(34) Many people would not pay much heed to the religious behavioral adage which says that a sincere Buddhist votary needs both to “steer clear of all the possibilities which are to lure him into an evil practice and to strive to do anything that is beneficial to others”, probably because the adage might strike them as rather banal. By contrast, such mystically-oriented practices of Chan self-cultivation as

(1)“seeking to land in the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis”,

(2)“seeking to stop breathing by self-control in order to bring the mind to concentrate on a hua-tou”,

(3)“seeking to recognize the identity between each of the three mystical things of the Tathagata and that of its counterparts in a sentient being”

are much, much more intriguing than the aforesaid religious behavioral adage. That is why so many people would pay little heed to the adage. Pretending to be earnest in following Buddhism, these people are actually taking Buddhism just for a source of amusement. It has never occurred to them that practicing Buddhism is merely for exempting them from the six paths of transmigration. So long as they persist in taking Buddhism just for a source of amusement, they can never land up on a decent motive and objective for their approach to Buddhism. Without a decent motive and objective for their approach to Buddhism, they shall inevitably find themselves heading for some disaster in the end. Even though a practitioner cherishes a decent motive for embracing Buddhism, his self-cultivation is not likely to amount to much if he would not strenuously adhere to the adage specified above. Though the adage might, to some ignorant people, sound hackneyed, yet it is profoundly philosophic.(From My Heart My Buddha)