| Life Sutra | ||||||
| By Dharma Master Cheng Yen Translated by Teresa Chang | ||||||
In early July, I set out from Hualien, eastern Taiwan, and visited Tzu Chi offices around the island. The scenery on the way was beautiful, but I also found beauty in the hearts of people I met at each stop, especially from those who shared how they had turned their deluded lives around. When I listened to them, my heart resonated with them and their stories. Some people had attained great material wealth, but had lost themselves in it and lived a troubled life. After they joined Tzu Chi, they learned to humble themselves, change their ways, and show care for their families and for society. By doing so, they became rich spiritually. Some people had been hit by adversities which devastated both their health and finances. But instead of giving up, they managed to overcome and transcend their setbacks. The ways in which they turned their lives around are living sutras that can inspire us all. One of the stories I heard was that of a man from Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. He began using illegal drugs when he was in middle school, and he was repeatedly jailed. Every time he was released, he’d tell himself he would never touch drugs again. But when his old friends sought him out, he would go back to his old ways. A large part of his life was thus spent in and out of jail. Not only was his precious youth wasted, but he also began to suffer from depression. His parents were very sad about his situation and felt helpless to do anything. Things began to change six years ago when he was invited to volunteer at a Tzu Chi recycling station. There he saw how people suffering from depression had gotten better after doing recycling for some time. He decided to give it a try. Gradually, he began to realize that the real value of life was in doing good things for others and for the world. The more he helped out at the station, the happier he became. He volunteered there every day. Seeing that he had transformed into a “new” man, some volunteers wanted to help him get a job. But his mother declined their kind offers. She wanted him to stay in the benevolent environment of the recycling station; her mind could only be at ease when he was with Tzu Chi volunteers. I can only imagine how she must have worried about her son over the years. I also heard the story of another man. Unable to resist material temptations when he was young, he accumulated a lot of credit card debt. Police officers and creditors began visiting his home, looking for him. His parents felt so harassed they would jump at the sound of the doorbell. One day, unable to endure it any more, they gave him a little telling off. The man got so upset that he left home. He wandered aimlessly for nearly 18 years after that. Things got so bad for him that he had to eat leftover food that people threw away. Eventually, chance brought him to a Tzu Chi recycling station, where he saw people from all walks of life giving of themselves. No matter if they were company owners, university professors, laborers, or street vendors, the volunteers took time out of their busy schedules and helped out at the station. They all spoke kindly to him. Feeling that everyone was equal at the station and that no one looked down on him, he began to volunteer there. Gradually he was able to open his heart and let go of the ignorance and delusion in his mind. In the end he even met with his family, whom he hadn’t seen in nearly two decades. This time when I was at our Kaohsiung office, the man came to the office with his family and shared his story onstage in front of a large gathering. He knelt down before his parents and asked for their forgiveness. His parents were very grateful to Tzu Chi volunteers for redeeming their son. In Tainan, I learned the story of Wang Ying-sheng (王盈盛), a very dedicated volunteer. Despite having limited mobility, he goes to the local Tzu Chi recycling station every morning and sets up the computer to connect with the Jing Si Abode so that volunteers can gather together at the station and listen to my Dharma talks via videoconferencing. To do this, he has to get up every morning at 3:30. Just putting on his volunteer uniform takes him half an hour. Then when he arrives at the recycling station, he has to climb to the third floor. This is quite a feat for someone who has difficulty moving around. Wang said there are many things that are beyond his ability, but he does his best at the things he can do. Being able to help out and be useful is better than sitting around idly. His mother is glad he volunteers at the recycling station because many people there care for him and give him support. This puts her mind at ease. Her son used to be depressed and unhappy. Volunteering for Tzu Chi has helped him change. She takes great comfort in seeing him becoming happier and more optimistic. Volunteers at our recycling stations don’t just protect the Earth by reclaiming reusable resources—they also help transform people’s minds and heal broken families. Our recycling stations are truly spiritual cultivation grounds and a broad Bodhisattva Path on which to walk. When there is harmony among people and in families, when everyone practices filial piety and does good deeds, peace will prevail in our society and our world will be able to enjoy stability and wellbeing.
