Compassion and Attachments

【Description】

Many of the pains and troubles in life are rooted in our overwhelming self-attachment. For example, we react negatively because we don’t have what others have, we can’t do what others can do, others look at us in an unfriendly way or speak to us in a harsh tone, and the list goes on. Greed, jealousy, and even hatred arise when the ego

is overinflated, which not only makes us miserable, but it also brings endless troubles to the people around us.

How should we deal with our ego to free ourselves of affliction? Grandmaster JinBodhi teaches a secret tip in this video: Treat attachments with compassion. So, what is compassion? How can we practice compassion in life? How can we break free of negative emotions in time? Let’s listen to Grandmaster JinBodhi’s teachings to explore how compassion and attachments bring us different feelings and states of life.

【You will learn】

• The disadvantages of having overwhelming self-attachment
• Ways to downplay gains and losses
•  What compassion is
•  The neutral state mentioned in The Heart Sutra, and how to treat things with justice and fairness
•  The relationship between afflictions and our perception: not being fooled by our five senses
•  To communicate with great compassionate energy

【Featured aphorisms】

• l We create much of our own pain and trouble.
• l Too much self-attachment causes pain.
• l Many mental illnesses are caused by selfishness and egotism.
• l To get rid of afflictions, let go of self-attachment and be a truly compassionate person.
• l By cultivating your compassion, you focus less on personal gains and losses; thus, you will have fewer afflictions.
• l Being compassionate means you could never bring yourself to harm others; it means you would never deceive others; and it means that when negative feelings arise, you are able to reflect upon them.
• l People who engage in self-reflection make fewer mistakes and avoid hurtful behaviors.
• l When greed arises, our eyes lose sight of right and wrong.
• l Greed and ignorance limit one’s spiritual height.
• l What makes people feel happy is not necessarily a good thing; what makes people feel pain is not necessarily bad.
• l We are often fooled by our five senses.
• l Attachment creates bias.
• l A higher state of mind brings powerful energy for communication.
• l When we have a higher state of mind and stronger compassion, we become attractive and pleasing, although our voice and appearance remain the same.
• l If you want to learn compassion, dedicate your love to the journey.

【Content】

Hello, everyone. (Hello, Master.) Please be seated. (Thank you, Master.)

As we interact, I realize many of our afflictions and pain are self-created. An example from when we were expanding our center. Someone wished to donate $100,000 and have his name written on the wall of merit. He wanted to gain some merits. After a while, someone came to donate $50,000 and wished the same for his name, and I said, “Sure.”

This upset the guy who donated $100,000. He was so devoted before, I wondered what happened. He wanted to reduce his donation, saying he had other uses for it. He said, “I have to pay interest and loans for the houses I rented out.” He had various reasons. He asked if he could donate $50,000 only. I said, “Fine.” Suddenly he was so happy.

Later, a guy came to donate $30,000 and wanted his name on the wall. I said, “Fine.” This upset the two guys that donated more. Apparently, the second one was also paying back loans. “Can I donate less?” I said, “Fine.” Later, another asked if he could have the same for an $8000 donation. I agreed but then all the previous donors got upset again. In the end they settled on $8,000. Seriously, they really cried. This shows how we create our own afflictions.

Today I am going to talk about how we cause our own pain. It stems from an over sensitive consciousness of the “self”. When we put too much emphasis on the “self”, suffering arises.

What kind of suffering? Let’s start with our innate traits. These are the traits you are born with. We often hear people complaining that others are taller, look better, have more money than them. Or that others sing or dance better, etc. You suffer when you compare. Many also do the following, you are an honest worker but is not good at expressing yourself. You think your boss only promote those who express themselves better, and that good things don’t happen to you. This is suffering.

When you become aware of the “self”, then suffering begins. What I am saying might offend people a bit. I will just be straight with you. After interacting with people with mental issues, such as depression, I can say that the cause of their problems is actually selfishness. The cause of mental illnesses isn’t always congenital. People could inherit some brain defects which explain their mental condition. It is hard to spot these issues because such people look normal. When in truth, they are deeply troubled and never go outside.

