“People who are intelligent: You don’t have to teach a lot. People who are not intelligent: No matter how much you teach them, they don’t understand. But this depends on the teacher, too. By and large, we teach when we’re in a bad mood. As when we teach our children: It’s only when we’re angry with them that we “teach” them, and then it’s just a matter of yelling at them. We’re not willing to teach them nicely. When people are in a bad mood, why should you teach one another? I’d say not to teach at that time. Wait until everyone’s in a better mood. No matter how wrong the other person is, put it aside for the time being. Wait until you’re both in a good mood.
Remember this, okay? From what I’ve observed, lay people teach their children only when they’re angry with them. And so it hurts the children’s feelings. You’re giving them something that’s not good, so why should they accept it? You suffer; your children suffer. That’s the way things are. We all like what’s good, but our goodness isn’t enough. If you try to give someone something good but you don’t have a sense of time and place, a sense of your role, nothing good comes from it. It’s like delicious food. You have to eat it with your mouth if you’re going to benefit from it. But try stuffing it in your ear: Will it give any benefit? Will that delicious food give any benefit? All of us have our openings. You have to look for the other person’s openings. That’s the way it is with everybody.”