| The Illustrated Jing Si Aphorisms |
| Translated by E E Ho and W.L. Rathje; drawings by Tsai Chih-chung; coloring by May E. Gu |
The Buddha says: Conquering oneself is greater than conquering thousands of enemies on the battlefield.
I never pray to the Buddha to let me have everything as I wish. I only ask for more courage, faith and perseverance. I believe that we only develop perseverance by going through many hardships in life. I regard sufferings and worries as means of "recharging my battery." They are good lessons for me.
Some people insist on following the Buddhist tradition of having only one meal at noon every day. As a result, they may end up hurting their health. Is it necessary to be so rigid about fasting? Spiritual cultivation must adapt to environmental factors. When hardship hits, we can live through it with peace of mind. When things are going well, we can also live in comfort with peace of mind, without having to force hardships upon ourselves.
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