Only by Diligently Seeking Enlightenment Can One Avoid Misinterpreting the Buddhist Scriptures and the Buddha's Intent.

Anyone may misinterpret the Buddhist sutras and the Buddha's meaning, but as long as one does not assert one's own views with certainty, there is no great fault, and one will not necessarily mislead others. In the process of learning Buddhism, one will inevitably err again and again—no one is exempt from this. The key lies in what attitude one holds toward one's own views, and in grasping to what degree one can be confident that one's views are correct; one must handle this with proper measure. The only one who is without error is the Buddha alone. Even when Maitreya Bodhisattva expounds the Dharma, the Buddha would not affirm it one hundred percent. Enlightened bodhisattvas may also make mistakes when expounding the Dharma, and before attaining enlightenment, there will be even more errors in one's exposition of the Dharma. Ordinary mistakes are of no consequence; the crucial point is that at the most critical junctures, there must be no error, because these critical points concern the major issue of whether the sentient beings who follow and learn from one can attain realization. This is a turning point in sentient beings' lives, and at this turning point, there must absolutely be no mistake. As long as the goal and direction are correct, everything else is a minor issue that can be corrected and rectified. When we learn Buddhism, we must strive diligently to seek realization. After realization, as we continue to study the Dharma, whatever we learn we attain as we learn it, and often we achieve twice the result with half the effort.