【Description】
If you only live once, how do you want to live your life?
If you can’t start your life over, is there a way to change your life?
If your destiny can be transformed, would you want a new beginning?
Watch this video by Master JinBodhi to discover your life’s direction. His sincere guidance will help to change your destiny and brighten your life.
【Content】
I want to ask all of you: What is the meaning of life? This is a big question, but it is worth pondering. Please express your opinion. Share your understanding about it.
(Hello, Master. Having a goal gives life meaning.)
Having a goal in life. OK. This is the most honest and practical thought of many ordinary people.
(The meaning of life is to realize our self-value.)
Well said. You are getting closer. Very good!
(Hi, Master. The meaning of life is we play our roles well in different stages of our life. If we are students, we study well; if we work, we work hard. If we are a daughter, be a good daughter. If we are married, be a good spouse. If we are teachers, educate our students well. If we are soldiers, be good soldiers to protect our borders. This is what I believe.)
Good. I think we have decent answers to the question. You have your own thoughts. Now it is my turn. Our different answers show our differing mental states. There is no right or wrong answer. If you want to be a good daughter, mother, and husband, these are all great. However, what is a good daughter and husband? What is a good person? If I am a soldier, I need to guard the borders well; if I am a butcher, I need to slaughter the pigs well, right? However, these are the ordinary, secular way. You are in the six realms, as mentioned in Buddhist sutras. Thus, you are surely undergoing the 8 sufferings in life.
As ordinary people, what is problematic is few people want to be enlightened. Otherwise, it is hard to judge what is good. Being a good child, if my parents need food, I will get it for them. If your mother loves playing mahjong, you will buy her a good set. If your father loves drinking, you will buy him more good wine. If you are a good brother, and your younger brother is hit by bullies, you take revenge by beating up his attackers. But behavior without great macroscopic principle or direction can’t be considered good.
This applies to parenting. Some parents are so overprotective of their children that it causes dysfunction. A live reality show in China told a story of a boy who was confined at home. His mother prevented him from doing anything, saying people in the outside world are bad. If you go outside, they will cheat and kill you then sell your organs for money. Every day, she used all sorts of threats to keep her son at home. She barred the door. Her actions tormented her son. Somebody asked him, “What’s your thoughts now?” He replied, “I don’t want to be at home anymore. I would rather die on the street.”
This mother loved her son, but without wisdom, love turns to harm. Without true wisdom, you think you are doing right, but actually your actions are wrong. Parents want their children to learn to protect themselves, but being overprotective as a parent will ruin a child’s life. Let me tell you: Despite your role in your family, your age or gender, doing it short-term, long-term or eternally, the happiest, safest, best, and wisest thing to do is to practice Buddhadharma and help all sentient beings. Why should we learn Buddhadharma and help all sentient beings? Because if we don’t, we won’t understand what is fundamentally good.
There was a father who became a drug addict. Why? He eventually caused his whole family to lose all they had. His child had made a few hundred thousand dollars doing business, but all of it was spent by the father. The problem started when the father got a toothache. After seeing a few doctors, the pain remained. Someone gave him a terrible suggestion, which was to take a certain “medicine” for the pain. It turned out the “medicine” was a heroin-type drug. The pain would be gone if he used it. The more he used, the better he felt. The father didn’t realize it was a hard drug. He was happy as long as it killed the pain. He got addicted.
Later, he told his son, “See, I just use this small thing. My teeth were not hurt anymore.” Actually, even if not hurt, he still used the drug as he got addicted. His son was very loyal to him and wanted to be an obedient son. Trying to keep his father happy, the son first gave him a few hundred dollars; later on, several thousands. Finally, several hundred thousand dollars the son had painstakingly earned in a few years were all spent on his father in less than a year.” May I ask: “Is the son loyal?” (No.)
We said we have to be a good person. What is considered good? The fundamental principle is you should know how to be a truly wise, sensible person. Some people do not understand the truth. They think they should give whatever their father asks for. Ancients called learning the truth “cultivating the Way.” Buddha left home and practiced, which is also called “cultivating the Way.” What do we cultivate? Cultivate the great Way. There are also many small ways. Healing your headache or fever, I received a small donation from you. It is a simple exchange of benefits. It is just a small way. Though with some abilities, you are not promising. Your heart does not yet embrace the whole world.
The concept of being a good person is not always clear. Good people don’t do harm to society directly, but they might harm society indirectly if they are not cautious. If you revere your parents, and they were bullied by others, what would you do? If your parents were quarreling with others, as a son, would you assault their opponents? The conflict could be your parents’ fault. Is it ethical to assault people on your parents’ behalf? In terms of ethics, being loyal to your parents is correct. But in term of the great Way, if you stand up for your parents by attacking others, you are wrong.
