THE THIRD LESSON:

WAYS TO CULTIVATE GOODNESS

I Ching, the Book of Changes explains that, “Families who perform good deeds will accumulate prosperity which can outlast many generations".  Let me give an example.  Once there was a family by the name of Yan.  Before they agreed to give their daughter in marriage to the man who later became Confucius’ father, they looked into the past deeds of the family.  After finding the family to be one that practiced kindness and accumulated virtues, the Yan family felt assured that their daughter would be marrying into a family that would be prosperous with outstanding descendants. 

Confucius had once praised Shun on his filial piety, saying, “Due to his great filial piety and sincerity, Shun could deeply move even his ancestors to accept his offering.  His accumulation of merits and good fortune would last for many, many generations.”  These sayings were later proven true by history.  Now I will show in some true accounts that merits can be attained through performing good deeds.

In Fujian province, there was a prominent man named Rong Yang who held a position in the imperial court as the Emperor’s teacher.  His ancestors were boat people who made a living by helping people cross the river.  Once, there was a storm, which lasted so long that fierce flooding washed away all the houses.  People, animals and belongings were carried downriver by the current.  Other boaters took advantage of the situation and strove to collect the floating belongings.  Only Rong Yang’s grandfather and great grandfather took interest in rescuing the drowning people.  They did not take any of the goods that floated by.  The other boaters all laughed and thought them to be very foolish.  Later, when Rong Yang’s father was born, the Yang family gradually became wealthy. 

One day a heavenly person manifested as a Taoist monk came to the Yang family.  He told them that their ancestors had accumulated much hidden merit.  Consequently, their descendants would enjoy wealth and prominence.  He said that there was a special place where they could build their ancestral tomb.  So, they followed the Taoist’s suggestion.  Today it is called the White Hare Grave.  Shortly after, Rong Yang was born.  He passed the imperial examination when he was only twenty years old and later received the imperial appointment of Master.  The Emperor even bestowed his grandfather and great grandfather with the same imperial honors.  Today, his many virtuous and prosperous descendants are still very prominent.

Zi-Cheng Yang, from the county of Yin in Zhejiang province, is another example.  Zi-Cheng worked as a member of the staff of the county courthouse.  He was kind and humane, fair and law-abiding.  Once, the county magistrate punished a criminal by beating him until his blood spilled out onto the ground.  The magistrate’s anger did not subside and as he was about to continue, Zi-Cheng knelt and pleaded with him to stop beating the prisoner.  The magistrate said, “It is all right for you to plead, but how can I not be angry when this person has broken the law!"  Zi-Cheng replied that when those in a position of leadership in the government do not follow the proper path, ordinary people would lose their way.  Once we realize this, we should feel sorrow rather than joy.  And if we should not feel joy, then how could we feel anger?  Thus, a case like this called for more understanding.  The magistrate was touched by Zi-Cheng’s speech and ceased the beating. 

Although Zi-Cheng came from a very poor family, he never took any bribes.  If the prisoners were short of food, he would always take food from his own home even if it meant going hungry himself.  One day, several new prisoners needed feeding.  Zi-Cheng’s home was short of food.  If he gave them what he had then his family would go hungry.  But, if he kept the food for his family then the prisoners would go hungry.  He felt that the prisoners needed the food more than his family did.  A deplorable situation.  He discussed it with his wife who asked where the prisoners came from.  Zi-Cheng answered that they were from Hangzhow.  They had to tolerate hunger along the way.  So Zi-Cheng and his wife cooked their rice and shared it with the prisoners.

Later, Zi-Cheng had two sons.  The elder’s name was Shou-Chen and the younger was named Shou-Zhi.  Both sons became very prominent and held important government positions.  His eldest grandson became Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.  His second grandson was a member of the government staff in Sichuan Province.  They were both prominent.  Today, the government official, Chu-Ting Yang, who is known for his virtuous deeds, is also their descendent.

Here is another true example that happened during the Zheng-Tong period during the time of Emperor Ying-Zong.  Once, a group of rebels appeared in Fujian Province.  Many intellectuals joined them.  The Emperor appointed Imperial Censor General Zhang to go south and subdue them.  The general tricked the rebels and captured their chief.  Later, official Zhang dispatched General Xie to subdue the remaining rebels, in eastern Fujian Province.  General Xie managed to attain a list of those who belonged to the organization and commanded that a white flag be secretly given to those who did not belong with the rebels.  They were told to place the flag on their door when the imperial army came to town and the soldiers were ordered not to harm the innocent.  With this one thought of goodness, General Xie saved tens of thousands of people from being killed.  Later, his son Chian Xie achieved first place in the imperial examinations and later became an advisor to the Emperor.  His grandson Pi Xie, also placed third in the imperial examinations.

