20230518莊嚴禮讚念佛恩Commemorating the Buddha
With years passing one after another, we've observed this year's Buddha Day. We held our first Buddha Day ceremony in 1996, which marked Tzu chi's 30th anniversary, to repay the Buddha's kindness. I'm grateful that President Chang of our nursing school had made that ceremony possible so our students could understand the spirit of Buddhism, which originated from the Shakya prince over 2,500 years ago. The prince was born on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.
As a prince, he enjoyed a life of abundance. Yet, outside his palace, he saw how birth, aging, illness, death, and poverty had brought about suffering, so he gave rise to compassion and pondered over how he could help his people. He contemplated how he could relieve everyone from their suffering. Yet, it was very hard to truly relieve their suffering. For example, financial aid could only ease their suffering temporarily.
He hoped everyone could understand life's truths. He thought about how everyone could cultivate wisdom so they'd be liberated not nonly from their poverty but also from their ignorance and afflictions. This is what Prince Siddhartha wanted for his people, as this was how they could truly be liberated from their suffering.
So, he decided to pursue life's truths and find ways to help everyone take them in and be liberated from suffering. To achieve all this, he left his palace to find life's truths, share them with all, and expound them clearly so everyone could take them to heart and truly be berated.
After leaving the palace, he looked for a place to cultivate himself. He traveled to many places and visited many religious leaders. Back then, in ancient India, there were 96 non-Buddhist sects. Yet, after visiting their religious leaders, he didn't consider their teachings to be the true principles of life.
So, he engaged in deep contemplation while seizing time to quietly observe Mother Nature and the workings of the universe over time. Day and night alternate, and as there is water and sunlight, moisture condenses in the air. As rain falls upon the Earth, all living beings thrive. Principles exist individually and are also interrelated. Altogether, there are many true principles.
It's hard to speak about the Earth, the universe, and living beings, as general principles are hard to understand and specifice ones are too unmerous to expound. So, the Buddha couldn't expound all the true principles within his lifetime. Be it the universe, how the sun and the moon illuminate the world, the growth of living beings, or the workings of the Earth, there's too much to expound. Given, that, how can we spread the Dharma around the world?
I'm grateful to Tzu Chi members around the world for practicing sincer peiety together and giving with love at all times to bring peace and harmony to the world. We see how Buddha Day has been observed with order at all Tzu chi's cultivation grounds. Dharma masters have also attended our ceremonies.
In 46 countries and regions, people have observed Buddha Day together and taken the Dharma to heart at different cultivation grounds. The ceremonies have taught us crucial principles. We should awaken ourselves. We should also harbor faith within. Without me, you, and everyone else, our Buddha Day ceremonines wouldn't be possible.
I'm grateful to Dharma masters and Tzu Chi members around the world for uniting with love for this occasion. I truly can't express my gratitude enough. I hope we can all harbor gratitude within and repay the Buddha's kindness with sincere piety every day. Thank you all.
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