【Description】
What is compassion? Imagine that you are an earthworm. During a rainy night, you crawl out of the ground and away from the wet grass. At dawn, when the sun rises and the road is dry, you dry up too, feeling life slipping away. At this time, a giant hand gently picks you up and throws you back into the grass. You quickly crawl back into the earth and continue to live.
This is the compassion Grandmaster JinBodhi shows on a daily basis. In fact, being compassionate is not difficult, as long as you make it a habit. How do you cultivate compassionate habits? Let Grandmaster JinBodhi will tell you through his words and deeds.
【You will learn】
- The standards of being a good person
- How to cultivate compassionate habits
- Ways to stay relaxed physically, mentally and spiritually
- The concept of living at ease
【Featured aphorisms】
- Try to do good deeds; try to refrain from bad deeds.
- Always remember to love all sentient beings and the world; that way, your heart and actions will become gentle and compassionate.
- Learn to use a kind heart, kind words and kind acts; let compassion become a habitual thought and behavior.
【Content】
We should make compassion a habit that manifests in thought and action.
Foster the Habit of Compassion
When you are truly compassionate, then even if you are poor, you won’t steal, rob, loot or cheat. You would rather go hungry to continue doing things right. Don’t cheat or harm others to make a living. This is very important. No matter where you are in life, whether you are poor, proud of making money, honored with success, riches, etc., you can be tested anytime. In those critical moments, do you choose to be a good person?
I want to remind everybody here. Many people say they want to learn Buddhism. When a disaster strikes, they are quick to offer incense before Buddha and pray for help. I think this is superficial. They ask me how they should learn Buddhism then. I say, first decide if you want to be a good person or a bad person. Understand what is good, bad, kind and evil, and decide. Do you choose to be a good person or a bad person? If you choose to be a good person, then vow to the sky, “I want to be a good person.” Heaven will hear it.
This vow, this wish, begins to inhabit your inner world. It will often send you reminder signals from your soul. “Be a good person. Be a kind person. Be a compassionate person.” When you want to steal, do bad deeds or cheat others, you will remind yourself, “I am a good person. I don’t steal, rob, cheat or kill.” Remind yourself to fulfill your vow to be a good person. Gradually, through this habit, you will become a truly good person. What makes you a truly good person? Do no evil. Practice all that is good. Participate in all good deeds and distance yourself from bad deeds. That is it.
When someone often thinks and acts this way, he believes it, vows it and acts on it. Think and act on it often. “I am a kind person. I want to help others.” When you think like this often, you will profoundly resonate with Heaven. Nature will protect you. I have written that when I leave the house, if I have to step on grass, I step gently. I don’t want to kill it or cause it pain. When I see earthworms or insects, I step around them to protect them.
I often see earthworms on the sidewalk. When the path is dry, the earthworm will die. So, I pick it up and put it in the grass. This could save its life. You may ask if an earthworm has a soul. If it were soulless, would you kill it? We should develop the habit of kindness. Treat all sentient beings with a compassionate heart. Don’t destroy the world. Love and protect it. Do not take any lives. Love and protect them. Think this way and your heart will become compassionate and soft. Your actions will be gentle as well. People will be more willing to accept you.
Once you develop a habit of harming others, you will act in a harmful manner in reaction to any situation or worry that arises. Your actions will get more harmful. Why do it? You may win the battle but lose the war. Therefore, make compassion a habit that manifests in thought and action. I want to say it one more time: Learn to practice a kind heart, kind words, kind deeds.