Master Jing Jie - How to Choose a Proper Dharma 如何選擇合適的法門

(English Subtitles) Lectured by Master Jìng Jiè (淨界法師) from Taiwan. Subtitles:
Master, Amitabha, I still don't get it. According to your words, we lay people should arrange the dharma that suits our practice according to our roots. But if we prescribed the wrong medicine, where do we find the virtuous knowledge to ask if we practice the right way?
At the minimum, you shouldn't get it wrong at the major direction. At least you should know which type you belong to, rational or emotional? For rational types, you should encourage yourself to visualize the suffering of sentient beings and expand your mind. If you're the emotional type and visualize the suffering of beings, you're done. So Buddha says that the merciful practitioners shouldn't practice too much visualization on compassion. Because your roots are inclined to mercy, and you practice the compassionate visualization.
1:00
At the end of cultivation, you might as well not go to the Pure Land and just wander around with the sentient beings. So you have to treat the symptoms correctly. That is to say, at least you have to grasp the general direction. Nuances are allowed. You can't have a big gap. So you can't follow your feeling. You've got to be rational with yourself. You like to ferry sentient beings, meaning you had the equivalent habit in the past. Just like when we were in school, We have to balance development in moral, intellectual, physical and social aspects. You shouldn't score 80 for gym but score 30 for the rest, this is incorrect. Because you are going to the Pure Land, you need to be balanced when your life is ending. You shouldn't be lousy in any aspect. If anything goes wrong, you're screwed. If your karma goes wrong and you have cultivated very well, but you have deep karma that you have not repented of and eliminated, that will not work.
2:00
If your karma isn't wrong, but your affections go wrong, you are a gentle and courteous person, who never hurt anybody in the entire life but have strong affections, you're done too.
My problem is that sometimes we don’t even understand ourselves and go astray. So, you have to understand yourself and stop keep understanding others. You need to spend more time to realize yourself.
But it was only after listening to the lecture that I realized more about myself. In addition, sitting in meditation is crucial, you have to look inside, observe how your mind works. At the very least, it should be clear whether you are the emotional or rational type. This is because the approaches for the two types are different. For rational type, you need to emphasize the suffering of sentient beings more. You have two goals, to seek awakening upwards and to give alms to beings downwards.
3:00
How to prescribe medicine? That's to choose dharma. There is a only a principle. If you scored 80 points in the English test and 30 points in the math test, which subject do you need to make up? Of course, you may study English to cultivate your profession. From a Pure Land perspective, you have to learn math and make up for what you fail. If you are more emotional, it indicates that you were overly compassionate in the past lives. It becomes excessive compassion with affectionate compassion. You need to manage your mindset, telling yourself excessive compassion will bring you troubles. That is, you have to treat your problem. If you are already a rational person and tell yourself that it is painful to cling to the edge, as a result, you become more rational. Therefore, you should basically know that
4:00
you need to guide yourself with compassion or adjust yourself with the truth of suffering. You need to balance these two factors. What does the adjustment include? The Four Noble Truths and the Twelve causes and conditions, repentance is also adjustment. All the Mahayana dharma are for guidance. Ok, let me ask you a question. On hearing the 4 Noble Truths and the 12 Causes and Conditions, you are overwhelmed with joy, raise your hands. Good, your are the rational type.
If you feel strange about a dharma, you have to pay attention. You may lack this and have poor nutrition. We must revise what is left of the past. When life comes to an end, nothing can go terribly wrong. Karma cannot go wrong; delusions cannot go wrong; true thusness cannot go wrong. You must abide in true thusness. If you don't reside in true thusness (tathatā, sincerity) and cling to the external condition, the circumstance could be too exciting for you to resist when dying. You have internal worry and external troubles, people are crying outside, and you seek to depart Saha World in your mind. This emotion is intricate. Therefore, when you are on your deathbed, you cannot afford to do badly in the 3 lessons: repent karma, subdue affection, abide in true thusness Karma can't go wrong; Delusion can't be upside down. You can have delusions but can't have upside down delusion. You can have common delusions.