980107人間菩提英文版Living Life with a Peaceful Mind Free of Desires

人間菩提--清平致富福慧年
Living Life with a Peaceful Mind Free of Desires

My school days weren’t like the other kids’ because normal kids had a happy time at school.
But when I went to school, some students would laugh at me and say, “How come he walks like that?”
At the time, I had very low self-esteem, and I would feel resentful and wonder why I couldn’t be like everyone else.
But I don’t do that now because at least I can walk and do Tzu Chi’s work.

At short as life is, if we know to cherish our life and make the beset use of it to benefit others our will be a very valuable life.
Just now we saw the story of Zhi-ming.
In his previous lives, he must have cultivated wholesome habits.
(and planted wholesome seeds of goodness)
That’s why he a kind-hearted and has
(the favorable affinities to encounter Tzu Chi)
Although he is slightly physically impaired, he possesses the karmic seeds of goodness, and that’s why in this life, he naturally does good and helps others.
Then, because of his father’s death, he came in contact with Tzu Chi.
After becoming a Tzu Chi volunteer, he worked very diligently and many of our volunteers have been very moved by his diligence.
When Zhi-ming was coming over, I waited outside the house for him.
When he arrived, I saw that he was dragging one foot behind him and that he was disabled.
He took one step at a time.
What I saw moved me greatly and tears rolled down my face then and there
That scene truly moved me a lot.
And when Zhi-ming is doing recycling, though he has problems getting about, he carries a load at a time.
So, seeing how hard Brother Zhi-mign worked.
I thought, “Why couldn’t I be like Zhi-ming”
“and also get involved in Tzu Chi’s work?”
That’s why I often share with you that everyone is a living sutra that reveals life’s truths to us.
Some people led a deluded life for a very long period of time before wholesome causes and conditions led them to return to the right track in life.
But by then, they’d already had to go through much turmoil and suffering.
So, to have blessings, we need to form wholesome affinities with others.
(and get along with everyone)
Then, with such seeds of goodness and blessings, even though we are physically impaired, our hearts are still filed with love, and we’ll be able to give of our love o others.
For those who have brought the seeds of ignorance and delusion with them, even if they are rich and have high social standing and a lot of power.
(as their minds are covered with delusion,)they’d often be affected by people who they had formed bad affinities with in their previous lives and endure much hardship in life as they create a lot of bad karma. At this time, if the wholesome affinities they had formed no mater how insignificant they may seem, arise, they’ll be able to turn back to the right track.
(But even so, reforming is still)
(a long and arduous journey)
So, everyone, that’s why I often share with you that our Jing Si principles are about diligently following the way of Truth and the path of Tzu Chi is about going into he community.
When it comes to our Jing Si principles, you all know that back with I first renounced lay life.
I cultivated myself in a small wooden hut and lived in poverty.
Despite that, my mind was very calm and peaceful.
At this time, we had very few resources, and sustained ourselves by working hard, living frugally, and enduring much hardship.
No matter how difficult our life was we were able to set up Tzu Chi and do relief work
So, we mustn’t lose this spirit.
(Despite the hardship of our circumstances,) we still went into the community to help people who were in suffering.
So, the Tzu chi Dharma path is about turning the sutras’ teachings into an actual path we walk on by going into the community.
(to serve, guide, and benefit others)
That is the Tzu Chi path of practice.
With the spirit of the Jing Si principles, we go into the community to help others.
So, in the footage of the work that Tzu Chi did in 2008, we see that in the U.S., Los Angeles and its surrounding areas were affected by wildfires.
When Tzu Chi volunteers distributed aid to those affected by the fires, they did so with respect, gratitude, and love.
When handing out blankets, they did it with utmost respect and reverence.
When people received the blankets from us, our volunteers would say “Thank you” at once.
Before the recipients even expressed their thanks, our volunteers would thank them first.
It truly expressed their most sincere love and that was that the recipients received.
Some of the recipients had lived in mansions and had been relatively well-off, but all of a sudden, they had lost their homes.
They would stand on the side, debating whether to accept the aid or not.
However, as they looked on, they realized that Tzu Chi volunteers were not just hading out the goods, but were doing so with loving warmth and respect.
Those receiving the goods were treated with dignity.
So, these people would approach our volunteers to collect the blankets.
They would hug our volunteers and say, “Thank you so much”
“I will remember Tzu Chi forever”
They would also see our coin banks and Tzu Chi volunteers would share with them how Tzu Chi started in Taiwan 43 years ago with 30 housewives donating 50 NT cents a day.
Everyone was very touched to hear this and also asked for coin banks.
So, they would take the coin banks and start soliciting donations
Among them was a woman who expressed how happy she was.
She said that the life they enjoyed before was no comparison to the happiness from inspiring love in others to give and helping even more people in need.
I believe that even a successful career would not bring as much joy as sharing Tzu Chi with others and inspiring them to join us in doing good.
I am sure that at that moment everyone experiences joy and happiness.
Is that right?
Yes. That is why the Buddha says everyone has the Buddha-nature within
How can we inspire others to give rise to joy and be a person who can help others so that (the value of human life is brought forth?)
That is very important
(So, everyone is like a sutra)
(that leads us to see life’s truths)
If we are mindful, we will gain wisdom that can enable us to penetrate the truth of all things.
In everyone, there is a living sutra to be found.
So, everyone should uphold the spirit of the Jing Si principles and harbor a simple heart as living a simpler life is the way to richness.
(That is about living life with) a pure, peaceful, and tranquil mind without giving rise to greed, craving, or desire.
If we can live life with a more peaceful mind, we will naturally become rich.
Though the economy is not doing well now, (as long as our mind is peaceful & without desire) we will naturally be at peace and safe.
This way, no matter how poor the economy is, we will be able to sail through it smoothly
So, there is no need to worry because living life that way will lead us to richness.
To live life this way, we must carry out the spirit of our Jing Si princiles diligently.
We must be even more diligent so that Taiwan can enjoy a future of peace and auspiciousness every day of the year.