(Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
More than 2,500 years ago, the Buddha was born into the human realm. He cultivated spiritually, became enlightened, and subsequently preached the Dharma so that all sentient beings in this world could understand the principles of life. As such, we refer to the Buddha as “The Great Enlightened One.” Yet even with the best principles available, if there were no one to disseminate them far and wide, they would remain unknown. People have the power to spread the Dharma, while on the contrary, the Dharma itself does not have the power to spread among people. The Dharma needs to be shared, as it encompasses the Buddha's will and wisdom, establishing a pathway of kindness in the human realm. This pathway can be walked by any individual, unravelling long and far as it transcends the passage of time, space, and human relations.
The Buddha Day, Mothers’ Day and International Tzu Chi Day occur as a 3-in-1 occasion. On the morning of 12 May, the Buddha Bathing Ceremony was held at the Square in front of Jing Si Hall in Hualien. 14 countries and 37 community districts graced the ceremony simultaneously online. Standing on the upper floor of the Jing Si Hall and dropping my gaze to the Square below, I could see how beautifully coordinated the contingents and their actions were. Without a sincere heart, this level of coordination can never be accomplished. As the evening approaches, nearly 20,000 people gathered at the Taipei Memorial Hall Square. As 502 Dharma Masters made their entrance, their order of entry was solemn and stirred up many emotions as it was touching to watch. This procession essentially encompassed the genuineness, goodness and beauty of Buddhism for the world to see. I am so grateful that the Dharma Masters took time to grace the ceremony in a show of support, as it allowed the spirit of Buddhism to be spread among people.
Nearing the end of the first Buddha Bathing session, it started to rain. The emcee then got everyone to put on the raincoats that had been prepared in advance. Everyone's actions were quick and orderly. There were changes to the group formation, and this beautiful state was captured in that moment for the world to view. Countless individuals forming crowds devoutly put their palms together and held the same thoughts in their hearts, such that the Buddha could heart it. The feelings and piety of that moment were to be remembered, every day, anytime, at every second, so that wisdom can forever remain clear like fresh water, untainted by impurities.
The one-hour Buddha Bathing session was the fruit of labour and hard work of the Tzu Chi volunteers, who have put in days of effort into its preparation. They put in all this work only with the intention of allowing the solemn aura of the ceremonial area to be showcased during the Buddha Bathing Ceremony. This undermines the spirit of Tzu Chi, of moving from the Bodhisattva path into the heart of the Buddha to save all sentient beings.
During this period of time, many countries are also holding the Bowing Pilgrimage and Buddha Bathing Ceremonies. In Malaysia, we can see long processions involving individuals young and old, who march around the perimeter of the centre. At the same time, we are able to hear their wishes as they pray for favourable conditions and peace in the world. I do the same daily, praying that ignorance will be eradicated from people’s minds, that every individual vows to embrace others with love, that there is peace in this world, and that the world’s disasters will be eliminated.
The Buddha preached for 49 years, and from the 42nd year, he started to share about the “Lotus Sutra” at Vulture’s Peak. Tzu Chi has been moving towards the teachings of the “Lotus Sutra” with sure-footed yet toiling steps, and is currently moving into its 59th year. The organisation’s first mission is to be charitable. As it saw that there were individuals who fell ill due to poverty as well as individuals who fell into poverty due to illness, the decision was made to set up a hospital. Such a medical mission cannot fall short when it comes to education, hence nurses and doctors began to be groomed. Once their education has been completed, these humanitarians were then required to spread humanistic culture around the world. I am grateful for all the living Bodhisattvas, who bring to fruition the four great missions into this world with their dedication and love. As I reminisce about the path we have travelled, I see that we have walked in the right direction, and have not lost our way. I now feel at ease, and can exclaim to myself, “It’s worth all the effort!”
During the Buddha’s time, it was said that the Dharma Assembly at Vulture’s Peak would never cease, and till today, we see the emergence of many Bodhisattvas. In the past two years, Tzu Chi volunteers from Singapore and Malaysia have returned to the hometown of the Buddha, and made much effort to form many connections as well as carry out many activities there. In order to connect with other volunteers online for the Tzu Chi 58th Anniversary morning meet, the members in Gridhakuta, India, busied themselves for several days. They even mobilised large numbers of people to help with lugging optical fibre cables up the mountain, all with the intention of being in sync with the Vihara. Hualien is more than 3,700 kilometres away from the local area in India, with a time difference of two and a half hours. Yet even with these temporal and spatial differences, as long as the heart is set on coming together, it will be actualised. This is known as the “divine power”, where with spiritual enlightenment, the mind then embraces the whole universe and its capacity accommodates boundless worlds, allowing Vulture’s Peak to be reached in a split second.
Time is broken down into milliseconds, forming the minutes, hours and days. 60 seconds constitute a minute, 24 hours constitute a day, and each day encompasses 86,400 seconds. Although this may sound like a lot of time, it actually passes by rapidly and silently. Amidst the hustle and bustle of life that we cannot do much about, we should still remain vigilant. Sometimes subconsciously, we might start to focus too much on ourselves, thinking, “I am unsatisfied as I can’t attain this”, or “I have put in more work than others”, resulting in one causing disputes with others. This happens when we only see the ignorance of others and neglect the fact that we have been letting time slip through our fingers. When one lives life comparing and being calculative with others, true suffering arises. Without being aware of this form of suffering, a person would then end up a confused and mediocre man.
Every individual has the same level of wisdom as the Buddha, but it is life’s biggest challenge when one becomes clouded by confusion and entrapped by burdens or many worries. The practice of Buddhism is truly worth uncovering with depth for aspiring individuals, as this practice purifies the mind, allowing one to become an authentic and transparent individual. Only when this happens can one clearly see that he is walking on the right path.
When the Buddha came into the world, his purpose was to teach Bodhisattvas, and inculcate the Dharma in them. We are hence in the process of learning now, and to learn, we need to have a pure and innocent heart. Without this central path of Bodhisattva, we will never be able to recognise its practices or gain enlightenment. As such, be aware of the passing of time and of each day, living in each second with all of one’s heart, and on this pathway between learning and gaining enlightenment, one will never become lost in any of their lifetimes!
Translated by Nicole Sim
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