There are three main reasons sentient beings perpetuate in samsara: first, clinging to impermanence as permanence; second, seeing activities that are inherently unsatisfactory as joyful; third, mistaking a non-existent self for a truly existent self. With these three forms of attachment, good and bad karma is created. With good karma, beings take rebirth in the upper realms of the gods and human beings; with bad karma, beings take rebirth in the lower realms such as hell, unable to transcend samsara and attain liberation.

Actually, the cause for liberation arises inside the self, not outside. Here we are referring not to our body but to our thoughts or mind. By overcoming the three forms of attachment, we can be free of mental afflictions and bondage; if these three forms of attachments are not eradicated, liberation cannot be attained.

How do we overcome this attachment? Not by burning incense, praying, or prostrating to the buddhas! Not by supernatural powers! The only way is to realize wisdom. Why is wisdom the only method that works? Because all three forms of attachment are basically manifestations of ignorance. Just as we use light, the opposite of darkness, to dispel darkness, we use wisdom, the opposite of ignorance, to dispel ignorance; all other methods are ineffective. Wisdom here denotes insight that fully apprehends impermanence, suffering, and selflessness. Although the practices on impermanence and suffering appear simple, they are essential to the path of liberation and must therefore be undertaken. By relying on these three types of wisdom, we can cut through the three forms of attachment that bind us to samsara. There is no reason liberation cannot be attained under the circumstance.

- Quote from The Four Seals of Dhama, "Summation"

The purpose for practicing the Dharma is not to gain health and wealth or be trouble-free in life but to attain liberation. In order to reach that final goal, all defilements must be eradicated first.

- Quote from The Right View, "The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life"

What then is man’s ultimate goal in life? Those having no faith can never find the answer. However, as Buddhists, our goal is to use the opportunity we have in this life to practice the Dharma diligently so as to be better equipped to benefit all sentient beings.

- Quote from The Right View, "A Buddhist’s Mode of Life"

In the case of the moth, all the explanations we make from the standpoint of physical matter are considered proximate causes. The distant cause is that the moth in its last life was a being much attached to form, one of the five aggregates, who cared strongly about its own look. With this kind of attachment, one will likely be reborn as a moth. The cause of the moth’s desperate tendency to fly into the flame is actually greed or desire.

- Quote from The Right View, "The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life"

Why is emptiness the essence of Buddhadharma? Because all buddhas and bodhisattvas have but one goal in mind, that is, to help sentient beings attain liberation. How can this be achieved? We cannot resolve the question of birth, aging, illness, and death, or obtain liberation by way of clairvoyant powers, etc. There is only one root cause of cyclic existence and only one method that can eliminate it. The root cause of cyclic existence is ignorance. All afflictions such as greed, anger, and delusion stem from ignorance or from self- attachment which arises from ignorance.

How do we overcome ignorance? Only wisdom can cut through ignorance, since wisdom and ignorance directly oppose or contradict one another. There is no such contradiction between ignorance and other methods like generosity, moral conduct, patience, and meditative absorption.

The wisdom herein refers not to worldly knowledge; it is the unsurpassed wisdom propagated by Buddha Sakyamuni, the realization of emptiness of self in person and in phenomena. The essence of the teachings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three times is none other than the wisdom that realizes emptiness.

- Quote from The Four Seals of Dhama, "All Phenomena Lack Self-Existence"

To those who know little about the Dharma, it is quite complicated to explain the path to liberation. Where is liberation? How to get there? One can always find a way to go to any place on earth from a map, but the path to liberation seems not so straightforward. It would be much easier if one follows the Buddha’s teachings, however. Imagine that all the people on the street are moving forward, but one of them suddenly turns around and starts walking back. On the road of samsara, most sentient beings are moving toward the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts and animals, whereas Dharma practitioners are heading back to the natural, pure state.

- Quote from The Right View, "The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life"

To make every effort not to let the beings hurt during the process is one way. Take fish as an example. Fish might get hurt when they jump out from the containers and land either on top of the containers or on the ground. To roughly grab and quickly throw it into the water, as normally done by some, may cause harm too. Other than birds perhaps, throwing usually gives animals a great sense of fear, which in turn can be detrimental to their mental condition. 

- Quote from The Right View, "Liberating Living Beings"

Indeed, even the slogans on the main roads say “We live but once!” but in fact this is not so. As sentient beings with strong karmic imprints, we will continue to take rebirth in samsara over countless lifetimes; however, without practice, we will only end this life in spiritual decline. As you know, beings who take rebirth in the lower realms – even in the most favorable animal realm – do not have a chance to practice Dharma, let alone hear the sacred designations and mantras of the buddhas. Beings in the hungry ghost and hell realms are even less likely to have this chance. Therefore, however busy or difficult it may be, we must still seize the moment to practice. If we forgo this most propitious opportunity, we cannot be sanguine about coming back as human beings again.

- Quote from The Four Seals of Dhama, "Summation"

Great compassion is at the core of Mahayana Buddhism, of which all Mahayana aspirations are born. It would not be Mahayana Buddhism without great compassion.

- Quote from The Right View, "Buddhism—the Definition"