Speaking of "losing money", most people don't like "losing money" because everyone likes to pick up cheap. We might as well think about it: if someone else is cheap, he will lose money. Is there anything in the world that always gives you an advantage and others lose money? If we carefully observe those who are greedy for money and like to take advantage of it, in fact, the person who really loses in the end must be himself. Like those who have been cheated by the Jin Party in society now, most of them regret their momentary greed. On the other hand, some people who seem to "lose money" really take advantage.
Like Dayu, who manages water conservancy, he didn't go home three times, because he worked for the people and would rather suffer by himself, but in the end everyone elected him emperor; In the famous "friendship between Guan Bao and Bao", some people said that Guan Zhong was using Bao, but Bao spoke for Guan Zhong everywhere, and later recommended him as prime minister. But from another point of view, it is precisely because of his "hardship" that he not only made a good friend, but also promoted talents for the country and benefited the people of the whole country. We look at the loyal ministers and righteous men in Chinese and foreign history because they are willing to "suffer hardships", and as a result, they can save the country and save the people, and they can be immortal. Therefore, it is not necessarily true to seek cheap, and it is not necessarily true to lose money. Really speaking, losing money means seeking cheap.
I have the honor to personally inherit the teachings of Elder Ruoshun. When I was studying in the jungle, I realized the wonderful use of "losing money" I remember that everyone was poor at that time. Every time I get something, I'd rather not have it myself and give it to my partner. Seeing that boiling water, attending classes, etc. have to get up early and be greedy for the dark, which consumes labor. If no one is willing to bear it, they will automatically pick it up. When I heard that teachers and classmates had any difficulties, I took the initiative to help them. Even sometimes my classmates are worried about being punished for doing something wrong, so I take the initiative to ask instead of being punished. I was once advised by an older classmate: "You will suffer!" ! "But I remember what the elders said. As a result, a few years later, a rural child like me who is not smart and has no formal education actually learned a lot of labor skills and developed a strong body. I have more confidence in the saying "learning Buddhism means learning to lose". "
Today, although I am over the age of 70, no matter what I do, I still take the lead and even become an "uninvited friend", instructing my disciples to arrange for me to teach more classes and do more work. I have always felt that if one person's efforts are exchanged for everyone's joy, why "suffer"?
Not only would you rather "suffer" and take on more things, but sometimes you will wronged yourself and yourself. As long as I am willing, there is nothing I can't bear, and I often choose what others don't want to do. 1948, the abbot of Huazang Temple, Nanjing, almost lost everything, and the world was in chaos. No one in Buddhism wants to take over this mess. Seeing that the temple was about to be occupied by local bullies, I came to Nanjing from Yixing with several colleagues. When I heard about it, I suggested contacting the temple. As a result, I took over Huazang Temple with the help of monk Yin Yun. We overcame all difficulties, rectified the discipline of monks and opened schools and factories. Although the budding Buddhist cause disappeared like a flash in the pan in the war because of the civil war in China, it seems that all our efforts have been wasted and we have suffered heavy losses. In fact, the administrative experience we absorbed during this period was of great help to my later temple and school construction.
I came to Taiwan Province Province because I was not afraid of "losing money". /kloc-in the spring of 0/949, Master Zhiyong organized a "Monk Rescue Team" to temporarily retreat when serving in Taiwan Province with the army. At that time, I didn't even know where Taiwan Province Province was, but when I saw that the "monk rescue team" was leaderless and was about to disappear, I volunteered to lead it. In this way, I came to Taiwan Province Province with a group of people.
At that time, Buddhism in Taiwan Province Province was classified as a Shinto superstition, and its status was very low. In particular, monks from the mainland are often suspected of being spies. They are arrested and interrogated, and even put into prison. Many people began to find another way out. I also plan to go to other places with karma, such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Switzerland and so on. However, after I finally raised enough travel expenses, I heard that some of my fellow travelers did not have ID cards or entry permits, so they could not stay in Taiwan Province for a long time and were eager to go abroad. I couldn't bear it, so I gave them the only money for the trip and stayed in Taiwan Province Province. I didn't expect to make many legal contacts here and open up another world. As the saying goes, "A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. I have always believed that if you follow karma and help others first, karma will certainly not make you suffer.
More than forty years ago, Yilan, located in the northeast of Taiwan Province Province, was still an undeveloped town. It took four or five hours from Taipei to Yilan by coal train. When I arrived in Yilan, because I had to go through more than 20 caves, my face, ears and nostrils were full of black coal. In addition, the living conditions there are very poor, so none of the invited wizards are willing to stay there to preach the Dharma, because it is convenient to walk to the train station for 20 minutes even to go to the toilet. After I knew it, I packed my things and came. In this way, I have been in Yilan for decades, and my hukou is still in Yilan. Although I founded Foguang Mountain, I never wanted to leave. I built a lecture hall, a kindergarten, a Buddhist singing team, a Buddhist teaching team, a student union and a children's class here, which became the foundation for the development of new Buddhism. I think, if I had been afraid of "losing money" and stayed in Taipei with profound cultural heritage, it might not have been easy to achieve such success. There is a popular saying in Taiwan Province that "Buddha hurts fools." "That's probably what it means.
