20141009真心茹素‧離苦得樂 Inspiring More Living Bodhisattvas in China
Every day, we see Tzu Chi volunteers working hard to recruit living bodhisattvas. Thanks to their effort, man people have been inspired to join our rank. From Oct. 1 through 7, it was China’s week-long National Day holiday. So, our trainee volunteers in China seized the holiday to come to Taiwan for training camps.
In a week, we held two camps for two groups, which were only a few days apart Tzu Chi volunteers in Taipei received them warmly and they also worked very hard to learn more about Tzu Chi. Tzu Chi volunteers in Taiwan truly welcomed them with sincere love. No matter where they went for a visit in Taipei, Tzu Chi members all welcomed them cordially as if their families had come home.
Our volunteers from China were not tourists. They were here for training. See how orderly they were and how they closely followed Tzu Chi’s etiquette. Although they are only our trainee volunteers, they abided by our rules and proprieties and learned everything with a respectful heart.
Our Tzu Chi volunteers in Taiwan really treated them like family and cared for them with genuine sincerity and love. See how Tzu Chi volunteers in China and Taiwan cultivated together so diligently.
When they shared, I found their stories very moving. Take an elderly volunteer, Huixian, for example. She has a daughter who runs a company. Her daughter is very capable but would sometimes get impatient with her. So, they often argued with one another.
Last year around this time her daughter came to Taiwan to attend our Jing Si camp for entrepreneurs. At the time, she heard me say that to show filial piety, we should be obedient to our parents. She took my words to heart.
After she went back, she began to speak softly and gently to her mother. The atmosphere in the family also changed. Now, Huixian and her daughter get along very well. They love each other and the interaction between them is truly full of love.
Huixian even provided a place to serve as our Tzu Chi office in Hangzhou. Every morning, she is the first one to be there and put everything in order for people to listen to my Dharma talk. See how diligent she is. She told me that, at first, she couldn’t understand what I said as I speak in Taiwanese. She tried hard and could understand about 10 percent.
Then, she tried harder and could understand 50 percent. Now, she’s trying even harder so she can understand 80 percent of what I teach. She told me her goal is understand 100 percent. She’s over 70 years old, but her sincerity and determination are truly very touching.
Last year, when she came to Taiwan, I encouraged her to help care for the Earth by eating vegetarian, and she also vowed to do just that. But she couldn’t resist the temptation of meat. When eating out with her friends, she ate meat several times.
Every time, she would repent afterwards I repented for three times. I have a grandson, who is six years old. I thought he didn’t hear me repent before, but when I was repenting again, he said: “Grandma, why do you repent all the time?” I said: ”I keep breaking my promises to Bodhisattvas.” He said: ”What? Are you fooling the Bodhisattvas?”
The boy is only six years old. Even a six-year-old box knows what’s the right thing to do. How could she not know? She became a vegetarian ever since. See, as long as one is willing to try, one can definitely change.
And as long as one learns life’s truths, one will take them to heart eventually. So, we must seize every opportunity to learn and reform. Yesterday, we heard the sharing of another elderly volunteer, Huang Nuan. She led a good life, but she was miserable.
When she had nothing to do, she felt bored. When she gambled and lost money, she was sad. When she went sightseeing, every place looked the same to her. So, she felt that her life was boring.
One volunteer invited me to join Tzu Chi because she said I looked sad. I said yes because Tzu Chi is good. I went the next day. Tzu Chi volunteers were very nice to me, so my heart was opened. They called me grandma. I’m so happy because even my own granddaughter doesn’t call me grandma often.
So, whenever I go to the recycling station, I’m happy because everyone calls me grandma. Gradually, I became different. After I joined Tzu Chi, all I hope is to meet master in person because she has changed me completely.
When we are not content with what we already have, we suffer. That’s how Huang Nuan is like. She had a good life, but she still felt miserable. Now that she has joined Tzu Chi and does recycling work, she’s able to experience the joy of feeling her wishes fulfilled because what she does is very satisfying.
It’s her wish to benefit the Earth and humankind and that’s what she is doing. So, she is very happy. Everything she does satisfies her. Her mind is very stable, so she feels joyful and fulfilled.
That’s how we should be--- do what needs to be done, which gives us peace of mind and a vast, open heart. When we do what’s right, we’ll be very happy. This is how we can practice the Buddha’s teachings in our everyday life.
The terminology may seem abstruse, but the teachings can all be applied in our daily living. So, we must be mindful and take hold of time. Only then can we realize more truths of life and put them into practice so we can live our lives more solidly and be closely connected to life’s truths.
So, let us take the Dharma to heart and live it out in all we do. That’s why I say bodhisattvas are human beings and Buddhism is daily life. All of us can be a bodhisattva and help change people’s lives.
This time, one of the camps for our trainee volunteers from China was held in Taichung. Our local volunteers really treated them with genuine sincerity and love. They shared many wholesome values with them, so everyone had learned a lot. After Taichung, they came to Hualien. Every one of them is a seed. May these seeds grow into big trees and give rise to more seeds.
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