# Lighting the Heart Lamp with Small Reading Groups

{% Original title: 用小读点亮心灯 %}
{% "小读" (xiǎo dú) = small reading group, a grassroots format for group reading and discussion of wisdom texts %}
{% "心灯" (xīn dēng) = heart lamp, a Chan/Zen metaphor for innate wisdom that illuminates from within %}

------ A Dharma talk at the Nianhua Hall Small Reading Session, December 28, 2019

{% "拈花堂" (Niānhuā Táng) = Nianhua Hall, literally "Flower-Twirling Hall," named after the Buddha's wordless sermon where he held up a flower and Mahākāśyapa smiled %}

I am delighted to see so many of you attending this exchange on small reading groups. From the sharing just now, I can see how many people are actively promoting small reading groups and benefiting from them --- I deeply rejoice in this.

{% "随喜" (suíxǐ) = anumodana, the Buddhist practice of rejoicing in the meritorious deeds of others %}

## 1. Reading from the Perspective of Culture

{% Original heading: 一、从文化的定位来读书 %}
{% The speaker frames Buddhism as "culture" rather than "religion" --- a strategic positioning that allows broader dissemination in China's regulatory environment %}

Our nation now calls for a comprehensive revival of the fine traditional culture of the Chinese people. This policy is truly inspiring. As Chinese people, how should we inherit and transmit our traditional culture? China is one of the four great ancient civilizations, with a culture stretching back to antiquity. From the Spring and Autumn period through the Sui and Tang dynasties, there was a flourishing of diverse schools of thought, culminating in the golden age of the Tang dynasty. After Buddhism entered China, it brought a new intellectual height to Chinese culture. However, as national power declined --- especially after the late Qing period when Western powers invaded --- the Chinese people's confidence in their traditional culture was deeply shaken, and they turned instead to Western culture. Today, every aspect of society --- from production and daily life to culture and entertainment --- is pervasively influenced by Western material civilization. While this has certainly brought great convenience to our lives, its side effects cannot be ignored.

In the past, we believed that all our problems and suffering were caused by poverty, as if money could solve everything. Now, many people have become wealthy, yet happiness has not followed. As material goods proliferate, society itself has become materialized. Correspondingly, we see environmental degradation, the loss of spiritual aspiration, and ever-increasing afflictions. Why is this? Precisely because we have neglected to attend to the mind. In truth, the mind is the very foundation of happiness. Buddhism is a study of the nature of mind; it can guide us to understand the mind, cultivate a positive mental attitude, character, and quality of life, and ultimately illuminate the mind and see our true nature. In our present era, Buddhism holds an irreplaceable and unique value.

{% "心性之学" (xīnxìng zhī xué) = study of mind-nature, a core concept in Chinese Buddhism (especially Chan) emphasizing direct insight into the nature of one's own mind %}
{% "明心见性" (míngxīn jiànxìng) = illuminate the mind and see one's true nature --- the quintessential goal of Chan/Zen practice %}

Our government is now promoting the "Belt and Road" multilateral cooperation, which involves not only economic exchange but also cultural integration. Against this backdrop, the need to transmit the fine traditional culture of the Chinese people is especially urgent. As Chinese people today, we cannot shirk this responsibility. With regard to Buddhism, there are two ways to position it: as a religion or as a culture. If positioned as a religion, activities can only take place at religious sites. But as a culture, there are no such restrictions.

{% This distinction between Buddhism-as-religion and Buddhism-as-culture is a recurring theme in contemporary Chinese Buddhist discourse, allowing practice communities to operate within legal frameworks while maintaining a broad public presence %}

During President Xi's visit to India, he said: "Why did the great scholar Ji Xianlin study Sanskrit? Because he wanted to delve into the Buddhist scriptures. And why delve into the Buddhist scriptures? Because China's national learning has already been permeated by the essential meaning of the Buddhist scriptures."

{% 季羡林 (Jì Xiànlín, 1911--2009): renowned Chinese linguist and Indologist who translated the Ramayana and studied Sanskrit Buddhist texts %}
{% The quote from Xi Jinping situates Buddhist study as a patriotic act of cultural preservation %}

From this we can see that without understanding Buddhism, one cannot properly grasp the full scope of Chinese culture, let alone transmit it. Therefore, our first priority is to approach reading from the cultural perspective.

