The world of Tzu Chi September 2023 (Vol.147)

TZU CHI 147 01 z z By Dharma Master Cheng Yen Translated by Teresa Chang Teachings that possess wisdom and can be shared with individuals of varying capacities are all worth propagating. No matter the religion, the promotion of virtuous actions that benefit humanity is of utmost importance. Create a Better World I always keep my mentor Dharma Master Yin Shun in my heart and on my mind. When he accepted me as his disciple six decades ago, he instructed me to “work for Buddhism and for all living beings”. Those instructions have guided my life. I have taken care to ensure my life adheres to his teachings and the right principles. The Buddha is also my mentor. Hundreds of years after the Enlightened One entered nirvana , wise and accomplished monks compiled his oral teachings into sutras. All sutras are rare and precious, containing profound wisdom and providing guidance for future generations on the path to overcoming worldly attachments and desires. I have expounded on several important Buddhist scriptures in my life, including the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters , the Sutra on the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings , the Sutra of the Bodhisattvas’ Eight Realisations , the Lotus Sutra , the Medicine Buddha Sutra , and the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings . Among these, the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings , which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra , holds a special place with me. I have recited, transcribed, and expounded on the Lotus Sutra all my life. It contains the guiding principles I have steadfastly lived by. Before I entered the monastic life, I overheard a devotee telling Dharma Master Xiu Dao at the Ci Yun Temple in Taichung, Taiwan, about how a neighbour was renovating their house and had discovered a copy of the Lotus Sutra , consisting of seven volumes. No one knew how many generations it had survived. When I heard the name Lotus Sutra , my heart was filled with joy. The neighbour was planning to take it to an antique dealer, but I quickly asked if I could purchase it. That was 70 years ago. I kept that copy until its pages became loose when I flipped through it. In 2020, I was given a hand-copied edition of the Qur’an by Faisal Hu, a Tzu Chi volunteer in Türkiye. It was 500 years old, and its pages had suffered damage over time. The value of this precious scripture prompted me to take aster's Teaching