980113人間菩提英文版人間菩提-Cleansing Away Impurities to Attain the Bodhi Mind

人間菩提--淨心袪垢入菩提
Cleansing Away Impurities to Attain the Bodhi Mind




We see floods affecting western Washington, U.S.A.
(Snow from the arctic snow storms in December) is starting to melt due to warmer weather.
On top of that, it has also been raining heavily,
(leading to floods, landslides, and avalanches)
So, Tzu Chi volunteers in Seattle have already gone into the disaster area to survey the situation and are planning to give out aid materials
This is what’s happening in one part of the world where erratic climate conditions have caused a natural disaster with people suffering the consequences.
(In other parts of the world,) there are also manmade disasters
Look at the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
(with Gaza becoming a battlefield)
See how bombings and rocket fire attacks continue all day long.
See how many have been injured or killed.
Because of this, more and more seeds of hatred are being sown in people’s hearts.
(Such hatred is like a landmine)
Due to the way they’ve been educated, subconsciously, Israeli and Palestinian children harbor a sense of hatred and vengeance toward one another.
Such hatred and vengeance has been long established and passed on from generation to generation deeply imbedded in people’s minds.
Some even claimed that school children’s textbooks contain incitement to hatred between Israel and Palestine.
This attitude of hatred and vengeance becomes deeply ingrained in their minds.
Because of this hatred, Israeli forces are now continuously bombarding Gaza.
Will any “Victory” be true, lasting victory?
Actually, psychologists say that any “victory” would only be momentary because the conflict is only deepening people’s sense of hatred and vengeance.
This is hate deeply imbedded into their consciousness.
Like a landmine, it’d blow up at the slightest provocation---
Just as landmines can be buried in war zones, “landmines” have also been buried internally, and this hatred that’s imbedded is being carried forth generation after generation.
This is what’s truly frightening.
So, I often say when our sense organs make contact with the external world, our consciousness gives rise to greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt.
Upon contact between our sense organs and sensory objects, we give rise to love, hate, strife, etc.
Accumulating these, our mind becomes covered with afflictions and ignorance.
In cultivating ourselves, how can we transform what happens when our sense organs meet sensory objects so that it becomes pure so that encountering the external phenomena, we’d be able to be understanding and tolerant.
Only by being understanding would we be able to transform our mindset.
So, in cultivating ourselves, we need to purify our six sense organs.
If we can do that then we will not give rise to anger inwardly.
(When we encounter obstacles or unwelcome events)
In turn, this requires us to listen to the Dharma.
We should moreover know to make use of the Dharma so as to filter out impurities of our complicated world and transform negative thoughts into positive ones and actively refrain from evil and do all that is good. Then, we’d be very clear as to what’s right and wrong and know to filter out the unwholesome and work diligently to do all that’s good.
If we could do that, we’d be bodhisattvas with pure enlightened love.
In the footage we see our volunteer, Sheng-xiu
It’s truly heartbreaking to see him.
(suffer from Alzheimer’s)
Fortunately, the seed of Tzu Chi has been planted in his mind, so he does not think about unwholesome things.
In his heart and mind, there is always this seed of Tzu Chi
One time---
He rode a bike to Houli and saw a fence fall to its side.
So, he parked his bike and went over to erect the fence.
A policeman happened to be passing by and asked him:
“What are you doing here?”
He had kind intentions, so he replied:
“The fence is down”
“It’s dangerous for cars passing by”
“So, I’m erecting it”
“but I can’t put it up”
The policeman saw a name embroidered on his shirt, and asked him:
“Did you steal this shirt from others?”
“Is your name You Sheng-xiu?”
Fortunately, he is a Tzu Chi volunteer and he still remembers the Tzu Chi spirit and Master’s teachings.
So, he told the policeman, “How can you say that?”
“I am a Tzu Chi volunteer”
“How could I possibly steal another’s shirt?”
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
It is a form of dementia and cause memory loss.
However, it’s not a bad thing to forget all the strife with others.
If he can eliminate all unwholesome thoughts form his mind, what’s left is his original pure nature hope that he can always harbor the Bodhisattva spirit within so that his delusions and ignorance can be cleansed away.
(So, we need to be more mindful)
(in guarding or mind)
The Buddha’s teachings are very comprehensive and penetrating as it allows us to clearly understand how we come to this world and where our consciousness (spirit) will go after we die.
So, we truly must be mindful and vigilant because we never know what disease will occur in our body.
We never know
So, in not knowing what our future holds, we must seize the time we have now.
We do not know what will become of us.
While we still have a clear mind, we must seize the present to nurture an understanding and embracing heart.
We mustn’t let external circumstances cause us to give rise to afflictions.
(That’s what we must guard against)
(We must take good care of our mind) so that the impurities from the external circumstances do not enter and taint our heart and mind.
So, we must listen to the Dharma more, carefully contemplate on what we’ve heard, and take the teachings to heart.
(That’s how we come to understand the Dharma)
We should also mindfully observe the phenomena of the world, filtering out the human bickering and differences to become more aware of the truth of impermanence in life.
(By observing and pondering)
(the phenomena of the world,) we’d realize that as life is so impermanent what is there to dispute about?
And fame and wealth are just as transient and ephemeral as a fleeting cloud.
So, we must (transform our consciousness) by dispelling and filtering out the unwholesome and only taking in the pure, good, and true.
Only then can we transform our consciousness so that it’s the consciousness of a Bodhisattva.
Can you understand what I am saying?
In a word, we must carefully reflect and (be mindful about transforming our consciousness)
Seeing so much suffering in the world……
People are truly suffering unspeakably.
All in all, everything is a product of
(what has been accumulated through time)
So, we must know to seize time.
I’d also like to give Mr. You my best wishes.
May he harbor a pure and simple heart and be healthy always.
May more seeds of love be sown into his consciousness, may his bad karma be depleted completely in this lifetime and the seeds of purity be sown in his mind.
(to sprout in his future lives)