you're awakening to? These are things you have to feel your way into, slowly. Each person stands at a different level of realization, and what you awaken to won't be the same as someone else's.

Only when you reach the Buddha's own ground can your awakening be complete, your awareness whole. Otherwise, we're all "aware" of something right now — but aware of what? Mostly just that eating fills an empty stomach. Sure, that's a kind of awareness, but it doesn't amount to much. How deep this awareness goes, how high it reaches — all of that is something we have to learn, step by step. Only then can we gradually sink deeper into our own hearts.

Original title: Dharma Words from the Great Monk — Each Person's Level Differs, and So Does What They Awaken To

Reprinted from the WeChat public account: Zibo Huayan Temple