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Dear Dharma Friends,

The topic we are going to discuss today is the first of a three-part series regarding the relevance of Buddhism to daily living. Buddhism is not an academic subject for the classroom; it is not something only to be practiced when we go to temples. It is a religion and has an integral relationship with our everyday life. We cannot take ourselves out of everyday life, and Buddhism can offer much guidance.

There are many Buddhists who are very knowledgeable, yet still cannot identify with the Buddha's teachings. Buddhism teaches us to be compassionate, but they are not. Buddhism teaches us to be patient, but they are not. Why? The main reason is because they do not practice what they believe; they do not apply the teachings in their daily living. For us to progress in our practice, it is imperative that we integrate the Buddha's teachings into our everyday life.

Today, we will discuss how we can apply the Buddha's teachings in our everyday life. We will explore different ways of looking at space, time, and community—three basic aspects of our daily living.

    1. Viewing space differently—steeping back as a way to forge ahead.

    2. Viewing time differently—brevity as a means to eternity.

    3. Viewing community differently—putting others ahead of oneself.

In our lives, we cannot live independent of space, time, and other people. What does the space aspect of life encompass? Birds, when they are tired or when the sun begins to set, return to their nests to rest. After a hard day at work, we also want to go back to our home sweet home and rest our weary bodies. A nest or a home is the space in which a bird or a person lives. If we do not know how to manage our space, then we will not be able to live comfortably. In the history of mankind, many wars were started because of conflicting claims to space. Space is a very important element in our everyday life, and we need to handle the space we have wisely.

What is the time aspect of life? The seventy or some odd years of one's life are very fleeting and brief. The Buddha says, "We live from breath to breath." How are we to use the limited time we have in this life to do unlimited good? So little time, yet so much to do. We should treasure each moment and live life to its fullest meaning. During the Ch'in dynasty, the poet Tu Yuen-ming wrote this verse on the nature of time:

        Youth does not return.
        A day does not dawn twice.
        Motivate yourself while there is still time.
        Time waits for no one.

What do our relationships with others mean to our existence in this world? We are social animals, and we cannot live independent of others. In fact, we are a lot more dependent on others than we realize. How can we all live together amiably? This question, together with some of the issues raised above, has been studied by many. Today, we will spend some time exploring these issues.

I. Viewing Space Differently—Stepping Back as a Way to Forge Ahead

A. From the space outside of us to the space inside of us

Most of us have an idea of what constitutes the space outside of us; it is the environment in which we live. This includes the house we live in, the city we live in, or even the world we live in. We need to manage the space outside of us. Take for example, if we want to travel from place A to place B, we should have an idea about which route to use, what kind of transportation we need, how much time it requires, what we need to pack for the trip, and what potential problems we should anticipate. If we plan ahead, chances are we will have a wonderful trip. For more extensive trips, such as traveling around the world or journeying into space, more involved planning is called for, but the considerations are pretty much the same. Thus, if we spend the effort to plan, to understand, we stand a fair chance of being able to manage the space outside of us.

There is a limit to what we call our external space. Regardless of how powerful or resourceful we are, the extent of our external space is still very limited. Some of you may disagree because we now have the ability to send people to the moon or to far-away space stations. Yes, traveling to the moon or space stations is a reality, but the area we can cover is still just a small corner of our solar system. Our solar system is a miniscule fraction of our galaxy. There are millions upon millions of galaxies in the universe. Hard as we may try, the space in which we can leave our mark, in the scheme of the universe, is as insignificant as a dust particle. Most of us spend our whole lifetime trying to amass as much space as possible. There is a Chinese saying which puts our conflict over space into perspective. It goes like this, "Having ten thousand acres of fertile land, sleeping only in an eight-foot space at night."

