January 31, 2007 at 9:54 am (400D, Buddhism, Photography, Tzu Chi, TzuChi, inspiration, philosophy, photos, spirituality, thoughts)
A disciple once asked Master Cheng Yen, “How can I learn to tolerate others?”
The Master replied, “Under heaven, there is no one I don’t love, no one I don’t trust, and no one I don’t forgive. If you can adhere to these Three No’s, then your heart will be healthy and naturally learn to tolerate, love and trust others.”
While learning to love the strangers, learning to trust those unknown and learning to forgive those guilty. I look to be unusual and dull. But my heart was cleanse, my wisdom growth. If we can’t love others, hatred will be in our heart, if we can’t trust others, suspicious will remain in our heart, if we can’t forgive others, resentment will retain in our heart.
If you can forgive guilty one like prisoners, it should be easier to forgive our loved or closer one. When you have troubles, just remember these phrases from the Master. Your afflictions will be wipe out and you will enjoys a happier life.
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January 29, 2007 at 2:26 am (400D, Buddhism, Photography, Tzu Chi, TzuChi, philosophy, photos, spirituality)
Looking at the photos capture and think about the subject of repentance. I was impressed of this person who publicly taking repentance by holding ear squatting up and down in the street early morning. Although his method is a bit amusing to us, because this is the punishment teacher do to us in schooling time. However, repentance was a true subject we shall not ignore. Repentance was a method widely used by different religions to change our bad habits. All of us need repentance because non of us is perfect – at least far from it. Effective repentance could develop our-self from the state of ordinary human being to sainthood. But in which place we took repentance is also an interesting factors.
For example, If repentance was taken place in front of the Buddha statue, it might not be as effective than doing it publicly. Regardless how many times repentance was being carry out, if our evil conscience was so strong, we might give our-self excuse by saying. “Buddha, you are so compassionate, let me change it next time.”
Then, there will be unlimited repentance next time. But never realize that life is short, when we want to change, it might be too late. To take effective repentance, it shall be done publicly and at the same time, we shall hold the heart of determination and self-awareness. Increase self-awareness and determination will bring greater self-control. Basically, awareness of the evil thought arises from the mind before mistake was being done.
In short, effective repentance is to be able to turning away from the old evil patterns – metanoia-a new mind is form, a transformation to be a better person.
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January 26, 2007 at 3:55 am (Buddhism, Tzu Chi, TzuChi, inspiration, philosophy, spirituality, thoughts)
This is a small basket located on the right hand side of the entrance to Penang JST (Jing Si Tang). The basket contain full of small scroll of Jing Si aphorism. There was once I am very reluctant to pick up the Jing Si aphorism from this basket, the reason is I worry that Master’s will point out my weakness. I am seeing some members randomly pick them up when they have worry or encounter problems they are facing. So, I try to pick them up too, even though I don’t have big affliction or problem need to face. I pick up a message something like this “Planting more seeds of love, let the world be filled with love and compassion”. I don’t believe that I am not doing enough, so I did not care about it. Every time when I go to JST, I will randomly pick up the message from the basket. The same message was pick up by me again and again. Total I pick this same message thrice.
So, I think I have not done enough in planting the seed of love. Now, I am enjoying pick up alporism from the basket every time I go to JST. I am not worry about Master pointing my weakness, but I will take it as an advice from Master of the quality or character I need to improve. If you do come to Penang JST, try your luck to pick a Jing Si Yu from this basket.
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January 26, 2007 at 1:13 am (Buddhism, Tzu Chi, TzuChi)
In China, there is a renown Master called Bai Zhang (720-814), Master Bai Zhang established rules for monasteries. At the age of 80, he is still working in the land without ease. His disciples worry about his health and kept his tools to preclude him from working. Without avail, Master Bai Zhang start not taking food. When the disciples approach him to take food, he replied that “No work, No meal“. Since then, it has become an axiom of self – sufficiency practices in monasteries and a prototyping vision to be followed by Chinese Buddhism till these days.
Master Chen Yen do following this practice till today. Another aphorism from Master said that, our working field is also our cultivation field. When I feel very tired of work, I shall keep reflecting this saying of the Master. Like the Zen saying, eat, stay, sit, sleep nothing is not Zen.
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January 23, 2007 at 2:59 am (Buddhism, Tzu Chi, TzuChi)
Last time I used to make a lots of promises and wishes, but due to time constraints, I always left my promises empty, never realised the other person actually waiting for me to fulfill my promises. Every early of the year, I will review my resolution for the new year. One of my small resolution i make is “never left any iota promises unfulfilled”. This small resolution help me to improve effectiveness and to ensure I don’t sit on my action. Any small promises, ought to be carry out immediately and have closure.
As a ordinary human being, when we are in dubious or difficulties, we usually pray to the supreme, such as Buddhisattva, Buddha or Gods. When we pray, we are in a manner exchange condition with the supreme god. As as example, “when I recover from the illness, I will fulfil this or that….”. Especially when in critical illness or sick, we will pray for better health, but when the God or Buddhisattva fulfill our wishes, we forget our promised to the Buddhisattva. Holding up vow, holding up promises is likewise a kind of cultivation of our integrity. Never forget our foremost vow or promises when you already out of your hard time, also never left any iota promises unfulfilled.