Reading is not only about transmitting culture --- it also transforms our life product. In a certain sense, life itself is a product. How is this product formed? Has it been carefully crafted?

An artist cares about their artwork; an entrepreneur cares about the products they make. Yet all these are external things. What concerns us most intimately is this very life product --- the confluence of the five aggregates. The physical and mental experiences it brings are something we cannot escape for even a moment. If these experiences are agitation, depression, anxiety, or hatred, then no matter how much pleasure we have, where is happiness to be found? Modern people value product experience and strive for perfection in that regard, yet they do not value the experience that their own life product brings --- they do not even think of improving it. This is putting the cart before the horse. A defective product can be discarded or returned, but when our life product malfunctions, it cannot be discarded, it cannot be returned. Even when this life ends, these problems will continue into the next life and affect our future existence.

{% "五蕴" (wǔyùn) = the five aggregates (skandhas): form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness --- the Buddhist analysis of what constitutes a "person" %}
{% The "life product" (生命产品) metaphor frames Buddhist practice as quality improvement of one's own being %}
{% 济群 assumes the listener understand 轮回 here. %}

The reality before us is that the incidence of mental illness is increasing year by year. Some experts believe that the twenty-first century will be the century of mental illness. Some may think that their own mental state is fine and unrelated to these issues. Even if that is truly the case, we must recognize that in today's interdependent society, no one can remain unaffected in isolation. In ancient times, when transportation was poor, people could find a secluded corner to live in even during turbulent times. But with the development of transportation and information technology, humanity now engages in unprecedented close interaction and has truly become a community of shared destiny where a slight move in one part affects the whole. As long as some people's minds are not healthy, the world will not be at peace. So it is not enough to keep ourselves physically and mentally healthy --- we must also care for society at large. Only when more people are healthy in body and mind, and rich in loving-kindness, can we find genuine safety and security.

I believe everyone in the world wishes for a better self. How can we create a better self? How can we prevent illness, treat illness, and cultivate a healthy body and mind? This cannot be separated from wisdom culture. One could say that human beings are products of culture. And wisdom culture is the common heritage of humanity --- it is needed by all people regardless of nationality. Therefore, inheriting and transmitting this culture is especially important in today's society. For humanity, it holds eternal significance.

Reading is the classic way to inherit and transmit culture. In terms of reading methods, the small reading group approach is simple and easy to implement. Of course, the question is not just about the method --- what we read matters even more. Because the culture we absorb shapes our views, shapes our mentality, and shapes our character. Embracing a culture of awakening will lead us from a life of confusion toward a life of awakening.

## 2. Effective Transmission Depends on the Model

{% Original heading: 二、传播效果在于模式 %}
{% Introduces the "McDonald's model" analogy --- standardized, replicable systems for cultural transmission %}

Once we recognize the importance of cultural transmission, we must establish an effective model for implementation. On this matter, the West has many successful experiences. McDonald's can sell hamburgers and fries around the world --- the key lies in its business model. With a model, rapid replication is possible while maintaining quality and consistency. Past approaches to cultural transmission, however, have often been like running a small shop, where the outcome depends heavily on the individual doing the work. This makes replication and growth extremely difficult.

{% The McDonald's analogy recurs throughout the talk --- the speaker uses it to advocate for standardized, scalable methods over individual-hero approaches %}

The Three-level Study Program was designed precisely to address this problem --- providing a standardized, broadly accessible model for learning and transmitting wisdom culture. On this foundation, we have further refined specific models for study, practice, and charitable activities. Among the existing lamp-transmission projects, the small reading group is a simple, easy, and highly effective method worthy of promotion.

{% "三级修学" (sānjí xiūxué) = Three-level Study Program, the structured curriculum system (beginner, intermediate, advanced) of this Buddhist community %}
{% "传灯" (chuándēng) = lamp transmission, a metaphor tracing back to the Chan tradition's "Transmission of the Lamp" records; here it means passing on the Dharma through teaching and outreach %}

How can we truly benefit from reading? Hearing, contemplating, and practicing are the constant path of Buddhist study, also known as the three studies that lead beyond contamination. The Eight Steps and Three Meditations are derived from this framework.