The space inside of us is another story. It is without form and hard to visualize or comprehend. The Buddha told us that the space inside of us is many times larger than the space outside of us. One of the sutra says, "The mind encompasses the space of the universe, traversing realms as numerous as there are grains of sand." We should get to know the space inside of us rather than becoming preoccupied with the space outside of us. Before we go any further, let's clarify what we mean by internal space; we are speaking about our heart, and we should learn to let our heart grow. In Chinese literature, when someone has a big heart, we say that even boats can sail around in it. The Buddha told us that the immenseness of the heart can encompass three thousand chiliocosms. When we open our heart up, we feel the whole of universe within us. Once, someone suggested to the father of Venerable Tze Hui that he should do some traveling. He pointed to his heart and replied, "The whole universe is right here within my heart. Where else would I want to go?" How free!

How do we let our heart grow? The Vimalakirti Sutra teaches us the Dharma method of non-duality. When we open our heart, we are vast like the oceans that welcome water from all tributaries, large and small, or like Mount Sumeru that embraces earth of all kinds, coarse and fine. When we open our heart, disputes, politics, and power struggles will no longer affect us. We will be at ease wherever we find ourselves. Only when we are at ease with the space within us can we enjoy the space outside of us.

B. From the world ahead of us to the world behind us

While it is important that we know to forge ahead, it is even more important that we know to pause and look back. In fact, most of us only know how to forge ahead and do not realize that there is also a world of possibilities behind us. When things are going our way, we charge ahead, seemingly unstoppable. When we come to a brick wall, we stubbornly continue our forward motion, bringing much unnecessary suffering upon ourselves. The Buddha teaches that at any moment in life, there are two worlds for us to choose. One is the world ahead; the other is the world behind. We should know how to make use of both of these worlds, without excluding either of them. When the time is right to charge ahead, we should charge ahead. When it is time to turn around, we should turn around. These two worlds are like our two hands; both are there for us to use. There is no need for us to go through life with one hand tied behind our back. There is a Buddhist poem that describes how we can move ahead by stepping backward. It goes like this:

            Hand planting seedlings in paddy.
            Lowering head,
            automatically sees sky in water.
            To not sway by the six senses is the Way.
            As it turns out,
            stepping back is to forge ahead.

When we come to a precipice in the journey of life, we should remind ourselves that if we "Take a step back and think, [we will see] open seas and spacious sky." In this regard, we can look to nature for inspiration. Water is a perfect example. We all need water, and it is everywhere. When water flows downhill, it first picks up speed, and then it slows down as it reaches flat land. As it travels over the flat land, it meanders and automatically changes course when it hits obstructions. If we can learn to be like water and knows when to change course, we will sail through life's obstacles and at the same time avoid unnecessary bruises.

Some people have said to me, "Your religion teaches people to refrain from smoking, drinking, and gambling. It takes all the fun out of life. Wouldn't that sort of lifestyle too rigid and depressing?" We Buddhists refrain from smoking, drinking, and gambling because we see through the short-lived joy that such a lifestyle holds; we know enough to step back and change course. We would rather devote our energies to practicing the teachings, spreading the Dharma, and helping others. When we truly understand that there will always be a world behind us, then we will know that we always have the choice to turn back. When we are faced with issues of money and fame, love or hate, we need not only charge ahead; we can also turn around. When we know to step back, we will actually move ahead in life. When we embrace not only the world ahead of us, but also the world behind us, then life is full of possibilities. How exhilarating!

C. From the phenomenal world to the transcendental world

When we look around us, the world we see is covered with all kinds of colors and dotted with all different shapes—not unlike looking into a kaleidoscope. We all live in this world, and it is here we all pursue our hopes and dreams. How we live our lives in this world is entirely up to us. Some people see the world as a place to make money, others see it as a place for sharing with their loved ones, and others yet see it as a place to make a name for themselves. It is very easy to get caught up in the phenomena of this world. Our delusions prevent us from seeing that all phenomena are only results of the combination of causes and conditions, without any independent nature of their own. The Diamond Sutra says, "All phenomena are illusive." If we understand this truth, we can transcend the phenomenal world and not be bound by it.

