The Buddha says:
Only when you stop trying to be happy
can you be truly happy.
Even absolute happiness is not the final goal.
There is an even better state:
the freedom and wisdom of nirvana.
What is nirvana? Some people think that death is nirvana. But it isn’t.
Nirvana is a state of constant, serene light. It means that no thoughts come and go in your mind, and therefore you are not defiled by any worries. Your mind is capable of producing wisdom and completely illuminating your inner being. This is also called “quiet light.”
I don’t want people to get angry with me, but I don’t know what to say and what not to say.
Master Cheng Yen replied: Say good things that will help others. Don’t say bad things—in fact, don’t even think about them. Every thought is a seed of karma. If you have bad thoughts and act them out, that would really be bad.
Translated by E. E. Ho and W. L. Rathje; drawings by Tsai Chih-chung; coloring by May E. Gu