Thus, we should understand the great Way; our behavior shouldn’t violate principles of the Way. It is especially difficult for an ordinary person to be good and wise. We don’t have broad vision; we aren’t giants or great men standing in the sky looking down at the human world. All we see is what is in front of us a short distance. We can’t foresee matters throughout life and transcend space-time. We don’t always consider others’ feelings. So, it is really hard for an ordinary person to be a truly good person.
Nowadays, wherever in China or other countries, truly virtuous, moral people demonstrate the standard for being a good person. From a macroscopic, long-term view or transcending space-time, the standard is to benefit the wellbeing, peace, and happiness of humanity.
Many times, we lead to a temptation by doing beneficial things for the present. Say, people may tempt us to drink alcohol when being in distress. Some go from drinking a couple cups to a few bottles regularly. Some get hepatitis because of drinking too much; some even die of it. People, who use alcohol to eliminate their sadness but suffer more later, abound. They don’t understand the fundamental, macroscopic truth. When ordeals arise, you will be defeated if you don’t understand the truth, like a small boat sailing on the ocean is engulfed by water when the sea gets rough; no chance for it to reach the shore.
If people know the great Way, they won’t violate its fundamental principles. A truly good, virtuous person should benefit society and humanity. Most of the well-known universities in the world, such as Harvard and Stanford, have high standards, but good scores alone aren’t enough to get you admitted. There is another qualification you must fulfill before admission. What beneficial contributions to society have you done? If you haven’t done any, you won’t be accepted. What kind of people do these universities cultivate? Obviously they cultivate distinguished, noble talents who will benefit society and contribute morality and peace to humanity. People with such qualities are the “dragons” of humanity. Do you understand my point? (Yes.)
There is nothing wrong with caring about benefiting only ourselves; However, this mental state is relatively low. A Buddhist practitioner should learn from the Buddha and practice like him. That is benefiting oneself and others; enlightening oneself and others; loving oneself and others; being dedicated to a higher cause. In this way, whether you have heavy negative karma or not, you can elevate your mind and truly benefit humanity; you can also help your family gain fundamental wellbeing. Aren’t the deeds and acts of Buddha and Bodhisattva what we highly praise today? Do you want to imitate them? (Yes.) Then follow suit. (OK.)
Anyway, you just want to care for your own business, being a good daughter or being good in whatever role you play. Without a moral compass, people are like directionless storm-tossed ships in the ocean. We need a good compass to guide us. A Buddhist practitioner should make a great vow. A great vow is not selfish or narrow-minded. Selfish people benefit only themselves. A person who makes a selfish vow accumulates negative karma, creating greater punishment. Life isn’t easy, already.
Many Bodhi practitioners new and old are newly graduated from college. What a big karmic connection we have! Before they started, they must have analyzed the reason to practice Bodhi. This organization is benefiting humanity. Come and do it. They know this is their choice for life. The opportunity is rare. Now this opportunity is right in front of you. You just need to take one step forward. You will become a person radiating five-color brightness all over like Bodhisattva. Though your mental state isn’t high, if your aspiration is sincere enough, you will be part of this family. You could be a little confused, but once you embark on this Buddha’s big ship, you don’t need to worry about anything. You will contribute so much to society.
When I was young, I disassembled my father’s clock and I could not put the parts back together again. Actually, I didn’t want to put them back, as I was amazed by all the inner gears, which were so delicate, refined, and beautiful. If those gears are separated from the clock, can they tell time? (No.) On their own they don’t work like a clock. Only when they are assembled together do we get a machine called a clock that tells time. It can also wake you up at the time you want. What a wondrous thing it is. One gear by itself can’t create such magic. Now, be you a gold, silver, or mud gear, once you come here you will turn to gold if you take a step forward. Buddhadharma is sacred. This sacredness may save you time and space, or the 10 years of hardship required to become golden.
Once you have aspired, you will be transformed into a gold gear. Once you are reassembled with the other pieces in the clock, you will have the power to transform the world. However, when you are a stand-alone gear, you even aren’t a clock. Once you step on board this big ship that helps all sentient beings and become part of it, then you are offering your greatest contribution. By yourself, you won’t be able to have much influence on society and humanity. Now on this big ship, together we can deliver numerous people to the other shore or what we call the Pure Land. If there is merit to be gained, you will receive it in abundance. It is that simple. You don’t have to worry about creation or planning, just follow along. It is that simple. The chance is rare.