What is the transcendental world? Notice that the question is "what" and not "where," for the transcendental world is right here on Earth. Living in the transcendental world does not mean that we have to give up eating or sleeping. We will eat, sleep, or put on our clothes. The main difference is not to become preoccupied with the trifles of life. There is an old Chinese saying that can help us comprehend the meaning of the transcendental world. It goes like this, "Look at flowers and birds [unswayed] like a wooden carving would. Fear not the myriad things illusively surrounding us." When we live in this world of money and fame without getting caught up in it, then our world can become a transcendental world.

While it is admirable for one to remove him or herself from the rat race, it is even more admirable to work within it and remain true to oneself. Likewise, the lotus flower has always been the subject of admiration because it rises from the mud and yet remains pure. While it is easy to stay immaculate in a sterile environment, it is a lot more difficult to remain clean in a filthy setting. For us Buddhists, choosing to retreat in isolation is not the supreme form of cultivation, but to remain unswayed when surrounded by temptation is. Thus, we say, "The most cultivated cultivates in the midst of the crowd." We have special admiration for those who practice the Dharma amid the hustle and bustle of life. Throughout history, there have been many such examples for us to learn from. The Chinese poet Tu Yuen-ming wrote, "Live amongst the people, yet hear not the bustle of horses and carriages." Vimalarkirti "lived in a family, but unattached to the three realms of existence. Lived with a wife, but always practiced pure living." Venerable Yi-hsiu, a respected monk of his time, was another good example. Once while he was out traveling with his disciple, he saw a woman by the bank of a swift flowing river, wondering how she would cross to the other side. The elder offered to carry her across on his back. In the old days in China, physical contact between men and women was strictly forbidden. His disciple, horrified that his teacher would have such contact with a woman, remained sullen for a whole month. When the elder found out what was bothering his student, he told his student, "I've already forgotten the whole incident. I only carried the woman across, but you have been carrying her in your mind for a whole month." Such carefree living is described by the saying, "Pass through a grove of flowers without a single leaf clinging to the body." When we see through the illusiveness of the phenomenal world and do not become attached to anything, then we are living transcendentally.

In the last three sections, we talked about how to experience the space inside of us, how to see the world behind us, and how to live transcendentally. When we view space through the Buddha's teachings, we will begin to see the space of life differently. Our focus will move from outside inwards, from the world ahead to the world behind, from the phenomenal to the transcendental. In this way, our space of life becomes infinitely larger than we ever thought possible.

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II. Viewing Time Differently—Brevity as a Means to Eternity

One of the sutra says, "We live from breath to breath." This saying reminds us of the brevity and impermanence of life. Even though the mythical Peng Tsu might have live for eight hundred years and the life span of celestial beings runs into tens of thousands of years, such life spans when viewed in the context of eternity, are as fleeting as the morning dew. Each one of us should treasure the time we have and use it wisely. We should use our limited time to enrich our lives and live life to its fullest meaning. We will explore how to do this in the following three points.

A. Use every bit of time

Some of us live to seventy, while others may live to be a hundred. The limited time we have in this world is often diminished by all kinds of necessary activities we have to do to stay alive. Because of these activities, a twenty-four hour day is often chopped up into bits and pieces. We eat, sleep, work at our jobs, and work around the house; before we know it, another day is over. To prepare food, we have to first buy it, then cook it, and only then consume it. Even if we go out to eat, we still have to travel to a restaurant, wait to be served, and consume the food. Sleeping also takes up a lot of our time. First, we have to tidy our beds, and then we sometimes toss and turn before falling asleep. While we may or may not enjoy eating or sleeping, we still have to engage in these activities. There is just no getting around it. If we take the limited years we have and deduct from them the time we spend on eating, sleeping, traveling from place to place, waiting in lines, cleaning ourselves, and going to the bathroom, how much time would we have left? On top of this, if we take away the years we were young and the time we will spend debilitated by old age, there is really not that much time left to apply ourselves to the betterment of mankind. The prime years of our lives are truly limited and brief.