Being jobless is painful, but then you get a job only to find more troubles and stress awaiting you. There just isn’t a good day. When jobless, he was stressed to the point of considering suicide. After finding a job, he feels stress from his colleagues. They are all better than him in some aspects. He feels deeply troubled, when actually, he is too self-involved. Say you are a woman watching two guys compare looks, the less handsome one will for sure be troubled. As an onlooker, you don’t feel any troubles because it doesn’t involve you.

It is your self-involvement that causes your afflictions. It is not always money, house or relationship that troubles us but the trivial, petty stuff. We are too focused on the “self”. To get rid of all afflictions and become a more compassionate person, We need to lower our awareness of the “self”.

Also, we need to practice self-reflection. What do we need to eliminate? Selfish desires. That is how to get rid of afflictions. I have met many people from different social classes. The rich have their own afflictions too. The poor are often jealous of the rich. They think happiness is having a lot of money. The rich? They are afflicted because of being rich. The rich and poor are actually jealous of each other.

In the past, in many countries, the officials wanted to be ordinary people. But ordinary people want to become officials. Many people study hard to make a lot of money so as to better their life and live worry-free. After experiencing the afflictions of being rich, they can’t wait to become ordinary again. They think living simply is true happiness. The rich and the poor are jealous of each other.

You may think you are living an ordinary life. To me, those with post-secondary education are not ordinary. Raise your hand if you finished high school. Are you happy? Nobody can say they are truly happy. Most times, you may not be happy, just calm. This is already very good. It shows your mental state has elevated to a certain height. There are 2 aspects: The first one is to be less sensitive. Then to be less self-involved. Then, you will have fewer afflictions.

How do we have fewer selfish desires? By cultivating more compassion. Selfishness and compassion are related. If I only talk about each individually, you will find yourself still having a hard time understanding and applying it. Since you have come to learn from me, I will share with you my thoughts and understanding. You can analyze afterward.

More compassion means less selfishness. What is compassion? It can be as simple as saying “stop” before you hurt someone. It is not always about liberating someone. You simply can’t bear to hurt others.

A food producer could be using additives and preservatives to cut costs and boost profits. But after listening to my teachings, he decided to stop doing so. That is the beginning of your compassion. In fact, he could use better ingredients or sell it cheaper to show he has cultivated more compassion. Closing shop and giving everything away is not compassion. He still needs to make a living. As long as you don’t cheat in business, it is compassion.

If you stop before harming someone, it is compassion. When jealousy arises, we become aware that it is not compassionate. Being aware of these mental states is also compassion. When we are not careful, harmful thoughts arise without us realizing it. The people with higher mental states have more compassion. They realize something’s not right at the moment their jealousy and anger arise.

When this happens, remember to remain calm, and to control one’s speech and actions. It is important to analyze whether such thoughts are right or wrong. It is best to put aside what you are doing and finish it later. People with high mental states admit they are wrong at the moment their negativity arises. They don’t say it out loud, though.

Imagine a lady rejects a young, beautiful and capable female applicant at a job interview because of jealousy. That would be a great loss to the company, right? Someone with a high mental state would quickly realize the arising negativity and say, “I have made a mistake.” Without saying it, they accept that there is always someone better. Those who are insecure see people who are better as threats.

Those with a high mental state realize what’s wrong immediately. When they encounter negative issues, they become troubled too. They need to think carefully as well, sometimes puzzling for a week. What is important is having the awareness when negativity arises. Those who realize are people with compassion. Such people make fewer mistakes and cause little harm.

Afflictions stem from our attachments. Compassion ensures no place for gain and loss. To obtain compassion, do no evil and always self-reflect.

As we cultivate further, we make fewer mistakes and cause less harm. In return, we should do more good and show love and compassion. When we offer love out of affection, we hope for affection in return. People offering love out of compassion ask for nothing in return. They were just happy to help, any compensation is left for those they helped to decided. What do people with a high mental state have? It is the awareness to remain calm in good and bad times.

