人間菩提--清淨善種遍成林
Seeds of Goodness Growing in the Philippines
By seeing this crisis in a different light, I can make use of this time to devote myself to Tzu Chi’s work or to prepare myself for future jobs.
I see it as a chance for me to make adjustments.
We truly should be very grateful for the times that we are living in
Given the economic downturn, we’re like fish swimming against the tide.
But we should make the most of the lessons that these times can teach us.
Take for example our Tzu Chi volunteer, who had recently been laid off.
He is now making use of his time by devoting himself to community service.
His family has always lived simply and fugally.
They only eat one or two dishes per meal.
(and they never throw away any leftovers)
We’ve always lived very simply.
So, although the economy is slow now.
We don’t seem to feel much impact from it.
Not having a lot of wants and desires makes their lives the richest.
So, in the face of the economic slowdown, despite being unemployed
(his heart is still filled with contentment)
He can still lead a spiritually rich life and his family lives very happily and harmoniously.
His entire family even dedicate themselves to Tzu Chi’s work and live a life filled with joy every day.
See, aren’t they living a rich life?
So, although we’re experiencing (an economic downturn at the moment,) we should all the more make use of this time to teach ourselves not to be greedy.
Indeed, (isn’t greed that leads us to have suffering?)
Be it physical or spiritual suffering, it’s almost always derived from people’s greed.
Here’s a story from the Buddha’s time to illustrate this.
One time, the Buddha and his disciple, Ananda, were walking by a gutter.
The Buddha suddenly turned to Ananda and said, “Ananda, there’s a poisonous snake in there”
Ananda looked into the gutter and said to the Buddha very respectfully:
Buddha, it is indeed a poisonous snake”
They then moved on.
A father and son heard what the Buddha and Ananda said, so they also looked into the gutter.
They didn’t see any snake, only an urn of gold.
So, this father and son worked together to carry this heavy urn of gold back home.
They were very happy to find this gold.
Not long after that, an officer came to their home and said:
“An urn of gold at the state treasury was stolen”
“We’re informed that it’s here at your place”
The father and son denied stealing the gold, and said that they had found it in the gutter.
But, (the gold was there in their house) so that father and son were arrested.
After their arrest, the father lamented to his son:
“What we took home is truly a poisonous snake”
The son agreed with his father and said:
“Yes, Father”
“It is indeed a poisonous snake”
Isn’t that so?
(The object of his greed) was in fact just like a poisonous snake
Because of his greed, (he was bitten)
If we can eliminate our greed, (we’ll be safe and well) as we won’t bring harm upon ourselves.
So, at a time when the economy is slow like this what we need to do now is to lead a diligent life.
This is how living a simpler life can lead us to richness.
Only when we work to eliminate our greed can we make it through this downturn unscathed.
So, like a bird flying against the wind and a fish swimming against the current a time like this is the best time for us to train and discipline ourselves.
So, we should learn to be diligent and frugal and respond to the circumstances with a peaceful and harmonious mind thus letting this economic downturn pass peacefully (without turmoil)
Currently, in Taiwan we see a craze in spending consumption vouchers.
Everyone is thinking about what they will do with the consumption vouchers that the government gives out to them.
They all have their own plans for how they will spend these vouchers.
Yesterday, I read in a news report that when one child was asked what “stimulating consumption” means, he replied:”
“Spend like crazy”
He said something along these lines.
This is very frightening.
Doesn’t this show that people’s approach to spending money is misguilded”
If the adults are spend like this
(Without proper planning)
This will only fuel their ignorant ways as they give rise to greed. hatred as they give rise to greed, hatred, and ignorance.
It doesn’t bring benefit to their family.
For those who don’t know how to manager the money when they spend the consumption vouchers.
Businesses might be booked for the time being but it won’t help bring peace and stability to society and to people’s minds.
It is truly regrettable.
If these consumption vouchers of NT$90 billion (US$2.6 billion) in total can be used to help iow-income families. the less well-to-do or those who have recently become unemployed---
IF we can use such a large sum of money to help, ease people’s worries by helping to ease their economic difficulties that would be very good.
So, only when we can bear in mind the need to live a diligent and frugal life will we have peace and safety and grow in wisdom and blessings.
So, yesterday, be it at our hospital in Taichung or our cultural center in Taipei.
I saw our staff.
(donating their consumption vouchers)
See, so many were donating their vouchers
With department heads at our missions taking the lead many of our staff have also donated their consumption vouchers to help those in need.
We also saw Yao Xin, who’s just in the first grade at our elementary school.
He previously wrote in an essay:
“When I receive my consumption vouchers,”
“I’d like to donate them all to Grand-master”
“for her to help the children of South Africa”
He hoped that by doing so, the local children could have clothes to wear,
Beds to sleep in, toys to play with, flush toilets to use, a house to live in lots of food to eat, clean water to drink, etc.
That’s what he wishes for the many children in South Africa.
So, he’s donating his consumption vouchers to help them
See, a child’s heart is so pure and innocent without selfish greed and desire.
So, this is a good opportunity to educate the public (to live frugally)
If we can purify our mind by getting rid of our greed, we will be able to safely make it through the current economic downturn.
So, everyone having been given these consumption vouchers, you must truly cherish them.
When we put the vouchers to good use. (by donating them to help those in need,)
we’d be cultivating both blessings and wisdom.
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