Walking the Bodhisattva Path Tzu Chi volunteers first visited Myanmar in 2008 to provide help after Cyclone Nargis devastated parts of the country. Our volunteers have continued spreading seeds of love there ever since. Many seeds have sprouted and grown there over the last five years. Wu Bing-hui (吳炳慧), 71, was one of those inspired to join Tzu Chi. Following the example of what our volunteers did in Taiwan when Tzu Chi was first founded, she talks with people about our foundation every day when she goes to the market. She explains that even small donations, when pooled together, can help a lot of people. Sometimes she has to climb several flights of stairs when she visits her donating members to collect their donations, but she doesn’t mind, even though she is getting on in years. If a member is not home, she goes back again and again until she finally meets him or her. She said nothing is difficult if you have the will to do it. With perseverance and determination, there is no goal that can’t be reached. In South Africa, our volunteers give of themselves in the same spirit as Wu. Many of the local Zulu volunteers were once our care recipients, but they have since changed from people who need help to ones who help others. They have taken on the responsibility of providing long-term care to local poor people and AIDS orphans. Many of the volunteers had painful pasts, but after participating in the work of Tzu Chi, they came to realize that the true meaning of life lies in giving. This realization enabled them to leave their painful pasts behind and serve others unconditionally. Despite having only few resources available to them, they diligently help others untie the knots in their hearts by sharing their own life stories with them. This helps relieve others of suffering and helps them gain happiness. At the same time, the volunteers open up a way to happiness for themselves. These examples show how one should walk the Bodhisattva Path. If we seek the Dharma only to help ourselves transcend the impermanence and suffering in life, then we are just at the starting point. We should try to emulate the Buddha and endeavor to attain enlightenment as he did. Start by understanding the Four Noble Truths: Suffering, the Cause of Suffering, the Cessation of Suffering, and the Path leading to this emancipation. Then make the Four Great Vows: “I vow to save all living beings however countless they are, to get rid of all worries however innumerable they are, to study the methods of the Dharma however endless they are, and to attain the Buddha Way however transcendent it is.” The Buddha had a disciple named Sariputra. For a long time, Sariputra diligently carried out spiritual cultivation to maintain a pure heart and to end his own suffering. He believed that he had attained the ultimate by practicing Hinayana Buddhism. [Hinayana is a Sanskrit word meaning “Lesser Vehicle” because it is concerned with the individual’s salvation.] It wasn’t until he listened to the Buddha expound Mahayana Buddhism [that is, the “Greater Vehicle,” concerned with universal salvation] that he realized he had been wrong in seeking only to benefit himself. He had focused only on his own salvation instead of walking the Bodhisattva Path to benefit all living beings. He felt deep remorse for not having opened up his heart to the ultimate meaning of the Buddha’s teachings, and he felt he had let decades of his life pass by in vain. The Buddha teaches that “There is no difference among these three: the mind, the Buddha, and all living beings.” All living beings possess the same pure, enlightened nature as that of the Buddha. All of us can attain buddhahood. As the wisest among the Buddha’s disciples, Sariputra naturally should have known about this. It was just that he became so complacent in what he had achieved in practicing the Hinayana that he failed to make greater aspirations to walk the Bodhisattva Path. When he heard the Buddha explain the Mahayana, Dharma-joy welled up in his heart and he publicly expressed remorse for his mistakes. Sariputra’s remorse and joy after hearing the Buddha talk about the Mahayana should serve as a cautionary tale for us. We must not become arrogant; instead we should always humbly reflect on ourselves. We should often ask ourselves if we have modestly learned from others, if we are improving ourselves, and if we are dealing with people and matters with gratitude in our hearts. As I have said before, “Our Jing Si principles are about diligently following the way of truth, and the path of Tzu Chi is about going amongst people to serve others.” The spiritual cultivation ground for Tzu Chi volunteers is among people, in society. There is a living sutra to be found in everyone. If you go into communities to serve others and humbly and mindfully learn from them, you will gain wisdom and you will come to understand the truth of all things. Let us work in harmony with others to benefit the world and use wisdom to bring peace to people’s minds. If we can do so, we’re on the path to enlightenment.
