【Description】
A fisherman and a thief are both in peril. Whom will Guanyin Bodhisattva save? The answer is both! Because the compassionate love of the Bodhisattva hopes that all beings will repent and return to the right path. There was a thief who was repeatedly caught stealing. Each time, he called upon Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the Bodhisattva always extended a helping hand. Why did the last plea to the Bodhisattva fail? Watch this video to find out.
【Timestamp】
00:00:00 Will Guanyin Bodhisattva pick those she saves?
00:03:22 The thief’s final cry for help.
※ Malaysia: For non-Muslims only
【You will learn】
- Understanding repentance, correcting mistakes, as well as contentment and gratitude.
【Content】
(Q: Hello, Grandmaster. In a shipwreck, both some kind fishermen and also some pirates are in danger and pray to the Bodhisattva for help. Will the Bodhisattva save the pirates, or only the kind fishermen?)
Actually, it’s simple to explain. The Bodhisattva is the mother of all beings. The kind people on that boat are her children, and the pirates are also her sons. Will she save them? As their mother, you wouldn’t see them as robbers. You’d want to correct your son from going astray. (Went astray, right?) Yes, can you not save them? Save them first; then educate them. That is what a mother would definitely do. You wouldn’t say, “Let my son drown.” Generally, you couldn’t bear to, right? Why couldn’t you bear it? This is called love. Her compassionate love. So, it’s the same kind of rescue.
Now, there’s another key point. Especially when the Bodhisattva sees the storm coming, she knows that they will surely be buried at sea. No one can save them. There are no rescue boats nearby, only two small wooden boats: a pirate ship and a fishing boat. No one can survive. They want to ask for help, but individual strength can’t overcome that. Facing a level-12 typhoon, no one can withstand it; they would certainly die.
At this moment, their thoughts turn to praying to the Bodhisattva. “Namo Guanyin Bodhisattva.” You silently recite this mantra, calling out to the Bodhisattva. They are calling the Bodhisattva for help. Hearing the call, the Bodhisattva will save them without discrimination. Whether you are a robber, a commoner, a fisherman, or even a soldier at war, the Bodhisattva will save you quickly.
From a practice perspective, the important point is: “When you are in need and call my name, at least in your heart, you have faith in bodhisattvas’ and deities’ motherly compassion.” With this faith, you’re a person who can still be changed and educated. Many people do evil because they can’t tell between good and evil.
When you’re at a critical moment in life, the Bodhisattva saves you. Then the Bodhisattva says, “I ask you to do this daily: Chant Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name for three hours.” Will you do it? Absolutely, you’ll do it. Why does the Bodhisattva not request this in advance? “You’re all my children, and I want to save you all. I can only teach you while you are alive.” There’s no way to teach the dead.
You need to be able to understand the dharma. Education can only occur when a life is in a certain state. If you were a maggot in a toilet, you would not understand any teaching, nor be able to recite. You need to be in a state where you can practice and understand. It’s only when you are a human you can understand. You can’t become a deity in this way. When you can understand and practice the dharma, you are easy to educate. So, the Bodhisattva went to save them.
There was a thief. He also believed in Guanyin Bodhisattva. The thief was quite devout. His profession was just being a thief. Before he would steal, every time, he’d pray, “Bodhisattva, bless me.” He would chant Buddha’s name, praying to not be caught as he needed to steal money. And he would successfully steal. After stealing, he was very happy. Occasionally, he would go to the temple. He would place three sticks of incense in the censer. The cost was very low, right? He often went to burn incense and never spent a penny. He’d just light the incense from the temple. It’s convenient and effective.
But one time, he was unlucky. He thought it was because he hadn’t burned incense that time. The police caught him stealing. He recalled that the Sutra “Universal Gate of Guanyin Bodhisattva” states, “Once the shackles are put on, they will immediately fall off.” He quickly recited, “Namo Guanyin Bodhisattva, please save me. Your disciple is now caught by a bad cop. Look, they were bullying a good thief. Look, I am a good person, right? I only steal money from bad people. I am a good person, right? Although I am called a thief, it’s just a name. I am a good thief. Please release me.”
Then a policeman came in and said, “Not guilty, be careful next time.” He was released. “Wow, it worked! It worked; next time I’ll be more skillful.” He practiced at home with boiled eggs, pinching, pinching wallets and pinching other things. After mastering the skills, he went to steal again. Six months later, he got caught again by a skilled cop. The thief was handcuffed. “Let’s go to the police station.” He was arrested and locked up.
Experiencing this, he was terrified. Trembling, he quickly started chanting. “Greatly compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, your disciple is in trouble again. I’ve been caught by a bad cop again. Please save me quickly. How can you not save a good person? How can you be Guanyin Bodhisattva?” He chanted for a long time. Four or five hours passed. He was drenched in sweat from anxiety. An old policeman came. The police chief said, “You’re innocent. Be careful next time.” Quickly, they released him. Oh my, it was so effective.
Next, once, after being caught and jailed six times over six years, he was caught again and he chanted again; it had worked before. This time, the police said, “So annoying. Why do we catch you every year? Why don’t you ever change?” The police said, “You’re a thief, a habitual one. All the police hate you.” This time, they wouldn’t let him go, seeing him mumbling. Chanting wouldn’t help this time. And indeed, it didn’t. He kept chanting until his nose bled, but still, no one released him.
He was sentenced to six years, doing hard labor every day. One night, he dreamed that the Bodhisattva appeared before him. “Bodhisattva, please save me. I’m exhausted here. You let a good person be caught as a thief. Didn’t you? This is unfair. Bodhisattva, you must save me. I offered you incense.” The Bodhisattva said, “Repeatedly unrepentant, straight to hell.” He heard it, shouted, and woke up.
The next day, after he woke up, another policeman came in. Holding a picture, he said, “You are the murderer.” There was a wanted poster to catch a murderer. He said, “This thief looks like the murderer.” They took him out and executed him. Before dying, he lamented, “Bodhisattva, why didn’t you protect me? I chant your name every day. I am a sincere disciple. ”
You must find the answer yourselves, what I give you is the best for you. You also need to be self-aware, right? Self-awareness leads to fewer mistakes. Without self-awareness, you just rely on the Buddha’s light, without repenting, improving, not knowing how to be a good person, then you’re doomed. Cherish the kindness given to you by the buddhas and bodhisattvas. You must learn to repent. Learn to be content and grateful.
Perhaps you haven’t learned enough. So, after you recite the name of the Bodhisattva, do you read the sutras that teach you to be a good person? You can’t exploit the compassion of the bodhisattvas to satisfy your own crooked ways, right? The buddhas and bodhisattvas protect everyone. But they hope that you can realize your mistakes, truly repent, and turn back before it’s too late. Only by turning back can one find salvation. I hope everyone, those in bad professions and those doing bad deeds, will turn over a new leaf.