No need to put the blame on others.
If you want to escape continuous karma,
Do not slander the Tathagata's wheel of right Dharma.


Master Yung-chia warns that those who harbor evil thoughts about the Dharma are harming themselves, because they will have to suffer the consequences of the bad karma they create. You are responsible for all of your willful thoughts, words and actions. If you wish to slander Buddhadharma, or harm anyone for that matter, it is your choice, but you should not blame anyone or anything if events turn against you. You reap what you sow, so be careful which karmic seeds you plant.

Unfortunately, in Yung-chia's time many people did not heed the warning, and they took delight in slandering Buddhism; but through all the persecutions, Ch'an survived. Why did Ch'an flourish when so many other Buddhist schools died out? One reason is that Ch'an was already deeply rooted in Chinese culture. More importantly, however, is that it is hard to find a weak point in Ch'an. In fact, if you attack Ch'an, you will discover that there is nothing to lay your hands on. From a theoretical standpoint, there are no concrete tenets that one can identify and refute. From a practical point of view, Ch'an never singles out one specific style or behavior to which all followers must conform.