Another example is the Lin family from Putian, in Fujian Province.  Among their ancestors was an elderly lady who was very generous.  Everyday she made rice balls to give to the poor and always gave as many as they asked for.  There was an Immortal who manifested as a Taoist monk and came everyday for three years and each day, would ask for six or seven rice balls.  She always granted his request.  The Taoist monk then realized her deep sincerity.

He said to her, "I have eaten your rice balls for three years with nothing to show my gratitude in return.  Perhaps I can help you in this way.  On the land behind your house, there is a good place for you to place your grave.  If you are placed there in the future, the number of your descendants who will have imperial appointments will be equivalent to the number of seeds in a pound of sesame seeds".  Her son followed his recommendations and buried her there.  The first generation after that, nine men passed the imperial examinations and it continued that way for every succeeding generation.  There was a saying in Fujian that the results of the imperial examination always had the surname Lin on it. 

Another example comes from the father of an imperial historian whose name was Zhuo-An Feng.  One winter many years ago, Zhuo-An Feng’s father was on his way to school when he encountered a person lying frozen in the snow.  Finding the man still breathing, he quickly took off his coat to wrap around the frozen man.  He carried him back home and revived him.  That night, Zhuo-An’s father dreamt of a heavenly being telling him “You helped a dying man out of utter sincerity, this is a great virtue.  I will bring the famous General Qi Han of the Song Dynasty to be reborn as your son”.  Later, Zhuo-An was born and was named Qi.

Another example is Mr. Ying, the Minister who lived in Taizhou.  When he was young, he used to study in remote mountain areas.  At night, he often heard the sounds of ghosts and spirits but was never afraid of them.  One night, he heard one ghost say happily to another,  “There is a village woman whose husband left home a long time ago and has not returned.  Her in-laws think that their son is dead and are forcing her to remarry.  Tomorrow night, she is going to commit suicide here and will replace me.  Then I can be reborn!"

Mr. Ying heard this and immediately set out to sell a parcel of land that he owned.  He received two hundred grams of silver for it, made up a letter from the daughter-in-law’s husband and sent it to her home along with the silver.  The in-laws knew that the letter was not in the son’s handwriting, but examined the silver and said,  “This letter may be false, but the silver is not.  Perhaps our son is truly alive and well.”  Consequently, the daughter-in-law did not need to remarry and her husband returned home after a while.  The couple got back together and were like before.

Mr. Ying heard the first ghost say, “Originally, I was supposed to be able to leave this place to be reborn, but Mr. Ying messed up my chance!”  The second ghost asked, “Why don’t you get even with him?’  The first ghost replied, “I cannot.  The heavenly beings have recognized his goodness and virtue and he is going to receive a prominent position in the future.  How can I harm him?’”  Mr. Ying heard this and became even more diligent in practicing kindness and accumulating merits.  Whenever there was a famine, he would give grain from his storehouses to the poor and needy and was always eager to do whatever he could to help relatives in emergencies.  When things did not go his way, he always reflected within himself rather than complain of external conditions.  Thus, he always quietly complied with conditions.  Even today, his descendants are still very prominent.

There was another person, Feng-Zhu Xu, who lived in Jiangsu province.  His father was very wealthy.  Whenever there was a famine, his father would be the first waive the rent on the rice fields, hoping that other wealthy people would follow suit.  He also donated grain from his storehouses to the poor.  One night, he heard ghosts outside his home, “No kidding!  A county scholar in the Xu family is going to pass the provincial imperial examination!”  This went on for several nights and indeed, that year, his son Feng-Zhu passed the examination.  After that, Feng-Zhu’s father became even more diligent in accumulating good deeds.  He spent money to repair roads and bridges and provided food for monks as well as the poor.  He would do anything he could to help others.  Sometime later, he heard the ghosts again, “No kidding!  The provincial scholar from the Xu family is going to hold a high position in the government.”  Eventually, Feng-Zhu became the governor for Zhejiang Province.

Another example is Kang-Xi Tu who lived in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province.  Mr. Tu used to work in the courthouse and would spend nights in the prison cells, talking with the inmates.  Instead of making a name for himself, he would write a secret report to the Minister of Justice, telling him why a prisoner was innocent.  The Minister would then question the prisoner accordingly and clear the case.  Through Mr. Tu’s effort, more than ten innocent people were released and all of them were extremely grateful to the judge praising the Minister of Justice for his wise judgement.

Soon after, Mr. Tu also made a report to the Imperial Judge saying, “If even in the Imperial City so many innocent people are imprisoned, there must be many more throughout the country.  I recommend that the Imperial government send investigators to check the prisons for innocent people every five years.  The sentences can be reduced or canceled in order to prevent the innocent from remaining in prison.”  The minister, his superior, took his request to the Emperor, who agreed to Mr. Tu’s suggestion.  Mr. Tu was chosen as one of the special agents in charge of reducing sentences for those who were found innocent.

