The Buddha says:
My fellow monks! Your have left your families,
so there is no one to look after you.
If you do not support each other,
who else is going to care for you in the future?
My fellow monks! Those who are willing to serve me
should also take care of the sick ones among you.
The Buddha taught us to be compassionate, which means that we should love and be kind to people, so that everyone can sincerely live in peace with each other.
Those who help other people are called bodhisattvas. If you give of yourself and help others for one day, then you are a bodhisattva for one day.
At the end of your lectures, why do you often tell us to “be mindful”?
Dharma Master Cheng Yen replied: As human beings, we cannot afford not to be mindful. People are out of touch with themselves, and so in their daily lives they often say or do the wrong things. Therefore, whenever I finish a talk, I almost always remind everyone to “be mindful.” I hope each of you can take good care of this mind of yours, so that you can be pure in thought, word, and action.
Translated by E. E. Ho and W. L. Rathje; drawings by Tsai Chih-chung; coloring by May E. Gu
