The world of Tzu Chi April 2021 (Vol.133)

2021 • 04 50 * This article is extracted from the book “Reminders under the Sala Trees – A Commentary on the Sutra of the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings”. harma 12 hours, and there are also people who work almost 20 hours. From a religious point of view, the most precious thing in life is to be able to realize our innate potential—to work joyfully and help others is what provides true value to life.” Adjusting our mindset to learn from the Buddha Some people do not do much that is meaningful with their lives; there are those who only seek to indulge the five desires and enjoy themselves. What meaning does this kind of life have? Consider how President Marcos of the Philippines had the power to do whatever he wanted for 20 years; in the end, once he was ousted from power, it was very painful. What value did he bring to his life? When he was in power and full of pride, would he give a thought to the dangers that surrounded him? Isn’t this similar to what the Buddha said about only seeing the honey pot in your hand, but not seeing the pitfall right in front of you? “It is like an elephant on a rampage or a monkey swinging through the trees; it cannot be tamed.” Next, the Buddha compared the mind to a drunk and frenzied elephant—no person can control it. An elephant’s body is large and powerful, and if it can be tamed, an elephant can be of great use; however, if it cannot be tamed, it is very dangerous. It is the same with our mind; if it cannot be controlled, it is like an elephant on a rampage or like a monkey jumping back and forth in the trees. Therefore, the Buddha said, “You must quickly subdue it, and not let it run wild.” Only if we can first tame our restless and unruly mind, can we be diligent in our spiritual practice at all times. “Those who fail to control their mind lose their ability for goodness; if they are able to focus their mind, there is nothing they cannot achieve.” We cannot allow our mind to slack off; if we indulge our minds even in the slightest, we will be like people who lose their mind; we will lose our potential for goodness. On the other hand, if we can keep our mind focused, then “there is nothing we cannot achieve”; there will be no matters in which we are not successful. Then, we will surely be able to progress from the state of ordinary people to the state of noble beings. The Buddha furthermore said, “Thus, bhikshus , you must diligently advance and tame your mind.” The Buddha reminded his disciples to practise diligently so that they would not run the risk of creating negative karma. Once karma is created, it is like a wildfire that cannot be controlled. So, in summary, in life, the mind is the origin of both goodness and wrongdoing. Since the mind is what controls the Five Roots, we must be vigilant of our minds at all times. This is the basic skill needed for spiritual practice. (To be continued in the next issue)