人間菩提--以身說法．融通經義
Inspiring Stories and Performances in the Year-end Blessings Ceremonies
My trip around Taiwan this time spanned over from last year to this year, and I came back to the Abode only yesterday.
My first stop this tie was llan. When I arrived in llan, I saw that the two actors who would play the parts of Master Wu Da and Ven. Kanaka at the Year-end Blessings Ceremony that day were already there waiting for me.
Who were they? They were Mr. Zhang and Mr. Yin from our cultural center in Taipei.
(They were there in llan to greet me)
That Year-end Blessings Ceremony in llan was very heartwarming.
In a previous lifetime, Master Wu Da was the Chinese official Yuan Ang (who had the politician Chao Cuo beheaded)
For the next ten lifetimes, Chao Cuo waited to work this his revenge against Yuan Ang.
In the 10th lifetime, he finally had the chance when Master Wu Da had a momentary lapse (of purity) by giving rise to pride and conceit opening the door to his bad karma.
This story was in the preface of the Water Repentance text.
From it, we can see that the bad karma that we’ve created (can’t simply be wiped clean or eliminated)
As I often say, we ultimately have to undergo the retribution for the karma we’ve created.
See, even Master Wu Da who had been a well-cultivated monk for then lifetimes could not escape his karmic retribution
So, no matter what circumstances we come across, we must see them as a chance for us to gradually rid of our bad habits, and endure our karmic retribution willingly while persisting in heading in the right direction in life.
In our past lives since we had done whatever we felt like doing without considering the karmic law of cause and effect. We must now endure the karmic retribution willingly when it comes to bear.
If we accept it willingly, (we will not get too entangled)
(in the karmic retribution)
The more we struggle, however, (the more bad karmic will engulf us)
So, in learning the Buddha’s way, we must know about the karmic law of cause and effect.
I hope everyone can seize whatever opportunities we have to benefit others because doing good and being filial cannot wait.
Look at Master Wu Da. When young, he traveled about to study Dharma and met a sick monk who was actually Ven. Kanaka, (who later helped heal him when he was)
(suffering a painful disease due to his bad karma)
If he hadn’t compassionately cared for Ven. Kanaka later, when he was suffering his karmic retribution who would’ve been there to help him?
Ven. Kanaka had manifested as a sick monk because he knew Master Wu Da would become well-cultivated one day and become the empire’s Dharma teacher.
So, he was worried that Master Wu Da would become arrogant and wanted to test him by manifesting as a sick monk.
That connection between them( was what led to Ven. Kanaka healing him later)
That is the origin of the Water Repentance text
Though their short performance of this story, our staff were able to convey the profound teachings of this text through their physical movements.
I always say that it is not acting, but expressing the Dharma through our body’s movements.
At our hospital in Xindian, we saw Supt. Chao and Asst. Supt. You performing, and Asst. Supt. You, especially, is already getting on in his age.
Whether playing the part of Master Wu Da or Ven. Kanaka, (everyone was very mindful)
Those who played Master Wu Da got bruises from having to fall on the stage.
They truly worked very hard to rehearse, and their performance really drew the audience into the performance Staff of our cultural center took part in the performance also.
Many of our heads of departments played the parts of Master Wu Da or Ven. Kanaka.
Different pairs performed in different ceremonies, and every performance was captivating.
Every one of them truly performed very well, conveying the Dharma deeply to the audience through their movements and gestures.
What they have done is very admirable, (and their performance was very inspiring)
(and benefited many who watched it)
At our hospital in Taichung, many also took part in the performance, including Supt. Hsu, Asst. Supt. Hsu, Asst. Supt. Chen, and the two Dr. Chens and Dr. Wu who are heads of departments.
One ceremony after another, their performances were truly captivating as they have taken the Dharma to heart, and they each felt they had learned something.
There truly are many touching things.
From these performances, we can truly witness the humanistic spirit in the staff of our missions of Medicine and Culture.
The medical mission saves physical lives while the cultural mission saves wisdom-lives. (Though the work of doctors)
(is to save lives, they have gone onstage)to help nurture the wisdom-life of others.
They have truly captivated many hearts through their performances where they expounded the Dharma through body movements.
I truly am very grateful.
Of course, I’m also grateful to our documentary volunteers for filming all the footage for our EYar-end Blessings Ceremonies.
In these 2 months, I’ve held nearly 100 Year-end Blessings Ceremonies across Taiwan.
At each, there were two films about the stories of our volunteers to watch. These films were all made by our documentary volunteers who spent many months beforehand filming and editing the footage.
Though we could see the heartwarming stories of our volunteers what we couldn’t see was the hard work of the group of people behind the scenes who had put time and effort into filming, editing, and writing the scripts.
So, I’m truly very grateful to all our documentary volunteers for capturing all these (images and pictures) all these images and pictures particularly as they’ll serve as part of Tzu Chi’s Sutra Treasury for all of time.
I’m truly very grateful for that
(This is especially as the footage they took)
(of our exemplary volunteers can serve)
(to guide people toward good)
(What’s more, these volunteers in the footage all)
(went onstage to share their feelings with others)
So, (in spreading Tzu Chi’s spirit,)
(our Four Missions truly have to go hand in hand)
What I saw on my trip this time truly touched me a lot and filled me with gratitude, and I was truly very impressed and touched from the bottom of my heart.
Words truly cannot describe how I felt.
Though I’ve been very moved and filled with gratitude by what I’ve seen, the disasters that have been happening in the international community lately have also filled me with much pain be it the earthquake in Costa Rica or the clnflict in the
Gaza Strip between Israel and the Hamas or the poverty-stricken people of Haiti.
Our aid team already arrived in Haiti the day before yesterday.
Though they have already arrived safe and sound, the goods they had purchased for aid distribution were transported to Haiti via freight.
So, it had to undergo customs clearance and other such complicated procedures.
I’m particularly worried (about riots erupting) when we begin distributing aid on January 16.
So, let us pray sincerely that with so many goods to be distributed everyone will maintain peace and order, and come to receive the goods in an orderly fashion.
All in all, it’s truly heartbreaking for me to see the suffering that goes on throughout the world.
(In view of all the suffering that goes on,) every single one of our doctors and living bodhisattvas in our four missions is very mindful in doing their work to benefit people, and so my heart is warmed and filled with gratitude just like how the sunshine on a winter’s day fills people with warmth.
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