One night, he dreamt that a heavenly being came to him and said, “You were not supposed to deserve a son in this life, but this act of reducing prison sentences for innocent people accords with the wishes of the heavens.  You will be bestowed with three sons and they will all attain high positions.”  After that, his wife gave birth to three sons who all became prominent men in society.

Another example of attaining good outcomes from practicing kindness is Ping Bao who lived in Jiaxing.  Ping was the youngest of the seven sons of the magistrate of Chizhou, Anhui Province.  He married into the Yuan family in Pinghu County, Zhejiang Province, and was a good friend of my father.  Ping Bao was very knowledgeable and talented, but he was never able to pass the examinations.  He spent his time studying Buddhism and Taoism.

Once, while traveling to Lake Mao, he came to a village and saw a way place in desperate need of repairs.  The statue of Great Compassion Bodhisattva was wet from the rain that leaked through the roof.  Ping took out all his money and gave it to the Abbot of the temple, asking him to please use it to restore the way place.  The Abbot replied “It will be a very big project, I am afraid this amount is not enough to complete your wish.”  Ping Bao then took out all his luxurious belongings and handed them to the Abbot.  His servant tried to persuade him to keep his best outfit, but he refused, saying, “It does not matter to me.  As long as the statue of Great Compassion Bodhisattva remains undamaged, I do not care if I have to go without clothes.”

The abbot, with tears in his eyes, exclaimed, “To give up money and clothing is not a difficult deed to accomplish, but your deep sincerity is truly rare and precious to encounter”.  After the way place was repaired, Ping Bao asked his father to visit the temple and together they spent the night there.  That night the Dharma Protector of the way place, Qie-Lan, came in his dream to thank him and said, “Since you have accumulated these merits and virtues, your children and descendants will enjoy having imperial appointments for generations to come.”  Later, his son and grandson both passed high examinations and were appointed as imperial officials.

Li Zhi from Jiashan County, in Zhejiang Province is another example.  His father used to be a clerk in the provincial courthouse.  Once, Li’s father learned of an innocent man who was given the death penalty and tried to save his life.  When the prisoner heard about this, he told his wife, “I am so indebted to this man who has spoken on my behalf but I have no way of showing my gratitude.  Will you invite him to our house and offer yourself to him?  Perhaps this will please him and increase my chances to live.”

The wife cried as she listened to his request.  However, it was the only way she could help her husband at this critical time.  Therefore, the next day when the clerk came to visit, she offered him wine and told him of her husband’s wishes.  The clerk refused, but continued to do all he could to clear the case.  When at last the prisoner was released, he and his wife both went to the clerk’s house to thank him.  The man said, “One with such virtue as yours is truly rare these days, how can I show my gratitude?  You do not have a son.  Please allow me to offer my daughter in marriage to you, this is the only way I can repay you.  Please accept.”

So the clerk accepted and soon afterwards, she bore him his son, Li Zhi.  Li passed the higher level imperial examination when he was just twenty years old.  Later, he was appointed to a high government position.  Li’s son Gao, grandson Lu and great grandson Da-Lun all passed the examinations and received imperial appointments.  These ten examples all tell of the different deeds cultivated by different people.  Although their actions differed, their intent was the same: doing good deeds.

If we were to examine goodness closely, we would find that there are many different kinds.  There is real goodness and false goodness, honest goodness and crooked goodness, hidden and visible, apparent and actual, proper and improper, full and half, big and small, and finally, difficult and easy.  These different types of goodness each have their own reasons, which are to be carefully learned and understood.  If we try to practice good deeds but do not learn how to differentiate between right and wrong, we may end up doing more harm then good.  Then, all of our efforts would have been in vain.

What is "real goodness and false goodness"?  In the Yuan Dynasty, a group of scholars went to visit Master Jung-Feng.  One of them asked, “Buddhism often speaks of the karmic reward for good and bad, saying that ‘It is like the shadow, following the form wherever it goes.’  Then why is it, that there are people who practice good deeds, but their family and descendants are neither prosperous nor successful?  On the other hand, there are bad and wicked people who behave immorally, but their family and descendants do quite well.  What has happened to the Law of Cause and Effect?  Are there no standards in the Buddha’s teachings?’”

Master Jung-Feng answered, “Ordinary people are blinded by worldly views, they have not cleansed their minds of impurities and cannot see with true perception.  Therefore, they look upon true goodness as wrongdoing and mistake wrongdoing as goodness.  This is very common nowadays.  Furthermore, these people do not blame themselves for failing to understand, but instead, blame their misfortune on the heavens.  This is unfair!”  The scholars questioned how good and bad could be mistaken for each other.

