What Kind of Person Is a Qualified Buddhist Disciple?

In school, a qualified student is surely a "three-good student" with all-round development in virtue, intelligence, and physical fitness. In Buddhism, a good disciple of the Buddha should be one with all-round development in precepts (śīla), meditative concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā), possessed of the six perfections (pāramitās) in full — a practitioner in whom ability and disposition of mind are perfectly combined. A person with both virtue and talent is a very rare and precious talent, extremely scarce. If someone has only a certain ability but his disposition is not wholesome and not gentle and pliable, such a person cannot be entrusted with important responsibilities. If the disposition is wholesome but ability is insufficient, he can still barely be used and can be cultivated. But if both ability and disposition are lacking, he must absolutely not be used.

The disposition of mind is manifested in non-self. Before eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), some people have a heavy sense of self, while others have a light one. Those with a slight sense of self can, of course, more easily eradicate the view of self and realize the fruits of the path than those with a heavy sense of self. Those who always want to control and dominate others are people with a heavy sense of self; those unwilling to be managed, unwilling to obey leadership, are also people with a heavy sense of self — their disposition is not harmonious, and in all cases it is the self-mind at work.

People with a slight sense of self are relatively easygoing and amiable, holding an indifferent attitude toward certain people and matters, not much concerned with their own position and power. In a group, it is most often these people with a heavy sense of self who cause problems; if there is no strong leader, the group will fall into complete chaos.

A Buddhist group will certainly have Dharma-protecting deities safeguarding it. The Dharma-protecting deities know each person's disposition of mind perfectly well — what disposition this person has, what purpose he holds, what role he can play — the Dharma-protecting deities know it all clearly. Therefore, what role a person should take on in the group will be managed by the Dharma-protecting deities. Some people have heavy selfish motives and would have a destructive effect on the group; the Dharma-protecting deities will find ways to remove and isolate them.