It is important to be aware of your intentions when they arise, to know if they are good or evil. The best is to have a calm heart, not leaning in any direction. Sounds deep? The Heart Sutra reads: No up nor down; not tainted nor pure. It means it is neither clean nor dirty. Then there is “no life, no death.” What do all these mean? We can apply this concept to our thoughts. Does The Heart Sutra only explain the surface meaning of its text? Yes and no.

Please use this concept for your state of mind. When making decisions, we should be neutral and unbiased. If you are attached to something, you won’t be neutral. Some people prefer spicy food more than anything else — that is not neutral. In Shanxi, China, people prefer sour food. People elsewhere don’t like it. When there is a preference, it is not neutral. What can we say about the blindfolded goddess holding a scale that we see in front of Western courts? The scale symbolizes balance, while the blindfold prevents her from making biased judgments.

We need this unbiased mentality to judge not only ourselves, but everything around us. When the heart is calm, there are more chances of it being accurate. We make wrong decisions when we are biased. Sometimes, we love ourselves too much and we are greedy for an advantage, in business or anything we do. If we grab the advantage in the moment, we will run into trouble in 3 years. Many who run small businesses are involved in false accounting. They usually come up with excuses such as they were unaware. In fact, they just want to pay less tax. Most think they can get away with it.

Maybe, for a few years, if you are really lucky. But what if your business expands in the future and your account gets audited? Even if later on your accounts are accurate, your past record will still affect it. You are labeled and tagged, even if you are clean. The penalty imposed on you is greater than what you evaded. You are giving your children lots of troubles. If you get rich from selling drugs, you can’t keep the money in banks, right? After you die, your children won’t be able to spend the money. They might become targets of other drug lords.

We tend to care too much about our gains and losses. Sometimes, as someone from middle class, what we perceive as gains are sometimes disasters in disguise. Time will reveal whether they are fortune or disaster. How do we conduct ourselves then? Don’t be greedy and try to take advantage.

Long time ago, I was buying vegetables for my master. I was buying potatoes, the price was 600g for 20 cents. Another vendor told me he was selling for much cheaper, $2 a sack. One sack was about 15kg. Even being poor at math, I knew it was a good deal. With the previous deal, $2 only got me 6kg of potatoes. This was one big, heavy sack, so I thought I was lucky. I thought even if I threw away some spoiled ones, I would still got a good deal. My shirt got soaked with sweat while I carried the potatoes home.

I excitedly told my master of the deal. “Oh, really? A good deal?” He ordered me to wash them clean. “Be careful, the spoiled ones cause food poisoning.” I began cutting them one by one and none were good. I was mad, who wouldn’t be? Of course, Bodhisattva got the blame from me. My master saw right through me. “Stop blaming, it is your own fault for being cheap.” Everything runs on causality. There was a reason I got conned. I said it was the seller’s evil scheme. “It is you, you took advantage of it and fell into a trap.”

You don’t get rewarded for being greedy, petty and cheap. You will suffer more than what you gain. I was really mad back then. I was poor and 2 RMB was quite a lot at that time. I thought I could impress my master and told him I got a good deal. In the end I got a bag full of spoiled potatoes. Is this Heaven’s doing? No, blame your own greed. You can’t see well because greed blinds you. You gain nothing when you think you are lucky.

This example isn’t that deep. There are things you gain today that turn out to be a disaster months or years later. It is important to control your mind and attachment to gains and losses. How? By maintaining a neutral heart. This is like the part mentioned in The Heart Sutra. It is as if they are floating, not rising nor falling. Not left, nor right. Not alive, nor dead. Not pure, nor filthy.

What do all these mean? Most Chinese know The Heart Sutra well. Many have even copied the verses many times. I am sure all of you have been inspired by it in different ways. Our mental state should be like it when facing all good and bad. When you are afflicted, you should remain calm and neutral. There should be no up nor down. There should be no greed and taking advantage but only reverence. This will ensure you a better future.

