20150327堪忍修行破迷網 Rediscovering the Pure True Nature in All Living Beings
Everyone shares the same Buddha nature. Look at this boy from our elementary school in Hualien. For over a year, he has been listening to my Dharma talk along with his parents every day. He takes notes and he shares what he’s learned with his teacher. He’s realized that to cultivate ourselves, we need to walk out from darkness and evil. He even drew a picture of a maze filled with the Chinese characters of ‘night”, “evil”, and “Dharma. “Night” represents darkness and “evil” represents ignorance and afflictions.
And only when we follow the path of “Dharma” can we get out of the maze. That’s why he shared that spiritual cultivation is like walking through a maze and only when we reach the end of the maze can we rediscover our pure true nature and attain Buddhahood. So, in cultivating ourselves, we need to be able to endure hardship. His notes show how much he’s learned. He draws many pictures as he can’t write fast enough. Seeing how he’s learned and understood so much, I’m really very moved.
Everyone is inherently good. That’s why it is very easy for children to take in wholesome teachings. However, as they grow up and are exposed to unwholesome influences and impurity in society, only very few of them can still maintain a pure heart. That’s why they need to remain in a wholesome environment where they can keep learning wholesome teachings and put them into practice so they can develop deep faith like how the roots of a tree can deepen and grow extensively so the tree can stand firm even in the face of a storm. This is how strong and deep our faith should be.
We also see a piece of news about a truck hauling three elephants on a highway in the U.S. state of Louisiana. About halfway through the trip the driver pulled over to the shoulder. owever, due to recent rains, the ground had become soft. Eventually, the truck got stuck in the mud and was in danger of tipping over. So, two of the elephants were coaxed out of the truck to prop the truck until a local wrecker came to their rescue. Seeing that, I’m very moved. The Buddha teaches us to respect all life. He wanted us to understand that all living beings share the same Buddha nature.
In this world, there are mountains, rivers, flowers, trees, forests, medicinal herbs, and many other plants. Every plant has a different form and nature. Take medicinal herbs for example. Every medicinal herb has different effects. To cure our illnesses, we need to first understand the effects of each medicinal herb so we can take the right medicine as different herbs have different effects. Animals are also the same. Every animal is different in form and nature. For example, tigers are ferocious and sheep are tame and gentle. Every animal is different. It’s the same for people.
Everyone has a different aptitude and their level of understanding for the Dharma also differs. It’s just like how plants can take in different amount of water. For example, trees can absorb more water than grasses. All of us share the same Buddha nature. It’s just that, under different influences, we’ve developed different habitual tendencies. That’s why we need Dharma to nourish our minds.
We also see our local volunteers in Lesotho. Having received help from Tzu Chi, they’ve been inspired to give. Although they are poor, they still give of themselves to help others. What they do is very touching. This is how we should pass on love to more people and help on another.
We also see the Philippines. Last month, a fire broke out in a residential area in a highly urbanized city of Metro Manila. It was a frightening disaster. Most of those affected are poor, so Tzu Chi volunteers quickly went to give out aid.
Many of our local volunteers who once received Tzu Chi’s aid also came to help hand out supplies that those affected much needed. Such is the way of Tzu Chi volunteers. They give with love and they’re very happy to serve. Actually, rich to poor, everyone is able to give. Even the two elephants could come to people’s rescue by leaning against the truck and hanging in there until the rescue arrived. If animals can do that, we humans should also be able to do our part to help bring peace to the world, give of ourselves with love, and inspire more people to do the same. That is what everyone can do including children.
“Every day, my mom gives me five pesos and I save three pesos so I can donate it.” “Without Tzu Chi’s help, I might not be a good child and I would probably do bad things. So, I’m grateful that I’ve joined Tzu Chi Foundation Tzu Chi helps me in many ways. I felt sad to see the disaster brought by Typhoon Yolanda. People had no food to eat and no place to live. So, I donated money to help them even though it’s not much.”
Such is the power of love. With the work we do, we’ve paved a path of love to help purify people’s hearts and minds and guide children onto the path of goodness. Children are the hope of our future, so we must work hard to nurture them. Our world needs this power of love. So, please do what you can with all your hearts.
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