The world of Tzu Chi June 2021 (Vol.135)

TZU CHI 135 51 REMINDERS UNDER THE SALA TREES should know that all virtues are accumulated over time, so when there is an opportunity to do good, we must take it immediately. We must not idle away our time. We must be diligent during daytime, and likewise never waste time at night. Thus, the Buddha continued, “During early and late night, you must not idle away your time. During the middle hours of the night, chant sutras to learn them well.” That is, even at night, we should strive to seize the time to review the sutras. “Do not for the sake of sleep let this life pass in vain without having accomplished anything.” We must by all means not crave sleep and let our life pass in vain without accomplishing anything . The reason we rest is so that we can walk farther and do more. The Buddha instructed us not to crave sleep. A human life is short, but there is so much spiritual practice yet unaccomplished and so many things yet undone. Therefore, we must absolutely not crave sleep or waste away our time. In a few decades of human life, the number of things we can accomplish is truly very limited. Some people idle away their time on trifles without ever exercising their innate potential. In their life, they have never discovered their innate abilities. We say that people like this are still asleep. The Buddha instructed his disciples to cherish their lives at every moment and make the best use of their time and abilities. The Buddha also told his disciples, “Bear in mind that the fire of impermanence burns all over the world. Seek to quickly transform yourselves, and do not give in to sleep.” This instruction reminds us that we should not crave sleep and, in that way, allow our Buddha-nature to get buried. The fire of impermanence is easily ignited, and when it flares up, it will burn out of control. This “fire of impermanence” refers to the disasters which devastate our world at every moment. I still remember the August 7 flooding in central Taiwan in 1959. This flood caused severe damage and resulted in many casualties. Before then, central Taiwan had been very peaceful with a mild climate. Therefore, people were caught off guard by the flooding, resulting in heavy losses. This disaster was an example of impermanence! The natural world is comprised of the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. If the four elements are out of balance, this will cause destruction in the world. The human body is like a small world, and it too may be subject to disasters and impermanence at any time. It is impossible to predict when disasters will occur, whether in the macrocosm of the world or our own microcosm. Therefore, the Buddha taught his disciples to first comprehend impermanence, contemplate it in depth, and observe it with care. To fully realize the principle of life, we must observe our inner nature and make haste to transform ourselves and others. Here, “sleep” also refers to being ignorant and unawakened, to our lack of