The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.106)

2019 • 01 54 aster Cheng Yen Tells Stories T here was a young man who had lost his father when he was very young and had been brought up single-handedly by his mother, who worked hard to provide a solid education for him. Although life was not easy, the mother and son had each other to rely on, so they still lived contentedly and happily. When the son was still a student, his mother wouldwake himup everymorning, saying, “Rise and shine, it is time to go to school!” Even after he had started to work, his mother kept up the habit. “Rise and shine, it is time to go to work!” It was an important daily routine for her. One day, the son came home after work and said to hismother, “Mum, you have beenworking too hard. I am sorry I haven’t been able to provide you with a comfortable life. Look at our house – it is so bare and shabby. I am thinking of starting my own business. If I succeed, I will be able to renovate our house and buy new furniture and things. You can have anything you want in it.” After hearing her son’s words, the mother asked, “Will the money you make be decent money?” “Yes, it should be. But the way business works can sometimes be unfair to some people.” Rise and Shine “Son, I wake you up every morning, right?” “Yes. Why do you ask?” “Every morning I make breakfast for you and call you when it is time to get up. But even when I call you several times, you never answer. I have to run upstairs to wake you up. Sometimes you are so sounds asleep I even have to shake you awake. Often when you finally open your eyes, you still look like you could fall right back to sleep. Still, waking you up every day gives me a sense of reassurance. I hope I don’t find you wide awake when I go to your bed, because that would mean you aren’t sleeping well.” The son understood what his mother was saying. “Mum, I see what you mean. Rest assured that I will never do anything to make you worry. No matter how difficult our lives may be, so long as we have a clear conscience, we will be able to live happily, right?” “Yes,” the mother said with a smile. “You will be a truly good son if you can let me live with a clear conscience. We should not want more than what is enough to support ourselves. What is important is to have a clear conscience and peace of mind, because that is where true happiness lies.” * This article is extracted from the book “The Master Tells Stories (Volume 2)”. This is the correct view of life – making honest money through hard work instead of shrewd business calculations that may weigh heavily on your mind. Otherwise, all the money in the world will not make you happy and at ease. Worldly pleasures are like bubbles – when you reach out to touch or capture them, they vanish in a flash. Worldly pleasures are also as changeable as clouds in the summertime, impossible to get hold of. As long as you do your duties every day and shut the door that leads to greed and desire, you will live your life in peace and joy.