This excerpt introduces the Buddhist concept of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, explaining how it illuminates the hidden reality of past, present, and future lives and the cycle of samsara. It asserts that ignorance and actions (karma) from past lives lead to the present state of suffering, outlining the stages of development from consciousness entering the womb to physical senses, contact, and feeling. The text then describes how desire and clinging in the present life create future karma that results in rebirth and further suffering, comparing this cyclical process to being trapped in a twelve-walled prison or an endless turning wheel. Ultimately, it suggests that while breaking this cycle requires overcoming desire and clinging at a fundamental level, which is incredibly difficult, practicing the Pure Land method of chanting Amitabha Buddha's name offers a path to escape rebirth and attain liberation through the combined power of one's practice and Amitabha's vows.

This excerpt focuses on the meaning of "Buddha", explaining it as shorthand for "Buddha-dharma," encompassing the qualities of a "wise one" (智者) and an "enlightened one" (覺者). It details the three stages of wisdom needed to become a wise one – knowledge of the universal nature (一切智), knowledge of the specific nature (道種智), and the culmination in all-encompassing wisdom (一切種智). The path to becoming an enlightened one involves awareness (覺察) and understanding (覺悟), addressing the two obstacles (二障): internal afflictions (煩惱障) related to suffering and external cognitive hindrances (所知障) preventing full comprehension of reality. Ultimately, the text emphasizes that understanding universal existence (宇宙人生), including space and time, through the perspective of the wise and enlightened is key to liberation and achieving the state of Buddhahood.

These excerpts explore the complexities of understanding and practicing Buddhism. The first section highlights the difficulty of grasping its principles, emphasizing the need to integrate Buddhist teachings with existing knowledge and introducing the four stages of study: faith, understanding, practice, and realization. The second section introduces the concept of "Three Divisions of All Phenomena" (體, 相, 用), explaining how everything, including ourselves, can be analyzed in terms of its fundamental nature (體), temporary appearance (相), and function (用). Finally, the third and fourth sections examine the "Three Reasons for Arising" (生起三由) – cause, condition, and effect – explaining how phenomena come into being through the interaction of these factors, and the importance of understanding the relationship between factual events and underlying principles (事與理) in both understanding and practicing the Dharma.

This excerpt addresses several common misunderstandings about Buddhism, beginning by explaining the nature of "誤會" (misunderstandings), which arise from false assumptions or hearsay. It then outlines several common criticisms directed at Buddhists from outside the faith, such as being considered "迷信" (superstitious), "消極" (passive), believing in "神權主義" (theistic authority), "忽略現實" (ignoring reality), and being "不合乎科學" (unscientific). The text then systematically refutes each of these criticisms, arguing that true Buddhist practice is rooted in "正信" (correct faith) based on reliable forms of knowledge and involves active engagement in ethical conduct ("善是積極屬於佛") while being "惡消極屬於佛" (passive towards wrongdoing). It emphasizes that Buddhism promotes "自權" (self-reliance) and the transformation of one's own being rather than dependence on external deities, that the focus is on true and lasting well-being ("始終真樂屬佛") rather than fleeting worldly pursuits, and that the Buddhist understanding of reality and the universe ("萬法歸一") is profound and consistent with a deep understanding of self and existence.

This Buddhist teaching focuses on the nature of suffering, particularly the concept of "observing suffering is suffering". It explains the Four Mindfulness Establishments as a method to understand this, emphasizing the impermanent and impure nature of the body and mind. The text breaks down the types of suffering into physical and mental sensations (pain, pleasure, worry, joy, equanimity), arguing that only pain and worry are truly real, while joy, pleasure, and equanimity are temporary illusions. It then lists eight specific types of suffering, including birth, aging, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, encountering disliked individuals, unfulfilled desires, and the suffering caused by the five aggregates. Finally, the text asserts that suffering pervades all three realms of existence and that attempts to alleviate suffering through incorrect means only perpetuate the cycle, contrasting this with the Buddhist approach of addressing the root cause of suffering.