The Buddha says:
“Right Mindfulness” means to:
carefully observe ourselves,
carefully examine our feelings,
carefully reflect on our thoughts,
and carefully study questions concerning “existence.”
We must do all this with diligence, enthusiasm, caution, and reason,
and we must get rid of earthly greed and worries.
My fellow monks, this is “Right Mindfulness.”
Right” means free from deviation or false views. The Eight Noble Paths repeatedly emphasize the word “right.” If our direction is even slightly incorrect, we will end up moving further and further away from our goal.
This is why we must constantly stay alert to whether or not our thoughts are correct. If they are, then we will not go astray.
If I do good deeds with full sincerity and devotion, what will happen?
Dharma Master Cheng Yen: “Whatever we take from our community, we should give back to our community. So long as you sincerely do good deeds without asking for anything in return, good results will follow.”
Translated by E. E. Ho and W. L. Rathje; drawings by Tsai Chih-chung; coloring by May E. Gu
