(Photo source: Tzu Chi Singapore documenting team)
A Tzu Chi volunteer shared with Master Cheng Yen that even though every volunteer has a sincere heart to work to get things done properly, they often have different perspectives on things. He regrets seeing that work is often delayed due to that.
The Master replied:
When we are overly eager to achieve a high standard, it can become a mental burden, even if we are not seeking benefit for ourselves. There is no point in achieving perfection if this causes unhappiness. We should be grateful no matter how things turn out to be.
Everyone has different mental states and capacities, so we will naturally have different knowledge and experiences, and our perspectives will differ from each other. Hence, we cannot force things to happen. It is just like planting vegetables. We are eager to see the vegetables grow and ripen, but this takes time, and we have to wait. If we try to speed up their growth by tugging at them, they will wither and die. Hence, we should first be firm in our footsteps and take each step steadily; we mustn’t be too anxious and eager.
First and foremost, we must form good affinities with people and take good care of our minds as we engage in spiritual practice. We should learn from Sadaparibhuta Bodhisattva (Never-Disparaging Bodhisattva), who shows respect and gratitude to everyone from his heart because every person can become a Buddha in the future.
The Bodhisattva Path cannot be completed in just one lifetime. It takes three great asamkhyeya kalpas (unlimited number of eons) before one can finally attain Buddhahood. Besides making a vow to achieve something, we need to have the right karmic causes and conditions, too. We should seize the opportunity when it arises, but when karmic causes and conditions have not ripened, we must not be overly anxious and force things to happen.
Everyone grows and develops at a different speed; there is no way to set a timeline for this. Besides, there is another uncontrollable factor—the impermanence of life. So, as long as we are sure that we are heading in the right direction and abiding by the Jing Si Dharma Lineage as we move forward one step at a time, we are on the right track. No matter how fast or slow things (or people) are developing, we must be grateful and joyful.
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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