A class participant passed me a card by a pseudo ‘Buddhist teacher’. How do we know that taught misrepresents the Buddha’s teachings? The small card is packed with lines, but the first line is already wrong – ‘一心清净自然入道’ which means ‘With one’s mind pure, naturally is the path entered’. It is wrong because in the first place, diligent practice is needed to purify one’s mind, as the right way to enter the path to Buddhahood. Such simple cause and effect is inverted!
The card says practice of the Ten Wholesome Deeds are enough, with no need to reach Pure Land. Again, this is not true, as the ten are about doing good in a basic way only, not about perfecting morality and purifying completely yet. They lead at most to heavenly rebirth; not even self-liberation. The Six Perfections are needed for Buddhahood. The card also says there is no need to observe precepts. But to practise the Ten Wholesome Deeds IS in spirit the same as observing the 5 precepts! In brief, if this ‘teacher’s’ mind is pure already, as is a Buddha, he would never teach so differently from the Buddha! (The participant agreed!)