Master Jung-Feng asked each of them to express their thoughts on what was good and what was bad.  One scholar said that to yell at and hit others was bad, to respect and treat others in a mannerly way was good.  The Master replied, “Not necessarily”.  Another scholar then said that being greedy and taking another’s money was bad, not being greedy and behaving properly was good.  Master Jung-Feng again replied, “Not necessarily”.  The remaining scholars all expressed their views on what was good and what was bad, but Master Jung-Feng always concluded, “Not necessarily”.

Master Jung-Feng said, “To do things with the intention of bringing benefit to others is good.  To do things to benefit ourselves is bad.  If what we do is for the sake of benefiting another, then it does not matter if we yell at or hit that person, it is still considered good.  If our intention is for self-benefit, then regardless of our appearance of respect and courtesy, it is still considered bad.  Therefore, when we practice good deeds with the sole intention of benefiting others, this is considered public benefit.  If it is for the public, then it is real goodness.  If we only think of ourselves while doing good acts, then that is considered private benefit and that is false goodness.”

“When goodness springs from within the root of the heart, it is real goodness.  When we do good just because others are doing so, it is false.  In addition, when we do good without expecting anything in return, it is considered real goodness.  When we practice good deeds for some purpose other than to benefit others, it is false.  Those who wish to practice true goodness need to contemplate all these differences.”

What is "honest goodness and crooked goodness"?  People nowadays often look upon an extremely conservative and nice person as good and kind.  However, the ancient sages and virtuous people have shown that they preferred those who were aspiring and dignified.  As for those who appear to be compliant and careful in their everyday actions, they may be liked by all but, sages often speak of them as “thieves of virtue”.  From this, we can see that the viewpoint of ordinary people on good and bad differs greatly from that of the sages and virtuous people.  Because of this, it is possible that our judgement could be erroneous.

 Beings and spirits of Heaven and Earth all look upon good and bad from the same viewpoint as do the sages.  They do not view things from the same perspective as ordinary people.  Therefore, when we wish to accumulate merits, we must not give way to greed or be affected by the sights and sounds of the world.  We need to be aware of our deviated thoughts as soon as they arise and to purify them.

Honest goodness comes from the thought to sincerely help all others.  Crooked goodness arises from the thought of flattering others to obtain what we want.  Loving others is being honest.  Hating others and being jealous is being crooked.  Honest goodness is when we are respectful and crooked goodness is when we act without sincerity.  These are all to be carefully differentiated.

What is "hidden goodness and visible goodness"?  When we do something good and people know about it, it is visible goodness.  When no one knows about it, it is hidden virtue.  Those with hidden virtues will naturally be known by the heavens and will be rewarded.  Those who practice visible goodness will be known by people and will enjoy fame.  Fame itself is good fortune, but it is forbidden for heaven and earth do not favor fame.  We can see that those who have great fame, but lack the virtue supporting it will eventually encounter some kind of overwhelming adversity.  A person who truly has not done any wrong but continues to be falsely accused by others will have descendants who will suddenly become prosperous and successful.  From this, we can see how important it is to understand the minute differences between hidden and visible goodness.

What is apparent and actual goodness?  In the Spring-Autumn Period, there was a country named Lu that made a law, which rewarded those who paid the ransom to regain the freedom of their fellow citizens who were servant-slaves.  At that time, Confucius had a very rich student named Zi-Gong.  Although Zi-Gong paid the ransom to free his people, he did not accept the reward for doing such a deed.  When Confucius heard this, he was very unhappy and scolded him saying, "You acted wrongly in this matter.  When sages and virtuous people undertake anything, they strive to improve morality, teaching people to be good and decent.  We do not do something just for personal virtues or reputation.  In the country of Lu, the poor outnumber the wealthy.  By refusing the reward, you lead others to think that accepting the reward money is being greedy.  If this happens, no one will pay the ransom to free our people again".

Another student of Confucius, Zi-Lu, once saw a man drowning in the river and rescued him.  Later, the man thanked him by giving him a cow as a token of gratitude.  Zi-Lu accepted his gift.  Confucius was happy when he heard this and said, "In the future, people will be willing and eager to help those who are drowning in deep waters or lakes”. 

If we look from the eyes of ordinary people, Zi-Gong, who did not accept the reward money, was good.  Zi-Lu, who accepted the cow, was not as good.  Who would have known that Confucius would praise Zi-Lu and scold Zi-Gong?  From this, we can see that those who practice good deeds must not only consider the current outcome but that of the future as well.  We would also do well to not only consider our own gain and loss but look to see the impact made on the public.

What we do right now may be good but with the passing years, it may bring harm to others.  Therefore, what seems like goodness may actually be bad.  What now appears to be bad may actually have positive long-term effects, turning out to have been goodness after all.  So, what seems like a bad deed may actually be goodness.  There are some examples of what appears to be good but actually is not.  Apparent responsibility may be actual irresponsibility, apparent propriety may be actual impropriety, apparent trustworthiness may be actual untrustworthiness, apparent kindness may be actual unkindness.  In these instances, we need to differentiate carefully and know how to behave properly.