I shouldn’t haggle over the price of potatoes. If the owner doesn’t give a discount, just leave, otherwise buy it. That way, you will have all potatoes fresh. Well, you may still have 1 or 2 spoiled ones. But it is still better than getting conned, right? That is like insulting ourselves for our stupidity. When you feel yourself getting too attached to your joy, sadness or afflictions, you need to withdraw yourself. Let me share with you what I do. I just tell myself, “This has nothing to do with me.” Having said that, you gain or lose nothing. When something doesn’t bother you, that is when you become neutral.

If something bothers you, there will be gains or losses, which prevent you from thinking neutrally. In courts, sometimes the public are invited to sit in and listen to the proceedings. Do we have something like this in the States? The court invites the public, in order to show true fairness. The idea is that the judge has nothing to hide from the public if he is truly fair. The verdict will be delivered after the judge reviews all the evidence. All legal standards have to be met before one is found guilty. Even the slightest uncertainty gives the defendant the benefit of the doubt.

Remember, anything good or bad doesn’t bother you. This is what you should be telling yourself in your mind. Think further and you will have the best solution. You must solve your problems with calmness and fairness. Our senses allow us to see, hear, feel and interact. This happiness will never outweigh the pain. The pain will always be greater than the happiness. One moment of happiness brings 10 painful moments. That is what we mortals go through. In the eyes of Buddha or the Divine, the truth is sometimes the opposite of what we see.

How do old cameras work? The image captured always appeared upside-down, right? We had no choice but to adapt; it is the only camera we had. In fact, what we see with our naked eyes is far from the truth. What we see depends on our mental state. When we are looking at things, our view is limited by our mental state. What restricts our spiritual height? Greed and ignorance. That is what limits our mental state.

You can blame it on greed, hatred, attachments, arrogance and doubts. How do we suffer from greed? Or, rather, what causes us to suffer from greed? It’s our senses and consciousness. Our ears, eyes, nose, tongue, body and mind. Take physical appearances for example, we are affected by it because we see it. When you are deeply afflicted, you dislike everything. Everyone is bothering you, you hate them. If you walk carelessly and bump into a door, you feel like tearing it apart, you hate it. People aren’t aware that pain is a signal of danger. It is good because it warns you. You should understand. You don’t treat the world with reverence, that is the problem.

Many things exist for a good reason. But somehow, they disgust and annoy you. People enjoy being fooled by their senses. In China, the young, good-looking men are called “fresh meat.” Sounds erotic, doesn’t it? One could use this term out of admiration. People are deceived by their eyes, and it is bad. Imagine a 50-year-old falling for someone in their twenties. Dangerous, isn’t it? It could turn out to be a pain for a lifetime. It is our 6 senses; ears, nose, eyes, tongue, body, mind, and imagination that often trick us. Don’t be deceived.

I was taught by the Buddha when I was little. I could sense his mighty state of mind in my head. “Don’t trust the wondrous smells, sights and gold you see, they may all be poison.” What gives you joy today may bring you pain. What pains you today might be a great help someday. It is important to know this.

When you are at work, someone might question your work. They could question your degree, your university, high school, etc. People get mad. Why not? Their professionalism and their beloved school are being picked on. If instead it was a robot employee, facing their boss’ criticism, they would quickly calculate where they went wrong. You think the mistake is minor. To your boss, it is a huge mistake. When we encounter negative language and behavior, we get emotional. We don’t deal with problems with wisdom.

Why are robots not troubled in this way? Because emotions aren’t part of their program. When they are questioned over an error, they locate that error in their system. If the error wasn’t found, then it is the boss’ problem. The boss may be sick. The robot goes into singing mode: “The moon is my heart…”

Why applaud? You thought I was a robot? I wish I were. Why? Because I am aware of my emotions. Many wise people died because of emotions. Have you seen Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Those right here look lost. Has anyone seen it? The battery ran out it seems for the robot here. In the story, Zhuge Liang scolded an enemy leader so he could defeat him. That leader’s EQ was quite low. He vomited blood and died after hearing Zhuge cursing his ancestors. He was wise but lacked emotional control.

