【Description】
A drop of water can refract the brilliance of the sun, and a flower can enhance the beauty of spring. It’s possible to see something grand in something small, and a seemingly trivial act of kindness can bring immeasurable rewards.
Listen to Grandmaster JinBodhi tell the story of Winston Churchill and Alexander Fleming; feel the power of compassionate actions, comprehend the philosophical principles of “big” and “small,” and understand why it is so important to never miss a chance to do a good deed, even if it is a small one. Let us walk with kindness for life.
【You will learn】
- The story of Winston Churchill and Alexander Fleming
- The meaning of “being extremely small is being grand”
- The benefits of helping others unconditionally
【Featured aphorisms】
- Being extremely small is being grand.
- “Small is big, big is small” corresponds perfectly with “emptiness is form, form is emptiness.”
- To be truly relaxed is to be mentally relaxed.
- True compassion is making a habit of helping others.
【Content】
Keep compassion in your heart, in your mind and in your consciousness. Help people in their time of need.
A Small Good Deed Could Be Repaid With a Life-Saving Return
We have mentioned before that small to the extreme is large. When it is so small to the point of nothing, it is becoming emptiness, right? Chasing the smallest thing results in emptiness. So small is big, and big equals small. The form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. This matches with Buddhadharma. All practitioners need to understand the concept of big and small.
A very small good deed could have a life-saving effect. We have talked about the story of Churchill and Fleming. Churchill’s father was a farm owner. When Churchill was young, he accidentally fell into a pond. He was just a few years old. A farmer pulled him out and even escorted him home. Churchill’s father asked, “Who are you? What is your name, sir? Thank you. I will give you any amount of money you like.” The farmer said, “We are actually neighbors that are a bit far apart. I happened to pass by and saw the kid fall into the pond. So I pulled him out. This was a very normal action, no need to thank me. If it were my child, you would have pulled him out as well. We are both fathers, right? No worries; no need to thank me or give me money.”
Churchill’s father was touched. “Wow, you are so noble; I have to do something for you. I remember you have a kid too. How old is he?” The farmer’s kid turned out to be the same age as Churchill. Both were little boys then. Churchill Senior said, “How about this? We have this connection, right? I will spend the money to send both our kids to the best school in England. How about it?” The farmer was very grateful. “This is wonderful. I won’t take other gifts, but I am very grateful to you for providing my child a good education in the best school.”
So Churchill Senior sent the kids to the best school in England. You see, one of them became the prime minister and had a significant impact on the peace and safety of Europe. He was also a great leader for the progress of England. When Churchill reached his late 50s, he got severe pneumonia, right? It was very serious and life-threatening. Over the past several decades, many people died due to inflammation of a particular organ. So a lot of deaths were not caused by cancer. In 20 years, maybe cancer won’t be life-threatening. We will be able to cure it. At that time, inflammation was life-threatening.
The son of the farmer who had saved Churchill, Fleming, was Churchill’s classmate. He was very outstanding and exceptional. You see, Churchill’s father sent Fleming to receive the best education. Fleming studied science and discovered penicillin. For treating inflammation, the discovery of penicillin was a big step in medical history. A lot of inflammation can be healed by it. I believe a lot of friends online have used this to treat inflammation, and you are alive today. This was a very great medical discovery. So he received the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Most people living in the world now have used this medicine.
So, helping each other can have an unforeseeable outcome. They became great men in their own fields. It is very impressive and touching. Never omit a good deed because it is too trivial. See the big picture in small things, as small things are equally important. Because it is small, it also doesn’t put too much pressure on us. For example, if I see a kid fall into a ditch, I pull him out. It is not an investment; there is no risk. It was convenient for me to help out, right? If I see an elderly person fall, I help him up. It is not an investment, nothing to be afraid of. This is just a simple thing, right?
Always have compassion in your heart, in your mind and consciousness. Help people when they need it. After listening to my words, you may think, “Maybe the person I help is a rich man. Maybe the person I help will be a scientist one day.” Don’t have these thoughts. Become someone who helps people naturally. If a person has difficulties, I will help if I can. Turn it into a habit and into a natural reaction; this is real compassion.