Learning Buddhism should start with cultivating merit. If you don’t have merit, not only can you not develop wisdom, but more importantly, you will have many obstacles. Many people are fine before they learn Buddhism, but after learning Buddhism, they have many obstacles. This is because their merit is small. Therefore, we say that taking refuge in the Buddha is the Two-footed One. What is complete? It is merit and wisdom. Those who have both of these are called the Two-footed One. Therefore, we must work hard to cultivate merit.

Blessings are crucial. Many people look down on blessings in the human world and heaven, which is wrong. If we cannot obtain blessings in the human world and heaven, then how can it be so easy to become a Buddha or a patriarch? The ancients said that an enlightened Zen master must have the fate of being the emperor of nine dynasties and the talent of being the top scholar for seven generations. You see, to be the emperor of nine dynasties, this is such a great blessing, and to be the top scholar for seven generations, this is such wisdom. Therefore, it is not easy to become a Buddha or a patriarch. Without blessings, it will not work.

Beginners of Buddhism must first cultivate good fortune, dedicate themselves, and make connections with all living beings. This is crucial. Without good fortune, once we learn Buddhism and seek liberation, obstacles will arise. Not only obstacles in the human world, but also obstacles from non-humans and the spirit world, that is, all kinds of tests will come. If we cannot pass the tests in the human world, then we will not be able to pass the tests in the spirit world. In short, good fortune is crucial, and we must have great good fortune.

To seek blessings, you must always remind yourself not to give up any opportunity to cultivate blessings. Even if it is just a small effort, do not give it up. Many people are muddle-headed and sleep and watch TV every day. In fact, this is very detrimental to blessings. This is equivalent to killing. Think about it, our lives are made up of time. Even if you live to be a hundred years old, it is only 36,000 days, a hundred years is 36,000 days, not to mention how many people can live to be a hundred years old. And deduct the time for sleeping, sleeping is a kind of drowsiness. Therefore, the time we can cultivate blessings is very short. We must cherish it.

To cultivate blessings, we must start with small things. Some people say, “I am busy making money and raising a family now. I don’t have time to volunteer at work. I will make donations when I make a lot of money.” If we have this idea, we will never want to make a lot of money in our lifetime. Why do blessings come from donations? If we don’t make donations and don’t contribute, where will the blessings come from? So, we can start with small things. Many people are in a hurry at work, and when the weekend comes, they try their best to relax, sleep, and watch TV. This is also a waste of time. Maybe they live a leisurely life, but dogs and cats are the same, so it is difficult for them to obtain a human body. Since we have obtained it, we have wasted it. Isn’t it a pity?

Therefore, we should always remind ourselves not to give up any opportunity to cultivate blessings, and to often go to the temple to volunteer, clean up, and cultivate blessings. In the past, I saw Shanhai pick up the garbage on the ground. This action gave me great blessings. Because I never thought of doing this before, in fact, this is also a way to cultivate blessings. So if you are attentive, you can cultivate blessings. When we see some people with great blessings and great wealth, we envy their glory. But you have to know that the efforts behind them are also beyond the understanding of others. So, God rewards hard work, and you get what you sow. This is very important.

Where does good fortune come from? It comes from hard work. You must be hardworking. The ancients said that hard work leads to wealth. This wealth is a kind of good fortune. Therefore, the lazier a person is, the less good fortune he has. The more hardworking and cherishing he is, the greater the good fortune he will have. Look at the great masters, all of them are majestic, have great good fortune, and their earlobes are over their shoulders. This is what they have cultivated for many lifetimes, and they have to not eat if they don't work. Many great masters, such as Baizhang Huaihai, went down the mountain to work when they were over 80 years old. There is also Zhaozhou Zen Master, who is over 100 years old and still travels and works. Therefore, the reason why they became masters is inseparable from their efforts.

On the path of spiritual practice, chanting sutras is necessary, but cultivating blessings is really the key. Working hard at work and creating value for the boss is also a way to cultivate blessings. After work, taking good care of the family is also a way to cultivate blessings. When you have time, come to the Jingshe Temple more often and make contributions to others. That is an even better way to cultivate blessings. So this is very important.