Words alone killed him, not swords. He only had his ears to blame for hearing so well. He should’ve covered his ears. Against generals who were good with words, he should’ve struck first. Strike, and the war would be over. Zhuge knew the leader’s weakness, and his own strengths. Most would be mad at Zhuge’s cursing. Their mental strength is too weak.

See? We are constantly toyed with by our senses. Warzones are the best places to see how enemies manipulate senses to win battles. When one takes the bait, he dies. No way can 10 soldiers beat a battalion of 10,000 soldiers. No way, no matter how strong they are. They can, however, win using strategies. Create some smoke and noise to fool the battalion. The enemy would think reinforcements have arrived. They are deceived by their eyes.

Another example is the honey trap, which uses beautiful women. Women are also blinded by handsome men, tricked by their own eyes and mind. I find that female practitioners are very good at imagining. They dream about being princesses, and having sport cars and wavy hair. As they become adults, they realize dreams haven’t manifested. No sports car, no wavy hair. They realize dreams are always opposite of the real world.

Females seem more likely to be deceived by their own mind. If a slightly better-looking guy sings, they scream their lungs out. When I sing, some older ladies scream too. Are you enjoying it, or is it because my voice is bad? Be honest. (We enjoy it.) Are you these older ladies? My teachings test your minds all the time. If you are not careful, you will be deceived. Don’t worry, it is safe.

We are always tricked by our senses. Those who failed in their marriage have been deceived by their senses and mind. Same goes for those who have failed in their business, especially those who have failed big time. Your senses bring nothing but disasters. It is important to fight it, not let it blind you. Taoist teachings tell us to “avoid the norms.” It means avoid doing what people have been doing. Be careful when making decisions.

Regardless of our age, we always have a soft spot for the good-looking. If your spouse is too good-looking, is that a threat to you? Your good-looking husband will attract many women. All women love a handsome actor. His wife sure needs a strong heart to withstand that. Does she ever regret marrying him? What you see is not always as it seems. When we are not yet able to tell right from wrong, we tend to be fooled by our senses. As a result, we end up making mistakes.

One thing we hear often is “what is done is done.” Whenever people are deceived, it is that excuse they cling to. After their marriage turned bad, they chose to stay. Why? Most do it for their children. Most wouldn’t want their children to have an “imperfect” family. So if it weren’t for their children, a divorce would have happened long ago. Many marriages are like this. Is this happiness? It is, from a different perspective.

To those who learn from me, remember: Try to enjoy pain. Do the impossible and bear the unbearable. Endure one hardship after another. Ignore your adrenaline rush. Don’t fight it. Be compassionate to what annoys you. This is the result of your karma, because you were once tricked by your senses. Why do some who study Buddhism choose not to get married? Because they ignore the greed born of affection. When there is no marriage, there is no divorce. That is one way to avoid divorce, and the responsibility of a family.

I hope after listening to this, you will become wiser, able to better differentiate between joy and afflictions, and with a better understanding of what your senses bring you. The sweetness you feel now could leave you bitter tomorrow. Let go of gains and losses, assess with clear and calm eyes to ensure fairness. Be alert toward the 5 poisons and 6 senses. Always aim to elevate your mental state. Practice compassion and reverence; turn confusion into wisdom.

Raise your hand if you have a sweet tooth. Some in their 60s still look at a piece of cake several times. Do you think you are still able to fully enjoy it? This is greed, nothing else. We all know too much sugar is bad for our health. It could lead to diabetes and other diseases. Your legs could be amputated; you could go blind or even die. Many still think they can’t live without sugar. Children need sugar for growth. That explains why they grew up with it.

