(Photo by Chen Ya Yin)
Someone asked Master Cheng Yen, “How do we cultivate while serving others and not regress?”
The Master answered:
Some people vow to be committed to spiritual cultivation when they are happy. However, they quit when faced with obstacles or setbacks. The truth is, what you do is what you get; diligent people will progress in their spiritual cultivation, while those who regress will see their wisdom slowly disappear. It is the same as eating, we must eat to obtain nutrients for our body. Therefore, if one wishes to grow wiser, one must cultivate.
One should aspire to be a gem that gets brighter after repeated polishing
The only way to cultivate is to serve among people, and the only path toward Buddhahood is in this human world. Beings who live in heaven have no opportunity to do good, nor are there any troubles that arise from conflicts. In other words, “rough stones” are only found in the human world; one should find the motivation to improve oneself to become better. People who are too proud of themselves cannot be tried in life.
Master Cheng Yen further said, if both parties were “rough stones”, then any collision between the two would only cause damage to both parties. People who are unwilling to become a “gem” but only wish to be a “rough stone”, or people who cannot go through hardships in life are merely wasting their entire lifetime on earth, and that do them no good.
Master Cheng Yen also said it is rare to be born a human. However, there is always a limit to life, and no one knows how long he will live in this world; hence the truth of “impermanence” is widely spoken in Buddhism. Genuine cultivation is not about accumulating merits by doing good deeds or becoming full of oneself after doing something beneficial to Buddhism. To desire merits, fame and benefits are not actual cultivation. Tzu Chi’s school of Buddhism is about taking actions to cultivate; not only should one seek nothing in return, one should be grateful for being able to cultivate and serve others.
Religion is an education about life and being aware of our purpose in life. One should practise humbling oneself and be willing to contribute. If one contributes willingly, one will feel happy and be filled with gratitude.
Master Cheng Yen highlighted that there is always someone better than somebody else; therefore, there is nothing for us to be proud of or boastful about. In a nutshell, do not have an attachment to anything; to look after one’s wisdom, one should have self-love and having self-love is the way to repay people’s kindness.
Translated by Foo Pei Yau
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