Lecturer: Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Light Your Heart-lamp (戒慎虔誠照心燈)
We always talk about the mind. We should be vigilant and reverent, and illuminate ourselves with the light of the heart. Every one of us possesses a pure, brilliant light within. However, since Beginningless Time, our ignorant thoughts have kept us unenlightened. In this realm of ordinary beings, our state of mind is constantly contaminated. This constant defilement is ignorance. Ignorance makes our minds grow darker. It is a pity, since each of us has a bright light within. So, we should work hard, be vigilant, and follow all rules in daily life. These are moral and practical rules that we must abide by with deepest sincerity. As we deal with people and matters, we should be true, sincere and upright. We must have Right Understanding, Views, Thinking. An upright and reverent mind is the spiritual practitioner’s path. We should be valiant and reverent so that in our relationships with others, our ignorance does not bring us into conflict. Our minds have been long darkened by ignorance, but with the flame from one lamp, we can light up an infinite number of lamps, so this radiance will be boundless.
With vigilance and reverence, light up your heart. Our minds have long been darkened by ignorance. With the flame from on lamp, we can ignite an infinite number of radiant heart-lamps.
In Malaysia, Tzu Chi volunteers held an event in three major cities: Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. In these three major cities, Tzu Chi volunteers mindfully hosted this event for our long-term care recipients or other care recipients. Volunteer s hosted this event so they could attend the New Year celebration in a family-like atmosphere. Every second of the event was very moving. Thought many people are suffering in this world, there are also many dedicated Bodhisattvas. These Bodhisattvas have illuminated the light in their hearts and have vowed to walk the Bodhisattva-path. Bodhisattvas exist because of suffering sentient beings. For the sake of those who suffer, they contemplate how to help the suffering experience respect and love. They can experience the warmth of seeing everyone in the world as their family. The participants who received this love and care were joyful and smiling.They were very moved and expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Tzu Chi volunteers.
These volunteers not only assisted them, they taught the recipients that they do not need to always be a recipient of help.Though they may be receiving aid now, there will be times when they can help others.At first they thought, “I am poor.”“Right now other people are helping me.”“How could I possibly help others?”They already have this ability.If one receives NY$3000 of subsidy, one can use this money to help others.
You can use your small change.Whether it is 10 cents, 50 cents, or one dollar does not matter.As long as you have a little bit, it can be donated.Our volunteers empower them to give.During this New Year’s event, these recipients of our care and love brought back their accumulated love and kindness in their bamboo banks.Some of these bamboo banks were heavy; some had only a few coins.The coins all run down into a large ceramic vessel.See, the sound of so many coins hitting the bamboo and sliding into the large ceramic vessel inspired many people.Indeed, grains of rice can accumulate into a heap and drops of water can form a river.Small amounts of money can accumulate to create a large vessel of coins.
People were happy to see the container of coins.One lady emptied a large bamboo bank filled with coins.She was asked how she accumulated so much money.“During the year we received help from Tzu Chi.”“We can live a bit more frugally and save any spare change from our groceries in the bank.”“Tzu Chi has always helped us, so we should give bank when we can.”As she said this, a joyful smile appeared on her face.It was truly touching to see.This was in Malacca.
The other cities were also very lively.A single light can truly end a thousand years of darkness.On December 19 , 2007 , Ji-Hang and his brother Ji-Yuan accompanied the heads of four regional offices back to Taiwan for the candle lighting ceremony, to light the candles in their heart.I helped these six people each light their candles.Standing in front of me, they said, “Master, we will take this light you’ve given us back to Penang and pass it onto 10,000 others.”Around 10,500 people attended the event and gathered inside a large stadium.
One by one the lamps were lit; until over 10000 were lit;the scene was truly magnificent.
In the same way, if everyone light s up the lamps in their heart, the darkness that has lasted for eons will be expelled.The radiance will shine forth.This large and heartwarming even was entirely coordinated by the collegiate volunteers.To allow so many people regardless of religion or race, to attend this event, in a Muslim country, in a diverse city, truly required wisdom. Nothing in life is impossible if one is dedicated. This lamp within our hearts is wisdom. We each innately posses it.
We want to always pass on our love. The way to do this is by being vigilant and reverent. If all people possess this reverence and vigilance in their daily living, the light of wisdom in their hearts will shine brightly everyday. So if we shine this light inwardly, this boundless brilliance can light up the world.It is not based on age, but one’s mindfulness.
