Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject:Walking the Bodhisattva Path with Firm Conviction(化不可能為真實)
(Tzu Chi volunteers)
Today, my two daughters and my sister are certified as Tzu Chi commissioners. But seven of us came to Taiwan with them. My mother is there. My eldest sister and her husband are here, too. Next year, I hope more of my family can be certified. Thank you.
(Master Zheng-Yan)
We see the big family from the Philippines. All of them are Tzu Chi volunteers. Think about it. As they share the same heart, I’m sure the family must be filled with much warmth and harmony.
It is said that when there’s harmony in the family, everything will prosper, not to mention that the whole family are serving as bodhisattvas to benefit humanity.
Everyone, it’s not difficult to inspire our family. It’s just that we not do well enough ourselves. We’re nice and polite to people outside our family and we’re forgiving to them.
But when we go home, (we get irritated easily.) For example, when asked why we come home late, we put on a long face and said: “Can’t you see I’m tired?” we seem to be less polite, humble, tolerant, and gentle to our own family. So, if we can change ourselves, I’m sure we’ll be able to inspire our family to serve as bodhisattvas and our family will be very harmonious.
When there’s harmony in the family, everything will go well and society will be peaceful. To work for the good of the world, everyone is indispensable, including you, others, and me. So, we guide one another onto the path and inspire more people to join us.
Affinities have brought us together, but everyone joined Tzu Chi for a different reason. For example, some moved to China from Taiwan and (become our volunteers there). That’s the case with some of our volunteers in Guizhou. One time, when they showed me a video on how the locals live in extreme poverty, I thought to myself “How could they survive?” So I decided we should not just provide them temporary relief, but try to help better their lives once and for all. That’s why I suggested that we help lift them out of poverty.
But our volunteers told me that it was impossible since the people in Guizhou have been poor for numerous generations in history. But I told them: “History is created by people over time.” Indeed, as long as we have the will, we will be able to relieve people’s suffering and help improve their lives.
So, first, we should help relocate people from the mountains. Next, as education is very important, we should help the children there get an education.
Hearing what I said, our volunteers followed my words. They overcame many obstacles to relocate the people to the new villages we built. They have built nine villages and are planning to build another one.
Lately, VP Wang went there and he told me that many people there are now leading well-to-do lives. For example, one man runs a car rental business and has more than ten cars for rental. See, if he still lived in the mountains, this wouldn’t be possible. But after he was relocated, (more opportunities opened up for him).
So, all this is possible simply because we could not bear to see people suffer. And now, hundreds of families are able to settle down and lead a much affluent life than before.
What makes me even happier is that we also provide tuition aid to needy children in Guizhou. Some didn’t have a chance to go to school before. Now I heard that over 100 of them have graduated from college.
Everyone, thanks to the love and effort of our volunteers, hundreds of poor families in Guizhou were able to be lifted out of poverty and lead a stable life, and their children were able to receive an education, too. Moreover, the whole family can now live together. If they hadn’t relocated, the elderly often had to live with grandchildren in the mountains while their adult children worked in cities. Even during holidays, the elderly hardly got to see their children, and the children could hardly see their parents. That’s not the case anymore. They can all live together now. Everyone, the Buddha teaches us to give of ourselves and benefit others, not to practice solitary self-cultivation. So, walking the Bodhisattva Path to live out the Buddha’s teachings can best ensure us a grounded life. As long as we walk the path steadfastly, we can bring peace and stability to others.
Everyone, you’ve come to Taiwan with a grateful heart, and I hope you can return with a sense of mission as well as a heart filled with gratitude and joy. We should be grateful that in this world, there are so many people walking the path with us. Having seen how our volunteers in other countries give of themselves, we should have strengthened faith in the path we walk. So, we need to be grateful. Having learned so much at the camp, you must truly live out Tzu Chi’s spirit when you return home. Please be mindful and walk down the path unwaveringly as a way to practice inner cultivation.
After you return home, I hope you will continue to support and encourage one another and strive forth on the Bodhisattvas Path without slacking off. I give you my best wishes. May every one of you have peace every day and make great vows to walk on the Bodhisattva Path steadfastly. I hope our hearts are always close together. Every day, you can invite me to your home by tuning in to Da Ai TV and watching my talks, such as “Wisdom at Dawn.” I hope you can all work hard to take in my teachings to your hearts. These teachings point out the right path for everyone to walk on. As unenlightened beings, we may lose ourselves at some point in life. But having found the Tzu Chi Path, we’ve opened the door to a path that can lead us to the state of Bodhisattvas.
So, if you listen to my teachings every day, your hearts will be at ease, and you will be able to walk forward on the right path without any doubt, right? (Yes.)
All that I wish to say is the same. My best wishes to you all. May you be firm in your conviction and cultivate both blessings and wisdom.
(Source: Da Ai TV 人間菩提)
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