Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

Today is August 8th. In Chinese, the number “8” sounds similar to the character for “father”. As a matter of course, August 8th becomes Chinese Father’s Day!

At noon, Tom’s and my families went to a restaurant around Shih-Men Reservoir for its specialty of fish cuisine. The restaurants here were nearly overbooked since today was Sunday and also Father’s Day. We had to wait for 40 minutes after ordering. During this waiting time, we chatted to each other. There was no TV, so children also joined parents’ conversation. Perhaps it was the most valuable time when eating out. Thus, if the restaurant served slowly when you eat out with your family, don’t be impatient. Instead, you should thank the restaurant for giving you more time being with your family.

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

Buddhism has a large number of scriptures. Each school took a scripture that the founder thought highly of as its main study direction.

The study of Buddhist scriptures is really not a piece of cake. Buddha also thought that everyone had his/her way to practice Buddhism, so there are so-called “84,000 Dharmas.” Buddhism is both closed (Buddhism has many scriptures but few are famous) and open (The ways to practice Buddhism vary from person to person). This nature makes Buddhism singularly suitable to unconstrained moderns. As long as followers feel easy to practice Buddhism, they find their ways in cultivation and self-realization.

Of course, the tonsured monks and nuns should abide by precepts. It’s religion. However, it’s different from my way of “learning Buddhism” that followers practice Buddhism through “faith, understanding, practice, realization” and learn to “be free from suffering and obtain happiness.” I admire Buddha’s wisdom. He only gave a direction of practicing Buddhism; but, dharmas of cultivation and self-realization vary from person to person!

I appreciated Teacher Zi-qiao instructed us in the study of Diamond Sutra. We benefited greatly from her sharing the experiences of practice and realization!

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

If only “good” (good people, things, time, places) is acceptable to us but “bad” is unacceptable, we’ll be under delusions (subjective judgement on right and wrong). Once we are under delusions, we are unable to treat all things on earth with a mind of equality. Then our hearts are full of misgivings. Consequently, we keep trying hard to form alliances with people whom we are familiar with but to be alert to those whom we are unfamiliar with. This way makes us feel uneasy and unhappy. Only when we accept both “good” and “bad,” we realize that: In fact, “bad” doesn’t exist. We are part of the world where everything is good and nice. Then we’ll feel easy and happy.

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

Instead of “indulgence,” “letting go” means to willingly have concern about nothing after realizing the laws of the world. Due to this awareness, you know your goals in life; you know why humans go through birth, age, illness and death; things go through forming, sustaining, destruction and emptiness; and you accept the truth of impermanence as above. Thus, you are eventually able to “let go,” beyond doubt.

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

“Possessing nothing so desiring to possess something” is a kind of suffering; “possessing something but worry about losing” is another. Therefore, “possession” is the root of all sufferings. That’s why Buddhists pursue “emptiness”. However, what is “emptiness”? It’s hard to explain. Buddhism uses the opposite of “possession” to explain “emptiness”. If it’s true, we may try to switch our thoughts on the above two sufferings. Two examples are listed below.

1. I’ve possessed all the best, so I should make every day a good day. Create a lighthearted feeling at work and enjoy family life. Nothing should I worry about since I possess all I need.

2. When I possess something, I know that impermanence is a law of nature. Nothing can be possessed forever, so I cherish the moments of “possession.” Even if I lose what I’ve had, I take it as a matter of course. I live in the moment without caring about any changes in the future, since Heaven has the best plan.

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

Buddhism defines that Conditioned Dharma is all dharmas (phenomena) resulting from the combination of causes and conditions. All phenomena are also creations of human desires (root of human desires is “possession”). As for Unconditioned Dharma, it is “innate possession,” “right at this moment,” unlimited abundance,” “unswerving placidity” – that is, Buddha Nature. Perceive the world mindfully and react properly; take things as they are; act without expectation, doubt and fear; believe that Heaven has made the best arrangement. All of these are “a vow to bear Buddha Heart.” That is to say, the aim of act is for the perfection of the world, which is exactly “Unconditioned Dharma.” Of course, after taking action, don’t attach to the expectation of “perfection of the world.” It’s “emptiness” stated in Diamond Sutra.

Unconditioned Dharma is a non-Unconditioned Dharma; for the sake of teaching the sentient beings easily, it is therefore called “Unconditioned Dharma.”

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

From childhood, we’ve been taught “who to be/what to have”:
Parents want us to be good boys/girls; teachers want us to be good students; spouses want us to be healthy and wealthy.

When we are striving to be/have, we don’t even understand why we should “be/have”. It’s because that parents, teachers, husbands/wives ask us to be/have. Their expectations push us to be/have. In Diamond Sutra, it states, “All conditioned dharmas (phenomena) are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows.” However, “suffering” shows the value of “joy”. Conditioned phenomena are sufferings while unconditioned ones are joy. Mortals are the best media for spiritual practice. In fact, our striving for conditioned phenomena from childhood is in preparation for cultivation of unconditioned phenomena – to let things take their own course.

Learning to be/have and let go of who we are and what we have, we will truly learn how to be happy!

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

Life is hard if there’s no money; but miserable if there’s money due to a fear of losing money. There’s no need to worry about driving an old car; but people who drive luxurious cars may worry about traffic collision or having cars stolen. People who have stored up a great fortune at home need an impregnable building to prevent burglars; while people in poverty can even sleep with door open.

Suffering comes after “possession”. Life is impermanent and changeable. Nothing can be possessed permanently. Humans go through birth, age, illness and death, without exception; things go through forming, sustaining, destruction and emptiness. Fear that “possession” turns into “destruction” or “emptiness” is the root of worldly suffering. In Buddhism, all forms are empty. Yet, it’s a philosophy to enlighten people who are afraid to lose what they’ve possessed. It might be an appeasement for mind. But, why do you possess something? Without motivation, you get nothing. Emptiness gets you free from worry. If so, is Buddhism a passive philosophy? Of course not, Buddhism is activism that positively leads humans to happiness.

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

Diamond Sutra is one of the most important Mahayana’s scriptures. If knowing thoroughly the truth of Diamond Sutra, people are able to get rid of the hardest thing in the world – suffering, that is, to be free from suffering and obtain happiness. We invited Teacher Liu Zi-qiao to instruct us in Diamond Sutra. It’s a three-day sutra study from today. There are seven friends joining with me and Jenus together.

Common mortals feel stress, uneasy, unhappy, or unrelaxed, as they are doubtless suffering from something unpleasant.

The sufferings could be that customers aren’t satisfied, that work didn’t be finished on time, that sales don’t increase greatly, that colleagues have a low collaborative spirit, and that family are not very harmonious. If one of them in life goes not very well, people feel unhappy and uneasy. It goes without saying that natural phenomena such as birth, age, illness and death are mortals’ common worry. Buddhist philosophy – faith, understanding, practice, and realization – helps people to be happy and enlightened.

Diamond Sutra is exactly a classical scripture to guide people to get enlightened and unburdened. It’s truly a book of wisdom worthy of your faith, understanding, practice and realization.

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!
 

Good Morning! Taipei, Taiwan.

I’m aware that Buddhist practice (Three Pillars) – Precept, Meditation, Wisdom – can be applied at work.

Precept: It’s self-discipline. Do assignments upon the established regulations or as you’re required. Don’t scamp them.

Meditation: It’s to live in the moment. It’s effective and timesaving to work as customers are satisfied or you are skillful. At the moment, your heart is stable.

Wisdom: Without exhausting your heart, you are still energetic to work on innovative development and able to generate creative ideas.

May God bless us! Let’s create a world where people love each other, enjoy life and keep improving!