Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Causes and Conditions to Benefit Self and Others (大覺光照梵天)
Date: April. 04. 2017
“With inner causes and external conditions, they benefit both themselves and others. These noble and wondrous virtues are profoundly extraordinary. They universally enable people to enter the Dharma of the One True Vehicle. They transform all beings and lead them to enter the Buddha-wisdom.”
Everything is due to causes and conditions. Causes are internal, while conditions are external. Our daily lives are inseparable from causes and conditions. Internally in our minds, however it is that we think leads to our external actions. Our actions, whether good or bad, all go back to that inner cause. The internal cause is the seed which eventually results in the fruit, the fruits of suffering in life, of suffering beyond our control. Actually, this suffering beyond our control comes from the cause of seeds created in the past, which resulted in our present fruits. Those causal seeds bring external conditions to fruition, and the power of those external conditions then elicits thoughts within our minds. Once these thoughts arise in us, we use our power to bring external conditions to fruition. These mutually incite one another. But this is what we must work on in our spiritual practice. As our minds connect with external states, should we seek to attain them? This depends on our minds.
If a whole chest of gold is in front of us, shining so brightly, our eye-root will make contact with this chest of gold worth a fortune. Will I give rise to thoughts of greed. If so, I think, “This is very valuable.” In my mind I calculate, “This is so valuable! If only I had this I would be rich!” The external state [of the gold], our eye-root and the thoughts in our minds, these three things, come together. Then we want to possess it. Do thoughts of stealing it, of taking it, of seizing it arise? If so, we manifest our power. Once we use our power, it becomes what is known as stealing. If we take others’ things or rob or steal, this all has the power of action. The power of these actions in fact results from thoughts arising within us. These are inner causes and external conditions. Outside us are these situations and things that lead us, once our eye-root makes contact, to give rise to greed within our minds. Then naturally we make use of our power. So, these inner causes and external conditions are terrifying.
When we see someone who is sick or suffering, our hearts go out to them. “Why is life so filled with suffering? I can help, so I will go and help him. But I do not have enough strength by myself, so let me call on more people to help him!” This likewise comes from inner causes and external conditions. With external conditions like these and the inner state of our minds, when we see others who are suffering, our hearts go out to them; we cannot bear it, so we naturally [give] with our power, while also drawing upon the strength of others. With our own and others’ strength, we help those who are suffering. This benefits both us as well as others. When we help someone and also invite others to join in helping them, all three parties experience gratitude and joy. The person receiving help is grateful and joyful, while those who help him come to recognize their blessings by witnessing suffering. Seeing him happy, they become joyful themselves.
This is like a case of ours in Yilan. There was a man nearly 70 years old, who normally receives government assistance, but has an alcohol problem. His habitual tendencies leads him to drink. He is not in the best of health. It is impossible for him to work, and he lives alone in a house with joint ownership. It was once a home shared by his ancestors. This house was dilapidated, very small, less than 30 square meters. The roof leaked, and it was basically uninhabitable. He had accumulated so much [garbage] inside, it was like a dirty warehouse, a garbage dump. That was where he lived. But when it rained heavily, the entire place became essentially unlivable. So, the township office thought, “How can we help? This house is jointly owned. We cannot touch it or tear it down. Without the approval of all the owners, it is impossible to touch it.” The authorities’ hands were tied, but this house was truly uninhabitable. So, the authorities informed Tzu Chi volunteers. They brought the case to Tzu Chi. Yilan Tzu Chi volunteers quickly went to visit. “It is so sad! How can he live in such a house? Even if we do the repairs, the house is still so filthy!” So, they kept speaking with him, telling him, “Besides fixing the roof for you, what if we were to all come here and help you to clean the house?”
The man replied, “No thank you! I would be embarrassed! If you helped me fix my house. I would be very grateful. How could I ever let you come and clean my house?” So, he was unwilling.
But Tzu Chi volunteers told him, “It’s OK; there is no need to be embarrassed. However, we hope that you, in the future, once we repair your house, will follow one condition, that you quit drinking. Then you can work.”
“What work can I do?”
“You can first do recycling. If you quit your drinking habit, you will definitely be able to work.” With this, more than 20 people went to help clean. They first fixed his roof, then helped him clean the inside of the house. When they cleaned, it was really so dirty. No one knew how long this had been accumulating. The floor was thick with dirt, and there was a lot of garbage on the floor. When they were cleaning, they kept on throwing the trash outside, when suddenly they saw a snake’s nest. It was a nest full of snakes. There were many of them, and once they disturbed them, many snakes scattered in all directions. When one of the commissioners disturbed them, the snakes began slithering in all directions. She got scared and rushed outside. What was going on? When the male volunteers saw, it scared them too. What could they do?
