Today, we continue explaining the Three Hearts for correcting faults — the Heart of Shame and the Heart of Fear and Reverence. The world today is filled with suffering because very few people still know shame, and few still hold reverence. Why? Because proper education is lacking.
The Rarity of Human Life & The Shame of Wasting It 🌏🙏
The sutras say: “A human body is hard to obtain, and the Dharma is difficult to encounter.”
Once we lose our human form, the chance of regaining a human birth in the next life is extremely small.
Conditions for Rebirth as a Human 🧭
What are the conditions required to be reborn as a human?
They are the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds, or in Confucian terms, the Five Relationships and Ten Moral Duties practiced without deficiency.
Body（身业）
- No Killing（不杀生） 🕊️
- No Stealing（不偷盗） 🔒
- No Sexual Misconduct（不邪淫） 🌸
Speech（口业）
- No False Speech（不妄语） 🗣️
- No Harsh Speech（不恶口） 😠✖️
- No Slander / Divisive Speech（不两舌） 🔪
- No Idle / Frivolous Talk（不绮语） 💬
Mind（意业）
- No Greed（不贪） 💛
- No Anger（不嗔） 🔥✖️
- Right View / No Ignorance（不痴・正见） 👁️
The difference in karmic results is unimaginably vast.
If these are fulfilled, one is certain to obtain a human body in the next life. The fact that we have obtained a human life in this lifetime means that in our past lives we practiced the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds reasonably well, and thus received this karmic reward.
But are we continuing this cultivation in this life? This is something each of us must ask ourselves.
The sages and worthies were originally the same as we are today. Yet they are now able to be reborn in the heavens, or even attain Buddhahood and Bodhisattvahood; while our thoughts, views, speech, and behavior today are unwholesome—
so our future destination is the hell, hungry ghost, or animal realms. The difference in karmic results is unimaginably vast. This truly is something shameful beyond words.
Learning Buddhism Is Learning to Become a “awakened” person 🌿
I often say that learning Buddhism means learning to become a sage — learning to become a truly “understanding” or “awakened” person (明白人). To be “understanding” in Buddhism does not simply mean knowing a bit of doctrine. It means clearly seeing cause and effect, knowing what should be done and what should not be done, and recognizing the true direction of one’s life. Only with this clarity can we elevate our state, live the life of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the present, and in the future enter their realm. This is the true goal of Buddhist practice.
Using This Body as a Tool for Goodness 🕊️
Right now, we must treat this physical body as a tool, using it to do more good for all sentient beings — to serve the people and to serve the nation.
Alignment with Liao-Fan’s Four Lessons 📜
Correct Faults, Cultivate Goodness, Accumulate Virtue ✨
From the perspective of Liao-Fan’s Four Lessons, this means:
- Correcting our faults
- Cultivating goodness
- Accumulating merit and virtue
- Becoming a good example for all
🌟 The Essential Role of Shame in Moral Transformation
Mencius said, “A sense of shame is of great importance to a person; with it, one can become a sage or a virtuous person, but without it, one sinks to the level of beasts. This is the essential pivot for correcting one’s faults.”
Confucianism teaches that “to know shame is close to courage.”
When one has the courage to acknowledge mistakes and reform oneself, one can become a sage or virtuous person; but if one lacks a sense of shame, one will fall into the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals.
“Knowing shame” is therefore a crucial key to self-correction—one we must not overlook.
✨ It is the gateway to moral growth and inner transformation.
🧭 A Conversation in Houston: Why Modern Society Lacks Restraint
When I was in Houston, USA, I once met a fellow practitioner who told me that today’s social turmoil and unrest must be addressed by helping people rediscover the sense of shame.
He said that the fundamental reason why people today dare to commit evil deeds is precisely because they no longer know shame. Therefore, he felt that in our time we must strongly advocate this principle and even establish a “Society for the Awareness of Shame.”
I agreed with his view. I said: “Very good. Draft the charter, and I will support it.”
Later, after I left the United States, the matter gradually faded. For any good cause to succeed, it must have dedicated people to continuously carry it forward.
One must look for people in society who still have some understanding of traditional moral values— those who, when they hear these teachings, can still feel joy and appreciation. Gather such people, establish an organization, study diligently, and promote these teachings with strength and sincerity.
If this is done, ✨ it would indeed be a profoundly good and meaningful undertaking.
⚖️ The Second Principle: Arising the Mind of Awe and Reverence
🌌 Heaven and Spirits Are Watching
“Second, one must give rise to a mind of fear and awe. Heaven and Earth are above; spirits and unseen beings cannot be deceived. Even if my faults are hidden and subtle, Heaven, Earth, and the spirits truly witness them. If the fault is serious, a hundred calamities will descend; if it is light, it will diminish my present blessings. How could I not be afraid?”
The second method of correcting one’s faults is to give rise to a mind of awe.
“Awe” means fear—but fear that contains respect and reverence.
Only when one understands fear can one give rise to sincerity and respect.
🧡 Why Ancient People Had Awe but Modern People Do Not
In the past, disciples felt reverence toward their parents and elders; students respected and feared their teachers —
both loving and respecting them, yet also holding a wholesome fear.