What is "proper goodness and improper goodness"?  In the Ming Dynasty, there once was a Prime Minister named Wen-Yi Lu.  When he grew old, he retired to his hometown where he was widely loved and highly respected.  Once, a drunken villager went to his home and proceeded to insult him.  Mr. Lu was not angered by his words but instead, told his servant, "This man is drunk.  Let’s not argue with him".  With this, he closed the door and ignored the onslaught of insults.  A year later, the same man committed a grave crime and was given the death sentence.  Upon hearing this, Mr. Lu said with great remorse, "If only I had taken him to the authorities for punishment that day, perhaps a little discipline could have prevented this.  At the time, I was only thinking of being kind and unknowingly encouraged an arrogant and malevolent personality.  Now he has been given the death penalty".  This is an example of doing something bad while having good intentions.

There is also an example of those who achieved goodness although they had acted from improper intentions.  Once, a famine devastated the land and people stole food from others in broad daylight.  A rich family reported these losses to the authorities.  However, the government, did nothing to stop the thieves.  Eventually, the poor grew more daring and chaos was imminent.  So, the rich family took the law into their own hands and proceeded to catch and punish those who had stole from them.  In this way, peace was restored and people stopped their stealing.  Otherwise, the turmoil would have gotten completely out of hand.

We all know that goodness is proper and wrongdoing is improper.  However, there are cases where deeds done out of good intentions resulted in bad.  This is called the "improper within the proper".  There are also deeds done out of improper intentions that resulted in good.  This is called the "proper within the improper".  We can all benefit from understanding this.

What is "half goodness and full goodness"?  I Ching, the Book of Changes said, “People who do not accumulate virtuous deeds will not achieve honor.  On the other hand, people who do not accumulate bad deeds will not bring about self-destruction”.  The Book of History said, "The last emperor of the Shang Dynasty, Zhou, had committed the worst of crimes".  The dynasty ended with his death.  It is like collecting objects in a container.  With diligence, it will soon be full.  If we are lazy, then the container will be only half full.  This is one example of full goodness and half goodness.

Once a poor woman went to visit a Buddhist way place and wished to make a donation.  Being extremely poor, she only had two cents but she freely gave these to a monk.  To her surprise, the abbot himself came to help her regret for past offenses and dedicate her merits.  Later, she was chosen to enter the imperial palace and obtained wealth and prestige.  Clad in her riches, she again went to the way place to make a donation, this time bringing thousands of silver pieces. 

To her dismay, the abbot only sent his student, another monk to help her dedicate her merits.  The lady did not understand and questioned the abbot,  “In the past, I only donated two cents, yet you personally helped me express my regret for past offenses.  Today, I come with great wealth to give and you will not help me perform my merit dedication.  Why?”  The abbot replied, “Although the amount of money you gave in the past was small, it came from a true and sincere heart.  It was necessary for me to repay your sincerity by personally performing your dedications.  Today, although your donation is much greater, the heart of giving is not quite as true and sincere as before.  Therefore, it is fitting and sufficient that my student performs your dedications for you.”  This is an example of how thousands of silver pieces are only considered “half goodness” and two cents are “whole goodness”.

Another example is of Li Zhong, an immortal of the Han Dynasty.  He was teaching his student, Dong-Bin Lu, the art of transforming iron into gold.  They would use this gold to help the poor.  Dong-Bin asked his teacher, “Will the gold ever change back to iron?”  Li Jung answered, “After five hundred years, it will return to its original form”.  Dong-Bin said, “In that case, I do not want to learn this art for it will harm those who possess the gold five hundred years from now.”  Li Zhong said, “To become an immortal, one must complete three thousand virtuous deeds.  What you have just said came from a truly kind heart.  Your three thousand deeds are fulfilled”.  This is another example of whole goodness and half goodness.

When we perform a good deed, it is best for us to not attach to how much we have done.  If we practice in this manner, then all our good deeds will reach fulfillment and success.  If, instead, we always think of the deeds that we have performed, looking for a reward of some kind, then no matter how diligently we practice, even for an entire lifetime, the deeds will still be considered as half goodness.  For example, when we donate money to the poor, we can practice what is called “pure donation”.  In this type of giving, we do not linger on the thought of “I” who is giving.  We do not dwell on the importance of the object that is given.  We do not think of the other who has received.  We are simply giving out of true sincerity and respect.  When we give with this “pure donation” then one pound of rice can bring infinite good fortune and the merit from giving one cent can wipe away the transgressions of a thousand eons. 

If we always keep in mind the good that we have done and expect rewards for our actions, then even a donation of two hundred thousand gold pieces would not bring us the reward of a fully good fortune.  This is another way of explaining whole goodness and half goodness.