The owner of the house just said, “What’s the big deal?” He began catching the snakes one by one, saying, “These are not poisonous.” He simply caught all the snakes one by one and released them outside. Everyone helped him to clean up. In a single day they had helped fix the roof and clean the house.
This man they had helped was filled with gratitude. “All I wanted was for my roof not to leak. You Tzu Chi brothers and sisters are all so kind. You even helped me clean my whole house.”
The Tzu Chi volunteers said to him, “You should always keep it this clean. Now you need to start…”.
He said,” Not drinking anymore.” He himself said, “I won’t drink anymore. You have helped me so much. You are all so kind. I have to listen to you. I won’t drink anymore. I can go help with recycling.”
Tzu Chi volunteers rejoiced upon hearing this. This is benefiting oneself while benefiting others. Though this was [a simple] action, even I was touched and grateful when I saw. The place was so dirty, and these people were completely unrelated to him. Why would this group of more than 20 people willingly climb his roof to help him fix it? Why would so many help clean the house? They were of no relation to him at all, yet they arrived early in the morning and did not leave until after the sun had set. When they arrived it was like that; when they left it was like this. The man went from a state of helplessness to having a safe place to live. These are inner causes and external conditions. In the past, this person’s inner cause was not loving himself. He merely passed his days drinking and thereby damaging his health. He was already old and this house belonged to others; it was a joint property. In such a state, he did not even know where to begin cleaning. External conditions presented themselves, and a group of people, these Living Bodhisattvas, could not bear to see him suffer, so they willingly went to help him. These were the inner causes and external conditions. The inner cause was the man himself. The external conditions were these Bodhisattvas, who ordinarily form great aspirations and make great vows. Their inner causes lay in taking the Dharma to heart and practicing the Dharma in their actions. So, whenever sentient beings are suffering, they will all work together to go to help them.
So, internally and externally, there are these causes and conditions. This man had already been transformed; he had been delivered and saved. He was saved physically and transformed mentally. This is all the workings of causes and conditions in the world. So, “These noble and wondrous virtues are profoundly extraordinary.” We can take the Dharma to heart, and when we take the Dharma to heart, whether our aspiration is newly formed, or whether for many lifetimes, we have become Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, our noble and wondrous virtues must likewise be accumulated form our initial aspiration onward. Over many lifetimes we have brought this virtue to fruition. The Bodhisattvas we see now, because of their accumulated virtue, have the causes and conditions to listen to the Dharma. This is accumulated over many lifetimes, so people are at a different places in the process. Some have already reached fruition, some are in the process of reaching it and some have yet to begin reaching it. That man they helped had not yet reached it, but those who were helping him were in the process of achieving this. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have already achieved it. These causes and conditions have been continually passed down from the source.
All in fact go back to the same intrinsic nature. It is just that we have become lost, so we now face karma beyond our control. We should gradually return to our nature of True Suchness, gradually accept the Buddha-Dharma and put the teachings into practice one by one. This is like that man; he not only quit alcohol, and we hope he continues to abstain from it, but is also starting to do recycling work. We hope he can do this for a long time, for he is already quite advanced in age. This is the same principle. If he continues to take this seed to heart so his inner cause is firm, then external conditions will naturally continue to help him throughout his life. The external conditions that help him come from the cause that is always within him, a heart of gratitude. Then at the end of his life, with this seed, the causes and conditions in his next lifetime will be better. He will depart with a heart filled with gratitude. When will his life naturally come to an end? He is now almost 70, and he is starting like this. Through this example, we should understand, yet it is still not easy to meet a good person. It is even harder to attain the Right Dharma.
So, these are “profoundly extraordinary”. People’s minds are extraordinary. If we constantly train our minds like this, this eventually becomes habitual; it becomes habitual for us to help others. Lifetime after lifetime we will be like this, continually benefiting ourselves while benefiting others, transforming ourselves while transforming others.
