Everyone loves to have others' respect but does not know to respect himself, not knowing you have to first respect yourself before earning others' respect. How to respect yourself, then? You should bear in mind all the time: I want to be a great person, a fantastic person. For instance, if you want to become a pure, eminent monk, then you study the Biography of Eminent Monks and follow their examples. As the saying goes, "He is a great man; I am a great man, too." Say if you want to become a great bodhisattva, then you should cultivate the practice of the bodhisattva as much as you can according to the sutras- this is respecting yourself. However, self-respect is different from arrogance. Arrogance is one so puffed up with self-importance and full of conceit; self-respect is one nurturing his own virtue without looking down on anyone.

Don't ever think you can do things as you please because you are a child or a novice monk; don't say that you are an ordinary left-home person and wouldn't dare to think about becoming an eminent monk or a great bodhisattva. Everything is up to you-you will make it if you have a noble will. Where there is a will, there is a way.

If you think like this: I wouldn't dare to become an eminent monk or a great bodhisattva, then you might do your work casually and give up hope in yourself and walk down the path of falling, isn't that dangerous? You ought to know: Although your age is little, but your will has to aim high!

One more thing I would like to tell you, we now take refugee with the Buddha and leave the home life and this status is very honorable. The appearance of shaving the hair and wearing the kashaya sash is also manifestation as the teacher of humans and heavenly beings so when kings and heavenly beings come to pay respect and bow we can sit and receive it at ease. Do you understand this principle? From now on, you should respect yourself and don't take it lightly.

Left-home people should pay most attention to the four things above. I will talk no more. I will be in seclusion very soon so I won't be able to chat with you much often, and I'm sorry about that. But I still plan to talk about Vinaya during my seclusion three to four times a week. You are welcome to come over and listen if you have days off. I'm very happy to be with you today and I sincerely hope that you can keep in mind the four things that I talked about today. This talk has been going too long and you must be tired. I'm sorry!