Be enlightened, not deluded During my visits to Tzu Chi offices around Taiwan this time, many volunteers shared their thoughts about listening to my Dharma talks at 5:30 every morning. Some said that at first they doubted if they could get up so early every day, but they made themselves do it in order to nurture their wisdom. After getting up early and listening to my sermons for some time, they began to see the benefits. They said that their minds often used to be cluttered with all sorts of worries and afflictions and could not stay calm. A side effect of such a mindset was that they felt tired no matter how much they slept. But now in order to get up early, they go to bed early. The regular schedule helps them get their rest. On top of that, my teachings help their minds stay clear and calm. As a result, they feel their spirits are actually getting better and their minds more focused. Keeping your mind broad and pure is the way to good health. When your mind is pure and clear, you are able to perceive things more clearly, which will do you a lot of good. Try to overcome your habit of sleeping late. Before long you will find it’s not so difficult to rise early and listen to my morning talks. When you have been exposed to the Dharma, you must not only take it to heart, but go further and put it into practice. If you stick to your old ways and continue to fuss over issues with others and never give an inch when you feel you are right, your mind will stray from the right track. In this way, you will miss many good chances to cultivate yourself. You should cherish the karmic affinities that lead you to meet people. Treat everyone you meet nicely and learn to yield to others—then you’ll enjoy harmony in all your relationships. If you owe someone a karmic debt that you incurred in the past, repay it willingly and you will clear your debt sooner. Otherwise you will just continue to suffer. Being kind, gentle and thoughtful to others is the way to bring joy to everyone and to yourself. If you can take the Dharma to heart, put yourself in others’ shoes, harbor gratitude in your heart, and spread love to all human beings, then you have become an “enlightened being.” Be careful not to turn into a “deluded being.” If, when you help others, you are attached to the idea of being a giver, thinking “Because I have money to give away, these people are getting the help they need,” then you have become a deluded being. Attachment to such notions prevents you from realizing the true meaning of the Three Spheres of Emptiness and leads to arrogance and conceit. [The Three Spheres of Emptiness means that when you give, you do not see yourself as the giver, others as the receivers, or what is given as the gift.] Some might say, “I know all this. I will change, but not right now.” Knowing that you have done wrong but procrastinating instead of changing your ways is definitely not the way to go. When you know something is right, you must do it without delay. Take steps immediately to correct your wrong ways. Only then will you be heading in the right direction in life and be able to start your life anew.
Create good karma Christopher Yang (楊凱丞) is an 11-year-old boy born in the United States. He has been very kind-hearted since he was very little. He cannot bear to think that cows are butchered for meat, so he tries to talk people out of eating steak. Because of that, Tzu Chi volunteers in the States nicknamed him “Xiao Niu” [Little Ox]. A few years ago, in order to learn Chinese, Xiao Niu came to Hualien and studied at our Tzu Chi Elementary School for a year. He would often come to the Abode after class. When I talked with others, he would sit silently aside and listen and take notes. This summer, he visited Taiwan again and stayed at the Abode. I didn’t have much interaction with him until one day he went onstage to share his understanding of my teachings. I found that he was able to digest what I had taught and “translate” it into simple and easy language to share with others. He told everyone, “To keep up with the Master, you must watch ‘Wisdom at Dawn’ and ‘Life Wisdom’” [TV programs that cover the Master’s sermons]. Nobody had told him what to say, but every sentence he said was powerful. I was very impressed. This past July when I was visiting our offices around Taiwan, I often asked him to speak in front of large audiences. Never once did he hesitate. When he went onstage, he’d introduce himself and say, “The Dharma name the Master gave me is Cheng Yuan [誠愿].” Among the things he shared with the audience were the “six reminders” he had set for himself: Prevent arrogance: Never think “I am the best” because there is always room for improvement. Prevent regression: To walk forward diligently on the Bodhisattva Path, you must hold firm to your initial aspirations. Prevent deluded thoughts: The Master’s only request for Tzu Chi volunteers is to maintain a pure heart. Prevent restlessness: To calm your mind, you must get rid of unwholesome thoughts. Prevent being violent: Be soft and gentle instead of being violent. Prevent laziness: Do not slack off. Work hard to benefit the world. Cheng Yuan is like a bodhisattva who has returned to this world to serve others because he had vowed to do so in his previous life. Despite his young age, he is so diligent in learning and upholding the Dharma. He is a living example of how the Dharma we learn in our previous lives is stored in our eighth consciousness and is later manifested in the next life. When we pass away, we can take nothing but our karma with us. Everything that we do, good or bad, will become a seed that enters our eighth consciousness and follows us to our next life. We can see how important it is to watch our actions, speech, and thoughts. When we see others’ merits, instead of feeling jealous, we should learn from them. And when we see others’ faults, instead of despising those people, we should be grateful to them for helping guide us to refrain from being like them. When we do that, we’re forming good affinities with others and sowing seeds of good relationships for our future lives. I sincerely hope everyone will take in the Dharma and live it out. Let us be ever more mindful! |
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