Life Wisdom: Racing Against Time to Impart Goodness in All
College students who joined Tzu Chi 20 to 30 years ago are all pillars of society now. Back then, many gatherings were held for college students, teachers, and school principals and presidents. They also took part in Tzu Chi's training retreats, and in summer and winter vacations, we also organized retreats for kindergarten, elementary school, and high school students. These retreats were held one after another and those organizing them were very busy. We see some members of our Tzu Chi Teachers' Association.
A few days ago, they came back to the Abode for a gathering. They were still dressed very neatly. Yet, their hair had turned partially or completely gray. Time waits for no one and ticks away second by second, year by year. With each passing second, our appearance changes unknowingly. In this gathering, our Tzu Chi volunteer teachers reminisced about the past. They didn't forget when they carried out Tzu Chi's missions and who they worked with back then. In the gathering, they said, "We haven't"
"seen each other in many years,"and by talking about their memories, they brought their hearts close together again, which is very heartwarming.
I always hope that our Tzu Chi members can recall the work they've carried out. Although the teachers in the gathering had all retired, I said to them:
"We shouldn't let our age hold us back."
"We are still responsible for"
"guiding and inspiring others."
"Some of your students have become teachers,"
"and you should pass on"
"your teaching philosophy to them."
"Please contact them with your phone quickly and""share with them how you lived out"
"your teaching philosophy back then."
In the gathering, they also shared that in the past, when they entered the classroom in the morning, the first thing they'd do was to erase the Jing Si Aphorism they wrote the day before and write a new one so that every day their students would learn a new Jing Si Aphorism and then share it with their parents. Despite it not being part of the curriculum, the practice of sharing Jing Si Aphorismsused to be carried out by many teachers.
I told our teachers in the gathering that this is a good way to guide students. We must speak good words more often. As Jing Si Aphorisms are short, it's easy to keep them in mind. Also, by practicing them, we can change our bad ways. So, I encouraged our teachers in the gathering to pass on the practice of sharing Jing Si Aphorisms to their students who have become teachers. Perhaps some of their students who are teachers are going to retire. I also asked them to urge the would-be retirees topass on this practice to their students who have become teachers. This is how we can pass on good words generation after generation. As we must pass down goodness in our family, we must also pass on goodness to students from generation to generation.
Jing Si Aphorisms can spark students' creativity and inspire goodness and love in them. Senior Tzu Chi members who joined Tzu Chi when they were college students are now pillars of society. Tzu Chi members who used to be their teachers are even more senior and all the more need to encourage their students who have become teachers to pass on goodness.
In all, we must pass on goodness from one generation to another. Everything can be achieved through time. Yet, if we do not seize the time we have, we will miss out on many opportunities to do good and bring about hope. We can still create many things and make progress, yet time flies. We wish to live out our aspirations, yet we are running out of time. I often say, "Time is running out." We wish to live out our aspirations and have figured out how to do it, yet there is not enough time left. I often wonder why time passes so quickly, which is what worries me the most every day. I work very hard, but it feels that time passes more quickly now. We must be well aware of exactly how much time is left for us to walk the Tzu Chi Path step by step.
Now, we must quicken our pace. We are full of hope and love. Also, we can give of ourselves properly and wish to do so. Yet, no extra time can be given to us. We must race against time. As time waits for no one, we must compete against it. If we do not compete against time but rather live a day in vain, we will regret deeply for not having seized time. In all, we must always remain vigilant and seize time to give and serve.
Sitemap