Compassion – Being merciful is the foundation of Buddhism 

Wisdom – Being wise is the academic result of Buddhism

Diligence – Being hardworking and persistent to excel in Buddhism studies.

Giving – Being charitable is the cause of Buddhism

Buddhism is extensive and subtle, profound and difficult to exhaust the details. In order to express the purpose, our institution chose the four words of compassion, wisdom, diligence and letting go as our motto, so as to encourage all students to know the principles and follow them.

“Compassion” – is the foundation of Buddhism’s teachings. The Supreme Lord of Buddha attained great enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.  He was filled with sorrow and lost his emotion and found Buddhism. Its roots are rooted in the thought of compassion; therefore, all action is inseparable from compassion. Abandon compassion, then it is not Buddhism. 

The Bodhisattva lower his eyebrows, a sign of compassion, whereas Vajra’s angry eyes are also inseparable from compassion. Although the methods are not consistent, the good intention to save people is the same. The Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra) quotes: “forgetting bodhicitta, all good practices turn demonic”.

This bodhicitta is the heart of great compassion. If a Buddhist practitioner neglects his compassion, surely loses his root, too.  Although Buddhism distinguishes clearly between right and wrong, it does not abandon arguments that are based on compassion and not on anger. It is different from the law of the world, which are based on hatred and disputes, and are moved by disputes. In history of Buddhism, there has never been a bloodshed, as compassion has been always the key peace. 

Buddhism advocates compassion, equality, universal love for all living beings, no separation of enemies or relatives, feeling helpless and loss. Compared with Confucianism’s benevolence of to the people and love for things.  

Love has its shortcoming. Today wars are frequent and everywhere, lives are devastated and people are in dire straits. Only through the promotion of Buddhism’s abstains from killing, only then the world will truly be harmonious. 

If one studies Buddhism, one should pay more attention and understand the power of compassion, that is “compassion generates happiness and compassion eliminates suffering”; Once there is equitable compassion, there would be empathetic to all beings and would instil kindness and amiable.

Sadness can easily be mistaken for sad and negative words. Therefore, taking kindness as a discipline also contains the meaning of embracing compassion. 

“Wisdom” – Being wise is defined as the academic quintessence of Buddhism:  the enlightenment of Buddha lies in wisdom and the twelve points of Buddhism Tripitaka are all expressed in wisdom. Therefore, there is no Buddhism without compassion, without wisdom, Buddhism is equivalent to soulless body. Knowing that Buddha is revered as the ‘Great Enlightenment Man’, Buddhism is actually the core of great wisdom. There is nothing better than Buddhism in solving confusion in life and to dispel superstition. However, the boundless wisdom of Buddhism comes from within by cultivating precepts and concentration, and knowledge that is different from the limited worldly knowledge which derives from teaching and receiving and consists of good and evil.  Just like being a writer, good literature benefits people, but bad literature can harm people. It is best to learn the wisdom of Buddhism. In the process of cultivation that transforms false consciousness into the wisdom, which is pure and untainted and enters the right path, which has hundreds of benefits and no harm.

Both knowledge and wisdom look similar yet different. When both combine, seems similar but different when interprets separately.

Knowledge has the function of reasoning; wisdom has the function of understanding. Determining reasoning is the power of knowledge, and simply selecting all Dharmas is the characteristic of wisdom; Knowing the truth of the world is the work of knowledge, and understanding the ultimate meaning is the entry of wisdom; or the clear insight of condition is knowledge, understanding the genuine emptiness is wisdom. Therefore, the Vimalakia Nirdesa Sutra says:” Knowing the thoughts of all sentients beings are as per the Dharmas, is the result of knowledge; not taking or giving up, entering the door of one phase, derives from wisdom”.  Entering the one-phase door is a non-dual dharma door, which is the great wisdom of equality arising from the non-discriminating knowledge of Prajna and is the highest sublimation of Buddhism. The goal of studying Buddhism is to obtain such wisdom, thus, using wisdom as a guide is actually based on knowledge. 

In addition, the function of wisdom is to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. If there is a clear state of right and wrong, even with a pseudo judgement takes place, whenever evil is separated, the truth will prevail.

