20210311愛穩人間造幸福Embracing All with Compassion and Loving-kindness
We see that weather patterns have become very erratic. People’s collective bad karma has caused the imbalance of Nature’s elements. Due to land and air pollution, climate disasters have been occurring frequently. Oftentimes, we humans neither follow the laws of Nature nor live in harmony with animals.
Living beings have their own natural habitats. Birds live in the sky, fish live in the water, and we humans live in mountainous or lowland areas. Animals in the mountains rarely intrude into lowland areas. But what about people in lowland areas? We’ve been damaging the mountains where the animals live.
We humans are never content. People may take something from others by force and some countries may clash against other countries for things they want. People seek fame, wealth, and social status while countries crave more territory. This is what this world is like.
Originally, most animals lived happily and enjoyed abundant natural resources. Yet, we humans have been damaging their habitats in the name of reclamation. Even a tiny spark can trigger a large-scale wildfire, destroying many forests. Human deforestation has deprived animals of their homes, and there have been wildfires, too. Just think, exactly where can they be safe?
Many people have also been deprived of their homes and have become refugees. They are truly in great suffering. Where can they settle down? They have low chances of going back home. Many of them can only stay in refugee camps. Some have only got a flimsy trap for shelter.
Even when it rains or snows, or when it’s windy, they can only sleep on the ground under the flimsy tarp. When it rains, the ground will be filled with water and become muddy, and they have to sleep in the mud. How can the refugees live like this? Such misery. Their children have it worse still. Some women have even given birth on the muddy ground. Such hardships.
Were the refugees born to live in such a harsh environment? No. They used to have a happy home. They used to enjoy abundant resources in their home country and have a warm and cozy home. Yet, as a few people gave rise to bad thoughts and want to take something by force, conflicts have occurred and brought great suffering to many people. This is truly heartrending.
See how people have brought suffering to others and destroyed animals’ habitats. Are we humans inherently good or evil? People may give rise to good and bad thoughts. When people give rise to ignorance, they will create bad karma and bring misery and suffering to many others. A few people’s deluded thoughts can cause great suffering to many.
Human nature is inherently good. The Buddha said that everyone shares the same Buddha nature. We must tap into our Buddha nature and feel others’ suffering as our very own. I hope everyone can enjoy safety and peace. For that, we must all live out the Dharma unwaveringly and tap into out wisdom so we can extend our love to all life and penetrate all the true principles in the universe.
We must cultivate great compassion and feel others’ suffering as our very own. We must also broaden our hearts so we can embrace everything in the universe. We are all responsible for protecting all life. By protecting all life, we can bring safety and peace to the world. As long as we share one heart in giving with love, we can bring aid to many people in need. This is how we can create a pure and peaceful land like the world of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and how we can cultivate blessings and wisdom.
In all, I hope we can all walk the Bodhisattva Path each and every day. We must gain insights from experiences and live them out in everything we do. We should do so no matter where we are. We see how refugee children in Turkey follow our coin bank practice to help the needy.
With our aid, they don’t need to work as child laborers and can receive an education at our school. They will contribute to society in the future. No matter where we are, as long as we share one heart in giving with love, we can benefit the needy, relieve their suffering, and bring joy to them. Everyone, as long as we harbor love within, we can fill the world with happiness. Thank you all for giving with love.
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