If a person has neither a sense of shame nor a sense of awe, then truly there is no evil they would not dare to commit.
Today, those who feel shame are few; those who hold reverence are also few. Why is this so?
📚 Because We Have Failed to Educate Properly
Human beings are not sages, nor Buddhas and Bodhisattvas returning to this world —
therefore, education is more important than anything else.
📜 Education as the Foundation of a Nation
🏛️ “To Build a Nation and Guide Its People, Education Must Come First”
The Book of Rites, Xueji records:
“When establishing a state and leading its people, teaching must come first.”
Since ancient times, whenever a new government or dynasty was established, within no more than five years, the state would formulate rites and music, and through them complete the work of educating and transforming the people.
Thus, in times of dynastic transition, the period of chaos was always short; order was restored quickly.
🔥 Why Our Era Has Become the Longest Period of Turmoil
Only our generation is truly unfortunate. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty until today, no system of rites and music has ever been established. Without the guidance of rites and music, this era will be recorded in history as a “time of disorder.” It is the longest period of social turmoil in Chinese history.
As a result:
- People’s lives lack stability
- Interpersonal relationships have no clear standards
- Society drifts without direction
Because there is no shared moral foundation for people to follow.
🏮 Funeral Customs Without Official Rites: What Should We Follow Today?
In Taiwanese folk tradition, when parents pass away, their children wear mourning clothes.
Some wear coarse hemp robes according to old customs, while others choose black Zhongshan suits.
Fellow practitioners once asked me:
“Are these practices in accordance with proper rites?”
🎎 My Answer
I said:
“Since the founding of the Republic of China, no official system of rites and music has ever been promulgated. Those who wear coarse hemp follow the rites of the Qing Dynasty; those who wear black clothing follow Western customs. Both are acceptable.
Since the nation has no official rites, anything reasonable can be practiced.”
👑 Why Rites Were Once So Important
In ancient imperial times, rulers placed tremendous importance on rites and music.
🧵 Clothing Could Not Be Worn Arbitrarily
One could not wear whatever clothing one liked.
Your attire had to correspond to your status and role:
- The scholar-official class
- The farming class
- The artisan class
- The merchant class
Each had its own distinctions.
A single glance would reveal:
- What profession you belonged to
- What your social position was
Those of lower status would naturally show respect,
making it easier for people to follow proper etiquette.
🌫️ Without Rites, Society Loses Order
Today, without a system of rites:
- Society lacks structure
- Relationships lose clarity
- Disorder spreads everywhere
This is why the world has fallen into chaos.
🌱 Living in Such a Time
We were born in this era, yet we still long for the harmonious social order of ancient times. However, we cannot ignore reality:
Even if others no longer uphold these principles, we must understand them clearly ourselves.
✨ Coming Next...
Next week in The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan Series #17: We will continue to explore the Heart of Fear and Reverence, and listen to Master Chin Kung personally recount stories about spirits and unseen beings.
✨ Essential Questions & Takeaways
Here are the central questions drawn from this chapter’s teaching. They are designed to clarify the main ideas and help you integrate the lesson into your daily thoughts and actions.
Do we truly understand that “Heaven and spirits cannot be deceived”?👁️
“鬼神难欺” is a universal law.
Every thought, intention, and hidden fault leaves a karmic trace.
- If the fault is light → present blessings diminish.
- If the fault is heavy → a hundred calamities will descend.
Knowing this, how can we not feel awe?
Do we still possess a sense of shame when we do wrong? 🫢
Shame (耻心) prevents us from crossing moral boundaries.
With shame → one becomes noble and upright.
Without shame → one falls toward the three lower realms.
This is the precise pivot for correcting faults.
Are we maintaining the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds that granted us this human life? 🌏
Our current human body is not accidental.
It is the karmic result of past precepts, virtue, and self-restraint.
If we do not continue that cultivation now, we will lose the human form in the next life.
If society has lost shame and awe, what is the real root cause? 📚
The collapse of education is the collapse of morality.
Without rites, teachings, and moral cultivation:
- People lose boundaries
- Social order disappears
- Chaos becomes the norm
✨ Education is the foundation of a nation.
✨ Education is the only path to restore shame, awe, morality, and order.
This is the true remedy for today’s social suffering.
What should I do with this rare human body? 🕊️
Use this body as a tool for virtue:
- Correct our faults
- Cultivate goodness
- Accumulate merit
- Influence and uplift others
This is the life of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the essence of Liao-Fan’s teachings.
✨ Coming Next...
Next week in The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan Series #17:
🌺 This week, we explored the first of the Three Hearts for correcting faults — the Heart of Shame (耻心), the starting point of all moral transformation.
Next week, we will continue with the second essential heart:✨ the Heart of Fear and Reverence (畏心).
And in the following chapter,
🔥 we will hear Master Chin Kung recount true stories of ghosts and spirits — powerful real-life lessons showing how karma, virtue, and the unseen world operate.
Stay tuned. 🙏
📚 Source: Venerable Master Chin Kung’s lecture on The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan, delivered on April 16, 2001, on Phoenix TV