What is "big goodness and small goodness"?  Once there was a high ranking official named Zhong-Da Wei, who was led into the underworld to be judged for his good and bad deeds.  The judge ordered his records of good and bad to be brought out.  When the records arrived, Zhong-Da was astounded at the courtyard filled with his bad records and at the single scroll, which contained his good deeds.  The official then ordered the two to be weighed.  Surprisingly, the bad records, which had filled the courtyard, were lighter than the single scroll of good deeds, which was as thin as a chopstick.  Zhong-Da asked the judge, "I am barely forty years old, how could I have committed so many wrongdoings?"  The judge answered, "When you give rise to a single thought that is improper, it is considered a bad offense there and then, it does not have to be carried out through action to be counted as a wrong".

Zhong-Da then asked him what was recorded in the single scroll of good deeds.  The judge replied, "Once the Emperor planned to build a great stone bridge but you proposed against the project due to the hardship and toil it would cause the tens and thousands of people needed for the work.  This is a copy of your proposal to the Emperor".  Zhong-Da said, "I did make the proposal, but the Emperor dismissed it and proceeded with the project anyway.  My proposal had no effect on the matter at all.  How can it bear so much weight against my numerous offenses?" 

The judge replied, "Although the Emperor did not accept your suggestion, that one thought of kindness you bore for the tens and thousands of people was very great.  If the Emperor had listened to you, then the good performed would have been even greater".  Therefore, when one is determined to do good for the benefit of all people, a small deed can result in great merits.  If one thinks only about benefiting oneself, then even if many deeds of kindness were performed, the merits would still be small.

What is "difficult goodness and easy goodness"?  The knowledgeable scholars of the past used to say, "When one wishes to conquer one’s greed and desires, one should start with what is most difficult to overcome".  When Confucius talked about how to cultivate one’s humanity, he also said to start with what is most difficult to practice.

For example, the old teacher, Mr. Shu of Jiangxi, gave two years salary to a poor family who owed money to the government.  Thus, he saved them from being torn apart if the husband was sent to prison.  Another example is Mr. Zhang from Handan.  Mr. Zhang gave his ten years of savings to a poor man so he could repay a debt.  This saved him from going to jail and enabled him to remain with his wife.  Such examples as Mr. Shu and Mr. Zhang are rare, for they gave what is most difficult to give.  What others could not sacrifice, they did so willingly.

Another example is Mr. Jin from Jiangsu Province.  As he was old and without any sons, his neighbor offered their young daughter in marriage to him to give him descendants to carry on his lineage.  Mr. Jin refused the offer and sent her back home.  This is another example of being able to overcome what is most difficult to conquer in oneself.

Therefore, the heavens showered down good fortune, which was especially good for these three men.  It is easier for those who have money and power to accumulate merits and virtues than for those who are poor.  However, if one refuses to cultivate kindness even when it is easy and one has the chance to do so, then it would truly be a shame.  For those who are poor and without prestige, doing kind things for others is very difficult.  However, if in this difficulty one can still manage to help others then it would be even more valuable.

There are many ways to help others whenever the opportunity presents itself.  In short, the ways of helping others can be simplified into ten important categories.  The first is "supporting the practice of kindness".  The second is "revering love and respect".  Third is "helping others to succeed in doing good".  Fourth is "persuading others to practice kindness".  Fifth is "helping those in desperate need".  Sixth is "developing public projects for the greater benefit of people".  Seventh is "practicing merits by giving wealth".  Eighth is "protecting and maintaining the proper teachings".  Ninth is "respecting elders".  Tenth is "loving and cherishing all living things".

What does "supporting the practice of kindness" mean?  In the Yu Dynasty, there once was an emperor by the name of Shun.  One day, before he became emperor, Shun was watching some fishermen on Lake Leize.  He noticed that all the younger and stronger fishermen took the spots where the water was deep and the fish were abundant, while the older and weaker fishermen were left with the rapids and shallow water, where there were very few fish.  When Shun saw this situation, he felt sympathy for the older fishermen.  He decided to join in the fishing.  Whenever he saw fishermen grab the good fishing spots, he would not speak of their faults.  When he saw those who were humble and yielding, he praised them everywhere he went and even followed their humble and polite ways.  Shun stayed and fished like this for a whole year until the other fishermen got into the habit of yielding good fishing spots to others.

A wise and intelligent man such as Shun could have easily influenced others with a few words of advice.  Why did he not just say something instead of changing others by setting a good example?  Shun's painstaking and good intentions were like the expert craftsmanship that comes only as the result of long practice and hard work.

