Using one's own wisdom, one may find the following true:
It is difficult to be a human (to be born into a human body).
It is difficult to be able to listen to and understand Buddhist Dharma.
It is difficult to find and meet a true Buddhist master.
From my personal view, a true Buddhist master not only meets all the three criteria Most Venerable Thích Thanh Từ mentioned. S/he also has the following characteristics:
1.Simplicity: The true Buddhist follower and master leads a very simple life. Simplicity implies a profound thinker.
2.Equanimity and Respectfulness: The true Buddhist master respects every being, and treats every being equally, from the president of a superpower to a beggar on the street, or a dog lying on the side of a road in a poor country.
2.No Self: The true Buddhist master is selfless and humble. We can scarcely find any "I," "Mine," "Myself"...in his or her words. S/he rarely talks about his or her own life, or about what s/he has contributed, achieved or accomplished. Thoughts about a "self" are hardly found in a true Buddhist master. A typical example is the Dalai Lama's speech when He accepted the Nobel Prize.
3.Preaching not to please the audience, not to show off his/her knowledge or intellectual abilities, but to convey the truth to others:
And the truths are sometimes very difficult for many to accept and understand.
4. Compassion and tolerance: All great people show compassion and tolerance in a natural way in daily life. The same with a true Buddhist master.
5. Generosity: Giving away for the sake of the majority, and the multitude, contribution for others' happiness and well being...these are what true Buddhist masters usually do, and encourage others to do in their capacity.
