Chapter Ten: Belief and Dedication 2

The Founding Master said, “The spiritual capacities of all practitioners vary by thousands and tens of thousands of degrees, but they may generally be categorized into the three levels of high, medium, and low. High spiritual capacity refers to that capacity in which judgment and belief are immediately established upon seeing and hearing the right dharma, so that one carries out all spiritual practices with self-confidence. Medium spiritual capacity refers to that capacity in which one neither comprehends with precision nor is totally ignorant and so, being unable to resolve one’s doubts, is always weighing the dharma and one’s teacher. Low spiritual capacity refers to that capacity in which one is unable to differentiate the perverse from the upright, and so, if well guided, conforms directly to that guidance without calculating or doubting. Of these three spiritual capacities, high is most valued and desired in religious orders. A person of high spiritual capacity will have no delays in his practice and will help expand daily the work of the religious order. The capacity that is second most worthwhile to guide is a person of low spiritual capacity who has a sincerely believing mind; for, although he may not have self-confidence, his dedicated effort to progress will not cease since he values the dharma and sincerely believes in the teacher; thus, he will ultimately be able to succeed. The one who is most difficult to guide and the most fickle, however, is a person of medium capacity. Such a person is likely to take the dharma lightly and to look down on the teacher. In all matters he lacks genuine sincerity, so it is extremely difficult for him to experience success in his practice or in his work. Therefore, those at the medium level must work hard to transcend that level. Of those at the low level, some may jump straight to the high level; but for those who cannot and who instead advance by passing through the stage of medium capacity, that is a dangerous phase that they must be cautious about.”