Master Yin Shun is very kind indeed. His smile is always genial and amiable. In response to the request of all Tzu Chi members present, he gave the following lecture: "In human life, the two most important things are blessings and wisdom. We should cultivate both of them by studying hard and working hard. Otherwise, when we become old, we will be just as ignorant as we were when we were young. What is the significance of life then? I hope all of you will promulgate the Buddhist teachings and cultivate blessing and wisdom. You should improve yourself through these two directions."

Master Yin Shun has devoted his whole life to studying the Buddha's philosophy, expounding the concepts of Mahayana Buddhism, and inspiring numerous people to study Buddhism. For such a great spiritual mentor, the above instructions certainly cannot reflect the vastness of his whole thought. However, his encouraging people to make use of this life to cultivate both blessings and wisdom is just as plain, pragmatic and cordial as the instructions of "Be committed to Buddhism and to all living beings," which he gave to Master Cheng Yen thirty-six years ago.

In the last ten to twenty years, all Taiwan has experienced the humanizing of the Buddhist teachings in daily life. This has been in large part due to Master Yin Shun's guidance of the tendencies of modern people. He has proclaimed the idea that ordinary people can act like bodhisattvas, and he has emphasized that this is the way that leads to the buddha-truth. He doesn't put on a show of esoteric mystery, nor does he brag about his abstruseness or supernatural powers. Instead, he teaches us to do everything with simplicity and steadfastness.

In his book Buddha in the Human World, he pointed out that the desire of ordinary people to attain enlightenment is the foundation on which to become saints and buddhas. After we make the vow to pursue the way leading to enlightenment, we must not overlook the anxieties and shallow wisdom that we ordinary people have. We must "work step by step to have the correct views, to destroy the obstacles of anxieties, and to build up our blessings and merits."

As to how to work step by step, Master Yin Shun emphasizes, "A bodhisattva's vow includes confidence, commitment, wisdom, and above all a compassionate heart." He teaches clearly and exhaustively: "A bodhisattva is always altruistic. If a Buddhist practitioner only cares about whether he can be liberated from the cycle of reincarnation and is indifferent to anything altruistic, then no matter how confident and how diligent he is, he can never become a bodhisattva." Only when you have a compassionate heart and vow to redeem all people from their suffering can you be as compassionate as a bodhisattva and have the bodhi-mind of a buddha.

The effectiveness of the "humanization of the Buddhist teachings" that Master Yin Shun wrote about over forty years ago is proven by the charitable behavior and efforts of many Tzu Chi members. They are ordinary people, yet they have made the initial determination to act like bodhisattvas. Their way of cultivation is practical and easy to learn. They try to relieve others first before they seek enlightenment themselves. In the course of relieving others, they have learned to shoulder responsibility and bear blame, and to sacrifice their own benefit for the benefit of others. They have realized that life is impermanent, that everything comes and goes according to karmic conditions, and that people are interdependent. From this comprehension, the hearts of Tzu Chi people have become more compassionate. They do good deeds naturally and happily and they serve people with broader minds.