20201109 分分已獲功德林Receiving the Merits We’ve Created
I am truly grateful to Tzu Chi volunteers for taking the Dharma to heart and putting it into practice. We see that the Dharma masters are truly dignified and solemn. They have shown and led us Buddhist practitioners how to observe the precepts and spread the spirit and values of Buddhism in the world.
Every family should follow precept and carry out spiritual cultivation accordingly. At times like this, we truly must cultivate ourselves, both in our heart and in our conduct.
From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely go amongst people, for the affinity of Bodhisattvas lies within living beings in suffering. The Buddha talked about the Bodhisattva Way more than 2,500 years ago.
The teaching applies now to people living in an era when Dharma is in decline, which is a world with five turbidities, and a world of much advanced technology. By just using our finger to activate device in our hands, the Dharma teachings can reach every corner of the world.
No matter where Tzu Chi volunteers are, as long as they know that I am giving teachings right now, all they have to do is use their finger; no matter which country they are in, they can hear and see me giving talks. Whenever disasters strike a country, they can also see Tzu Chi’s relief work there.
Take the Philippines for example, our volunteers there are carrying out a cleanup effort, they can share with me the progress of their cleanup work and how we provide the relief work program to help people in poverty who are now impacted by disaster.
I said, “This isn’t just about giving wages. We are there to help people.” I am very grateful to a group of entrepreneurs in the Philippines. They heard me say that manpower is not enough to do the job, so they use a lot of heavy machinery to help the cleanup task.
I am grateful to these local entrepreneurs for humbling themselves; apart from supporting the relief work program, they took part in the cleanup themselves. We can see from footage that what they did is truly praiseworthy. Such are Tzu Chi volunteers. Everyone serves.
People who have money can donate. People who do not have money help out with the labor work. Those who can make donation also take part in the labor work. I am truly touched that they committed themselves in the efforts.
I said, “The sooner the cleanup is done, the sooner the economy will be back on track.” Or else, businesses and the economy are already on halt, so let us quickly mobilize people and motivate people with people to give of themselves in the recovery work.
Hence, let us encourage people to give of their strength and donation to the Philippines for this disaster relief. I’m grateful that, both yesterday and today, there were many kindhearted people who came forth and told me, “Master, I want to donate to the Typhoon Relief of the Philippines.”
Many Dharma masters also donated with their love. I told them, “You have given encouragement to me, as well as to Tzu Chi volunteers.” I am truly grateful to these Dharma masters for their deeds.
As for Tzu Chi volunteers giving of themselves, I don’t have the words other than to tell you that, “When it comes to blessings, we reap what we sow; we are the ones who receive all of it.” It depends on what you have sown. Let us encourage people to do good. Blessings can be created with our mouths as well as our hands; when we call on people to give, that is creating blessings too.
Let us spread the words and tell everyone, this is not about donating money, but giving with our hearts. Now is the time that it is essential for us to be vegetarian and bring out our kindness. A heart of kindness can purify people’s hearts, and inspire in people a thought to create blessings, this is the way to truly create blessings.
At the Abode, I also said that, when people aspire to give, it is like there is a protective layer, which is thin but covers us, separates us from the virus which cannot be seen nor touched. I don’t need to go into details about this. I hope that, with our aspirations to do good, this protective layer will open up wider, and stay in place so that this virus cannot find its way in.
Every one of us has a kind heart and good thoughts, and has this protection as we call on others to not kill and be vegetarian. In all, let us create more blessings, as to have small impact from heavy negative karma, and for small disasters to dissipate. This all depends on us to truly create blessings in the world.
As expounded in the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra, when we serve piously, we create merits for ourselves. Indeed, we receive the merits we create. We saw that our doctors gave a presentation on the Ten Merits. Ms. Tang Mei Yun’s troupe also made a special trip to attend the ceremony. She was very busy and did not sleep just to come to the ceremony.
Though she was on stage for only a few seconds, she still took part. This showed her piety. All in all, there are many touching deeds of people accumulated through time.
This year’s red envelope has a design of the Awakened One of the Cosmos. You have to keep it safe because it’s the Awakened One of the Cosmos. In this world and the universe, to be healthy and safe, we need to awaken and have wisdom.
The Awakened One of the Cosmos is the Buddha. He expounded the Dharma in this world, and we follow and carry out his teachings. All the Dharma goes back to our heart. Everyone, please take good care of your hearts and practice the Dharma in our world.
If we do this, we can create blessings in this world, which is too many to say them all. All in all, I’m grateful to volunteers for gathering people’s power of love together.
Saving coins daily to help people. We will never forget our initial aspiration. With wholehearted devotion, we follow Master. We implore Master to continue to expound the Lotus Sutra.
Volunteers, I’m very touched. This is Dharma. The words you say emit light. Looking at all of you and hearing you say those words, remember to put the Dharma into practice. When we generate the power of love from our heart, there’s nothing that cannot be accomplished. There’s nothing that the Dharma cannot be applied to.
Thus, everyone, please take solid steps on the Bodhisattva Path, with correct mindset and views and in the correct direction. I have spoken a lot, but I still want to give you my blessings.
Everyone, all the deeds you’ve done are acts of love. All the deeds you’ve done create blessings. May our love and blessings be boundless. I give everyone my blessings, thank you.
首頁 