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Major and Three Minor Disasters would arise at the same time. The future described by
the Buddha is now; the present world is afflicted with the Five Impurities. Is our modern
world not just as the Buddha predicted? Whether it is one of the Three Major Disasters
of flood, fire, and wind, or one of the Three Minor Disasters of famine, disease, and war,
every disaster crosses borders and affects many countries. The resulting suffering is simply
beyond words.

I expect everyone to influence a classmate, colleague, friend, or relative to become a
bodhisattva. I hope that each person can even resolve to inspire one bodhisattva every day.
If everyone can do this, the energy of love will fill all places and the strength to purify
human minds will be enhanced. Only then can we gather enough committed people in this
troubled world and this era of declining Dharma to promulgate the Dharma, benefit all
beings, and promote Buddhism in the human realm. If we do not act immediately, it will
soon be too late.

How difficult it is to nurture people’s love! People living in safety do not know the
suffering of those affected by disasters. This worries me. Just as the Buddha taught us,
we cannot attain Buddhahood in the heavenly realm because there is no opportunity to
create blessings. Furthermore, after we have exhausted our blessings in the heavenly realm,
we will fall into other realms. Now that we have come to know the Dharma and want to
practice the right teachings, we must seek to grow in wisdom while we are blessed. When
we are safe and well, we must kindle the love in our heart to feel and understand the pain of
others. We must further put our love into action to relieve their suffering. If we can do so,
then we will be wise.

People should help other people, communities should help other communities, and
countries should help other countries. Those safe and well should help others in a timely
manner with a loving heart. Knowing people have been helped, we will feel relieved, at
ease, and joyful. If all people are good friends or good relatives to one another, will this
world not be heartwarming and beautiful?

Everyone inherently has a loving heart and a pure, innocent mind. When we contribute
the energy of love from an open heart and innocent mind, and walk on the Bodhisattva
Path with gratitude, lotus flowers will bloom with every step we take, and the world will
be pure and clean. When we instill a pure stream into every heart and let the Dharma-water
nurture them and bring them joy, how wonderful the world will become! How auspicious it
is to have love in the world.
Filial piety is the foundation of human decency. A filial and respectful person is blessed.
We should start with ourselves to revive filial piety, which is the original goodness of
human nature. Like waves, our actions will ripple out to influence our family members,
our community, and then the world. When all of us diligently practice filial piety, cherish
ourselves and others, and respect and love Mother Nature, all things can coexist in
harmony, the climate will be temperate, and the world will be peaceful and free from
disasters.

Excerpted from Jing Si Aphorisms: The Fundamentals of Virtue by Shih Cheng Yen (Jing Si Publications,
2014). For more information, please contact your local Jing Si Books & Café (directory on pp. 72-74) or
visit jingsi.us.tzuchi.org.

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