Small Good and Great Good

Small goodness leaves traces that can be followed, and is easily noticed and perceived by others; great goodness is formless, not easily perceived, even less easily discovered, not easily understood, and may even be misunderstood.

Small goodness has short-term effects and can only take care of the immediate present; great goodness focuses on the root and the ultimate, on the long-term future, regardless of present gains and losses.

Small goodness is easily regarded as goodness, while great goodness may be regarded as evil; small goodness can be feigned, while great goodness disdains to be known by others; small goodness is praised by everyone, while great goodness is understood by few, and may even be hated. In short, people without wisdom always hold inverted and mistaken views, failing to understand the correct truth. If the inverted and mistaken views of worldly people were taken as the standard, then there would be no goodness left in the world!

If one follows the pointing of worldly people, one can only walk toward destruction and saṃsāra; if one turns away from the pointing of worldly people, one will surely be cursed and reviled by them. That great goodness is hard to practice and the great path is hard to walk is precisely this principle—all due to the obstruction of worldly people!

Worldly people have diseased eyes that produce illusory flowers, yet they claim that others have no pearls in their eyes, and level accusations recklessly—this is truly the delirium of consumption. When the disease has reached the vital organs and they refuse to heed the physician's advice, they are hard to save and hard to cure, and can only suffer according to their karma.