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Early in the morning, the chirping of the birds perching on the branches outside the window reminded me of a touching story. Now I shall relate this story to the current social dynamics.
The ancient benevolent Emperor Yao ruled the country by virtue and good politics. Hence, his people lived a happy life. One day, he wanted to abdicate and hand over the crown to Xu You, a talented and wise minister.
He was worried that Xu You would not accept it, so he said to Xu You, "Isn’t the sun and the moon bright enough? Why do we need a small firefly? Isn’t the dew and rain enough for the growth of all trees? Why do we still need to water the trees by hand? These days, my physical strength and intelligence are as weak as a firefly, while your wisdom and talents are as bright as the sun and as clear as the moon. I shall let you rule the kingdom and I hope you will accept it."
Xu You replied, "A sparrow only needs to perch on a small branch to be safe and worry-free; a little mouse can only drink up to a small belly of water by the stream when it is thirsty. My intelligence is limited, like a sparrow; my needs are fundamental and minimal, like a mouse. I only have contentment in my mind, I already feel at ease. You have ruled the kingdom so well and deserve the position of an Emperor. The handing over of this throne to me is like giving me an undeserved reputation. I cannot accept it."
In ancient times, sages with great virtue were willing to give their throne to others, but today's people are fighting against each other over petty benefits and fame which are not worth mentioning.
Buddha has taught us to have contentment, to weigh our physical strength and wisdom, and to be free from undeserved reputation. The Buddha has ten capacities. The first intellect is "knowing the position of oneself", which is knowing one's capacity, status and ability, knowing what to say and do. With such mindfulness, one does not waste time and can live up to his conscience and talent.
Buddha travels back and forth in our world, and the Saha world is the place where he travels. At present, the Saha world needs the compassion of Buddha and the perseverance of Bodhisattvas. Only with compassion, wisdom and resilience, the bad practices in society can be reversed.
We are Buddhist disciples. Naturally, we should be like Xu You, be contented with what we have and have fewer desires. We should also have Buddha's wisdom to know where our position is. Wisdom, like a soft breeze and clear stream, is urgently needed in today’s society. The precious functions of our life should never be wasted in endless disputes.
Translated by Yang Hui Wen
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