What is the purpose of our life? All we have mentioned is part of life, yet none of it can free us from fundamental suffering. It is really hard to distinguish good from bad; even saints can’t always judge. When we reach the supreme mental state, we can still discover there is good in bad and bad in good; yang in yin, and yin in yang. They are constantly interchanging with the changing of time and space. Now Asia is becoming the center of the world economy. The Earth was colder when we were young, and there was no heater. Now we have a heater, but the climate has become warmer. The world is changing. All the big behaviors in the human world are transforming. Our goals are changing.
In the past, you suffered in part, as you pursued worldly status. One of our students said his life was very hard. “Do you have food to eat?” I asked him. “Yes,” he replied. But he still suffered. Some suffer because of a lack of a love relationship; some because of their career. To me, these sufferings are unreal. If you are feeling the pain, that is a real suffering. Why don’t you understand the principle and aren’t freed from suffering and be happy? Because of negative karma. You’ve participated in several retreats already and you are still suffering. Imagine how painful life is for those who have never participated in a retreat?
If you want to become wiser and more capable, please learn Buddhadharma. Come to Bodhi Meditation. You don’t have to become monks or nuns, or shave your head. You just follow to help others and do what you need to do. That is the great Way and the right way. We are practicing the Bodhisattva Way like Guanyin Bodhisattva to save sufferers upon hearing their cries. The higher mental state is to search for suffering cries to offer help. What do we search for? Seek for woeful cries and offer help. What we do here isn’t yet to search for suffering cries and offer help. We just simply need to serve others here.
However, in the future, there will be some very determined, confident people who can go out to listen for suffering cries and help those in need. You will experience the speediest growth here. As long as there are people, there is a need for our help. What Bodhi Meditation needs most is talented, intelligent practitioners, great aspired bodhisattvas. I hope all the young and middle-aged fellow practitioners aspire to come here to receive the best teaching and transform yourselves into extremely capable, skillful people. You can do everything. You are super-compassionate, illuminated, and broadminded to help people in those places that have karmic connection with you. Many places are waiting for us to teach and help.
We don’t have enough people now due to the rapid international development of Bodhi Meditation in the past few years. We have opened more centers globally. Thus our personnel have been sent to other cities to shoulder responsibilities. You will learn a lot very quickly at Bodhi Meditation Centers. In one year, we can train a professional, senior master-level practitioner. In 2 years, we can cultivate an abbot master who can lead a center and teach dharma. He has acquired a relatively high level Buddhist theory and knowledge. This person is also capable of conducting himself and handling situations with strong observation power, leadership, and charisma. We need such a talent with integrated abilities.
In the Bodhi Meditation organization, what we practice is true Buddhadharma. Just like Buddha said: “If I can become a Buddha, so can all sentient beings.” I guide you to become free from suffering and gain happiness. I hope you can do the same for others. Many places are waiting for you. I do hope you will develop such a vision. Anyone here want to be a Bodhi Meditation Center Abbot?
If my disciples and fellow practitioners truly aspire, I can tell you my thoughts. If there aren’t six realms or samsara, and no past and future lives, then we can only live once, this present life, right? (Yes.) You can live like a small worm or a mighty dragon in the world. You have the choice! I would rather be a dragon. I wish to be unexcelled and unbeatable in the world. I want to live well and wonderfully. I want my parents to feel proud to have brought me to this world, to feel it worthwhile to have loved and raised me. I want all the people who looked down on me in my childhood to look at me now and say that JinBodhi is remarkable. I want the Buddha I believe in to see among countless disciples of his, only me can do it. I can lead the way in letting Buddha light shine through the whole world. I can do it.
This is what you should do. No need to applaud. You should also think this way. If there is only one life, why should we only care for those right in front of us? Why live a life with such a low mental state? If there is only one chance, it won’t be easy for you to return to this world. Even if there is a next life, you don’t know what you will become. With only one chance, why not live well? Be a noble person and repay society. Parents brought me to the world; in fact, the whole Universe and environment raised me. I want to live vibrantly for Heaven and Earth. If you are an evil person, you will be destroyed because you bring harm to society. I want to be the best in the world to let deities know there is still such a good person on Earth. How good is this good person? All-Compassionate.
Ordinary people are all selfish, self-attached and self-loving. Only the greatest almighty saint wouldn’t only care for himself, but love all sentient beings. That is Buddha. Whatever name he uses, we should act like him in order not to waste this life. If there are future lives, the cycles of yin and yang, causality, and reincarnation, then we all come here with negative karma from countless bad deeds like killing and cheating done by our ancestors and us. Such crimes deserve execution over 100 times. Including our past lives, we have been living on this Earth more than a million years. Over such a long period of time, aren’t we likely to have done so many bad things? Definitely.