Like our Master aphorism, bigger bad habit is easy to rectify, but smaller bad habits is so difficult to refine.
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January 19, 2007 at 7:59 am (Buddhism, Tzu Chi, TzuChi)
Nano-Kunfu in Tzu Chi means humility or not being arrogant. It also means Reducing ego, respecting others, broaden our heart and tolerable to all. We learned from Confucious that in between 3 persons, there must be one our teacher. Regardless whether good person or bad person, they will also be our teacher. Good person perform good deeds, so we must learn from them, they are my teacher. Bad person perform bad actions, we must be aware, not follow his footsteps, hence he is also my teacher. Viewing our self smaller, respecting others could reduce our ego, broaden our heart.
Like the word “Buddha” in Mandarin sound like “Bu da” which means “Not Big” or “Small”. The higher level we reached, the smaller we shall be. Hence we must learn from “Buddha” reducing our ego smaller and smaller. How small we shall go ? someone ask the Master. So small that we could enter into their eye without aware or irritated and permanently reside in their hearts and minds.
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January 16, 2007 at 12:41 pm (Buddhism, Tzu Chi, TzuChi)
During the Tzu Chi’s Bamboo Era forty years ago, Master Cheng Yen’s followers who consist of thirty housewives set aside NT$0.5 (US$0.02) of their grocery money each day into the bamboo “piggy bank” for the purpose of helping the poor and needy. They brought this spirit to the markets and the concepts of “fifty cents can also help people” spread througout the society.
Forty years now, much of the life style of the peoples has improved, there are more peoples with better economy than fourty years ago. The spirit of putting the fifty cents into the piggy bank have not reduce the meaning. The meaning is to “Educate the rich and helping the poor”. Every morning before coming out to work, dropping a coin into the bamboo bank means hearing good before went out. Back from work, dropping a coin into the bamboo means hearing a blessing when we are back safely.
I shall feel gratitude to have chance to practice this bamboo era again of which this could recollect how the Mission of Charity started.
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January 15, 2007 at 9:05 am (Buddhism, inspiration, philosophy, spirituality)
I was impressed by the recent news from Star newspapers that a blind person in Ipoh, Malaysia name G. Gunalan was able to work as lotus root harvester. Despite being blind, he was a breadwinner for his family by this tough job of harvesting lotus root on the lotus pond.
Another well-known great blind and deaf is Helen Killer, she was a blind and deaf since childhood, but she was able to speak and write. I would like to introduce another great hero, Erik Weihenmajor.
Erik Weihenmajor was another great person, he born with retinoschisis, a rare genetic condition that gradually causes the retina to deteriorate. He was totally blind by the age of 13. He graduated with BSc with 3.1 GPA and Masters in Education. Erik was a writer for BC’s literary magazine. He w
as offered a job as an English and math teacher.
Eric’s also accomplished a book entitled, Touch the Top of the World, in which he talks his struggle to push past the limits placed on him by his disability, speaks of those who helped him break through the barriers of blindness.
He was the first blind man ever to climb to the Everest. On Sep 2002, he stood on top of Mt. Kosciusko in Australia – the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. You can found his biography at Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Weihenmayer
Erik’s wrote another new book, The Adversity Advantage, co-written with Dr. Paul Stoltz, the world’s leading expert on the science of adversity, provides seven proven principles for converting challenges into the never-ending fuel to power our lives.
Master Cheng Yen aphorism did mention that “Do not under estimate our-self, human have unlimited capabilities”. We really need to look into our self to discover the explore capability in our inner-self.
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January 11, 2007 at 11:57 am (400D, Buddhism, Photography, inspiration, spirituality, thoughts)
Lotus have give me a lots of inspiration in photography because lotus show us our human nature suppose to be. Although coming out from a filthy mud but she was pure, clean, beautiful and admired by all.Yet, do you realise that if you put lotus on a clean water, it will die off. Lotus must have its root in the mud. It was so similar to the Buddhisatva that we must stay in the society, yet displaying our beauty nature to educate others.
The brightness of the lotus coming out from within the middle is like a lantern which brighten up the surrounding. Aren’t we human suppose to do the same as well ?
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January 11, 2007 at 3:50 am (Buddhism, Tzu Chi)
Looking back on the past, Master Zen Yen will give “Fu Hui” Ang pow to all volunteers including those commissioners to new volunteers.
In the past the Angpow consist of six coins, six coins means Six Paramitas, which is Generosity, Morality (Holding Precepts), Patience (Endurance), Diligence (Effort), Comtemplation (Calm Mind) and Wisdom. Every coin value is NT5. The total value is equal to NT30 which means Three Zero (Dana, Sila, Panna practise without leaking).
This year (2007), the Fu Hui AngPow consist of NT5. In Mandarin, NT5 sound is “Wu Yuan” means having affinity or germane with the volunteers. Other than that, the Angpow cover will have a rice grain.
The rice grain symbolise all the Tzu Chi members have to practise humility like the richer the rice grain, the lower the rice stalk. Making the rice grain required a lots of effort, patient and refine works. Some photos taken can be seen at my flickr website. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahge
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