“They universally enable people to enter the Dharma of the One True Vehicle”. Those who engage in practice and listen to Dharma, like Hearers and Solitary Realizers, can all continue to advance until they reach the level of Bodhisattvas. Although this will take a very long time, they will naturally be able to transform all sentient beings. They enable all sentient beings to have the causes and conditions to draw near the Buddha-Dharma and even engage in spiritual cultivation by putting the teachings into practice putting the teachings into practice. Then naturally they can enter the Buddha-wisdom. This is talking about [what we see] in our world.
The Buddha’s state and the environment in which. His disciples engaged in practice were even higher. From this example, we can infer [the state of] Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha and moving forward, that of Sakyamuni Buddha. So, from Sakyamuni Buddha’s description of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha all the way to Sakyamuni Buddha Himself, we can see this came from lifetimes of continually accumulating inner causes and external conditions. If we can understand how to engage in spiritual practice, then it becomes very easy.
The previous passage says, “One by one they transformed 600 trillion nayutas of sentient beings, as many as the sands of the Ganges River. They revealed the teachings, bringing advantage and joy, and enabled them to give rise to the aspiration to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”.
These novices, one by one, recounted the Dharma taught by Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior, helping those with doubts and delusions to get rid of their doubts, helping everyone open their hearts and understand, understand this Dharma. So, “One by one they transformed 600 trillion nayutas of sentient beings, as many as the sands of the Ganges River”. They transformed so many, 600 trillion [nayutas], like the Ganges’ sand. This is the sands of not only one Ganges River, but of 600 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers. Even the amount of sand that sticks to your finger is impossible to count, let alone the sand from 600 trillion Ganges Rivers. Clearly this will take a very long time, they will come into contact with so many people. With every person they encountered, the 16 princes (novices) would always seize the time and make use of the causes and conditions in order to guide sentient beings. “They revealed the teachings, bringing advantage and joy, and enabled them to give rise to the aspiration to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”. They helped everyone to thoroughly comprehend the Buddha-Dharma.
So, “Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, 84,000 kalpas having already passed, arose from Samadhi. He went to His Dharma-throne and serenely took His seat”.
The novices taught the Dharma during the time Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha entered His meditation room to meditate. How long was this? 84,000 kalpas. This was such a long time. He now arose from Samadhi, emerged from Samadhi, came out of His meditation room and “went to His Dharma-throne”. He made his way over like this and “serenely took His seat”. He wanted to understand, “Is everyone at peace?” We spoke yesterday of how He [inquired]. “Was everyone listening to the Dharma? Was everyone following the teachings?” This was how He normally [asked after everyone]. It had been 84,000 kalpas, such a very long time. The 16 princes had been teaching the Dharma repeating the teachings for 84,000 kalpas. It had been such a long time; had everyone really accepted the teachings? He was also concerned about this. So, after emerging from His meditation room, on the way to take His Dharma-throne, He also showed His care. Taking His seat, He understood that the Dharma they all had been teaching had been applied by so many people. So, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s mind was put at ease.
The next sutra passage states, “He announced universally to the assembly. These 16 Bodhisattva-novices are profoundly extraordinary. All have sharp capabilities, and their wisdom brings complete understanding. They have already made offerings to immeasurable trillions of Buddha”.
Having heard and understood that the 16 novices had, over such a long time, repeatedly taught the Lotus Sutra on behalf of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, He also understood that many had accepted and were practicing it with faith and understanding. So, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha praised the 16 novices, telling everyone that the 16 novices were profoundly extraordinary. Everyone need to mindfully understand this.
He announced universally to the assembly; He spoke with a great voice and announced this universally to all in the assembly. This means He encouraged everyone to draw near to the 16 Bodhisattva-novices and have deep faith in, accept and uphold the teachings of the sutra taught by them.
“Announced universally” means openly, to everyone. He announced this about the 16 novices. This was when the Buddha took His Dharma-throne and began speaking. Because He understood these things, He began to speak “He spoke with a great voice and announced this universally to all in the assembly”. He announced this to everyone to encourage them to draw near to the 16 novices and not take them lightly because of their age or because they only recently became monastics. He wanted everyone to know that these 16 novices had already engaged in spiritual cultivation for a very long time in the past. So, everyone should “have deep faith in [them]”. Everyone should have faith in and understanding of the Dharma that they taught. He was testifying on behalf of the 16 novices. “The Dharma they were teaching is correct. They were recounting the Dharma I taught. This Dharma is true and not false”. He was bearing witness on behalf of the 16 novices to deepen everyone’s faith and understanding. He wanted everyone to earnestly accept and uphold the sutra expounded by the 16 novices. This was Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha testifying on behalf of the 16 novices.