{% "闻思修" (wén sī xiū) = hearing/studying the Dharma, contemplating its meaning, and putting it into practice --- the threefold framework of Buddhist cultivation %}
{% "三无漏学" (sān wúlòu xué) = the three undefiled studies: morality (śīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā) %}
{% "八步三禅" (bābù sānchán) = Eight Steps and Three Meditations, a structured contemplative method developed within this community for digesting Dharma teachings %}

"Hearing" means listening --- when we read, we are reading both for others and for ourselves. Next, through contemplation, we must transform the Dharma principles into our own views and mental attitudes. Once our views and attitudes have been corrected, we must further reinforce them through practice, thereby elevating the quality of our lives. When combined with the Eight Steps and Three Meditations, the results are even more effective. So whether or not others take it in, we ourselves must take it in. Whether or not others change, we ourselves must change. Our reading is called "quiet-mind reading" --- through reading, we quiet the mind. While transmitting culture, we use its wisdom to guide us, to know ourselves, and to perfect our character.

{% "静心读书" (jìngxīn dúshū) = quiet-mind reading, a practice of reading as meditation rather than mere information intake %}

## 3. Recognizing the Importance of Small Reading Groups

{% Original heading: 三、认识小读的重要性 %}

Modern people lead disordered and restless lives. Many have never even asked themselves: what kind of existence am I? If we do not manage our lives, our life amounts to nothing more than a heap of mistaken ideas and a jumble of chaotic emotions. We neither know who we are nor can see the direction of our life. Busy day after day in pursuit of happiness, we ceaselessly create afflictions instead. Only by lighting the heart lamp can we illuminate the path ahead.

{% "烦恼" (fánnǎo) = kleśa, mental afflictions --- the root disturbances of mind that cause suffering in Buddhist psychology %}

We need to explore ways of inheriting and passing on culture --- for example, through reading. Reading itself is a process of learning and passing on culture. We also need to explore ways of disseminating culture, such as the various lamp-transmission activities: small reading groups, intensive reading groups, and many other formats. Among reading methods, the small reading group is an excellent approach. If we use our minds skillfully, the simpler, the more profound. Even this simple reading method can serve to pass on and disseminate wisdom culture.

{% "越简单，越高明" (yuè jiǎndān, yuè gāomíng): "the simpler, the more profound" --- a Chan-influenced view that depth arises from simplicity, not complexity %}

The Dharma tells us that everyone is inherently endowed with a wisdom lamp --- everyone has the capacity for self-redemption. This is the Buddha's greatest gift to humanity, showing us the hope of life. Otherwise, in this boundless universe, the few decades of this present life are far too insignificant. Beyond the fleeting worldly pleasures before us, we can find no ultimate meaning or value. We must light the lamp and pass it on, so that within everyone's heart, the lamp of wisdom is kindled.

{% "点灯、传灯" (diǎndēng, chuándēng): "light the lamp, pass the lamp" --- a core metaphor of the community's mission; self-awakening followed by helping others awaken %}

The mind not only determines our own state --- it also determines the state of the world. As it is said, when the mind is pure, the world is pure. When our inner world is pure, our relationships become harmonious, and the world becomes filled with compassion and warmth, with light and hope.

{% "心净则国土净" (xīn jìng zé guótǔ jìng): "when the mind is pure, the land is pure" --- from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, a foundational Mahayana teaching on the relationship between inner purity and the external world %}

Having the opportunity to inherit and transmit such a culture is the result of good karmic conditions accumulated over countless eons. It is a blessing for all beings, a blessing for society. The "small" in small reading groups refers only to the scale of each activity. Done well, they can bloom everywhere, spreading across the world like McDonald's. Through lamp-passing, through reading groups, through small reading sessions, we light our own heart lamp while helping more people light theirs, so that this world is filled with warmth, with light, with love, with hope, and with compassion.