1967, Mrs. Zhu invested all her money in a hilly land in Dashu Township, Kaohsiung, hoping to open a maritime college. As a result, I disagreed with my partner and gave up. However, this land is poor in soil, rich in hemp and bamboo, uneven, and no one wants to buy it everywhere. The life of the Chu family, even the debt, suddenly faced problems. When I learned about it, I immediately sold the house in the Buddhist Cultural Service Office at No.34, Zhongshan No.1 Road, Kaohsiung City, and bought the hill with the proceeds. The listeners all said I was a fool, because at first, I had never met the Chu couple; Secondly, the value of these two plots is just like a world apart. I pushed public opinion, scrimped and saved food, built straw huts, and reclaimed land. For more than 30 years, I have laid the foundation for Buddhist culture, education, charity and Buddhism. This mountain, which nobody wanted at the beginning, is the "Foguang Mountain" that everyone is trying to see here now. Up to now, thousands or even thousands of people from all over Taiwan Province Province come to our holiday temples every weekend. Looking back on the past, I can't help but admire the words of my predecessors, "Learning Buddhism must be bitter." This is really a loud wisdom.
Zhengqi Middle School run by Mr. Jiang in Jiangxi resumed in Taiwan Province. 1976, operational difficulties. When I heard about this, I made an agreement with the school. Foguangshan paid for the right to operate the school and helped him move to the school. At that time, someone said to me, "You are losing money because you have to spend extra money to build a school. But I think the money will come back after I use it, so I decided to spend more than twice as much money to run the current Pumen Middle School. Now that I think about it, it was not easy for me to run a Buddhist middle school twenty years ago. Isn't this value that can't be measured by money bought at a loss?
1996, although a management college in chiayi applied for filing, it did not have the funds to start construction. I don't know what to do. I wonder if Foguangshan is willing to take over. At that time, we were in Lin Meishan, Jiaoxi, Yilan and other places to explore the terrain and prepare for the establishment of Foguang University. We were very short of financial resources, manpower and material resources. Many people advised me: "It will be difficult to take over another university. But I stuck to my guns, paid to take over, took over the project to be built, and applied to the Ministry of Education for starting school. In less than a year, the brand-new South China Institute of Management was established. In the past two or three years, it not only has a good reputation for running a school, but also held many international academic conferences. This proves once again that as long as you have a positive attitude, even if you suffer, nothing is impossible.
From Huazang Temple to the monk service team, from the mainland to Taiwan Province Province, from Taibei to Yilan, from the Buddhist cultural service center to Foguang Mountain ... I recall my karma with every place, and almost all of them do things that others don't want to do, but I can do well, not only developing Buddhism to five continents, but also doing a lot for Buddhism; From the general school to South China Institute of Management, I also gritted my teeth and took over the unfinished business of others. Although this is the result of a lot of blood and sweat, it is of great significance to establish a modern and international image for Buddhism and education. So later, I often taught my disciples not to be afraid of "losing money", but to take more responsibilities, which can just test our confidence, compassion, ideas and abilities.
There is a story in China, which tells that Yan Luowang tried two brothers and asked them whether they would be reborn in the future, whether to live a life to endure or a life to give. Brother said: I hope I can live a life of giving for others; The younger brother said: I hope to be a person who accepts the lives of all others. Later, according to their wishes, Yan Luowang's brother was born in a wealthy family and spent his whole life doing charity. My brother was born in a beggar's house, and he lived as a beggar all his life. Although this is a fable, it also shows that a person can have a rich life as long as he knows how to pay and doesn't care about "suffering"; If a person scrimps and saves, only knows to accept, but is stingy with giving, it must be a poor life. There is a proverb in China: "It is a blessing to suffer. It can really be said that it is the crystallization of the wisdom of our ancestors.
I often miss the decades-long friendship with Master Zhu Yun. He used to travel with me, and I paid for the car and accommodation, but when it came to eating and taking pictures, he sat in the middle seat and stood in front. Some people say that he likes to take advantage of me, but I am willing to "suffer". I also like him to take advantage of me, because I understand that he was poor for a long time when he was a teenager. What's more, he is sincere and kind, and has no plans. He even often said to my disciples, "There is no reward for boiling clouds, and some things can't stay. Unlike your master, you can achieve anything you want there. " In fact, what I want to achieve also comes from "losing money".
