Life Wisdom: Walking onto the Path of Enlightenment by Following the Buddha's Teachings
Every day, I see and hear about those in suffering around the world. So, I can relate to how the Buddha saw life's suffering and impermanence and why he made up his mind to become a monastic. He became a monastic and renounced his fame, title, and life as a prince. He renounced them all with a change in perspective. He then went amongst people to observe their lives.
After seeing many people in suffering and how misfortune could occur at any time, he awakened to how life was impermanent and filled with much suffering. Seeing how people around him were deluded and craved fame and title, he wished to set a good example. So, he renounced his fame and title and went amongst people to analyze and understand what life was truly about.
Outside the palace, he saw that many people were indeed deluded and overwhelmed by their desire for wealth. He thought that the only way to change this was by expounding life's truths to people. So, we must learn the Buddha's teachings and understand them deeply.
We must also learn the way of Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are beings with enlightened love. We mundane beings can all become Bodhisattvas. For that, we need to cultivate ourselves and awaken to life's truths. Since countless eons and lifetimes ago, we've been deluded, creating bad karma and suffering constantly in the cycles of rebirth. We've been mired deep in this situation. Yet, we are also very blessed.
In our past lives, we'd sown blessings and learned the Buddha's teachings. It's just that we have yet to attain enlightenment. If we had no affinities with the Buddha, we wouldn't have any opportunity to learn his teachings. Having listened to the Dharma, we are filled with spiritual joy. While taking in the Dharma, we also vow to learn the Buddha's way and walk the Bodhisattva Path steadfastly.
The Bodhisattva Path is about going amongst people to serve. When seeing others' suffering, we'll know to count our blessings. We've vowed to pave a broad Bodhisattva Path. Let us begin to widen this path. To do that, we should not only cultivate ourselves but also inspire others. Before we walked onto the Bodhisattva Path, we'd been deluded in life. Now, we understand how we'd gone astray before.
Having had the opportunity to learn the Buddha's teachings, we are filled with spiritual joy and have vowed to walk the Bodhisattva Path. To walk the path, we must first look at things happening around the world. The world population is increasing continuously.
Now, there are nearly eight billion people in the world. What's worse, eighty billion animals are raised for food every year. With so many animals raised, the air has become polluted. The air has been polluted not only by human breath but also by so many animals raised to provide meat for people daily.
How much land has been used to raise animals? To expand the livestock industry, many forests have been destroyed. This is a vicious cycle created by people's desire for meat. A lot of bad karma has been created as a result of killing animals for food, and with the bad karma coming to bear, disasters have been occurring frequently. In addition to earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and storms, there is also the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, everyone, we must understand this and awaken ourselves. The Buddha's teachings guide us towards enlightenment. In the past, we kept giving rise to ignorance and desires. Now, we must cultivate a loving heart. May you all vow to keep walking the Bodhisattva Path, working in unity and harmony, and holding firmly onto your spirit of working together as living bodhisattvas.
Besides doing these things, I also hope you can often listen to the Dharma and watch my talks on the TV program "Life Wisdom" every day. Do you understand? (Yes.) Very well. May you all take in the Buddha's teachings, walk towards enlightenment and no longer be lost and deluded. May you all enjoy safety and peace and strive to cultivate blessings and wisdom.
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