The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.111)

2019 • 06 52 harma transformed his father, King Suddhodhana. However, he had not yet led his mother, Lady Maya, who died seven days after his birth and was reborn in Heaven, to awaken. He thus went to Heaven to expound the Earth Treasury Sutra for his mother. Therefore, the Earth Treasury Sutra is also referred to as the Sutra on Filial Piety . After the Buddha returned to the Human Realm, he instructed Ananda to spread a blanket between two trees to prepare for him to enter Parinirvana. Ananda could not contain his sadness about the imminent passing of the Buddha, so he went apart from everyone and wept. Aniruddha, Ananda’s cousin and also a disciple of the Buddha, knew that the Buddha was about to enter Parinirvana and hastened back from afar. On his way, he sawAnanda crying bitterly and said to him, “How can you waste time crying here? You have to shoulder the responsibility of carrying on the Buddha’s spirit and teachings in this world. Since you do not yet know how to accomplish this, you should ask the Buddha right now!” Ananda realized that what Aniruddha said was true. He asked Aniruddha what questions he should put to the Buddha. One of the four questions that Aniruddha dictated to Ananda was: “While the Buddha is with us, everyone looks up to him as their teacher, but who will be our teacher after he has entered Parinirvana?” Hence, Ananda hurriedly returned to the Buddha’s side and put the question to him. The Buddha’s reply was: “Take the precepts as your teacher.” We know from this reply that the precepts are essential to the Buddha’s teachings and are fundamental for learning the Buddha’s Way. In the Brahmajala Sutra , a passage says: “The precepts are like the bright sun and moon, or like precious stones; an infinite number of Bodhisattvas attain Enlightenment through the precepts.” The precepts are pure and bright like the moon, and they can guide people from ignorance to Enlightenment. The precepts are treasures of this world because they enable people to live in harmony, and they bring peace and stability to society. Only by faithfully following the precepts to purify our body, speech and mind can we realize the truths of the universe and attain the unsurpassed state of Buddhahood. Abiding by precepts brings peace to our country Compared to many other nations, Taiwan enjoys mild weather and a vibrant economy. Unfortunately, many Taiwanese people do not appreciate what they have. They do not understand how to be a good people, they do not respect familial relationships and they disrupt the order of society. If our society were stable and harmonious, it would soon be like the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. When we take good care of our minds, we will not engage in improper behaviour. The precepts are the light in our minds. If we follow the precept, we will be able to live peacefully and happily. When everyone abides by the precepts, our society will be pure and harmonious. Precepts are not unrealistic or abstruse principles. Observing the precepts means engaging in proper behaviour, doing what we must do and avoiding what we should not do. Everyone