Given how fragmented our days and years are, I often encourage people to make use of every bit and piece of time. In the case of young students, I advise them to make use of the fifteen minutes they have here and there to read a book, write in a journal, or review a chapter. Why waste time chatting or watching television? Housewives can recite the name of Amitabha Buddha while they are cleaning or cooking. People who have to work can also recite the name of Amitabha while they are waiting for the bus or commuting to work. There is an old Chinese saying which we can use as our guide, "Say one less sentence; recite one more time the name of Amitabha Buddha." The flip side of this is also captured by another common Chinese saying, "Diseases enter in through the mouth; problems come out from the mouth." When we chat with our friends and do not think about what we are saying, we can easily say something which offends them without us even realizing it. So, when we have a moment of free time, we should make use of it to recite the name of Amitabha Buddha or to contemplate the splendid appearance of the Buddha. In this way, not only will we not offend others inadvertently, it is also an effortless way to practice. This is truly a win-win situation. When we are constantly mindful of the Buddha, we will be at peace with whatever we are doing. When we can make use of the fragmented time we have, our practice can also benefit.

When we began to build Fo Guang Shan Temple in Taiwan many years ago, others were skeptical and asked me, "Are you an architect? What do you know about building houses? Are you a trained educator? What do you know about running schools?" I would tell those people that my biggest secret is that I know how to use my time. Even though I am not an architect or a trained educator, I have traveled to many places and seen many houses. I often put myself in the shoes of the building contractor and imagined what I would do if I were building such-and-such a house. When I was still in school, I would often think about what I would do differently if I were running the school. When we began building Fo Guang Shan Temple, I already had an idea of what I wanted to do, and everything just fell into place.

In the fast paced society of today, if we don't know how to make use of every bit and piece of time, we will find ourselves always struggling for more. With the advent of pagers, faxes, and wireless telephones, the age of the nine-to-five workday is history. We have to adapt to this hectic lifestyle and use every bit and piece of time to reflect. Unfortunately, when I look around, I see a lot of people squandering their time away. When I ride the bus, I often see people just sitting with blank stares on their faces. It is unlikely that someone who doesn't know how to utilize their time would ever achieve anything remarkable. According to the sutras, we should always be mindful of the Buddha, even when showering or going to the bathroom. When we string up all the fragments of time, we can continually stay mindful of the Buddha. In this way, the Buddha is our anchor and we will not be swayed by the changes in life, career, or circumstances.

B. Use time to make things happen rather than waiting for them to happen

The passing of time is merciless. If we are not watchful, time slips by us without a trace, like a thin veil of fog or columns of clouds in the sky. We have to seize the present moment, for time waits for no one. If we wait for things to happen, we often end up sitting idly by. We should treasure the limited years we have in this life and apply ourselves to living the best we can. We should work to better ourselves, for we do not want to look back when we are old and wish that things had been different.

Once, there were two men from Szechwan; both of them wanted to make a pilgrimage to the Kuan Yin Temple of P'wu-t'wuo Shan. One man wanted to wait until he had saved up enough money to hire a boat so that he could travel by sea to the shores of P'wu-t'wuo Shan. The other man was a poor man, but he wanted to start right away. He decided to travel to P'wu-t'wuo Shan on foot, asking for alms along the way. After a while, the poor man returned while the other man had yet to hire a boat, let alone start out on the pilgrimage.

The moral of the story is that we should not spend our lives waiting for things to happen; instead, we should seize the present moment and make things happen. As long as we have the ability to do good, we should act while an opportunity presents itself. Opportunity does not knock twice; we do not want to have to look back keep and think what could have been. When we are young, we should make use of our youth and apply ourselves. We do not want to wait till our hair is all gray to realize that we have wasted our youth away. If we are wise, we would not romanticize about the past or fantasize about the future; we would simply live in the present.

There is a parable which illustrates there are two kinds of time. The first kind of time is when we just sit around waiting for things to happen. The second kind of time is when we actively try to make things happen. These are two very different kinds of time. Once, there was an old man whose hair was all white and a few of his teeth were missing. Someone asked him, "Mister, how old are you?"

