The world of Tzu Chi May 2020 (Vol.122)

TZU CHI 122 55 have brought them this good fortune and realized they had not seen her for a few days. One day, when they caught sight of her, they hurried to express their gratitude. They were also curious as to why the villagers suddenly began to so joyously make offerings to them. So, she shared with them that, in the past, she had been a very devout Buddhist and had often made offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha. She also told them about how she was forced to flee her home because of the war, how she was separated from her family, and how she came to settle here. Hearing her story, the monks felt ashamed. “We’re spiritual practitioners, yet we still need to beg for food to sustain our lives. And this elderly woman, who has suffered so much in life, was willing to be someone’s servant for life just to make offerings to us. She also had the wisdom to guide so many others to reverently make offerings.” They wondered how they could repay this woman for her generosity. They decided that the only way to repay her was to be even more diligent in their spiritual practice. From that day on, an auspicious atmosphere filled this village. When the king heard about the changes in this village, he sent his people to investigate. * This article is extracted from the Tzu Chi USA Journal (Spring 2015) . In reading this story, let us consider the many countries today that are embroiled in conflicts, or whose governments and people are fighting each other. Because of this, there are millions of refugees who have had to flee their homes, leading to many displaced families. Yet we still see many examples of people displaying compassion, generosity and wisdom, regardless of their conditions. Their reverence and unconditional giving give rise to many blessings, both for themselves and others, while also inspiring others to be more diligent in their spiritual practice. So, we can see that if we put the Buddha’s teachings into practice, as Ahlong did, we can have the power to transform not only individuals, but entire countries. This is something that everyone, regardless of how much wealth or fortune they have, can accomplish. They reported back that in this village there was a group of monks who were so diligent in their practice that many people were listening to their teachings, and as a result, had changed the way they lived. The king was very happy to hear this and issued an invitation for the monks to come to the palace. After making his offerings, the king asked the group, “Tell me, what inspires you to engage in spiritual practice so diligently?” The monks told him, “It’s the selfless giving of an old woman namedAhlong.”After he heard their story, the king sent someone to find Ahlong and invite her to the palace. Ahlong was brought before the king, and when he explained to her the reason for his invitation, she humbly replied, “But I didn’t do anything. Everything that was given came from the elder’s wife.” The king, recognizing the depth of her humility and wisdom, invited her to live in the palace and become a teacher there. In time, the king became a Buddhist and asked the monks to help him take the precepts and formally become a lay practitioner. Following Ahlong’s example, many of the female servants in the palace also became lay practitioners.