I remember that when I was preaching Dharma in Yilan more than 40 years ago, every time I attended the Dharma meeting, I invited believers to rest in the temple. At that time, everyone's economy was not rich, and many people took their families and their families as vegetarians, just to add a few cents of sesame oil money, so every time they held a law meeting, they could not make ends meet. I was advised not to run fast, but I would rather "suffer" myself. Therefore, more and more people believe in Buddhism, such as Yi Kong, Huilong, Joseph Lee, Lin Qingzhi and Yang Zibin. They were all children at that time. Because they have formed such a legal relationship, when they grow up, some of them will follow me to become monks, and some will help me organize Buddha's Light Meetings in various places. It was really unexpected at first. Therefore, when the abbot of Foguang Mountain and the heads of various branches complained to me later that many office workers always like to come to the temple to fast when eating, I always said to my disciples, "People who are willing to come to dinner respect us, and we should thank them for giving you an opportunity to increase happiness. 」
Buddhist monks have two different directions, one is to promote Buddhism and benefit students, and the other is to learn Buddhism. Most people are very grateful to the mage who has experienced the Buddhist ceremony. After a merit law, he not only kowtowed and knelt down, but also automatically gave a red envelope to support him. But most people don't understand the importance of Dharma Master. Especially in the era when people's wisdom was not open before, if you want to preach Buddhism, you should not only pay for renting venues and installing electric lights, but also invite people to listen to your lectures. They are here to listen to the scriptures. You should thank them for joining us.
Because it seems that this is a "loss-making" way to promote Buddhism and gain students, many monks in the past did not like to preach Buddhism. But I think Buddhism is the foundation of Buddhism, because once the seeds of Bodhi are sown, the future harvest will not be * * *. So I'd rather make a little sacrifice myself, and I'll try to spread Buddhism everywhere, run free Buddhist classes, summer camps and so on. Therefore, many intellectuals began to believe in Buddhism. Let's work together to bring Buddhism in Taiwan Province Province from old-age Buddhism to young Buddhism, from superstitious Buddhism to believing Buddhism, from worshipping Buddhism to smelling Buddhism, from temple Buddhism to temple Buddhism ... These are all unwilling to "suffer".
Master Cihang once said, "If you have a problem with that person, ask him to run a school or a magazine. I have built more than 100 temples all over the world, and the International Buddha Light Association has established more than 150 general associations and associations at important fixed points all over the world. In addition to the Chinese School and the Buddha Light Century, the Buddha Light Society has also set up 16 Buddhist colleges, middle schools, universities, magazines, compilation institutes and classic translation centers. Although bitter, it has trained many talents for the society and laid the foundation for Buddhism.
Although I have done many bad things to promote Buddhism and benefit the public, there are still not many people who know samadhi. For example, at the beginning of the establishment of South China Institute of Management, I stipulated that tuition and fees would not be charged. Some scholars believe that higher education should adopt a high tuition system to allow people with economic conditions to study. There are also many people who care about Foguang Mountain. I'm afraid as a result, we will have to bear more bank debts. But I think before Buddhism, everyone was equal; Before college, everyone should also have the opportunity to study.
I often see many poor children with excellent academic qualifications, but because the tuition fees are too high, I have to look at the threshold of the university and sigh. I feel very sorry. Moreover, in today's era, utilitarianism is popular, and even education has become a commercial transaction. For a long time, young students lack the virtue of gratitude, so I also want to change a way to guide the social atmosphere. For these many reasons, I still insist on the system of not charging tuition and fees. A year later, I received a thank-you letter from the students. The most rare thing is that when I held my bar mitzvah at school, many young students signed up automatically, which was almost impossible in the past. I don't care whether they believe in Buddhism in the future, but I think if the students can establish a correct outlook on life under the education of this school, and even the public can rethink their economic values and estimate the philosophical beauty of "losing", then I can say that I have earned it.
I have always tried to support Buddhism even though my life is difficult. In the past ten years, the economy has been relatively rich. I often hold sangha workshops and temple workshops. I not only give my experience to each other, but also send you a new series of Tibetan scriptures and Buddhist scriptures. Even my disciples are laughing at my stupidity, and I think it's better to provide for all those who care, so that all temples have a sound system, so that all Buddhists have correct ideas and let everyone know.
Not only do I often subsidize Buddhist temples and other non-profit organizations, but I also suggest that believers give them some charity. Disciple didn't understand and asked me, "The construction of Foguang Mountain needs so much money, and you still teach believers to donate it to others. Isn't it a waste of money? " ? My philosophy on this issue is: "it's yours, even if it loses money, it's still yours." 」
The most unforgettable thing is that a few years ago, I donated the royalties given to me by Tianxia Culture Publishing Company to Hualien Christian Meno Hospital. The believers were all surprised when they learned about it. I said to them, "You can donate it to him, too!" Like Zhao, a Buddhist, who donated money as promised, I was even more moved when I saw that I was going to run a Buddha's Light Satellite TV, so I took out more than several times of money as the preparatory fund for the TV station, and even, Chen Zhengxiuzi, Xue and others followed suit one by one. As the saying goes, "I am for everyone and everyone is for me", all laws in the world are equal, neither increasing nor decreasing. "Losing" means not losing.
Nowadays, many people in society think that worshiping God is better than believing in Buddhism, because worshiping God can pray for fame and fortune from the gods, while Buddhism teaches people to sacrifice their lives for righteousness and bear the burden of humiliation. These seem to be things that make them "suffer". In fact, everything has a cause and effect. It seems that others have taken advantage, but in fact they are the real beneficiaries. For example, I went up a storey still higher because of "losing money" all my life, and achieved my Buddhism, and the Buddhist cause became more prosperous and developed because of "losing money". So I want to tell the public that "losing money" is not only the most ingenious way to practice, but also the only way to behave.