980111人間菩提英文版人間菩提- The Path to Awakening

人間菩提--覺悟之道
The Path to Awakening

At the time when the lottery was really popular, (everyone was playing, so I started playing, too)
The more I played, the more addicted I got.
(He played it so much that we got into debt)
So, I told him:
“Please don’t gamble on the lottery anymore”
“If we work hard,”
“we can pay back our debt very quickly”
But he wouldn’t listen to me.
He told me not to meddle
I kept gambling on the lottery.
For a period of time, I didn’t win.
Yet I continued to play because I wanted to win money.
I was greedy.
(The man we just saw, Mr. Liao,)
(used to gamble on the lottery) and was very addicted to it.
Such is the delusion of mundane beings.
It was very difficult for him to wake up form it since his heart and mind had already been tainted that is like a forest--- there isn’t only one tree, but a whole forest of trees.
(It is a forest of bodhi trees, and these trees) all grew out of the same root. That root.
(is what we call “the root of awakening”)
(I hope Tzu Chi members can become)a bodhi forest growing form the same bodhi root and work united to cultivate a field of blessings.
We’re all part of the Jing Si lineage.
Why do we speak of (the Jing Si lineage and Jing Si principles)?
Our monastery, the Jing Si Abode, is the spiritual home of Tzu Chi members.
(The principles of or monastery) actually began form when I was cultivating in my small wooden hut. I was very poor then and had nothing to my name.
All I had was the aspiration to seek the path to enlightenment.
(I took the Lotus Sutra as my direction and)
(aspired to the Bodhisattva Path it taught)
Back then, though I was by myself as I cultivated in solitude in search for the path to enlightenment later, causes and conditions came together which gradually led to my founding of Tzu Chi with the practice of the bamboo banks where people donated 50 NT cents a day (US$0.02)
That was 43 years ago.
We started from nothing but persevered on with diligence, frugality, and resilience in the face of hardship.
To this day, we still follow this spirit.
This is the spirit of our Jing Si lineage.
(Spiritually, this means that we cultivate) a pure, selfless mind without selfish desires.
Having no selfish desires, we won’t have greed.
Having no selfish desires, naturally, we can lead a very simple life.where we are at peace and covet nothing.
When we covet nothing our life will naturally be very rich
Though the monastics at the Jing Si Abode live a very simple life, yet they are Tzu Chi members’ backbone of support.
When worldwide Tzu Chi members return to Hualien, it is our monastics who joyfully provide for everyone though their frugal and hardworking ways.
They’re joyful because as monastics, their goal is to help living beings onto the path.
(Spiritual cultivation is about)
(inner cultivation but also)helping one another onto the path.
Those already walking the path in turn guide those not yet on the path.
(That is how we can)
(bring many people onto the path)
As I often say, no one knows how long they will live
No one can say how long they will live
But, if you should as me about the scope of all that I am concerned about, I can give you an answer.
(My heart reaches out to embrace the universe)
There’s no corner of the Earth.
(that I don’t have my heart on)
I saw that in China’s Guizhou Province, I saw that in China’s Guizhou Province, there is a girl with only one leg.
She has to cross over mountains (to get to school) and she does this on one leg.
It all started with a tumor in her leg when she was a child.
Her family could not afford medical treatment.
Later, her leg was amputated.
She said she has been hopping around on one leg ever since the first grade.
But when our reporters filmed her, they couldn’t keep up with her though they have two healthy legs.
Look at how she has trained herself and look at her strength of will
When you ask her:
“Why do you make that journey when it’s so hard?”
She said,” I must get an education”
“Education is my only hope out of poverty”
“If I stay illiterate,”
“I can only stay in the mountains forever”
“So, I have to go to school”
“so I can leave the mountains”
“Only then can I possibly leave poverty”
Look at the strength of her will.
Meanwhile, look at the children (in Taiwan)
They’re driven to school by their parents and they are always spending money.
(So, though the economy may be bad now,) that is just part of the economic cycle.
We should take this opportunity to teach our kids to be more frugal and hardworking.
In a word, (to uphold the Jing principles means that)we must keep our hearts very clean.
We should have selfless Great Love and be hardworking, frugal and resilient in enduring hardship.
We must furthermore go into the world to care for people who are suffering.
That is our mission
So, everyone, please take up this responsibility.
On one shoulder, take up the Buddha’s spirit and mission.
On the other, shoulder the work of Tzu Chi.
At the same time, you must maintain a good character and disposition.
Only by doing that can we truly return to our Buddha-nature and truly awaken and become enlightened.