20230504愛為依靠度有緣Teaching As a Lifetime Mission
"In 1992, my colleague invited me to join Tzu Chi Teachers' Association. I often helped with the Jing Si Aphorism teaching camps brought to Haualien by Yun-cai. When I first listened to Master's talk, Master said that all students can be changed unless their teachers don't have good methods. That truly awakened me.
So, I first changed myself by learning from Jing Si Aphorisms and then shared them with my students to help them change their behaviors and practice life's principles. This not only improved my relationship with my students, but also enaled me to teach more smoothly. I'd benefited a lot.
In 2011, in a talk for retired teachers, Master said, 'Once a teacher, always a teacher,' to encourage all to invite their students to walk the Bodhisattva Path. I remember what Master said, so I've encouraged my students who have jobs to give with love."
You've all taught your students with love. For decades, our teachers have been very mindful. In many schools, members of Tzu Chi Teachers' Association have transformed many wayward children. Inspired by their teachers, those who've entered the workforce have probably brought about positive changes in society. Please recall how many classes you've taught and how many talents you've cultivated.
Teachers' hearts are like Bodhisattvas' hearts and parents' hearts. You've not only been concerned about the safety and prospects of your students, but also cared for them with love.
"Since I became certifiled in 2005, I've been teaching by living out Tzu Chi's spirit, using Jing Si Aphorisms to guide my students towards the right direction in life. At Neipu Junior High School, I formed a deep affinity with a student with moderate autism. She didn't speak all day and even didn't go to the restroom after class. I tried to find ways to help her. I took her to the restroom myself and asked other students to invite her to go along.
The atmosphere of her family was bad as they blamed her mom for giving birth to a child like her. Later, her mom did her best to sow blessings. She said she'd like to make donations for her mother-in-law and three children. She has been making donations for 19 years.
Every month, when I collect donations from her, my student will come to me for a hug, like she did when she was little. After her mom became our donating member, the atmosphere of the family changed. I'm very happy that as a teacher, I've changed the student and her family."
I believe that you've created the greatest value by teaching your students with love. You are ideal teachers for their parents. And, with your unwavering support, the children have studied and grown up with ease of mind. Having taught in kindergarten, elementary school, high school, or university, members of our Teachers' Association are all teachers. No matter how old their students are and even if they're graduate students, they're their teachers.
I'm also a teacher as I'm the teachers' Master. So, I must carry myself well and fulfill my responsibilities, too. As your teacher, I care not only about your health but also about whether you're cultivated wisdom. I hope that all of our teachers, who are Tzu Chi volunteers and Jing Si disciples, can not only keep to the right direction in life but also keep growing in wisdom, as wisdom is what we can carry with us life after life.
As time passes and our lives come to an end, wisdom remains enduring and everlasting. Our wisdom-life is like a seed that we carry after passing away. When I expound the Dharma, I often say that when we pass away, we take nothing with us but our karma. Karma is a seed. It's called "karmic seed." When passing away and leaving our body behind, we only take our karmic seed with us. With it, where we'll go in our next life is not up to us.
We're subject to our karma, which is created by what we've done. Had you not joined Tzu Chi, you many not know one another. As you joined Tzu Chi and serve as volunteer teachers, you've been walking the Bodhisattva Path together. What's most important is for you to become certified when I'm alive so we can form good affinities in our next lives. Of course, we all need to pass on the Tzu Chi Path generation after generation.
For those of you who have not retired yet, please regard your students as ghose who'd cultivated with us in the past and inspire them to join our rank. Every one of your students had cultivated with us, so they have good affinities to be taught by you. You have a bond as teacher and students as you'd cultivated together in the past.
In all, our students all have good affinities with us. I hope you can keep interacting with your students. By holding tea gatherings, you can share with them how you've served with Tzu Chi and inspire d them to join our rank. Take PaGameO for example. As it is widely used, many have learned about Tzu Chi. PaGamO provides a new and good way of learning for students.
Whether you're retired or not, it helps us to keep cultivating in education. I hope you can often care for your students. If you're invited to give a speech, no matter where the venue is, please bring forth your heart as a teacher to guide and inspire the audience. Everyone can be our teacher.
I'm very happy that you've come back, as I see you as my teachers. I'm still your teacher. We' re all teachers to one another. We need to humble ourselves as we can always learn from others. When we learn from others humbly, we're practicing gratitude, respect, and love. Let us always respect and learn from on another.
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