{% "多生累劫的善缘" (duōshēng lěijié de shànyuán): good karmic affinities accumulated over many lifetimes and eons --- the Buddhist view that present opportunities arise from vast spans of past causes and conditions %}

## 4. Conducting Small Reading Groups According to the "Three Principles"

{% Original heading: 四、依"三种精神"做好小读 %}
{% The "Three Principles" (自觉、法治、无我利他) form the organizational philosophy introduced after a 2018 restructuring %}

Since 2018, we have undergone lamp-multiplying and institutional reform aimed at establishing a decentralized platform, and we have put forward three management principles: self-awareness, rule-based governance, and selfless service to others.

{% "分灯" (fēndēng): lamp-multiplying --- the deliberate decentralization of leadership and authority, so that no single person or center holds all the lamps; each node becomes self-sustaining %}
{% 自觉 (zìjué) = self-awareness, voluntary commitment %}
{% 法治 (fǎzhì) = rule-based governance, operating through shared standards rather than personal authority %}
{% 无我利他 (wúwǒ lìtā) = selfless service to others, acting without ego-attachment for the benefit of others %}

The first is the principle of self-awareness. Our participation in study programs and reading groups is entirely voluntary. We have deeply recognized the perils of samsara and the value of the Dharma for our lives, and so we willingly accept this mode of learning and willingly aspire to benefit others. We are not doing this on someone else's behalf, nor are we doing it to satisfy our own sense of importance, superiority, or desire to control.

{% "重要感、优越感和主宰欲" (zhòngyào gǎn, yōuyuè gǎn, hé zhǔzǎi yù): the three ego-driven motivations --- sense of importance, sense of superiority, and desire to control --- identified as subtle traps in spiritual service %}

The second is the principle of rule-based governance. Our aim is not to form an organization but to offer a set of courses and learning methods that help everyone inherit and transmit the fine traditional culture of the Chinese people. Whether it is running classes, leading groups, providing charitable care, or the currently advocated small reading groups, intensive reading groups, and cultural spaces --- all are explorations of models. With a model to rely on, people need only receive the corresponding learning, training, and mentoring to eventually master the standards and become stewards of this model. Thus we achieve self-awareness, independence, optimization, and lamp-multiplying through the model, rather than relying on third-party leadership. Blockchain technology, popular in recent years, emphasizes decentralization and peer-to-peer services --- in this sense it is quite similar. In the process of implementation, we will also provide support services.

{% The blockchain analogy is noteworthy --- the speaker maps Buddhist organizational philosophy onto contemporary technological metaphors of decentralization %}

The third is the principle of selfless service. It is through readers' needs that we form Dharma connections with them, giving ourselves the opportunity to cultivate merit and wisdom. Therefore, we should be grateful to our readers for giving us the chance to offer the Dharma. We serve them with this attitude, rather than reading to them with an air of superiority.

{% "法缘" (fǎyuán) = Dharma connection, the karmic affinity formed through sharing or receiving the Dharma %}
{% "修福增慧" (xiūfú zēnghuì) = cultivate merit (puṇya) and increase wisdom (prajñā) --- the two accumulations in Mahayana Buddhism %}
{% "法布施" (fǎ bùshī) = Dharma giving, the highest form of generosity in Buddhism --- sharing the teachings %}

We must fully grasp these three principles and apply them in practice and promotion, so that small reading groups can effectively serve the public and serve society.

## 5. The Eight Tasks for Running a Small Reading Group

{% Original heading: 五、做好小读八件事 %}
{% This section provides a practical operational manual for running a small reading group %}

How do we use the small reading group model to build a solid foundation for lamp-transmission? By carrying out the eight tasks of small reading groups:

First, there must be a lead person. The bar for a small reading group is not high --- you do not need years of study before you can do it. As long as you have the aspiration, anyone can run a small reading group. However, it is not enough to simply have people. Without a lead person, without mentoring, things are likely to become disorganized. Mentoring is essential so that things can progress in an orderly manner and every participant can play a role.

