All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have come to this world solely for the purpose of teaching and transforming living beings. They use the 84,000 Dharma-doors in their work of teaching and aiding them. Living beings receive the beneficial energy of the Buddhas' kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, and yet those living beings always seem to want to turn their backs on enlightenment and wallow in the dust of ignorance. They don't want to return to enlightenment.

Living beings clearly know this world is nothing but suffering-that it is a fiery pit-yet they don't wish to leave it. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas explain the Dharma in an effort to teach us, but it's as if we hear but don't listen. We prefer to go on being born in a stupor and dying in a dream.

And what is true enlightenment? It's simply not seeking out-side, but rather, seeking within oneself. It is to cut off what's deviant and secure what is proper. Such thinking accords with Proper Dharma. And yet living beings don't want to reach the other shore. They prefer to remain bobbing up and down in the suffering sea of birth and death, believing this sorry state is worthwhile. Confronted with this problem, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have no magical tricks that can cause living beings to leave suffering and attain bliss. Living beings' confusion is simply too dense and deep; their bad habits too profuse and ingrained and so they are unable to yearn for true wisdom.

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas tell us clearly the difference between right and wrong, proper and deviant, evil and wholesome. Once we know what wisdom is about, we should quickly leave confusion far behind. Once we know what is true, we should leave the false behind. Once we understand what is right, we should leave the wrong behind. However, living beings are just too confused.

What is meant by confusion? It means being bereft of any wisdom. Lacking wisdom, living beings bang their heads against the wall wherever they go: if they go to the north, they bang their heads against the north wall; or if they run to the south, then they bang their heads against the south wall; when they run to the east, they bang their heads against the east wall; and if they go to the west, they bang their heads against the west wall. Although there is plenty of room in the midst of space, living beings still insist on running to the four directions to bang their heads up against the wall. They refuse to remain in the middle. This is really pitiful!

No matter how devotedly the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas work to teach and transform us, we insist on being muddled and don't wish to understand. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have set before us all the Sutras, the Shastras, and the Vinaya-the Tripitaka ("Three Baskets"), the Twelve Canons of the Buddhadharma. Just for our sakes they have bestowed these in-numerable Dharma jewels, yet we refuse to accept them. We have come to such an impasse!

Living beings are truly difficult to liberate! The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sacrifice their very blood and breath for us, yet living beings feel no sense of gratitude in their hearts, thus making it extremely difficult to help them. Yet faced with this situation, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas never have even a single thought of retreat. No matter how difficult living beings are to liberate, they still want to undertake this task of liberation.
For instance, consider the vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva who said,

As long as the hells are not empty, I will not become a Buddha.
Only when all living beings have been completely liberated, will I become a Buddha.

Everyone should deeply ponder the meaning contained in these sentences. Consider how magnificent, how great, how pure and lofty these vows are! We should study the Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva and feel deep gratitude toward Earth Store Bodhisattva and to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for their compassionate regard and mindful protection of us.

From beginningless time, they have been giving us their very bodies and lives in order to protect, teach, and guide us. And so we absolutely must bring forth the resolve for Bodhi in order to repay their kindness, as well as the kindness of our parents and that of heaven and earth. We should vow to cross over and liberate all living beings in the realms above and below us. We should compassionately represent the Buddhas in proclaiming the Dharma, and serve society and the country with a sense of righteousness. We should make a vow to save all living beings and to always be the Buddhas' attendants. And why should we make such vows? Because we have to repay the kindness of the Buddhas, of heaven and earth, of our teachers and elders, our parents, and the kings, presidents, and ministers of the country we live in. Therefore, let us do not allow this precious time to pass in vain anymore. Instead, let us be loyal, be compassionate, and learn to strengthen these qualities.

Why is it that the Buddhas have become Buddhas and yet still wish to come back to the realms of living beings in order to save them? We should clearly recognize how deeply the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas care for us and we should cherish the scope of their vows. Renounce the false and study what's true. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have attained spiritual penetrations which they use to liberate living beings. In their past cultivation, they were never lazy; they never took shortcuts. No matter what situation they faced, they always acted as great exemplars for living beings, to the point of relinquishing their own flesh and blood, and not expecting repayment for their kindness.

In benefiting people, they give without seeking any recompense.
Once they have given, they never have regrets.

It's that kind of magnanimous spirit we should emulate!