These 16 Bodhisattva-novices are profoundly extraordinary: Because they were able to expound the Dharma, He praised them as profoundly extraordinary. They were replete with the inner causes and external conditions and the virtues of benefiting themselves and others. Therefore, they were profoundly extraordinary.
These sixteen novices were truly extraordinary, “because they were able to expound the Dharma”. The 16 novices were very young, but they were able to accept such profound Great Dharma. Thus they were worthy of praise. Moreover, they expounded the Dharma very well so they were of being praised. They were really extraordinary. They had inner causes and external conditions and virtues of benefiting themselves and others. We just explained inner causes and external conditions. The seed is the consciousness in their mind. Their minds continually remained very firm; for lifetime after lifetime, they had preserved this inner cause. Their internal practice was very solid. The external conditions were all these people, the 600 trillion beings, as many as Ganges sands. [The novices] had already formed so many good affinities in the past, had engaged in spiritual practice for so long. These are inner causes and external conditions; they were always benefiting themselves and others, so they had brought their virtues to fruition. Thus He praised them as profoundly extraordinary. “All have sharp capabilities, and their wisdom brings complete understanding”.
All have sharp capabilities, and their wisdom brings complete understanding: Among all matters, appearances and principles, there are none they do not comprehend, and they also have sharp capabilities. Because they have great wisdom, there is nothing in their minds that is not clearly understood and comprehended.
Through their sharp capabilities, the 16 novices had already come to understand. They attained the Hearers “insights” and understood; the Three insights and Six Spiritual Powers were clear to them. With sharp capabilities to understand things, they could thoroughly comprehend all worldly matters, appearances and principles. They understood all of these things. Their capabilities were especially keen; with sharp capabilities, when it came to worldly matters they undoubtedly understood all quite clearly. There was nothing of the Buddha-Dharma that they did not understand and comprehend. So, “Because they have great wisdom, there is nothing in their minds that is not clearly understood and comprehended”. Such great wisdom took many lifetimes to accumulate. So, “They have already made offerings to immeasurable trillions of Buddhas”.
They had long practiced making offerings to all Buddhas. Over many lifetimes, they had cultivated and upheld profound blessings. With their power of faith, upholding of teachings and power of mindfulness, whatever the Tathagata taught through speech, they faithfully accepted and practice it. This is the greatest offering.
They had long practiced over countless lifetimes making offerings in this manner. They made offerings by practicing the Dharma of all Buddhas. “They had long practiced making offerings to all Buddhas”. Their blessings from lifetimes of practicing and upholding the teachings were very profound. So, offering come from our minds and our actions. We must truly take the Dharma to heart; this is what makes the Buddha the most joyful. Putting the teachings into practice is the greatest offering one can make to a Buddha.
This is what gives Buddhas the most satisfaction. We have been discussing this sutra for so long. We have seen how the elder gave for the sake of the poor son, as well as the analogy of the burning house and the methods the kind father used to save his children. As long as the children were safe, as long as they could understand and make great vows, the father was very joyful. The Buddha’s mind and a father’s mind are the same. So, “They had long practiced making offerings to all Buddhas”. For a very long time, over many lifetimes, they had practiced and upheld [the teachings]. Over many lifetimes, they had continually saved and delivered sentient beings. Their power of faith in the Dharma, their power in accepting and upholding it as well as their power of mindfulness were all complete. They continually served others. With their faith and a firm resolve, their minds were pure and undefiled. They had persevered for a very long time. “Whatever the Tathagata taught through speech, they faithfully accepted and practiced it”. This is the “greatest offering”. Having deep faith, accepting the teachings and putting them into practice are the greatest offerings.
The next sutra passage says, “In the presence of all Buddhas, they have constantly cultivated Brahma-conduct. They accepted and upheld the Buddha’s wisdom to open and reveal it for sentient beings so that they may enter it. All of you must draw very close to them and make offerings to them. Why is this so?”
Now the Buddha, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, told everyone of how these novices had engaged in spiritual practice in the past. They had deep roots of faith and firm spiritual aspirations. They achieved such a high level in their practice. While practicing in the presence of all Buddhas, not only did they make offerings to the Buddha, they also engaged in Brahma-conduct. They maintained mental and physical purity by constantly cultivating Brahma-conduct and by accepting and upholding Buddha-wisdom. They not only sought to awaken themselves, by with the Buddha’s views and understanding, they sought to widely transform sentient beings. Not only that, they listened to the Dharma, taught the Dharma as well as spread the Dharma. “They open and reveal it for sentient beings so that they may enter it”. They hoped that all sentient beings would enter the wondrous truths of the Buddha-Dharma. This is what the 16 novices had attained by practicing in the presence of all Buddhas and continuously cultivating pure Brahma-conduct.
