These quotes, which are from Master Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on the Medicine Master Sūtra, are examples of lessons that should be applied by all Buddhists.

Merit and Virtue
Merit is created externally, while virtue is accumulated internally. One creates merit by building temples, repairing bridges or roads, or doing other work to benefit others. Virtue exists within one’s self and doesn’t rely on anything external. A virtuous person doesn’t have a bad conscience. He has no reason to feel ashamed before the heavens or before other people. He doesn’t cheat others or himself. In everything he does, he creates outer merit and amasses inner virtue. A saying about virtue goes,

Good done in the hope that others will notice is not genuine good.
Evil done in the fear that others will find out is truly great evil.

Don’t boast about yourself, saying, “I’ve done good deeds. I’ve received the five precepts, the eight precepts, and the Bodhisattva precepts!” Virtuous deeds are done without others knowing. If you want others to notice your good deeds, you are not virtuous. If you try to cover up your bad deeds, then your offenses are great indeed.

Buddhists should not be boastful or competitive, saying, “I’ve done many good deeds and made many donations. I actually do much to support Buddhism.” People with such an attitude are not fit to be Dharma-protectors. Therefore, in studying the teachings, we should remember this point. We should value genuine practice, not false publicity. This is very important. As Buddhists, we must be models for the world. If we have integrity and hold to our principles, other people will respect us and be influenced by us. That is merit and virtue.

How to Become A Buddha
If we want to be like the Buddha, first we should learn not to contend, not to be greedy, not to seek, not to be selfish, and not to pursue personal advantage. But that doesn’t mean saying you won’t do these things, while at the same time planning to commit a robbery. Then you’re only cheating yourself and others. Genuine non-contention means letting things follow their natural course. If you are not greedy, you will also let things happen naturally. As for seeking nothing, it is said, “When one reaches the state of seeking nothing, one has no worries.” Worries come from seeking things. You should also be unselfish. All the troubles in the world come from selfishness and desire. Being unselfish means seeking nothing and having no emotional attachments. Not pursuing personal advantage means not thinking about your own benefit, pleasure, or comfort. Cast out all these faults, and then you can become a Buddha.

Stupid Expedients

I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I will, by means of limitless, unbounded wisdom and skill-in-means. Medicine Master Buddha uses wise expedients, not stupid ones, to teach and transform living beings. While wise expedients may not necessarily benefit oneself, they benefit others. Wise expedients are wholesome and in accord with Dharma. Stupid expedients are unwholesome and go against the Dharma.

What are unwholesome expedients? Doing wrong things and then rationalizing them as “expedient.” For example, someone may rationalize the killing of a mosquito as an expedient, saying that it doesn’t violate the precept against killing. Someone else might justify stealing something that doesn’t belong to him, saying, “I’m just being expedient! What difference does it make whether he uses it or I use it? We’re all the same.” However, stealing is not in accord with Dharma; it’s an evil deed. As for sexual misconduct, a man may know very well that his extramarital affair will upset his wife, but he thinks, “Why should I worry about her? I’m just being expedient, that’s all!” He thinks sexual misconduct is an “expedient dharma.” All people know how to defend their infidelity. They know it’s wrong, yet they still say it doesn’t matter. Do they really know then? People rationalize lying and taking intoxicants as well.

“I think I’ll have a little wine, just for the fun of it. What’s wrong with that? I’m not getting drunk or anything.”

“Why should I be worried about telling a little lie? It’s not like I’m committing a murder. What’s the big deal?”

Expedients can be wise or stupid. Stupid expedients are wrong deeds that people rationalize as “expedient.” Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathāgata uses wise expedients.

Three Gifts
At that time, the World-Honored One, Śākyamuni Buddha, again compassionately spoke to the Pure Youth Mañjuśrī, saying, “Mañjuśrī, there are living beings who don’t distinguish good from evil, who mix up good and evil, who indulge in greed and stinginess, unable to give things away, and who know nothing of giving or its rewards. They don’t know how to be generous or how to treat people well. They don’t understand that they should give to the needy.

There are three kinds of giving:

1. The giving of wealth
2. The giving of Dharma
3. The giving of fearlessness

The giving of wealth means giving away one’s wealth and property, including one’s skills and talents, to help other people. In giving Dharma, one bestows teachings suited to the needs of each individual, like a physician prescribing medicine. When one sees people who are suffering or in danger, one may bestow fearlessness by comforting them and dispelling their fears. These are the three kinds of giving. If you have no wealth, you can give Dharma. If you have no Dharma, then you can give fearlessness. You may also explain the rewards of giving to others, telling them, for example, that in giving one thing, one may reap a reward ten thousand times greater (as stated in Chapter Ten of the Earth Store Sūtra).

This quote is from Master Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on the Medicine Master Sūtra, but it applies to all Buddhist studies.

Does anyone have opinions or questions about the principles of the sūtra? Do you have any insights into the sūtra’s meaning? We should all bring out our opinions and questions for discussion.

The principles that we study in Buddhism are neither your principles, nor my principles, nor the Buddha’s principles. They are the principles of logic and wisdom that everyone should follow. Buddhism is not like certain religions that use faulty reasoning to keep people ignorant and uninformed so that they will accept the tenets of the religion without questioning them.

Buddhism comes from a kind of collective wisdom. What accords with wisdom is the truth, while what does not cannot be practiced. The principles that we are investigating are not imposed from on high with the purpose of keeping us ignorant and uninformed. Therefore, everyone has the right to speak. Using our wisdom, we should determine which doctrines are correct and which are not. We need to have Dharma-selecting vision so that we can judge for ourselves, not just follow the opinions of others. We must develop our own wisdom. Each person should open his “mine of wisdom” and discover his own genuine wisdom.

The wisdom of each Buddha is the same.