The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.128)

2020 • 11 48 harma F ifth, “with regard to the Four Offerings, you must be self-disciplined and content”. The Four Offerings are food, clothing, housing and medicine. As long as we have enough to eat, can keep ourselves warm, live in a peaceful and stable place, and have medicine when we are sick, this is enough. We should not demand too much of the Four Offerings and become insatiably greedy, because this will get in the way of our spiritual cultivation. As Buddhist practitioners, we should train our power of Samadhi by not allowing material things to disturb our minds. We should always maintain a state of Samadhi, which is to have Right Concentration, Right Mindfulness and Right Thinking. This is a proper mindset. When we have self-discipline in our daily living and remain content, then our mind and spirit will be upright and we will be full of energy. In addition to being self-disciplined and content, we should also have gratitude. Monastics are not the only ones who rely on the Four Offerings. The fact is that in this world, no one can live alone; we all rely on others to provide us with our daily necessities. For example, in the scorching hot summertime, without electric fans, we would no doubt be sweaty and miserable. This electric fan is made through the collective efforts of many people. In addition to its different parts, the fan also needs a power supply to work. When we turn on our lights and our electric fans, do we realize how many people are working hard in the power plant to supply the power we need? If it were not for their service, how could we have such a comfortable life? Furthermore, how many people contribute to the four necessities of food, clothing, housing and transportation? We must not think, “I pay for it with money.” Money is merely a trading instrument, and it is not omnipotent. Merely having money is not enough to magically create the goods needed in daily life. However, most people crave money and many even make money through unscrupulous means, which results in bad karma and suffering. This is truly pitiable. Sixth, “When you receive offerings, you must not hoard them”. Monastics should not accumulate goods and material resources. Spiritual practice emphasizes living in harmony with both principles and matters. Keeping matters in harmony includes maintaining “harmony through sharing of benefits”. Living and working together, CHAPTER 2 - UPHOLD PRECEPTS