【Life Wisdom】20161130 - A Trip of Gratitude

A Trip of Gratitude

海外弟子來受證
智慧父親伴子行
語言雖異心無礙
慈院溫馨一家親

Among them,we had volunteers from five African countries.
In an experience sharing seminar,they shared how they progressed from suffering to bliss on the Bodhisattva Path.
Though they may remain financially pressed,they are indeed spiritually wealthy.
How did they show their spiritual wealth?
They showed me reusable bags they made out of rice bags.
Every year, we give out rice to them,and they keep the rice bags for this purpose.
Economically,they get the threads for the reusable bags by unstitching the seams of the rice bags.
The reusable bags are very beautiful as we can see a large Tzu Chi's logo on them.
They even sell the bags to raise funds.
This is truly touching.
There are so many touching stories about our volunteers around the world that I can't share them all.
Our first Year-End Blessings Ceremony in Taiwan began in Zhanghua.
There, we see many of our senior volunteers.
Still healthy, they do the recycling work.
In addition, they also take the Dharma to heart.
Seeing them, I am very happy.
They moved in sync in a sutra adaptation.
They are truly admirable.
From their facial expressions and gestures,I'm convinced that they've taken the Dharma to heart.
This is the best gift they could give me.
They fill my heart with bliss.
Certainly, it's because of the joint efforts of our Tzu Cheng members and commissioners that our volunteers could perform so well.
This is one of the touching stories in Zhanghua.
Then, I visited our hospital in Dalin.
The staff there is like a big family.
Arranged by our doctors and nurses,the briefings allowed me to see many of our amazing medical breakthroughs.
In the patient cases they shared,I saw the patients' suffering,but I'm also touched to see how they've received treatment.
The briefings, from each and every department,were really rich in content.
Knowing their achievements, I'm really happy.
My tour destinations also included Douliu, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingdong.
There are also many touching stories in these places.
Although I can't share them all,I will always remember them in my heart.

【Life Wisdom】20161128 - Creating Meaning in Life by Doing Recycling

Creating Meaning in Life by Doing Recycling

一世勞碌受折磨
改往修來心輕安
大地菩薩諸佛寶
力行減碳護地球

Indeed, you are the treasure of mine, the Earth, the Bodhisattvas, and all Buddhas.
Everyone, your power of love is needed to protect the Earth.
When there is less pollution, the effect of carbon emission on the climate will be reduced, and the Earth will be safer and more peaceful.
The strength from each one of us can bring about the safety and well-being of the world.
With sincere piety, I give blessings to everyone with gratitude.
I'm grateful to all recycling volunteers for your dedicating efforts every day.
The merits of your efforts will come to fruition.
I wish everyone abundant blessings and wisdom, and peace and happiness to your family.

【Life Wisdom】20161127 - Deepening the Root of Wisdom to Purify People’s ...

