Sincere Friendship Heralds Goodness in the World. Thoughtful Teachings Bring Blessings and Enrichment

The theme of this year’s year-end blessing is “Sincere friendship heralds goodness in the world. Thoughtful teachings bring blessings and enrichment.” This year, we must work hard to strengthen our interpersonal relationships.

We address awakened sentient beings as bodhisattvas, which refers to people with awakened love or sincere love. For the world to be harmonious, every household must be at peace. This depends on everyone’s mindset. We need to promote sincere friendship. Society will then naturally be auspicious.

We must be role models for society. For this, we should not only use traditional education in schools, but also education of the heart to guide people in families and society.

The Chinese word for “religion” includes two characters that refer to the purpose of life and teachings on how to live, respectively. From school to family and the entire society, everyone must have a steadfast attitude.

Taking in the fragrance of the Dharma everyday proves that we are all diligent. Since we have diligence, we must take the Dharma to heart and put it to practice. This way, we can become role models. Using sincerity, integrity, faith, and steadfastness to educate by example is how “thoughtful teachings bring blessings and enrichment.”

People in Taiwan treasure compassion and love, but that is not enough. We must work even harder to bring purity to people’s minds.

“The Buddha’s heart” is a heart of great compassion. “The teacher’s mission” is that everyone can walk the Bodhisattva Path. We cannot bear to see sentient beings in suffering, so we willingly help them. This all comes from very sincere love.  This love is sincere. Tzu Chi volunteers must inwardly cultivate sincerity, integrity, faith, and steadfastness, as well as outwardly practice loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. In a large organization like this, we must have sincere friendships among bodhisattvas and “thoughtfully teach” one another. We are all each other’s friends and mentors.

We must be more mindful in cultivating great compassion. You and I must share the same aspiration and use the Buddha Dharma to bring purity to people’s minds. We should look forward to forming bodhisattva aspirations and hope for everyone to walk the Bodhisattva Path together.

This year, the goal of Tzu Chi volunteers is “Sincere friendship heralds goodness in the world.” When treating others with kindness and sincerity, the world is filled with auspiciousness. If everyone has sincerity, won’t the world be auspicious and harmonious? As for “thoughtful teachings,” we should all lead by example, encouraging ourselves to become role models in this world.

We should observe how others put teachings into practice, then put them into practice ourselves. “Teachings” are not only necessary in schools, but also in this world. We must receive teachings for our whole lives and accept the good examples others set. Thus, “thoughtful teachings bring blessings and enrichment.”

Tzu Chi volunteers must uphold the ten precepts and inwardly cultivate sincerity, integrity, faith, and steadfastness. We must wholeheartedly and continuously seek teachings and keep learning, as well as guide everyone steadfastly in the right direction, towards this bright great path.

If everyone can treat others with kindness and sincerity and help others with sincerity, there will naturally be auspiciousness in the world.

“Thoughtful teachings bring blessings and enrichment.” All teachers very mindfully educate children, helping them understand moral principles. In this way, they bring blessings and enrichment to society. In addition, when people are well-educated, they behave better in society so that police officers and other public servants will be less exhausted. So, these are examples of everyone helping and supporting each other.

“Sincere friendship heralds goodness in the world.” I hope everyone can interact with sincerity, integrity, faith, and steadfastness. This way, the world will naturally be harmonious and filled with auspiciousness, and ignorance will gradually be swept away.

Fortunately, we were all mentally prepared against the wind of ignorance in the beginning of last year, which is part of a Tzu Chi volunteer’s duty. We must ask ourselves if we have practiced sincerity, integrity, faith, and steadfastness. If yes, that is a herald of goodness in the world, and we have a clear conscience. We must also give “thoughtful teachings that bring blessings and enrichment.” Bodhisattvas are role models in this world.

Although some people have had a difficult past, joining Tzu Chi has changed their lives. Now, they are role models in life. Education is not only in classrooms. We can be role models and lead by example in our communities; in this way, one good deed can lead to infinite goodness. These are “thoughtful teachings.” We are benefiting others every day, which brings blessings and enrichment.

Everyone must have this motto in mind: “Sincere friendship heralds goodness in the world. Thoughtful teachings bring blessings and enrichment.” Tzu Chi volunteers can “inwardly cultivate sincerity, integrity, faith, and steadfastness, and outwardly practice loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.” I hope the dark wind in this world can turn into auspicious signs. When the wind blows away the clouds thus revealing the moon, it is an auspicious sign.

We practice loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity as role models. This all benefits the world. So, “Thoughtful teachings bring blessings and enrichment.”

Many people from impoverished countries come back to get certified as faith corps and commissioners. Especially for the ones coming back from Africa, plane tickets are too expensive, but thankfully the Taiwanese business leaders would help them. Every year, they pick the best volunteers and take turns coming back to get certified. Seeing them wear the qipao (commissioner’s mandarin gown), they looked actually as graceful as us—we’re all equal.

They are wealthy spiritually. No matter how tough the road is, they are willing to walk. No matter how difficult it gets, they can overcome. This is all spiritual wealth. Talking about them makes me joyful and many people are touched by them. So, we gave them “thoughtful teachings,” which bring “blessings and enrichment.” They come and learn from Taiwan, and when they return to their countries, many people learn from them. This is what it means to teach and learn from each other.