Second, there must be a team. It can be a few people, or it can be formed around a class or mentoring group. For team-building, talent is especially important --- without it, nothing else matters. So we must emphasize talent development --- for instance, holding regular exchanges, sharing experiences, and learning from each other's strengths. At the same time, we must provide growth opportunities for those with aspiration and ability. At the learner and coordinator stages, use small reading groups to build the foundation. From "attained person" and above, there is flexibility in approach; then grow into lead speaker, lecturer, and eventually a lamp-transmission emissary.

{% "学人、主事、达人" (xuérén, zhǔshì, dárén): learner, coordinator, attained person --- three stages of the community's talent development ladder %}
{% "传灯使者" (chuándēng shǐzhě): lamp-transmission emissary --- the highest stage of outreach practitioner, someone who can independently establish and sustain Dharma communities %}

Third, there must be a model. We need to form a basic model for how to run a small reading group well. What are the steps? What are the key points? These must be standardized. With a basic model in place, it can then be optimized according to actual conditions. If simply reading feels insufficiently engaging to some, the atmosphere can be enhanced through venue arrangement that creates a Zen ambience, or by adding activities like tea ceremony, health cultivation, or Zen and life aesthetics before or after the reading to attract different audiences. Of course, the reading itself is the core --- reading time must be ensured --- while these supplementary activities enrich the overall experience. In this regard, each location can adapt to local conditions. If participants prefer pure reading, that is the best --- there is no need to add anything else.

Fourth, there must be management awareness. Develop a plan and promotion strategy for how to carry out small reading groups, ensuring that there is planning, implementation, and monitoring. Through summarization and continuous optimization of the model, the quality will steadily improve, rather than doing things haphazardly.

Fifth, there must be mentoring. There is a tendency in Chinese culture toward individual heroism --- things go well when a capable person is in charge, but may not when someone else takes over. By contrast, McDonald's maintains the same product preparation, service standards, and store image everywhere. By replicating this model, quality and customer experience are assured. We too must develop basic guidelines for running a small reading group well, and foster a cohort of accomplished practitioners and model teams. Then, through training and mentoring, pass on these experiences. If one person mentors two or three, and they in turn mentor two or three more, that truly becomes the endless lamp.

{% "传帮带" (chuán bāng dài): a three-part mentoring model --- transmit (knowledge), help (support practically), guide (by example). A core methodology of the community %}
{% "无尽灯" (wújìn dēng): the endless lamp, from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra --- one lamp lights many, yet its own light is undiminished; a metaphor for exponential Dharma transmission %}

Bringing one person into the study program through a small reading group is just one person. But mentoring one person to run a small reading group adds an entire node. That node can then branch into two, five, or even more nodes --- how many people will be reached? If bringing someone into the study program is like nurturing a seedling, a small reading group is like sowing seeds --- widely forming Dharma connections.

Sixth, there must be quality service. The core of service is the user experience. We must create a positive atmosphere, understand the needs of participants, and in the principle of selfless service, use wisdom culture to help people resolve their confusion, afflictions, and suffering. The most effective small reading groups today are often those that put great care into creating the right atmosphere. When there is a sense of connection, people want to come back and bring their friends and family. If we ignore the participant's experience and simply do things our own way, the results may not be good. On the Bodhisattva path, our practice must center on sentient beings --- thinking what they think, bringing service right to their hearts.

{% "菩萨道" (púsà dào) = Bodhisattva path, the Mahayana ideal of striving for enlightenment not merely for oneself but for the liberation of all beings %}
{% "场" (chǎng): literally "field," here meaning the intangible atmosphere or energetic quality of a gathering space --- an important concept in Chinese Buddhist community building %}

Seventh, there must be continuous optimization. We must grasp the management philosophy of the Three-level Study Program: "centered on projects, guided by mentoring, with talent development as the thread." The existing model and standards for small reading groups must be continuously optimized through learning, application, and practice.

{% "以项目为中心，以传帮带为纲领，以人才成长为线索": the three-pronged management philosophy --- projects as the focus, mentoring as the guiding principle, talent development as the connecting thread %}

Eighth, there must be aspirational standards. Currently, small reading groups across different locations vary greatly. In some places, the results are excellent --- high return rates and rapid class formation. In others, attendance is weak, return rates are low, and class formation is slow. What accounts for these differences? We must distill the successful experiences so that everyone knows what conditions are necessary for a good small reading group. If a group is not doing well, participants can self-assess and know how to improve.