Sugar contains the essential calories and energy crucial to a child’s growth. As they grow up, the intake needs to be cut down. Most children are so blessed to have all kinds of food growing up. For breakfast, parents think children should have bread and milk. Cow’s milk is for calves, not adult humans. Of course, we get cow’s milk if breast milk is unavailable. But it is not right for an adult in their 40s to still crave cow’s milk. You are raising yourself as if you were a calf. See how the milk producer cheated your happiness? Once again, you have been deceived by your sense of taste.

Some prefer to stay on higher floors. As they grow older, their legs become too weak to use stairs. As a result, going back home and going out become harder. The so-called high-end lifestyle you crave is not easy. That is why we have elevators now. Before elevators, the poor slid down a pole. Maybe that is how the pole dance was invented. That is how people moved quickly to the ground floor. There is a sad story behind these inventions.

Unenlightened, you might think, “Does that mean all good is bad?” No. It is all about perceptions of right or wrong. It is all about this question: How much? Let’s go back to sugar again. Let’s talk about an adult’s diet and eating habits. Fruit is part of our daily diet, right? Most fruit contains sugar. The amount of sugar in half or one whole apple is enough for an adult. For daily sugar intake, that is about it.

Extra sugar is consumed if, say, you add sugar to your coffee. Coffee should taste bitter, right? But still, some like it sweet. That is how Splenda, or sugar substitutes, came to be. Instead of whole milk, some Westerners use skim milk. Where do the milk fats go? They become butter. Butter can be spread on bread. A slice of buttered bread is higher in calories than a cup of milk. When shopping, that is 2 cartons of skim milk and 2 packages of butter. Why don’t you just buy 2 cartons of whole milk then? One can be fooled by his own “wisdom”.

If you want to avoid health issues caused by milk fat, then steer clear of dairy products. Most would use craving as an excuse. Then your behavior is not controlled by your brain. Knowing something is wrong but still doing it, is that normal? If you are an engineer, how can your projects work? Blaming your craving is an example of doing something you know is wrong. It is like when you tell a kid that candy will rot his teeth, and he says, “OK.” When his mom isn’t looking, he searches for his candy. Adults do that too, not only kids. It is important to practice awareness and self-control. The most well-suited to controlling one’s desires is oneself.

Meditation doesn’t turn you into a religious fanatic. We meditate to have a rational mind that applies fairness in everything. Meditation isn’t about following religious teachings blindly. That is the reason for my practices and studies in meditation all these years. It teaches rational thought so that you don’t thank me for everything. Your salary increase did not come from my blessing. Your kid’s new tooth did not come from my blessing. That happens naturally, right? My blessing allows you to survive car accidents. Many have survived road accidents, right? Don’t claim everything good for yourself. Don’t claim everything bad has nothing to do with you. You must act rationally.

Meditation clears your mind, making you smarter. You will be more rational, with better self-control. As you practice further, you will gain energy. With a greater mental state, you can interact with greater energy. Those who don’t believe you will call you superstitious. It is hard to explain energy. When a world-class singer performs, he shocks and moves the crowd. His voice so powerful it charms those who listen to him. We call that “influential force”. It is a kind of energy which draws people to it.

Some people’s looks possess this characteristic, it easily attracts people. There are faces with such force which attract people. Presidential elections are about choosing the best contestant. People vote for the most charming, best-looking and wisest guy. Some are just born with the ability to influence others. There are people who cultivate and obtain it later. There are differences in the degree of influence. When a superstar and an average singer perform on stage, the difference is obvious. The more average a person is, the less you feel like watching him. That is the difference in influential ability.

All important people, regardless of what they do, possess this trait. They can start something from scratch and turn it global. Some are born with it, some obtain it through practice. If you practice well, you can cultivate and unleash an even stronger force. Let’s look at some of the world’s most famous people. Let’s recall Obama’s presidential run. Some still felt electrified even after it was over. Many women fell in love with him. His voters may not have met him, but they were attracted to him. Apart from his looks, there is a charm surrounding him. We can call that his “influential force”.

