20230507師徒相約為法來The Promise Between a Master and Her Disciple
The Tzu Chi volunteers in their 50s and 60s are truly excellent. They serve so earnestly as they take on the baton to keep the relay going. Such is the way to step up. We're working to better the world, and it takes everyone. It's important to have a team that can cover all the bases; we each earn a point for being great, and 100 of us means we get 100 points.
Tzu Chi is a huge organization, and it's like we are in a relay. During training, we say, the new excels the old; this way, the old will not die out, and the new must thank the old for helping them finding their way. Both the new and the old must interact with love to reach their destination.
I believe many people knew our volunteer, Sheng-sheng. She was very wise and had a way to spread the Dharma to her listeners. She took my teachings, which are profound, and put them in everyday language. She had helped many people. This was not a simple task!
She was a good disciple of mine. She knew the Dharma and used it; she went among people and shared Dharma teachings with them. For this reason, I often praised her. However, life is impermanent and I don't want her to go.
Do you hear me? Yes! I see you too. I'm so happy to see you. I see you, and know that you want to talk to me.
Master, she says that she worries the most as she cannot keep serving with you.
You are my disciple forever. I gave you the Dharma name, Jingyou. You've always kept me in you thoughts, as well as Tzu Chi, all the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas in your thoughts.
Master, she says she always thinks of you. She hasn't been able to volunteer and feels very sad.
Your heart has always been so close to mine. You've been with me for many decades, and carried out Tzu Chi's work for me. During the construction of our hospital, which was when I needed help the most, you gave me so much support.
Jingyou, you're my good disciple. You've been with me for 30, close to 40 years. At the time when I needed help the most, you've always been with me. You've always put me in your heart, on your mind, and when I wanted to do something, you found people to help me; you've helped me shoulder my load and gave me plenty of strength.
The hospitals we built have been safeguarding people's life there, and they take care of many people. This is merit. Such merits belong to you, to Tzu Chi volunteers; it's the merits of those who are my disciples. With our strength, we have accomplished all that should be accomplished.
I'm telling you, I'm at ease now. You need to do the same, you need to be at ease, too. This is just a stage, a phase. I'm old, too, and I'll go sometimes in the near future. So, I'm telling you, our affinities span life after life. Those who go first are to pave the path for me, so when I return, they can hold my hand and lead me to Tzu Chi. We are to keep the relay going. This relay is for generation after generation; it's for life after life.
So, please be brave and hold your head high. Think of me always, and keep your mind on the Buddha always. We are to be bodhisattvas life after life, make this vow with me because there's a need for more bodhisattvas in our future world. So, we are to make vows now and put them in action in the future.
Our vow for the future are to come to this world again together to inspire and guide people to continue Tzu Chi's Bodhisattva Path. You are very close to my heart. I believe this. Let us make the promise that the one who goes first will tell the one who comes later: come with me, and hold on to my hand. You can be a person who holds my hand in the future. We can hold the hands of many people in the world to forever walk the Bodhisattva Path.
Always keep the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in your heart, and always keep me in your heart. You are definitely in my heart.
Master, how are you?
I'm fine as long as you are at peace.
Master, I'll try my best.
Good, you still have strength and you are in good spirit. You look dignified. I give you my blessings. Remember to stay close to my heart.
About Sheng-sheng, what brings me comfort is that her mind was not deluded and she had no attachments. She was at peace. She had no other thoughts but kept me on her mind. Last time, when I went to Taipei, though she was dealing with an illness, she still came to see me.
When I saw her on the screen and I saw that her mind was not deluded, I was much comforted. Though I'm sad, I'm not worried. We should know that this moment will come to every person. Seeing her like this, having no attachment and her mind was not deluded, this is what we aim to do at the end of our life in our spiritual cultivation.
Truly, I'm much comforted, yet sad. Every day, I receive information on Tzu Chi volunteers around the world. I hear things and I see our volunteers. In times like this, I need to bear with it. I must bear with it and come up with the courage to seize the present moment to do what needs to be done and just do it.
After we've done a good deed, it's called creating blessings. This is why I often say to seize the present moment. I'm grateful. I'm comforted, yet sad. Such sentiment is normal when parting with a loved one. So, you see how it's so difficult for me to part with my disciple. Yet, I'm comforted. Such is life.
In this world, we are to keep learning until the time comes. Sheng-sheng was like this. For her entire life, she kept on learning until the time came. She created more blessings than bad deeds. She might have had given rise to mundane thoughts, that was inevitable. Yet, with Dharma in her heart, she quickly let go of her afflictions and ignorance. She overcame her ignorance. Such was her life. I'm comforted by this, and I give her my blessings.
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