20191007念報師恩恆精進Growing in Wisdom-life to fulfill Aspiration
Yesterday, I went to the Hualien Jing Si Hall where a training retreat was held for our peixun volunteers. The event went on for three days. I saw that everyone was very diligent In captivation and someone went onstage, sharing with their life before joining Tzu Chi.
Many of them had setbacks, and it took them some time to come across Tzu Chi where they finally found their direction in life and set out on a path of cultivation. They could see hope again. They started joining Tzu Chi and participating in various activities. Through doing this, they were able to get a rid of their afflictions and worries. Now they have totally transformed.
They are genuine and sincere, and have become a completely different person who willingly vowed to help people in need with love.
After joining Tzu Chi, I have done my best to learn the Dharma and listened to Master’s Dharma talks. And, I realized, to volunteer with Tzu Chi is something I truly want to do. I found my spiritual home here in Tzu Chi. I’ve made average to transform myself, and adopted a vegetarian diet. I aspire and vow to deliver myself and others and give of myself as best as I can to inspire more people to join Tzu Chi, walk the Bodhisattva path, and follow Master to do things that benefit living beings.
Yesterday, volunteers shared their life stories, aspired to do good from now on and in the future. Each volunteer came off stage and came in front of me. I asked each of them, was the vow you just made sincere? They replied, yes. I said, do not forget the moment you made your vow today. You must not forget the past. Moreover, you must not to forget your aspiration and the moment you made your vow today.
These 500 to 600 peixun volunteers from Northern Taiwan Have aspired to become my disciples. Those who hosted the retreat were volunteers from Taipei. We see them cultivate so diligently, and I hope they continue cultivate diligently on this path.
The Lotus Sutra creates an expedient path for people to engage in spiritual cultivation. If we do not walk on the expedient path first, We won’t be able to connect to the Bodhisattva Path. This is why I often talk about creating and paving a path, which has been paved a long time ago. How long ago? Over half a century ago, since the days of the bamboo coin banks, we’ve started paving the path.
We’ve worked hard to pave this path through all these years. And now, we see that inside the Jing Si Hall there‘s a big sutra lecture hall, where the peixun volunteers took the Three Refuges. Everyone in the audience and I cherished that moment.
I cherish such a moment. So, I have to be diligent. I cherish every Tzu Chi commissioner and Tzu Cheng. No matter when the certification ceremony is, If I can personally certify new volunteers, That is like I’m passing on the responsibility of caring for the world to these volunteers. The volunteers will shoulder this responsibility and inspire more people to do the same.
Every one of these over 500 peixun volunteers and our experienced certified volunteers can learn or review Tzu Chi’s history to strengthen their Tzu Chi’s spirit and values. This is something they can do. Whether it‘s reviewing Tzu Chi’s history or letting the volunteers know of their mission now, we hope they can understand the Bodhisattva Path.
I hope these volunteers who are in the training program now and are cultivating diligently will remain diligent and continue doing Tzu Chi’s work after they are certified. I hope they will not be like those mentioned in the Lotus Sutra who left the assembly as the Buddha was about to expound the core, essential part of the Dharma. I hope that people will remain firm in their aspirations, and do their best to fulfill them.
Yesterday as I made my way to the lecture hall, I was not only moved by the elderly volunteers, even the child who was walking with me... Don’t presume that he is merely accompanying me and walking next to me; he actually gives me great support, as without leaning on his body, I cannot take steady steps.
He is a young child, for several years already, from before school-age to now that he is in elementary school, whenever he has a day off, Saturdays, and Sundays, his mother comes to volunteer at the Abode, and he comes to serve as my cane. He is sweet and adorable.
Yesterday, as I placed my hand on his shoulder, I wondered, will the same happen next year, and the year after that? Will his height still be just the right height for me to place my hand on his shoulder? As life keeps changing, he will get older, and he will be busy with school; what about me, my health? Such is life.
For yesterday’s closing ceremony and the upcoming volunteer certification ceremonies, I have been working hard, very hard, to keep on walking forward, and giving myself encouragement daily. No one can help me on this. What everyone can do for me is to grow in their wisdom-life. This is what I actually ask of you; there is nothing I ask for in this life other than for my disciples’ wisdom-life to grow, and they can make offering in terms of the Dharma.
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