The world of Tzu Chi February 2020 (Vol.119)

2020 • 02 50 Although these Bodhisattvas were living in a sanatorium and were experiencing such suffering, they still donated what little money they had to do meaningful deeds. This is truly an example of great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity, and exhibits the purest kind of giving. It shows the “virtue of purity”. Most people would believe that Losheng Sanatorium was a terrible place, but I feel that it was the purest and most beautiful place in the world. It was a Pure Land filled with Bodhisattvas. Although physically, the residents were living in an unwholesome environment, their hearts were pure, and they furthermore encouraged each other on the path. Who is to say that they were not Bodhisattvas, journeying on the ship of compassion, who manifested in this world to raise people’s awareness? This is the Saha World of endurance; didn’t they manifest in this world to teach us through their example? In particular, their Bodhisattva-practice of enduring what is difficult to endure and do what is difficult to do is truly rare and commendable. Since they could exercise this virtue of purity, so can we. I hope we all can keep away from interpersonal conflicts and diligently cleanse ourselves of our unenlightened mindset, so that we can manifest our pure Buddha nature. Attachments to inverted views “The Eight Inverted Views” are eight kinds of deluded mindsets that unenlightened beings are attached to. Ordinary people cling to the impermanent as permanent, the non-joyful as joyful, the non- self as self, and the impure as pure, while Two Vehicle practitioners have the Four Inverted Views of impermanence, non-joy, non-self and impurity. In their attachment and confusion, unenlightened beings have inverted views regarding matters and things. “Inverted” means upside-down. An upright bucket can hold water, but when inverted, it cannot do so. Similarly, if the minds of sentient beings are upright, they can take in the Buddha’s teachings. However, if they are not, they will fall. The first inverted view is the view of “permanence”. What the Buddha referred to as impermanent is viewed by ordinary people as permanent. We mistakenly believe that objects and matters of the world are real, and in every matter, we place ourselves in the centre as we greedily pursue our own benefit. The reason there are so many people with mental disorders in our society is because people develop afflictions when their minds become attached and they are unable to attain what they love. Unable to let go, they worry day and night. As they lie sleepless, their minds cannot rest and therefore become aberrant. These mental disorders stem from being attached to permanence. They do not understand the truth of the world, that “everything arises when causes and conditions come together and ceases when causes and conditions disperse”. Some people hope to find shortcuts in their spiritual practice and believe that meditation will allow them to attain Buddhahood, or that there are esoteric practices that will allow them to attain liberation from the world. However, these shortcuts can easily lead one away from the Right Path. Nowadays there are many people who have not thoroughly understood the Buddha’s teachings. If they blindly pursue perceived realizations, it may lead to psychological illness which brings much suffering. In this world, learning a specialized skill allows a person to make a living and fulfil his or her harma