Deepening the Root of Wisdom to Purify People’s Hearts

人人行善福緣聚
竹筒歲月利天下
立體琉璃同心圓
慧根深植菩薩道

Everyone,we need both Tzu Chengs (male volunteers) and Tzu Chi commissioners (female volunteers) working together harmoniously and in unity to serve and benefit society.
Our hearts need to be pure like lotus flowers or be clear and clean like crystals.
Take the lotus flowers for example,the muddier the pond is,the purer the lotus flowers are in bloom.
If we eliminate our afflictions,our heart will be as pure andwell-rounded as crystal beads.
Then, a forest of bodhi trees within us grow from the same root.
Bodhi means awakened.
It's not enough to have only one bodhi tree.
We have to make the Earth greener now.
The bodhi tree within each and every one of us has to grow.
The bodhi tree represents everyone's Buddha nature.
Everyone has to awaken to their innate nature.
Then, with far-reaching roots of wisdom,a forest of bodhi trees will grow.
Teams of volunteers, both male and female,work together in unity to cultivate a field of blessings.
Everyone needs to love and help each other and work together in unity and harmony to cultivate this field of blessings on Earth,and benefit all living beings.
Our world is full of sufferings such as from illnesses and frequent disasters.
We have to work harder to bring purity back to people's mind for them to join our work of cultivating the field of blessings.
Then, everyone's root of wisdom is deeply planted on the Bodhisattva Path.
Everyone, take good care of your root of wisdom, make it grow deep and firm,so that no one falls victim to the wind of ignorance.
With unwavering faith in the Tzu Chi Path,believe yourself to be selfless and trust others' loving intention.
Let everyone's love grow and be strong.
Then our society can be harmonious and peaceful;everyone can live a safe and peaceful life.
Disciples of Jing Si Dharma Lineage in Kaohsiung vow to Master:We will never falter in our faith.
We will learn the Dharma,cultivate ourselves diligently,and put our vows into action.
We will uphold precepts, develop Samadhi,and nurture wisdom unwaveringly.
We will follow the vegetarian precept and form good affinities with all living beings.
Good. Thousands of people vowed with one heart so genuinely and with such sincerity.
Your vow is for now and life after life.
I believe you. Everyone,you have the affinity to be my disciples.
To work for Buddhism and for living beings is our only wish.
Take good care in safeguarding the Jing Si Dharma Lineage and the Tzu Chi Path.
Do you understand? (Yes.)
I give you my blessings with gratitude.

【Life Wisdom】20161107 - Making Vows to Give with Great Compassion

法化為髓活慧命
轉迷為悟見寶塔
一生無量緊追隨
燈燈相續傳法脈

True faith embraces all religions because the essence of every religion is the same. The essence and the true spirit of all religions is selfless Great love which inspires us to give of ourselves for all living beings. With sincere piety, we make vows and carry them out. A vow without action is empty, and actions without vows can become empty too. So, after we make vows, we have to follow them with actions. Our vows give us the power to go forward and walk the correct path without deviation. This is why we need to make vows. Everyone, being certified as a Tzu Chi volunteer is just the beginning.
Your journey on the Bodhisattva Path starts today. Emulate the Buddha's compassion and take my mission as your own. Everyone innately has Buddha nature. We should first emulate the Buddha's heart and take the Dharma into heart to bring forth our innate Buddha nature. For example, to light up our inner light, it requires an external light. After our inner light is lit, we can light up the hearts of countless people.

【Life Wisdom】20161103 - Giving of Ourselves for a Better World

Giving of Ourselves for a Better World

三理四相示真諦
微渧先墮滌塵垢
發心立願齊造福
轉穢為淨至聖地

the Buddha shared with everyone how to carry ourselves in this world,hoping to awaken our wisdom and help us realize that we all share the same Buddha nature so we'll have faith that we can all attain Buddhahood.
The Buddha used various ways to guide us to deepen our faith and inspire us to make vows to go amongst people to serve.
He also reminded us not to be tainted while giving of ourselves.
All this is what he'd emphasized in the sutra over and over again.
So, the Buddha had put all his heart into teaching the Lotus Sutra as he hoped that we can take the sutra to heart and carry out its teachings and spirit.
But, as compassionate as the Buddha was,he also kept reminding us right from the start that we should be prepared because in a world filled with turbidity,it is very difficult to do good and walk the path of goodness.
This is what he kept telling us to let us know that,despite all the difficulties facing us,we should still be firm in our vows and keep our hearts pure and untainted while going amongst people to serve.
This is how the Buddha was trying his best to let us know that the world we're living in now is filled with impurity and turmoil where people's sense of moral values and ethics is declining.
So, we should turn the crisis into an opportunity by transforming the defiled world into a pure land and everyone into a sage.
To do that, we need to make vows to serve as bodhisattvas by practicing the Six Paramitas and diligently create a Buddha land in this world.
This is what we should do steadfastly.

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