In the presence of all Buddhas, they have constantly cultivated Brahma-conduct. They accepted and upheld the Buddha’s wisdom to open and reveal it for sentient beings so that they may enter it: In the presence of all Buddhas, they were always learning purifying Brahma-conduct. Whatever they had attained, they opened and revealed for others.
With what they opened and revealed, if everyone could follow their actions, they could likewise place great importance on the Dharma the 16 novices taught. “They accepted and upheld the Buddha’s wisdom so that [everyone] might enter it,” so that everyone could enter the Buddha-wisdom. Everything they taught was taught in order to guide everyone to enter the Buddha-wisdom.
They accepted and upheld the Buddha’s wisdom: The Buddha’s wisdom as expressed in the sutra can be accepted and upheld by all Bodhisattvas, enabling them to enter the path of Buddhahood.
Buddha-wisdom lies in forming great aspirations, making great vows and helping the world’s suffering sentient beings. This is Buddha-wisdom. “The Buddha’s wisdom as expressed in the sutra can be accepted and upheld by all Bodhisattvas”. This is Buddha-wisdom and is something all Bodhisattvas can practice. So, “All of you must draw very close to them”. Everyone should earnestly make offerings, make offerings by drawing close to them. Everyone should draw closer and closer.
All of you must draw very close to them and make offerings to them: Draw close: Draw close to virtue and do not turn away. Offerings: Materials to nourish to the body and virtue to nourish wisdom-life, thus cultivating blessings and revealing teachings.
The16 novices, with their wisdom, had something to teach us. If someone wants to teach us and we do not draw close to them, how can we receive what they wish to teach us? We must draw close to them. By “drawing very close to them,” we “draw close to virtue and do not turn away”. We should earnestly draw close and while doing so we should not have any kind of afflictions or ignorance. “Turn away” means to turn against or go away from. When it comes to offerings, material offerings nourish the body, while virtues nourish wisdom-life. If we make offerings this way, by giving of ourselves, whether it is our body, mind or wisdom-life, we are able to develop. This comes from “cultivating blessings and revealing teachings”. On one hand we cultivate blessings; by making offerings; on the other, we teach other sentient beings. Listening to, teaching and transmitting the Dharma are how we can make offerings to give back, “enabling them to enter the path of Buddhahood”. This enabled them to enter the path to Buddhahood, to enter the Bodhi-path of enlightenment.
“So that they may enter it” means “to transform all sentient beings and help them all enter the Buddha-wisdom”. This is about transformation, transforming ourselves as well as sentient beings.
How do we transform sentient beings? In the past, this is how [the novices] did it. Now, in the era of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, they had these achievements. This proves that in the past they had transformed many sentient beings. So, now they had these affinities. Each of the 16 novices had formed his own individual affinities with sentient beings. They “helped them all,” helped all sentient beings. Each novice helped those he had affinities with to attain clear understanding. “[They] help them all enter the Buddha-wisdom”. These people who had doubts and confusion were countless in number. After Great Unhindered Buddha finished teaching, they still had not attained understanding. So, the 16 novices split up, gathered those they had affinities with and taught the Dharma to them. Thus, those people, all these sentient beings, each went with the novice they had affinities with. They formed into groups, each following the novice whom they had affinities with. This was how they drew close and learned from them to attain the wisdom of the Buddha. By leading others into the Dharma, they could deliver themselves and others. This was how the 16 novices, over kalpas, for a very long time, delivered both themselves and others. “Why is this so?”
Why is this so?: The reason that He encouraged them to draw near and make offerings to the Bodhisattva-novices was that if the practitioners of the Three Vehicles could believe in what they taught, accept and uphold it without slandering it, they should be able to return to the One Vehicle and enter the Tathagata’s wisdom.