In today’s era of low morality, social breakdown and loss of proper thinking, it is most difficult to find a good standard of behavior.  Therefore, when those around us have shortcomings, we do not use our good points to highlight their deficiencies.  When others are unkind, we do not use our kindness and compare ourselves to them.  When others are not as capable as we are, we do not purposely surpass them with our abilities.  Even when we are intelligent and competent, these skills are to be kept hidden and not boasted of.  Instead, we need to behave even more modestly than ever.  When someone makes mistakes, we tolerate and conceal them, providing the opportunity to reform without the loss of self-respect.

When we allow others to keep their dignity, they will be even more careful of future actions.  When we see strengths or small kindnesses in others, we can learn from them and praise them to others.  In daily life, we can refrain from speaking and acting with selfish intentions, but instead, seek to benefit society.  We can set standards for others to follow.  These are the qualities of a great person, who thinks of the public welfare as more important than his or her own.

What is meant by "revering love and respect for others"?  Sometimes it is hard to tell from appearance whether one is an honorable person or a fraud, since frauds can pretend to be honorable.  The difference lies in their intentions.  The difference between them is like black and white.  So, Mencius said that the difference between genuinely honorable people and ordinary people lies in their intentions.

The heart of a genuinely honorable person is filled with loving-kindness and respect for others.  There are thousands of different types of people in this world, some are close to us while others are strangers, some are in high positions while others are in low, some are smart while others are not and some are virtuous while others are corrupt.  Nevertheless, they are humans like us and are thus, all one entity.  I should neither hate nor disrespect anyone.  When our hearts are filled with loving-kindness and respect for others, it is the same as if our hearts were filled with loving-kindness and respect for the sages and virtuous people.  When we understand and agree with others, it is the same as if we understand and agree with the sages and virtuous people.  Why?  Because all the virtuous people and sages want the people on this earth to obtain what they wish for.  Therefore, if we can have loving-kindness and respect for people and help them to achieve in their endeavors, we are doing the job of a sage or a virtuous person.

What does "helping others to do good" mean?  If we threw away raw jade, it would be like any other worthless stone.  But if we carve and polish it, it will be transformed into a valuable object.  So, when we see people whom we feel have good potential for doing a good deed or working towards a proper goal, we can guide, support, praise and encourage them, helping them to succeed in their endeavors.  If others wrongly accuse them, we can try to clear their name and share their burden of slander.  Only when we have helped them stand on their feet and become a part of society will we have fulfilled our responsibility in helping others to do good.

There are always more bad people around than good people.  Therefore, those who are good often have difficulty standing on their own.  Good people have good abilities and virtues, which allow them to achieve fame.  They usually do not care much for their appearance.  They can easily be wrongly accused, so striving to do good turns out to be a challenge.  When this happens, it is entirely up to virtuous people and elders to protect and help those who are good and need to stand on their own.  They can provide what the good people need to practice goodness.  The merits of these virtuous people and elders who do this will be great. 

What is meant by "persuading others to practice kindness"?  Since we are all humans, we all have a conscience, but chasing after wealth and fame has kept us constantly busy and we have forgotten our conscience.  Although we want to do good, the necessity of surviving in a world filled with hardships can result in our forgetting to do good.  When a friend is about to ignore his or her conscience to do something unworthy, we can remind and warn this friend, hoping to wake him or her from delusion.  It is like waking up someone when they are having a nightmare.  It is up to us to shake them into reality.  When a person is undergoing a long spell of depression, we can pull this person out of it and help to clear his or her mind.  We are most virtuous if we can treat our friends with such kindness.

A scholar named Yu Han once said, “By word of mouth, one can only persuade and influence others for a while.  If one can persuade and influence others through written works, one's words can be passed on for hundreds of generations around the world.”  We can use either speaking or writing, whichever is appropriate for the circumstances.  We can persuade others by word of mouth as well as by writing books to promote virtue.  Compared with teaching others through behavior this is much more direct and obvious.  Sometime, we do not have time to teach others through behavior.  Then verbal or written education will be more effective.  However, if we can apply it like the right medicine for an illness, often it will prove to have wonderful effects.  Therefore, we cannot give up.

If we make the mistake of "losing a person" (it was proper for us to guide this person but we did not) or "wasting our words" (it was improper for us to persuade this person and we tried to) we would do well to reflect and generate the wisdom not to make the same mistake again. 

What is meant by "helping those in desperate need"?  During one’s lifetime, people will often suffer from serious difficulties.  If we meet someone like this, we can help that person as if we were the one who was suffering.  We immediately come to this person’s aid.  If a person has been wrongly accused or convicted, we should plead on their behalf as well as provide aid in any way we can.  Scholar Cui Zi once said, "It does not matter whether a favor is big or small.  What is important is that it is done at a time when others need it most".  These are words of loving-kindness.

