We all hope that we will not get sick in this life, and that we will have eternal youth, good health and longevity, a wealth of money, and a happy family. In the world, this is an impossible "extravagant hope". However, we can make a wish that one day we will be reborn in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha or go to the Pure Land of other Buddha realms, and this is a "hope" that can be realized.

Many people hope that they can have a good career, a very happy marriage and family in the future, and when they have it, the next feeling is emptiness; Then I hope to have children and raise them well. That's how we live in hope. For example, if a Buddhist knows that there is reincarnation, he will not only put his hope in this life, but may save his hope for the next life, or even in the next life. And when you find that all the money and education you hoped for have been disappointed, or the people you thought would give you have disappointed, or even your children are not filial, hope turns into despair. Many elderly people leave this world alone in despair.

The world cannot be perfect. If you are perfect today, you will not necessarily be successful tomorrow; If you are rich today, you may not be the same tomorrow. Just because you're healthy today doesn't mean you'll be tomorrow too. This is true of everything, because the world is inherently impermanent. We tend to compare ourselves to the best people and think how we can be so unlucky; It is because of this comparison that we cannot survive well in this world, and some people even go to a dead end because of this pain. Learn to face the reality of the world. Many people feel unhappy in life because they can't face reality.

A person's life is like a wave, sometimes rising and sometimes falling. When we are young, we may be high-spirited, healthy, less sick, and have a successful career; As we grow older, our physical condition will deteriorate, or impermanence will come, our fortune will go downhill, and our fate will become bumpy. When it comes to old age, it may be a good day for everything to go well. In the whole process from "not having" to "having", from "getting" and "losing" to "owning" later, we need to reflect on our minds for a long time to know what is truly worth cherishing. We say "contentment", but if we don't observe ourselves, how can we be content? Inner observation is very important, but when we like to look at other people outwardly, comment on what they look like, their houses, their cars, and so on, or think that they have all kinds of good things that we don't have, then discriminating minds arise. It doesn't matter if you have discrimination, if you cling to why others have it and you don't, the unbalanced state of mind will turn into jealousy, and in the end it will be yourself who will be hurt. Because, under the intense resentment that arises from jealousy, the state of mind that is guided can bring great trouble and pain.

Greed is very similar to wishing, one is not good, the other is good. Why doesn't greed sound good? Because greed is a selfish heart, and vows are a relatively large heart, and the heart that will become a large heart is because there is a dedication in front of it. Therefore, although it is still a selfish prayer, because it is a prayer for oneself after the dedication is completed, it is called wishing power. If you don't make a dedication and ask for yourself, it's called greed. If you don't become a Buddha, these greedy thoughts will become troubles.

There is such a big difference between one thought, so there is only a thin line between the devil and the Buddha, and the key is the heart. As long as the mentality can be changed a little, it is a great merit; If the mentality has not changed, it is a great greed. After the merit is dedicated, you can make a wish for yourself, and it doesn't matter how big the wish is. Moreover, what greater wish is there than becoming a Buddha? We want to make more money, live longer, be happier, and have a happy family, but these are just petty greed. And I can get all the wisdom, all the beings in the world are controlled by me, and I can teach what others don't understand, how can there be a greater "greed" than this? This is the power of the Buddha's wishes! At this time, it is not called greed. Therefore, make more vows, but do not be greedy; The difference between the two is to add a dedication in between. In this way, the idea of asking for oneself will become a wish.

Whether the mind is broad or narrow-minded, it often lies in a thought. We say that introspection is the ability to be self-aware and self-reflective. Many of the causes of our troubles are that we spend time and effort holding a magnifying glass to see what others are doing, and we have no time to care about the ups and downs of our hearts, and when the pain comes, we start to feel sorry for ourselves. Introspection is to deal with our habit of looking outward and looking outward, and only by taking care of our own hearts can we control our emotions. If we don't train our awareness of introspection, then it is not easy to control the thoughts of good and evil, and a seemingly casual thought will doom us to be open-minded or narrow-minded. Virtuous thoughts require our own mental strength to constantly aspire to dedicate ourselves to guide our words and deeds towards goodness. Introspection is the need for us to constantly look inward and look after all our motives for self-interest. With such skillful coordination of the outside and the inside, then our desire to let happiness dominate our lives will not be out of reach.