The ability to influence in a negative way also counts. Not everyone can lead a gang. The gang leader also has his own influential force. I have watched and listened to speeches of Hitler during early WWII. Einstein mentioned about his colleagues, they wanted to join Hitler’s army after hearing Hitler’s speeches. Their voices had even gone hoarse from screaming at the gathering. I bet they made the Nazi salute even in their sleep. That is how emotional they were. To have started a war, Hitler’s influence must have been incredibly strong.

In many mythologies, good and evil are equally strong. There is a saying, “How much light is how much darkness.” Good and evil are strong in their own ways. It is hard to fully explain this concept. Keep practicing to cultivate higher mental states. As your compassion gets stronger, your charisma increases. Your voice will sound better to your listeners. Those who despise your looks will begin to like you more. All these transformations come with meditation practices.

Some even develop healing energy by which to perform miracles. How long does it take to recover from a bone injury? (100 days.) I see, so it is 100 days. After someone heals you, it could take only about 15-30 days. Isn’t this a miracle in the medical field? Healing is only part of what meditation energy can do. As you cultivate further, you will be able to perform miracles beyond your knowledge and wisdom’s explanation.

What is another term for someone being self-centered? Self-attached. Remember that. It describes people who are unable to let go of their self-obsession. The behavior of many people has nothing to do with us. But when we are too self-centered, A passerby who looks better than us can annoy us. But they have nothing to do with us. Those who are less self-attached are less injured. People who are very sociable, they don’t get offended by jokes easily. At the end, everyone is still good friends. These are broadminded people.

I have met some narrow-minded people. I asked someone why she was upset. She said, “Master looked at me coldly. Why did Master look at me that way?” I replied, “But I didn’t even see you!” That upset her even more. Why? Because I “didn’t even see her”. Seriously, I was telling the truth. Maybe she wasn’t around so I didn’t see her. My gaze was harsh? Please, I look at everything warmly. I don’t get why my gaze was being targeted. Well, maybe she caught me when I was staring into space. she was offended and vowed to resign and join another dharma school.

Sometimes, we create our own afflictions. This is inexplicable. It could be karma or familial influence. If the mom does floral embroidery, the child’s attention to detail will be immense. Being too detail-oriented is not good. Constantly thinking about the details, you will become sick. Those who are easy-going and casual are not as easily hurt.

Being oversensitive hurts not just yourself, but also others. You can’t hurt those you can’t reach. Therefore, those who are close to you will get hurt. We all have someone like that in our family. Raise your hand if you disagree. If you raised your hand, you must be this person. This is the rule. There is that one person in our family nobody dares to go near. They get offended without a reason.

Being too concerned about yourself brings afflictions. How do we get rid of that? Compassion. When you cultivate more compassion, you become less attached to yourself. How? Sounds tough. Here is an example. Do you remember the Sichuan earthquake? A mother was rescued from under the rubble. The mother wasn’t going to make it. In her arms was her infant, a few months old. The mother hardly had strength to lift a finger. With her remaining strength, she asked someone to take off her shirt. She wanted to feed her infant one last time. She died while her infant fed on her milk. This is compassion.

This is what all mothers are like. To obtain compassion, be like a mother who genuinely offers. It is not only mothers who are compassionate. Some fathers take up several jobs to support their family. A father is a pillar of the family. All parents are compassionate to their children. For their children, they are buddhas. That is compassion. However, that is not All-Compassion. All-Compassion refers to being compassionate to all sentient beings. What we’re exposed to is parental compassion, that is all.

With compassion, a mother can sacrifice her life to protect her infant. A father can exhaust himself just to feed his family. That is parental compassion. With compassion, one doesn’t care about gains or losses. A qualified mother will feed her child without care about her figure.

Compassion is all about loving and giving sincerely. I hope you have been enlightened a little today. Thank you for listening.

Those who are weak and sensitive attract pain and afflictions. Meditation cultivates great energy for higher mental states and charisma. Offer with sincerity and compassion; peace comes with no gains or losses.