Parents naturally love their children, yet there are exceptions to this rule, and there are parents who abandon their own offspring. A Tzu Chi hospital has seen one such case in the past.
Several years ago, a hospital social worker told me about a baby who was born without a brain, and the prognosis was that it would only be able to live for a year. The unmarried mother of the baby made it known that she did not want the abnormal child. I then asked the social worker to contact her and give her counselling. It is the duty of a mother to provide care and love to her baby, even if the child only has a year to live.
Later, the woman called home and spoke with her family, whereupon both the woman’s mother and her elder brother said they did not wish to give the baby up. Our hospital social worker and volunteers eventually managed to talk the baby’s mother round, and she took her child home. How sad it was that a baby who could only live for a year was nearly abandoned soon after birth!
Shortly after this case was resolved, I saw a news report about a couple who had given birth to a child afflicted with cerebral palsy. The father was adamant about not wanting the baby and tried to get rid of it. Later, he was charged and sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to smother his child to death. This case happened in our modern-day society.
During the Buddha’s time, there was also a similar story. At the time, there was a poor family; the wife had given birth to a child with deformed facial features. His face was so hideous that those who saw him would be terrified. The couple was deeply troubled by their son’s looks. Afraid of being laughed at, they drove him out of the house after he learned how to walk.
Living in the streets, the poor child had no choice but to beg for food from door to door. However, many people were frightened upon seeing him and would hastily shut their doors in his face. Not able to fend for himself in town, he later ventured deep into the mountains and grew up living in the wilderness.
One day, the Buddha brought his monastic disciples to the mountains. When the man with the ugly face saw them, he quickly ran away. The Buddha then asked a monk who similarly possessed unpleasant facial features, to go after the man. He said to the monk: “You must approach him gradually in a gentle manner so that you won’t frighten him.” The monk understood the Buddha’s intentions and set off to look for that man.
When the monk found him, he spoke with him gently and tactfully. Seeing the monk, the man asked him: “Why do you also look so ugly?” The monk said, “Do you think I am a bad person although I’m not good-looking?”
The man replied, “No, you are very kind and loving. Everyone who sees me is scared of me. Why would you want to come near me?”
“The Buddha loves everyone equally. Despite my odd appearance, he still loves and cares for me very much. The other monks do not look down on me either. Therefore I feel that one’s outer appearance is not important. What’s important is that one has wisdom and love for others!” explained the monk.
After hearing that, the man asked, “Do you think the Buddha would accept someone like me into his monastic community?” At that moment, the Buddha happened to come by, and he said to the man: “Of course we will welcome you, as spiritual cultivation does not depend on one’s looks. As long as you work hard and mindfully practice together with everyone, you will surely be able to propagate the Dharma in future, too.”
From then on, the man joined the Buddha’s monastic community, learning and practising the Dharma as taught by the Buddha.
Living in blessed circumstances, we must truly cherish our blessings and cultivate even more blessings. If we do not, we may commit wrongdoings and the negative karma we create will follow us wherever we go. We have just heard how some children were abandoned by their parents after birth – this is due to the negative karma they created in their past lives.
Our karma is our own doing; we reap what we sow. I hope that as everyone works to do good, they will cherish the blessings they have, and further work to cultivate more blessings.
Source: Tzu Chi Taiwan
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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