20211201恆持初心掘湧泉Passing Goodness On
Volunteers, I’ve been reminding all of you that we must seize every second to give. Since we first aspired to give, exactly how diligently have we worked and how much have we given of ourselves? In the past, I often reminded you to give of yourselves gratefully without asking for anything in return.
Our Tzu Chi members are truly admirable as they all give of themselves unconditionally and express their gratitude to those they’ve helped. Yet, recently, I’ve been saying that we must count how much value we’ve created out of our lives, which seems to contradict the principle of giving without asking for anything in return. In the past, I said we must not take issue over how much we’ve given of ourselves, and now, I say we must count how much work we’ve carried out.
Taking issue over something is different from counting it. If we take issue over how much we’ve given of ourselves, we might think that others do less work than us and that we are superior to them. Such is the result of taking issue.
Instead, I hope you can count how much work you’ve carried out. We’ve been giving of ourselves without asking for anything in return, and now, we need to count how much value we’ve created out of our lives by striving to benefit people and giving of ourselves with sincere piety and selfless love.
As you’ve been reading Buddhist sutras, you know that the Buddha had been walking the Bodhisattva Path and cultivating both blessings and wisdom for countless lifetimes and eons of time before he attained Buddhahood. So, to learn the Buddha’s way, we must emulate the Buddha’s heart by walking the Bodhisattva Path unwaveringly, no matter what adversity we might encounter. We must check if we’ve deviated from the path of cultivation.
Even if we do not deviate, we must continue to walk ahead. Before we attain Buddhahood, we still have our mundane ways. So, we must walk the Bodhisattva Path steadfastly. This path is about going amongst people to serve and relieving people’s suffering. Some people might think: I have transcended my mundane ways by cultivating myself unwaveringly, so I don’t have to go amongst people to serve.
In truth, if we do not go amongst people to serve, we cannot transcend our mundane ways. There is a saying: to attain Buddhahood, we must form good karmic affinities with others first. Indeed, everyone, we must learn to form good karmic affinities with others. The affinities between Tzu Chi members are very special and precious.
Look at this gathering. You are all kind-hearted people and have been serving as living bodhisattvas. Many good people have gathered here. This Jing Si Hall truly is a cultivation ground with many living bodhisattvas. I am grateful that as I’d formed good affinities with many people in my past lives, I can now meet with many living bodhisattvas wherever I visit.
You’ve all been walking the Bodhisattva Path steadfastly, going amongst people to care for those in suffering, and listening to the Dharma every day. I’m very happy that Tzu Chi members listen to the Dharma every day and discuss the Dharma in their study groups often. I am truly content because everyone takes my words to heart and holds me in high respect.
Tzu Chi members have been striving to inspire all to serve as living bodhisattvas. They’ve let me know that they do Tzu Chi’s work not only because they want to respond to my appeal. What’s more, they’ve been carrying out Tzu Chi’s work with one heart for many years. I’m very grateful to all Tzu Chi members for giving with love more than willingly without asking for anything in return. This is how charity work can be carried out continuously.
We must pass on the spirit of charity generation after generation. This is we live out our value in life. Whenever we are needed, we are always more than willing to give, for our love is constant, just like a stream of water that can’t be cut by a knife. Our love is also like clean water that gushes out constantly in a well.
You all know that when I founded Tzu Chi, I said: I wish to be a well digger. I wish to dig wells rather than create water vats, for no matter how large a vat might be, if no water drips into the vat, it will dry up over time. If I dig a well, water will gush out continuously.
Everyone, as I’m still with you, let us pool our strength together to dig more wells. I hope you can pass on the spirit of well digging in your family generation after generation and inspire all to serve as living bodhisattvas. We should not only pool our strength together but also hold firmly onto our initial aspiration. When I planned to build a hospital in Hualien, you aspired to recruit more donating members. I hope you can hold onto this aspiration.
Our initial aspiration is like a lamp. As long as there is a lamp, rays of light can shine out in all directions. Thank you all. Every day, I look at a world map. The Bodhisattva of Compassion with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes looks around the world and reaches out to those in need wherever they are. Aren’t you like the Bodhisattva with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes?
You look around the world for me and help me to bring aid to the needy. You truly have my admiration. I love and cherish all of you deeply and I cannot do without you. You’ve said, Master, we cannot do without you. Actually, I cannot do without you and I can’t lose any of you, for my time will come one day and I need you to pass on goodness. You should also pass on goodness in your family.
A family doing good deeds will be blessed. So, may goodness be passed on in each family.
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