Why? Saying “Why is this so?” means that He was encouraging them to draw close to the novices and make offerings. Why make offerings to these novices? Because of the profound depth of these novices’ causes and conditions. Why should they make offerings? When Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha told them to make offerings, He meant that they should draw near to them. He wanted everyone to draw near to them, to “draw close to virtue and not turn away”. He wanted them to continually draw closer. “Do not look down on these novices, for all of them are already Bodhisattvas. They are Bodhisattva-novices”. So, “The practitioners of the Three Vehicles could believe in what they taught, accept and uphold it without slandering it”. At this assembly, doubt and confusion had arisen in practitioners of the Three Vehicles. There were Hearers, Solitary Realizers and those who had formed initial aspirations, whose understanding was not yet thorough. They all listened to the Dharma the novices taught and accepted and upheld it without slandering it. “They should be able to return to the One Vehicle”. They all could be just like the novices, faithfully accepting and putting it into practice. Then everyone could ultimately walk the great path of the One Vehicle and enter the Tathagata’s wisdom.
So, we say learning the Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the Bodhisattva-path. All Buddha share the same path. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was like this dust-inked kalpas ago, then Sakyamuni Buddha, the Buddha removed from us over 2000 years, was also like this. Their intentions were to continually pass down the Dharma. In passing down the Dharma, all Buddhas hope that those who transmit the Dharma are mindful and are drawing near to spiritual friends. Though the 16 novices had yet to attain Buddhahood at that time, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was already encouraging everyone, saying they must draw near to them, because the Dharma they taught was the Dharma of Great Unhindered Buddha. So, in drawing near to the novices, people would be drawing near to the Dharma. By practicing according to the teachings, the Dharma can be passed down. This simply requires everyone’s resolve to be firm. We must have faith and accept the teachings. We must accept and uphold them with deep faith and take action to put them into practice. This is not impossible. Bodhisattvas like those I Yilan that we just talked about are increasing in number in Taiwan as well as abroad. Take Malaysia, for example There is an old lady in her 80s. Although she has two daughters, they are married, so the woman lives alone. Where does she live? In a shabby hut a graveyard. Who could possibly take care of her there? She had also had a stroke, So she needs people around her, but who will take care of her? Her own daughter reported the situation about her mother to the Tzu Chi volunteers in Malaysia. Hearing this, the Tzu Chi volunteers in Malaysia asked the daughter to bring them to visit her mother. Another person was there when they arrived. This person did not know the woman well, but in the past when he was down and out, this old mother was caring and helped this person totally unrelated to her. Seeing him down and out, the old lady had helped him. So, after a while, this man who had been working odd jobs and who had never received much education, learn that this old woman had suffered a stroke and was living alone because her daughters had their own families and could not take care of her. So, this man who had received her help before set aside his work and came on his initiative to care for the woman. He treated her like his own godmother, like his own mother in serving and caring for her. He helped her bathe and prepared her three meals. The Tzu Chi volunteers were moved upon seeing this. There was after all someone there. But this man was without a job, how could they support themselves? The house was so run down, and they were living in a graveyard. How could they survive like this? It turns out this godson, let us just call him her godson, was raising a few chickens and regularly collected the eggs to sell. The amount he earned was minimal, but he could exchange it for some items with which he made offerings to the old mother. You see, he was not related to her in any way, nor was he a Tzu Chi volunteer. He was just an ordinary person, who had once received help from her. Now he willingly took initiative to care for her. He carried her here and there, helped her wash her body, hair and face, and prepared three meals a day for her. He had set aside his own job and raised a few chickens there. It was a meager living, but he just wanted to repay her kindness. Starting at this time, Tzu Chi volunteers got involved and begin helping with their expenses. Since her godson was by her side, everyone felt more relieved. They helped clean the rundown and dirty place, cleaned out the clutter Tzu Chi volunteers took on this charity case and began providing for their livelihood. You see, this is the power of love. From just one seed, once begun, this was able to continue on. These examples of love have already spread to many countries, like Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, USA, England and France, there are so many. On the five great continents, there are so many who are exercising their love. As a regular person with no knowledge of Dharma, he was nevertheless quite willing to repay the kindness he received with gratitude. Clearly “Human nature is intrinsically good” This ordinary person had such inner causes and external conditions. She had cared for him in the past, had helped him, and now he was repaying her kindness. These actions all begin with a single thought and result in their mutually helping one another. Moreover, we have formed great aspirations and made great vows. We want to be Bodhisattvas. We want to attain Buddhahood. Don’t we also need to form this great aspiration? Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was like this as Sakyamuni Buddha described Him. His causes and conditions, as well as the 16 novices causes and conditions had each come to fruition. So, now it is up to us. Let us always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