So in our spiritual practice, we must work hard to thoroughly clean the lamp of our wisdom, and remove our ignorance, so that naturally the light of wisdom will shine. Thus, we should always be mindful.
“We must work hard in our spiritual practice to clean our Wisdom –lamp and remove any ignorance, so our Wisdom-light will naturally shine forth.”
We have already talked a lot about repentance. If we do not abide by the precepts and ignorance obscures our mind, then with our actions we create many transgressions and defilements.
Those with a sense of remorse maintain propriety. If we want to maintain our sense of propriety we must always have a sense of remorse. If we do not discipline ourselves, won’t other people criticize us? Won’t we damage our character?If we always have a sense of remorse, we will protect our character, and preserve our ability to be a role model. If we have made mistakes in the past, we should quickly repent. Repentance brings purity. We must quickly change, but after we change we still have remorse to remind and alert us.
So, we should be reverent and pay respect to all Buddhas. Here in the Abode, do we pay respect to all Buddha every day? This depends on whether we maintain our diligence. Besides being physically diligent, do we maintain our reverence within?If we are not mentally and physically diligent, then even if we are in a spiritual practice center we are not truly practicing. When we are diligent within, we are respectful on the outside. If we lack respect on the outside, it shows that our mind has become lax, and lacks diligence.
We should always be alert, vigilant and reverent. Only when we use this mindset to pay respect to Buddha are there merits. So, there is internal and external practice. Our daily offerings of respect to the Buddha are our external practice.What is important is the internal practice. After we pay respect to Buddha,
“we then repent again”. We have repented for the obstructions of afflictions and karma so today we repent the residual obstructions of retribution in sequence. ”
These verses are very easy to understand. We should always pay respect to the Buddhas.
The Buddhas is in our minds. So ,we should always reverently pay respect to
the Buddhas within and always be repentant. If we always repent ,we can be rid of
the obstructions of afflictions.Once we eliminate ignorant afflictions in our minds ,naturally many obstacles vanish.
So ,the Obstruction of Afflictions is due to ignorance.Ignorance is having no respect for
the Three Treasures within us ,the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha of our true nature.We do not respect or utilize.Our innate Buddha or Dharma.So I often say to everyone,the Buddha should always be in our hearts. This refers to the Buddha of our true nature.Keeping the Dharma in our actions refers to the Dharma of our true nature.This Dharma is the light of wisdom within us. If we can light up this Wisdom-lamp,we will be able to manifest the light of wisdom.So ,we should always respent.
After repenting the ignorance in our minds ,we should “repent the Obstruction of Karma”.
If we do not repent for our ignorance,we act and create karma. If we only possess ignorance in our minds and do not create karma ,karma does not exist.But karma arises from ignorance.
The desire to be lazy also come from ignorance.If you refuse to diligently attend the morning and evening recltations,this is the body’s karma of indolence obstructing you. It is also mental afflictions obstructing you with mental afflictions , the body is not diligent.Indolence arises from the obstructions of afflictions and karma. However, besides obstructions of afflictions and Karma, ordinary people have “residual obstructions of retribution”.
We not suffer from many negative afflicties with people.Although we speak kind words and
try to teach them good methods ,they do not listen. This is because of the lack of good afflicties.If we care about them but they do not listen won’t we be very worried ?We will worry about them all day. We may feel that we have already said and done,everything we can ,but they still refuse to listen. This is because of our residual retributions. If my words do not resonate you will not be able to take them to heart.
However , I still always feel grateful that even when I touch lightly on something,so many people are willing to accept my words. This is also a type of residual retribution.I am happy that I once created good afflicties.A single word can light up one lamp ,that lights countless others. This is because of past conditions and afflicties.If we encounter negative afflicties,
no matter how much effort we put in ,we will not be able to light up someone’s lamp ,
and the path before him will always be dark.This is also a residual retribution.It is also an obstruction.
So ,we should understand karmic cause and effect. We are unaware how many ,“obstruction of residual retribution” we still possess , so “today we repent them in sequence “.There are still many residual retributions.
Everyone ,the slightest thoughts and words create karma and transgressions. So ,we should reflect on our past and not repeat these mistakes. How many more wrongdoings will we commit.
In the future;how many retributions do we still have to receive?So ,we should be always alent ,vigilant and reverent we must light up the lamp in our hearts and dispel the darkness that has lingered in our minds for eons. One light can ignite countless others to create boundless brilliance.
I hope we resolve to not only light up our own heart-lamps ,but also to pass this light on to others.
So ,please always be mindful.
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