Life Wisdom: Faith, Vow, and Action
I've been hoping earnestly every day that the COVID-19 pandemic will die down. I keep mentioning that those of us who are safe and well truly must harbor gratitude within. I've felt an auspicious atmosphere amid the pandemic because many people have given what they could to help to ease the pandemic. It doesn't matter how much they've donated. They've brought forth their goodness, creating lights of hope.
Lately, I've been mentioning fireflies. Although fireflies are tiny, when dozens of them gather and glow in the dark, one's eyes and mind will light up and the vitality of Mother Nature can be felt. We see that a lot of people have practiced love and goodness with one heart by making donations.
It doesn't matter how much they can donate. Even if they can only afford to donate one coin, when they drop that coin in the coin bank, they are surely harboring the aspiration of doing good and helping those in suffering. By pooling our donations together, we can sow blessings collectively and form a great strength to help the needy.
I've said that dozens of years ago, when people threw many things onto an oxcart, the ox could still take each step firmly, which required great forbearance. We must also make a great vow to shoulder the responsibility of helping the needy around the world and serve with forbearance to live out our vows.
Natural disasters are teaching all of us a crucial lesson, reminding us to make this vow. See how earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and storms have been occurring frequently. I often say that the lungs of the Earth, which are the forests, have become inflamed. The inflammation has yet to be eased. Why is that? Because of people's anger.
I often mention greed and anger. People give rise to anger easily. Why is that? Because people are discontent. As they are not content with what they have, they will get angry when they can't get what they want. They will become afflicted and once they vent out their anger, disputes and turmoil will be incurred. All this is because their hearts and minds have yet to be nourished by the water of Dharma.
I often say that the Dharma is like water. We must learn the Dharma to cultivate ourselves. We must cultivate our hearts and minds and upright conduct. This is what cultivation is truly about. To cultivate ourselves, we must listen to the Dharma more often, understand all the life's truths, head towards the right direction in life, and rectify our conduct, which is very important.
Apart from listening and sharing the Dharma, we must also put it into action. We must understand life's truths by listening to the Dharma and vow to share it to guide and inspire all. The Dharma should be shared with genuine sincerity and learned with diligence.
After learning the Dharma, we must share it with genuine sincerity to guide all towards the right path, and those who learn the Dharma from us need to take it in with sincere piety, cultivate diligently with a focused mind, and walk the path of cultivation steadfastly.
We must have faith as it is the source of all merits and virtues. We must also vow to never deviate from the right path. When we cultivate, we must nurture genuine sincerity. To do it, we must have faith. We must hold on to the Dharma unwaveringly, take each step firmly on the path of cultivation, and care for people around the world with love. Only then can we truly spread the Dharma and make the world better and peaceful.
I hope the climate can be balanced, the land can be protected, and that everyone can live in harmony and work together for the common good. Indeed, nothing is more beautiful than harmony among people. Thank you all, our Tzu Chi members. Be sure to pool your love together. Thank you. Please cultivate both blessings and wisdom.
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