We shouldn’t owe this world so many debts. If we have Divine Eye and we can see our past lives, we see that I might have killed your grandmother, your uncle, 10 pigs in your house, suffocated your grandson and done many other evil, wicked crimes. If we could see our sins, would we have the nerve to live in this world? A human behavior can prove when humans come to this world they wear masks and only worry the mask is too thin to cover all the sins. Every morning, those with multiple sins use lots of “powder” to cover their true face. Originally it is white, but they paint it green, blue, black or red. Why? They dare not to face the beings they harmed in past lives with their true face. That is why Buddhist practitioners say they will use their “true face” to meet people and face all beings with our true nature and mind.
If there are past and future lives, if we continue to reincarnate, I hope for all the karmic creditors who were hurt numerous times by us, we willsoon deliver our love, repentance, liberation, and the wisdom of Buddhadharma. So, in this life we can offset our mistakes. In the next life, whether we go to Heaven or Hell, that is the decision of the King of Hell. At least we don’t need to live in great fear this lifetime.
Why is it that so many people can’t stand up straight, and they have palpitations and are in pain when a bit tired? It is all due to bad karma. How many people are cursing and blaming you behind your back? Why is it that many people can’t bear the good fortune that comes to them? Again, bad karma. You owe so many debts. How can you possibly live well in this lifetime? Even if you have a good life at present, it will be destroyed by karmic creditors, by the beings that you owe. The best method of dealing with this is to repay debts as much as possible, to deliver love, positivity, and beautiful blessings. Give the un-givable. You can give your money, effort, and strength. Offer whatever contribution you can. A song called “Dedication” has lyrics: “My friend, what can I dedicate to you?” It is a song expressing dedication to lovers, friends, children, and parents. Not mentioned is our karmic creditors. What do we use to repay them? No one knows.
Those who only care for their immediate interests are called ordinary people. In Chinese, “fan ren” means common, secular, and lay people. They’re the same as “afflicted people.” An ordinary person’s brain contains lots of afflictions. You have just enjoyed a pure, calm state, “Wow, I feel really at ease,” and then a new affliction jumps out. Why? It is caused by bad karma.
I hope all of you, from today on, choose the noblest and most remarkable direction that can eradicate all our suffering and negative karma. Choose to be enlightened and enlighten others, help all sentient beings, devote yourself and your whole life to service. Buddha, the compassionate being, fed himself to tigers.
After a Buddhist practitioner dies, his ashes will be made into mud for making small Buddha statues to protect, guard, and help you. Or, his flesh will feed birds and other living beings on Earth. Even if you are buried in the earth, you return to Nature. In fact, the most primitive, fundamental human thoughts are the most correct. We are composed of a few great elements between Heaven and Earth. They are the 4 or 5 elements mentioned by the Buddha: earth, water, fire, wind, and consciousness. Those elements comprise other beings such as dogs and other animals. All these elements combine between Heaven and Earth and produce you, a person, with all conditions and circumstances. After we die, we should return to this world.
When we are afflicted because of love or emotions, illness, finances, misbehaved children, or others’ gossip, in fact, all these are unreal, not even as real as vapor. Why are you afflicted? It is because of negative karma. You haven’t seen through to the fact that the nature of affliction is emptiness. Why haven’t you seen through? Your negative karma is like a wine bottle cork, blocking the nerves of the wisdom inside your brain. We look on the bright side and live happily, but you just live being afflicted. Someone’s loud talks or dressing nicely could irritate you easily. Why? You are narrow-minded. Your afflictions can’t be cleared by teachings due to your negative karma. Thus, you had better accumulate more merits and virtues.
The inheritance of negative karma can be very serious. Illnesses, habits, and even relationship patterns can be inherited too. If you are divorced, will your children be? Do research online. Don’t mind if Master’s words are too cruel. Search online and you will learn the truth. Even patterns of love relationship can be inherited. Why? I want to know why, too. There is no other answer but one, negative karma. How can we change this karma? Accumulate merits and virtues and do more good deeds! If you don’t know how to accumulate merits, come here. You will accumulate great virtues and do great deeds. I believe if you stay here for one day, it can eradicate your lifetime of bad karma. (Thank you, Master.) If you practice for 7 days with me, you can eradicate the bad karma of 7 lives. (Thank you, Master.)