Master's Dharma Talk: Inspiring All Onto the Path of Goodness

“My son's favorite program is Bitan Ni Hao as he can learn Chinese. He also enjoys listening to Master's talks. Before, I was quite selfish and bad-tempered. If my son was naughty, I flared up. Since I started to listen to Master's talks, I've changed a lot,” said one of the residents.

“From DAAI TV's programs, I have learnt how to inspire goodness in people. Before, I'd sometimes feel sad, not knowing how to help and do good. DAAI TV's programs are inspirational and one can see the situation in other countries. They have a positive influence on the people in Indonesia,” said Iib Syarief Hidayatulloh,  an Islamic religious teacher.

 Seeing how DAAI TV's programs in Indonesia promote doing good deeds, and how we guide and inspire people with love, an Islamic religious teacher embraces these values and uses the TV programs as part of his teaching materials. Yet, some people may think that this is like preaching religion, so they don't agree with what he's doing.

“It's not easy for me to convince them. I try my best to clear the doubts in their minds,” said said Iib Syarief Hidayatulloh.

Some raised doubts and there was even some criticism, but through DAAI TV's programs, the teacher lets everyone understand that Tzu Chi's missions reach out to all humanity regardless of different religious beliefs. Religion itself is meant to bring about peace. It's my wish that everyone can draw their hearts together and live in harmony.

Religion is meant to bring goodness in the world, and goodness means accepting others and treating each other with love and goodness. We see that although some people may have some doubts as to the religious differences, they all agree on giving with love. What we uphold in our religion is that by serving and interacting with others in harmony regardless of their religious beliefs, everyone will identify with us in the end. This is what we should do.

We also see Myanmar. As it is now the summer break there, many children have to help their families with farming.

Families there need their children to help with the farming work. But the children will hence neglect their own studies. So our Tzu Chi volunteers travel there with teachers to offer after-school classes.

“I'm very happy that Tzu Chi offers classes for our children. Fifth- to seventh-grade students can improve on their English and math. Also, they can spend their summer break more meaningfully.

With the classes, the parents understand that education is very important for their children as it will decide their direction in life and influence their future. This is why we go there to organize classes during the summer break. Our Tzu Chi members all over the world go to people's aid without being asked to do so. In addition to doing good, they also care much about children's education by offering them tuition aids or opening classes for needy children.

Not merely in Myanmar, in many other countries, there are also many touching stories like this. Taiwan is where Tzu Chi was founded, so our Tzu Chi members in Taiwan should all the more mindfully carry out our work in Taiwan so we can inspire goodness in people, thereby bringing peace to our society. To meet this goal, we need to have faith in Buddhist teachings, take them to heart, and live them out by doing all that is good so we can inspire others to do the same.

Such is how we spread the Dharma through our actions and how we guide others onto the path of goodness and gain insight into true principles. When we do all that is good and share the Dharma with others, we are on the right path in life. By doing what's good, we're spreading the Dharma. By sharing the Dharma, we're living it out. This is how we gain insight into true principles.

If we can do so and walk the right path, everything we do will be in accord with the Dharma. So, the Buddha taught us that when we wholeheartedly uphold the Lotus Sutra, as the teachings are just like the Buddha's whole body, we are actually building a stupa. The merit of upholding the Sutra is like that of building a stupa.

As long as we truly live out the Buddha's teachings in our daily living, have faith in them, and practice them in our actions. When we're doing so in our dealings with people and events in life, we've returned to the true principles and what the Dharma teaches us. As described in the Chapter of the Jeweled Stupa of the Lotus Sutra, when the Buddha was expounding the Sutra, in front of him, a jeweled stupa suddenly emerged out of the ground. Isn't this jeweled stupa what we all have in our minds?

Vulture Peak is not large. How could it be possible for the giant stupa to appear there? This means that our mind is so vast that it can open up to take in many things even a wide distance away. So, every one of us has a mind so broad that it can accommodate a jeweled stupa where we can cultivate ourselves. This is the right thing to do. So, we must completely uphold the teachings of the Lotus Sutra just as if we were carrying the Sutra on top of our head and the wisdom of the Buddha and his whole body in our hearts and minds.

This is how we should uphold the Sutra with our body and mind and always take in its teachings and live them out. Then, our mind will be cleansed.  In all, to practice the Dharma in the world, we need to walk the Bodhisattva Path. May you all bear this in mind at all times. I'm very grateful that we're all walking the Bodhisattva Path together.