The Surangama Sutra says: If the cause is not true, the effect will be distorted.

Therefore, the word of wisdom is the key to the clear path of life, the students can capture it as the institution’s foundation motto for their studies.

“Diligence” -The success of Buddhist studies lies in diligence. Another synonym for diligence includes words brave, fearless. Refine but not clutter, advance without retreat, focus minded to achieve success in your studies. The bequeathed Sutra says, “If you focus your mind, you can achieve everything”. It all due to diligence. Learn the bodhisattva dharma and practice the six perfections of giving alms, observing the precepts and enduring humiliation. Study diligently, endure hardship to achieve results. This is more pressing than the confusion’s saying of “Achievement by diligence, neglects by play”.  Therefore, when young people are studying, they must pay attention to the progress of six perfections. Only by being diligent, can they endure the hard work, strive for self-development and achieve success. Otherwise, they will be lazy, wasting their time in vain and achieve nothing.

In the Jeta Grove, Buddha observed practitioners who were lazy and not diligent in their spiritual pursuits. He said to Ananda: "Laziness is a hindrance to all endeavours. For householders, laziness leads to a lack of food and clothing, and the inability to maintain their livelihood. For those who renounce the world, laziness obstructs spiritual progress, making it difficult to escape the cycle of birth and death. Bodhisattvas practice the six perfections diligently, cultivate their lands, and mature living beings, all through effort (as mentioned in the Bodhisattva's deeds). Therefore, students of this institute should take diligence as their mantra. Diligence can compensate for deficiencies, as ancient wisdom teaches. Numerous foolish and clumsy disciples of Buddha have achieved success through diligence. Examples include Aniruddha’s laziness, Rahula’s heedlessness, and Chudapanthaka’s stupidity. Buddha encouraged them with diligence, and they all succeeded. Through diligence, one can develop perseverance, which is crucial for establishing a career. Cultivating perseverance during the learning period fosters a proactive spirit to save the world, aligning with the essence of diligent training."

"Giving" in Buddhism is embodied in the act of charity. Rooted in compassion and based on expediency, Buddhism engages in various endeavors to enlighten society and promote social welfare. "Giving" signifies charity; to give is to let go, which aligns with the practice of the Perfection of Giving among the six perfections. The six perfections emphasize giving, showcasing the proactive and positive spirit of Buddhism. The Shurangama Sutra says, "Before attaining liberation oneself, one should first liberate others. This is the Bodhisattva's vow."

There are three types of giving: giving material wealth to help those in need is called "material giving"; teaching the Dharma to enlighten people's wisdom is "Dharma giving"; and using one's strength to help others overcome fear is "fearlessness giving." When Bodhisattvas practice giving, they are unattached, not seeking profit or reward, but only fulfilling their duties. They give equally to friends and enemies alike, aiming to universally save all beings, thereby realizing the spirit of great giving and accomplishing the great act of charity.

Human beings are naturally selfish, often clinging to their possessions. Thus, Buddhism emphasizes giving to counteract greed. It involves not only giving up material wealth but also letting go of emotional attachments and self-centered views, encapsulated in the concepts of "seeing through" and "letting go." "Seeing through" means no longer being attached to material possessions, and "letting go" means abandoning emotional attachments.

Once, a Brahmin presented flowers to the Buddha. The Buddha asked him to let go, so he released the flowers from his left hand. Asked to let go again, he released the flowers from his right hand. Asked a third time, the Brahmin was bewildered, as his hands were now empty. He did not understand that while he had physically let go of the flowers, he had not yet released the emotional attachment to them, still a major obstacle in life. Therefore, giving is taught as a discipline. Students should not only give up material wealth but also relinquish emotional attachments and egoistic views. This fosters mutual learning and cooperation, overcoming obstacles.

The Mahavairocana Sutra states: "Buddhism takes the Bodhicitta as the cause, great compassion as the foundation, and expediency as the ultimate principle. Bodhicitta pertains to wisdom, great compassion to kindness, and expediency to giving. Diligence is the key to these principles; self-cultivation and helping others both rely on diligence for completion." Therefore, this institute takes compassion, wisdom, diligence, and giving as its teachings, which is truly appropriate!