20141212~ 聞法心開入菩提Serving as Living Bodhisattvas and Inspiring Others to Give
“Doing recycle is great. It’s nice that Master gave us this work to do.”
“So, I’ve created work for you.”
“But it’s great.” “How so?”
“It’s just great in every respect.”
“You really do a great job”
“It’s nice to have you. You’re doing the work, not me”
“You don’t need to do the work. You just need to come up with ideas. That is more valuable than the work itself”
These elderly volunteers we see are in their eighties or nineties. They are truly very endearing and just like innocent children. See how pure and endearing they are. One volunteer in her eighties said to me: “Master, I’m the one who used to live in the mountains.” I said, “Yes, I remember you.” She used to set out before daybreak and walk to our recycling station every day. At the time, I told her, “Please don’t go out so early when it’s still dark.” She said, “It’s alright. I can collect recyclables along the way.”
She’d pick up cans and plastic bottles, string them with vines and drag them as she walked. She told me: “The recyclables would clink and clank loudly. Is it alright, Master?” That was when she still lived in the mountains. I said, “That’s good. The clink and clank can keep you company. But it’s best if you can move down from the mountains so I won’t need to worry about you.”
When I saw her today, she reminded me of what I told her before. So, I asked her: “Have you moved down yet?” She replied, “I listened to Master’s words and have moved down already”. This year she is going to be certified.
Actually, I certified a 94-year-old volunteer last year. And next month, I’ll certify a 90-year-old in Taoyuan. Early this year, this volunteer said to me: “Master, I’ve wasted eight years. When I was 82 years old, I thought of joining Tzu Chi and training to become a Tzu Chi volunteer. But my wife said that I am already 82 and will only be a burden to Tzu Chi without contributing much.” So, he gave up.
Early this year when I went to Taoyuan he told me, “I’ll be 90 next year. Are you sure I’m not too old.” I told him, “Ninety is not old. I just certified a volunteer in Taipei who is 94. So, you’re not old.” He was very happy. So, next month I’ll certify this 90-year-old volunteer in Taoyuan.
He can still see well and hear well and is very dedicated. But he kept saying that he’d wasted eight years. So, I told him: “As long as our karmic affinities are deep, it’s never too late for them to manifest. See, I still get to certify you.” I’m very happy for him.
Indeed, when we are able we should do our best to give. Through giving, we’ll gain the most valuable wealth in life. Having learned the Dharma, our perspective on life will be clearer and our life path will be broader and smoother.
In walking the Bodhisattva Path, it’s not enough to just do good. We must also awaken our wisdom. How can we do that? By going amongst people to serve as the Dharma teaches us. Where can we learn the Dharma? From Buddhist sutras. Having learned the Dharma, we must go amongst people to serve so we can see the truth in the Dharma.
When our volunteers from Malaysia came to Taiwan last year, I encouraged them to inspire more living bodhisattvas in Malaysia. I told them that they should work together and inspire more people in their communities to give.
When they came again this year, they told me that they’d recruited nearly one million donating members. I said, “That’s great. You can adjust your goal to two million now.” “What? Two Million?” they asked. I replied, “What’s wrong?
You can’t do it?” They replied, “Yes, of course”
Our volunteers in Malaysia are really obedient. I then told them that inspiring more people to give is for the sake of peace and harmony in Malaysia. To sow more blessings for their society, they must recruit more people to serve as living bodhisattvas. Did you know how they did it? They’re really very endearing. Knowing how Tzu Chi started with housewives soliciting donations in the market, one of our elderly volunteers in Malaysia did the same.
“In this market, over 90% of the vendors are our donating members.”
“When she first came, I literally shooed her away.”
“I didn’t give up and kept going back to him for over 20 times.”
“She never got offended, so I was moved and started to donate.”
“I shared the law of karma with him every day, so he no longer slaughters pigs now. He used to slaughter over 20 pigs a day. He’s now opened a coffee shop for his wife. His family has been selling pork for generations. He didn’t receive much education, so he doesn’t know what else he could do.”
“I’ve opened a coffee shop. I’ll gradually stop selling pork.” This pork butcher has opened a coffee shop to prepare for a career change because he’s been inspired by our volunteer. See how endearing our volunteer is. She’s really very loving and patient.
We also see a six-year-old boy in Malaysia who asked his parents to take him to listen to my Dharma talk every morning. When listening to me speaking he sat very straight. One of our volunteers asked him: “Master talked for a long time, and you sat straight the whole time. Why did you do that?” He replied, “I want Grandmaster to see how straight I am that I can’t be straighter.” He sat so straight just for me to see.
See how this boy has also inspired his parents to learn the Dharma. This is how many children in Malaysia have inspired others. To inspire people is to purify their hearts. With one more person being inspired, that is one more person understanding the need for people to help one another. This is how people’s hearts are purified. We need to purify the world and people’s hearts by sharing the Buddha’s teachings with them.
So, I have to work harder to prepare my daily Dharma talk now. Our volunteers worldwide are listening to it via videoconferencing. Some of them don’t understand my Dharma talk which is in Taiwanese, so I have to prepare PowerPoint slides for them. Even if they don’t understand Taiwanese, they can still read the slides. So, I’m busier now. All I hope is that everyone can take in the Dharma and be inspired to walk the Bodhisattva Path. This is my mission. As my disciples, I hope that you can also take my mission as your own. May you emulate the Buddha’s heart and carry out our mission to benefit humanity.
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