20240303 修己利他菩薩行Nurturing a Mind Free from Afflictions and Ignorance
The biggest punishment in life is to live with regret. I went astray because I didn't listen to my father. I used to have a very bad temper, whether in or out of prison. When I got out from confinement, dad was already in the final stage of cancer. I called him and he was in a lot of pain, but he still worried about me.
He told me: I won't make it to your release. I hope you can be a good person when you come out. Master's teachings changed me. The life I had before was changing gradually, my mother no longer worried about me, moreover, my child and mother were proud of me.
When we're free on Thursdays, we come to do recycling. I put a coin in a coin bank every day. Do you still do that now?
Yeah. NT$1, NT$10, NT$5, it's all good.
If, in our everyday life, we can live life according to rules, that's spiritual cultivation, that's walking the Bodhisattva Path while we make sure others will not go astray or be in suffering. Let us not go astray, and this is for us to be strict with ourselves.
I often say that I always examine the deeds of my life. For the past 80, nearly 90 years, from the time I could tell right from wrong till the present day, I've always examined my deeds and felt that I have done fine. This is to take an inventory of the deeds we've done. If we use our mind to examine ourselves, if everyone uses their mind to look at themselves, we'll be more aware of our conduct, have ourselves follow rules, and walk the right path.
Nowadays, when I walk about every morning, I pay attention to my feet and I take long steps; typically, the elderlies take short steps, but I feel that I need to try my best and increase the length between my steps, rather than taking steps this way. This is putting my mind on my physical condition and the way I move about, and it is spiritual cultivation, too.
I'm very grateful that when Tzu Chi volunteers see me and hear me, they serve with me. Lately, I always say that of my life, I'm grateful for my good affinities. I have good affinities with people. People saw me or heard me decades ago, and they listened to my teachings and followed me. People say these to me every day: We'll listen to Master! We'll follow Master and serve the world!
These are the best affinities I have. Nevertheless, I feel a sense of responsibility. People listen to me and look at me. Can I not walk well? This walk is not in the figurative sense; it is in the literal sense. Hence, I said a moment ago that for each step I take, I am mindful of my steps. As people watch me, I'm mindful of my conduct at all times. This is not me bragging about something I do, it is a responsibility I have.
Only by conducting ourselves well can we lead others well. We have all vowed to walk the Bodhisattva Path; Bodhisattvas seek the Dharma because they have yet attained Buddhahood. This is why they seek the Dharma nonstop. All of us are doing the same, too. I myself am seeking the Dharma as well.
Every day, in the morning or evening, when I have time to myself, I would sit in front of my dest and read about the Dharma. I've read the same sentence or passage hundreds or thousands of times. I want to keep reading it and examine myself.
It's like a mirror. When I look at myself in the mirror and I focus my mind on what's in the mirror, I would think: Ah, the person in the mirror from several decades ago is completely different from the person in the mirror now. Every day, I look at myself in the mirror, but I did not think to ask myself whether I've changed. I've forgotten to ask myself to do this.
But now, if I'm in the restroom and I look myself in the mirror, I would think about how I look very different from several decades ago. So, I would quickly ask myself, am I the same person as before? I look different now. What about my heart and mind? Are they the same? I then think about my mobility. The way I move now compared to before is also different.
In the past, I could move freely. I could climb stairs and walk down without needing to think about it. I just walked naturally in whatever direction, just need to make sure I turn at the right direction. It's not the case now. When I walk through a door, someone will remind me: Master, mind the height difference! There's a threshold. I would look down and say: Yes, there's a threshold. My hand also needs to hold on to something when I walk. My hand needs to touch a wall or the door frame, and I need to lift up my feet in order to step over the threshold.
My mobility now is unlike before. In life, there are things that I've never thought about. As seconds and years pass, I've never thought about myself. But now, I'm aware of myself all the time. How long do I still have? When my final moment comes, how will I leave?
When I go, how do I make myself light and floating? Where will I go? Thus, every day, we are to be very mindful of what we're doing at any moment. People often chant the Buddha's name. What we are to do is to focus on our nature of awakening. Volunteers, I hope you can be more mindful. The Bodhisattva Path is in front of us. We are to walk the path with solid steps, not with something that resembles the Dharma. We are to solidly walk the path by practicing the Dharma.
This is why I often say that I reflect on myself. I've walked a solid path. I also admire myself. Iｄdid not guide people to walk on the wrong path because I want people to spend their time that's truly beneficial to them if they want to practice the Dharma.
So, let us make use of our time now when we can still practice the Dharma, walk the path, and encourage one another to do the same. Don't say that there are so many people, it makes no difference with or without me.
That's right, there are so many people having fear, afflictions, and ignorance. These people have nothing to do with you. You have nothing to do with them. This has to do with yourself. We gain from our own spiritual cultivation.
Recently, I'm always telling volunteers: you gain from your won spiritual cultivation. You are responsible for what's in your mind. You can end up having fear due to afflictions and ignorance. Yet, you also have a direction that leads you to being at peace and at ease. It all depends on what we put in our mind in our daily life.
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