Seek Not Outside Yourself

These past two days in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai area, I visited an ancient temple on Solitary Hill by West Lake in Hangzhou, Faxi Temple.

Religion is always misunderstood, especially in China. We like to "pray to gods and worship Buddhas," turning religion into a kind of transaction or solution.

Some religions may be like that, such as Christianity, which requires believers to have faith in him in exchange for happiness, and some folk religions that use fear to oppress people and trade offerings for blessings.

Buddhism may be a different branch, emphasizing people's own practice. The precepts are not meant to regulate people and make them fit into a religious "mode," but through teaching and discussion, to help people use wisdom to protect themselves from being harmed by desire.

Practicing Buddhism is more like learning from a teacher.

I really like Maitreya Buddha, especially the spirit he represents. "A big belly can tolerate what is hard to tolerate in the world; a smiling mouth always open, laughing at the laughable people in the world." My understanding may be very shallow, but broadly speaking, this pursuit of a positive spirit and an attitude of acceptance is very universal.

When leaving, I saw a plaque at the entrance that read "Seek Not Outside Yourself." My understanding is that one should not project needs and spiritual support outward, because all needs and desires arise from oneself. Only by seeking inward can one attain inner peace; seeking outward may cause desires to keep expanding. This is what Buddhism calls protection.