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A mayor once came to visit me, hoping that I could give a talk in the city he was governing. He shared his inner troubles and distress with me: “Sometimes I feel very lost. I don't know what the purpose of life is. My conscience is clear on everything I do and I always give my best, to the extent that I often become dreadfully overworked, and yet, I am still being criticised by many parties. I don't know what to do anymore.”
I told him: “In dealing with people and work, besides working hard, we must also be patient and tolerant. There is only one goal in life, and that is to serve the public.”
We should not be afraid of shouldering heavy responsibilities in life, but rather of not having the chance to serve people. As the Chinese saying goes, “A tough man can withstand any tests in life. People who are not envied by others are usually mediocre.” No matter what adversities we face, we must have the courage to undergo the trials and tribulations. Only after going through hardships and difficulties in life will we be able to realise how tough and powerful we actually are.
If we do not encounter obstacles and learn to overcome them, we will not grow in life. If we do not go through suffering, we will not be able to understand the meaning of life.
Someone once said that he most vividly remembered these words of mine: “enduring hardships deplete our negative karma”. If there were no suffering in life, we would tend to grow slack in our spiritual cultivation. Sometimes, undergoing a little hardship in life may help to strengthen and brighten our spirit, and the experience can also help us to perceive the meaning of life.
Take, for example, a boat on a calm lake. By simply rowing the boat with a pair of paddles, one can easily reach the other side of the lake. However, this is not truly sailing a ship. One’s true ability to sail needs to be tested by strong waves in the ocean. The higher the waves, the higher the ship will sail. One can only be considered a truly skilled sailor if one is able to navigate the ship without being overturned by the waves. Likewise, a truly strong and tough person is someone who is able to withstand all trials and tribulations, and who grows in courage after braving through every storm in life.
A while ago, two pastors visited Tzu Chi Taiwan and expressed their recognition and respect for our organisation. They were interested to find out how I lead people, as they were impressed to see that everyone in Tzu Chi is so united and so harmonious with one another. They also asked, “There is so much you have to deal with, and so many people come and meet up with you. Wouldn’t you feel troubled and frustrated? What skills and strengths do you use to deal with all that?”
I replied, “I do not have any special skill or strength. I am an ordinary person just like everyone else, so it is impossible for me not to have any troubles or frustration. I guess the only difference is that I do not let troubles linger in my mind for long. What enables me to break free from troubles and frustrations? It is the power of joy and gratitude. It helps to declutter and clear my mind very quickly.”
Everyone has troubles in their minds. We can sweep away all our troubles with a joyous and grateful heart.”
If we are able to eliminate our troubles and settle our minds, so that our minds remain clear and alert, then we will not get irritated no matter who or what we face.
A person’s mental afflictions are accumulated over time, and the longer you accumulate them, the “heavier” they become. Our wisdom is like a mirror—the foggier the surface of the mirror is, the blurrier it becomes. But if we frequently wipe this mirror, it will be able to reflect everything clearly.
Mental afflictions are like fog that clouds the mirror, disabling it from reflecting the external world clearly. Therefore, it is best not to store and accumulate afflictions in our mind.
Promoting Tzu Chi’s Missions is something I willingly love to do, and I am thankful for the enthusiastic participation and support of many people. But there are bound to be issues since there are so many people in Tzu Chi. Hence, I cannot help but feel worried and concerned. So I would often nag at people. For example, I would remind everyone to be careful when they are driving, to pay attention to road safety, to look after their family well, to speak gently, etc. I said all these out of concern, not mental affliction. However, if people take matters to heart, they may inevitably give rise to greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. All these afflictions will bring great suffering.
A worried mind has love within, but an afflicted mind is filled with hate, vengeance and grudges. If we can make use of the power of joy and gratitude to eradicate all our mental afflictions, we will have peace in our mind. When our minds are at peace, we will possess clear and sharp wisdom. Then, we will not respond in the wrong way in whatever difficult situation we find ourselves.
As long as we embrace joy and gratitude at all times, no matter how difficult the tribulations and setbacks, we will be able to pull through them and shine even brighter.
Extracted from “Sheng Huo De Zhi Hui”《生活的智慧》
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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