What is meant by "developing public projects for the benefit of others"?  Small construction works are needed for villages and big construction jobs are needed for cities.  As long as it is beneficial to the people, it should be built.  Public projects can be the construction of systems to irrigate farmlands, dams to prevent flooding or bridges to facilitate travel.  Also, we can give food or water to those who are hungry or thirsty.  Whenever we have the opportunity, we need to encourage others to do their share as well to help accomplish the project, either through the sharing of wealth or of labor.  Do not be afraid of what others might say and do not become frightened when the job becomes difficult.  Do not allow the jealousy and hatred of others to weaken our resolve to do good deeds.

What is meant by "accumulating merits and good fortune by giving wealth"?  In Buddhism, giving is considered the foremost practice among all the methods.  What is giving?  Giving is to let go.  A wise person who understands this principle would be willing to give away everything, even to the point of letting go of our attachments to the six sense organs within.  Externally, one can also give away that which we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think.  There is nothing we cannot give away.  When we find ourselves unable to do so, we can start with the giving of wealth.  Ordinary people regard their clothing and food as dearly as their lives.  Therefore, they consider wealth to be of the utmost importance.  When we practice giving without hesitation, we can cure stinginess and at the same time, help others in dire need.  However, for many this is very difficult to do, especially at first.  But, gradually it will become more natural the more we give.  This is the best way to cure selfishness and to rid ourselves of attachments and stinginess.

What is meant by "protecting the proper teachings"?  For millions of years, proper teachings have been a standard of truth and provided spiritual guidance for all living beings.  Without proper teachings, how can we participate in and support the nurturing of heaven and earth?  Without proper teachings, how can we help people to attain achievement.  How can beings in all the realms succeed in their endeavors without a standard to live by?  How can we be free of the Five Desires, the Six Dusts, our delusions, our afflictions?  Without proper teachings, how can we set a standard in the world and help people transcend the Six Realms.  Therefore, whenever we see way places, memorials of past virtuous people or sages, pictures of sages, or Buddhist texts, we should be respectful.  If they are in need of repair, we should repair and put them back in order.  We can propagate and carry forward the proper teachings and help others to learn their value.  In this way, we can repay our gratitude to the Buddha.  We should especially do our best and encourage others to do so as well.

What is meant by "respecting our elders"?  It is making an extra effort in being attentive to and respecting parents, elder siblings, leaders, superiors or elders or those of high virtue, prestige and learning.  When taking care of our parents at home, we are to do so with loving hearts and a gentle, accommodating appearance.  We should not raise our voice but maintain a peaceful bearing.  As we cultivate these virtues, they will become a part of us and we will change into a gentle-hearted person.  This is the way we can touch the hearts of heaven.  When carrying out deeds for our superiors or the government, we should follow the rules and not become unrestrained just because our superiors do not know what we are doing. 

Before we convict someone of a crime, regardless of whether the crime is serious or not we should investigate carefully and handle the case justly.  We should not abuse power and rights or be excessively harsh because our supervisor does not know what we are doing.  When we face our supervisor, we should show him the same respect as if we were facing the heavens.  (As the motto says), "This is the correct behavior handed down from our ancestors".  It has a direct and important effect on our hidden virtues.  Look at all the families who practiced loyalty and filial piety.  Their descendants prospered for a long time and had bright futures.  Therefore, we can follow their example and practice with caution.

What is meant by, "loving and cherishing all living things"?  A heart of compassion is what makes a person.  A person in search of the virtues of mercy and kindness looks out for his or her heart of compassion.  A person who wants to accumulate merits also cultivates a compassionate heart.  It is stated in the Book of Rites from the Zhou Dynasty, “In January, when most animals bear their young, females of the species are not to be used for sacrificial purposes".  Mencius once said, “an honorable person will not go near the kitchen”.  This is to protect a compassionate heart.

Therefore, our ancestors did not eat meat under four circumstances.  First was if they heard the killing, second was if they saw the killing, third was if they raised the animal themselves and fourth was if they had the animal killed for their consumption.  Even if we cannot stop eating meat immediately, we can still try to start by following these four guidelines.  In this way, we are gradually increasing our compassion.  We would not only refrain from killing any living creature, but insects as well, for they are also living creatures.  Man makes silk from the cocoons of silkworms.  The cocoons have to be boiled in water first, with the silkworms inside.  When we cultivate the land for farming, how many insects have to be killed?  We need to be aware of the cost in lives involved in our everyday food and clothing.  We kill to provide for ourselves.  Therefore, to waste food and clothing would create the same violation as killing. 

How often have we unknowingly harmed or stepped on a living creature?  We should do our best to prevent this from happening again.  An ancient great poet once wrote, “In love of the mice, we often leave them some rice.  In pitying the moth, we will not light the lamp”.  What a kind and compassionate statement!  There are infinite types of goodness.  I cannot mention them all.  As long as we can expand on the ten previous categories, we can make them into a multitude of good deeds and virtues. 

     〖THE FOURTH LESSON  〗  〖RETURN〗  〖THE THIRD LESSON 〗