“Uh… From all that you’ve explained, the quality of an Arhat should be someone who
can realize that they are Buddha and express Buddhahood, or love and goodwill,
genuinely,” I replied.

“That’s right. Does being Buddha and expressing Buddhahood have limitations on
gender, status, and age?” he asked further.
“No…”

“I’ll tell you something. One of the 1,250 people here is a child of only 14 years old,
which confirms that Arhatship is not limited by age.”

“I’m starting to wonder what the Buddha will say tonight.”

“I want to tell you beforehand that what the Buddha will say today will be different
from every other time since the first year of proclaiming the truth. Because what he
always emphasized was the method that leads to wisdom, which is the path to
becoming Buddha. This was considered a very simple Dharma, so simple that some
ascetics looked down on it as superficial. But in the end, he was able to explain this
method and principle until it was understood and accepted.”

“What is the method and what is the principle?” I asked.

“The method that the Buddha always emphasized throughout his life is ‘to do good,
refrain from evil, purify the mind.’ Or in other words, to do everything with a mind of
love and genuine goodwill. That is the method to Buddhahood, or the path to wisdom.”

“Hmm… It is indeed simple. And what is the principle? Why does this method lead to
wisdom?” I asked.

“Firstly, when that mind expresses itself with genuine love and goodwill, that mind has
an energy level that aligns and is one with the Buddha-mind. That is, that mind is in the
realm of God, in peaceful happiness, in the realm of noble knowledge, in the realm of
light. And when one’s mind is one with the Buddha-mind, one with the mind of God,
one sees everything from God’s perspective.”

“Secondly, when that mind expresses itself with genuine love and goodwill, that mind
manifests as a type of frequency wave that expands or radiates outward. The result is
that it manifests as relinquishment, giving, and sharing, etc., which is the opposite of
the original wave, which is taking, hoarding, possessiveness, selfishness, etc. When a
person can naturally create this expanding wave, it is as if they have relinquished their
ego. It is a relinquishment that doesn’t require contemplation, doesn’t require mental
effort, because they are already in a state of egolessness, without realizing it. And this
state of egolessness is the state of expansion, leading to the realm of God. And then
they will have a heart like God.”

“Thirdly, when that mind expresses itself with genuine love and goodwill, that mind
will have power, especially power that is above the body, above the perception of the
gross or conscious mind, which often does everything with arrogance and willfulness.
This power is not a harsh or destructive power, but a creative power that can be
determined by humility, determined by acceptance, determined by understanding the
nature of all things. It is the power of the Buddha-mind, ultimately leading to subtle,
profound, and vast knowledge.”

“Fourthly, when that mind expresses itself with genuine love and goodwill, that mind
will be free. Because now one knows that hatred, prejudice, frustration, anxiety, etc.,
are like chains, the opposite of love. And now, if one has completely released them with
goodwill, it is as if one has freed this soul from confinement, from all anxiety. From now
on, one will only do noble things, create only good things, do only things that are
beneficial to oneself, to society, to the world, and to the universe.”

“Fifthly, when that mind expresses itself with genuine love and goodwill, that mind will
become so subtle that it connects with everything around it. One will see the small
things hidden in the corners, see the feelings in people’s eyes, see the character from
their speech. One will see the knots and wounds of the past from life experiences, hear
the subtle cries from people, animals, and plants, see the vastness that is beyond the
narrowness of the human mind. One will perceive dimensions that cannot be seen with
the eyes, heard with the ears, or perceived with physical touch, but one will see it with
a subtle heart, hear it with a humble heart, and perceive it from a mind filled with love
and goodwill.”

“Sixthly, when that mind expresses itself with genuine love and goodwill, that mind will
be above the world, above any conditions one has to face. One will no longer suffer, will
no longer be swayed or change one’s attributes according to the situations around. One
will know one’s own importance, know one’s duties, know the mission one should
fulfill, and will be a perfect collaborator with the world.”

“In fact, when anyone can express love and goodwill genuinely, there are many more
phenomena or results that cannot be fully described. This is the origin of the
thousands of principles that were established as guidelines for practice. Because the
wisdom of the soul, or spiritual wisdom, is a limitless phenomenon, a perfect state of
being born as a human being. It is the ultimate potential, not a superficial principle, as
the scholars and ascetics of that time understood. Therefore, the Buddha used this
principle to constantly remind the monks who volunteered to propagate his truth,
using it as a guideline for practice and teaching. So, every year there was a gathering of
Arhats, and at that time, no one knew that the events of this day would be recorded
and adopted as a tradition, which is the origin of Makha Bucha Day, as you know it
today.”

“If what the Buddha will say to those who came to see him today is not about the
principles of practice as he always says every year, then what is it about?” I asked
further.