Whether going with the flow or against the flow, Nothing is apart from doing the Buddha’s work. (Issue 295)

Due to various conditions, I have Jin Zhe Shi and Jin Ke Shi in charge of all kitchen affairs during this Emperor Liang’s Jeweled Repentance Ceremony. Whether it be going with the flow or going against the flow, nothing is apart from doing the Buddha’s work. The Venerable Master exhorted, “Cultivation is top priority; work comes after.” Therefore, cooking in the kitchen can bring just as much joy and equanimity. In terms of work, there is neither first nor last, high nor low.

Our fellow countryman from China, Jin Ke Shi, is originally from the city of Zhangzhou, Fujian Province. She will be the next speaker. She is our ‘High Sangha’ in CDR, ‘high’ pertains to her height since she is very tall. She is also very high in terms of her academic credentials. She holds at least one or two master’s degrees in high tech from Tsinghua University in China. After coming to the United States, she obtained two more advanced degrees. She has a total of three master’s degrees. However, she feels that those academic degrees are quite useless. So, she came to the City of Dharma Realm (CDR). She fixes water pipes and repairs toilet fixtures, as well as laying hardwood floors at CDR. She feels that these tasks are much more meaningful, and I agree with her wholeheartedly. After completing these repairs, the facilities can be of service to many people. Consequentially, she has made herself useful as well.

Utilize circumstances to cultivate the mind. If it were not for the various encounters generated from causes and conditions, how would we know how reliable we are? If we could not rely on ourselves, then who can we rely upon? In terms of learning Buddhadharma, the Venerable Master said, “Studying buddhadharma and cultivating the Way within the confines of the bodhimanda could be both easy and difficult. What makes it easy or difficult is not the dharma, but our own mind. Hence, our minds are the most difficult to handle.

Because our minds drift across the dharma realms aimlessly. Except for those who return astride their vows, most living beings roam through the realms of hells, animals, hungry ghosts, humans, asuras, and, at best, devas. How can we break through this confounded daze, this heavy karmic obstruction of endlessly going through the six paths in the turning wheel? How big a bodhi resolve do we need to breakthrough?

Therefore, all of us should do the best we can, rather than expecting other people to do their best. If we do not do our best, the Venerable Master said that we may end up beating our chest and stomping our feet and wailing in bitter regret. For those of you who are not afraid of taking a loss, come to Gold Wheel Monastery to apply your effort in cultivation. In what way should we apply our effort? We need to train ourselves to be flexible so that we can readily adapt to situations. For example, if we are told to clean up mouse droppings and filthy debris, we will not balk at the thought of doing those tasks. Instead, we would pull ourselves together and do a great clean up. This will prove our basic level of sincerity. Do not come to the temple to do investigative work pointing out the temple’s deficiencies. This will serve no purpose.

Next year will be the Venerable Master’s one hundredth year birthday anniversary. We should start preparing a birthday gift for the Venerable Master. I know there is a gift that the Venerable Master yearns to receive, as he had said,”All of you, offer to me all your bad temper.” Bad temper is very unwelcoming. When someone says, “You have such a bad temper,” you’d be mad. How can we offer someone something as loathsome as a bad temper? How can we gift something so repulsive to others? A very profound principle lies within the Venerable Master’s words. Lamentably, we may not be able to do it.

Today we plan to finish at three in the afternoon, permitting the laity to take a personal leave from the Three Jewels so that everyone can go home and fulfill family duties and resolve our own karmas. Tomorrow, muster up our energy and spirit to bow in the repentance ceremony. Amitofo!