## 6. Vow is the Greatest Driving Force

{% Original heading: 六、愿心是最大的动力 %}
{% "愿心" (yuànxīn) = the mind of vow, bodhicitta aspiration --- the altruistic determination to achieve awakening for the benefit of all beings %}

Beyond an effective operational model, what matters most for running a small reading group well is the power of vows. For people today especially, living in a more chaotic environment than any previous era, without a powerful vow it is very difficult to transcend the ordinary mind. In our current being, greed, anger, and ignorance are still the majority shareholders; awakening holds only a small stake. Often, even though we recognize the value of the Dharma, we are swept along helplessly by the torrent of emotions, delusions, desires, and habitual tendencies --- and the Dharma can play only a very limited role.

{% "凡夫心" (fánfū xīn) = ordinary mind, the mind governed by afflictions and self-clinging, contrasted with the awakened mind %}
{% "贪嗔痴" (tān chēn chī) = greed (rāga), anger (dveṣa), ignorance (moha) --- the three root poisons in Buddhist psychology %}
{% The "shareholder" metaphor is a modern, business-inflected way of describing the internal power dynamics of the mind %}

Therefore, we must diligently engage in hearing, contemplating, and cultivating, so that the Bodhi seed may grow swiftly and become the guiding force of the mind. Every time we hold a reading group, we are engaging in extensive learning and practice, planting and nourishing the Bodhi seed so that its strength steadily increases. Not only do others benefit --- we ourselves are certainly the greatest beneficiaries. Having the karmic fortune to study wisdom culture, seeing the way out and the hope for life, and at the same time seeing the myriad beings mired in ignorance, affliction, and suffering, we must give rise to vast compassion. In concrete implementation, we can start with those around us and encourage classmates to participate together. In the process of running reading groups, as everyone abides in the Dharma and sees wisdom culture taking effect, the study atmosphere can be effectively energized. Further, we can bring reading groups into our families, back to our hometowns, and to all those with whom we have karmic affinity.

{% "菩提种子" (pútí zhǒngzi) = Bodhi seed, the latent potential for awakening present in every being; through practice it is watered and nourished until it blossoms %}
{% "多闻薰习" (duōwén xūnxí) = extensive learning and gradual permeation --- the process by which repeated exposure to Dharma teachings gradually transforms the mind, like fragrance permeating cloth %}

The Avatamsaka Sutra's "Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra" chapter says, "Of all offerings, the Dharma offering is supreme." The Diamond Sutra also says that offering the seven treasures of a great thousand-world system, or offering bodies as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, cannot compare to understanding the Dharma and expounding it for others. This is no exaggeration.

{% 《普贤行愿品》(Pǔxián Xíngyuàn Pǐn) = the "Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra" chapter of the Avatamsaka Sūtra (Huáyán Jīng), one of the most recited texts in Chinese Buddhism, known for its ten great vows %}
{% 《金刚经》(Jīngāng Jīng) = the Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra), a foundational Prajñāpāramitā text emphasizing emptiness and the merit of sharing the Dharma %}

For only by studying wisdom culture can we move from confusion to awakening and realize enduring well-being. Without such wisdom, what use is even the greatest wealth? One will still fall ill when illness comes, will still be afflicted when afflictions arise. So we must recognize the value of Dharma giving, arouse a mighty vow, and resolve that through small reading groups we will bring more people into the study program.

{% "法布施" (fǎ bùshī) = Dharma giving --- sharing the teachings is considered the highest form of generosity because it addresses the root cause of suffering rather than merely alleviating its symptoms %}

Experience in running reading groups also builds a foundation for future roles in guidance and many other capacities. Because we are on the front lines of samsara, constantly interacting with sentient beings and truly sensing their needs and problems, when the time comes to lead a class we will be mentally prepared. In the future, with comprehensive capabilities and qualities, we can become outstanding lamp-transmission emissaries, better serving the public and all beings.

{% "轮回" (lúnhuí) = samsara, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth driven by karma and afflictions %}

（Revised version, February 25, 2022）