"Four," answered the elderly gentleman.

The person was puzzled and said, "You must be kidding. Judging from your gray hair, you cannot possibly be four. If I have to guess, I'd say you are about seventy or eighty years old."

The elderly gentleman continued, "Let me explain. On a calendar basis, I am eighty years old, but all my life I had been fumbling along, waiting for things to happen to me. I only started truly living about four years ago when I became interested in Buddhism. In these four years, I've actively pursued the truth about life and the universe. Now, I work, not for myself, but for others."

The sands of time disappear one grain at a time, and before long, we wonder where the years have gone. We should use the time we have to make whatever contributions we can. When we first began to build Fo Guang Shan Temple in Taiwan, the area we had chosen was a remote and barren piece of land. Some people wondered out loud why we should "waste" our time. With determination and the help of many faithful devotees, we finally completed what we had started. Imagine if we had not started when we did or if we had decided to wait for a better location, Fo Guang Shan may not be where it is today. If we use time to create rather than to wait, then we can turn dreams into reality. When we dedicate ourselves to serving others, our time is well spent.

Amitabha Buddha is our best example of one who uses time to create. A lot of us have heard about Amitabha's pure land of Ultimate Bliss. It was manifested through the strength of Amitabha's forty-eight great vows, which came to fruition over the course of countless asamkhya kalpas. We should learn from Amitabha and use our time to make things happen. We should not sit idly by waiting for Amitabha to come and invite us into the World of Ultimate Bliss. We should use our time to work hard in our practice and apply ourselves diligently. In this way, we will be able to identify with the great vows of Amitabha Buddha and realize for ourselves our own pure land.

C. Realize eternity through the brevity of life

If we only focus on how limited our life is, we will begin to think that life is dull and lacks possibilities. On the contrary, if we realize that universal life is everlasting, then life becomes a lot more interesting. Some of you may say that since we all will die one day, it is impossible to say that life is everlasting? If we can break out of our tunnel vision, we will see that death is, in fact, the beginning of another life. According to the Buddha's teachings, death is not the final chapter of life. Death is like moving from an old house to a new house; when our current physical body becomes old and dies, we will take up a new body. Of course, the kind of body we take up will depend on our cumulative good and bad karma. Let's take the analogy of moving into a new house a step further. If we have been putting money away while living in our current house, then we can afford to move to a nicer, bigger house when the current one starts to fall apart. If we have not been putting money away, then when it is time to move, we'll have no choice but to move down to a smaller house. Thus, while our life span is limited, we should use our time wisely to do good. Then when it is time for us to depart this body, we can be reborn into the World of Ultimate Bliss. According to the sutras, the World of Ultimate Bliss is a place of grandeur; the ground is paved with gold and the houses are built of seven kinds of precious stones. Thus, Buddhists do not fear death, and we do not look at death as the final chapter of life. We know that by steadfastly practicing during this brief existence, we will come to happiness in Amitabha's World of Ultimate Bliss.

How do we use our limited time to bring about infinite value? Let me tell you a story. Once, there was an elderly gentleman who wanted to plant a peach tree. As he was laboring to plant the small peach tree, a young man passed by. The young man struck up a conversation with the elderly man and asked, "Sir, are you sure you want to spend such energy on planting this tree? You may not live to see it grow, let alone enjoy its fruit. Is this not a waste?"

The old man stood up and wiped off his sweat. With his dry, crackling voice, he looked at the young man and, in a serious tone, replied, "You are too young to understand the meaning of life. I want to plant this tree not for myself. Though I may not live to see it bear fruit, my sons will get to enjoy its shade, and my grandchildren will enjoy its fruit. How can you say this is a waste?"

The young man was moved by the profound insight of the elderly gentleman. So this is why we say that later generations enjoy the fruits of labor of earlier generations. We should not look at life just as the limited span of one person's life; we should look at the larger life of the universe. While a person's life may only span a limited number of years, its value is everlasting. The continuity of life through one person to another is not unlike the process of spreading fire from one log to another. While the fire of the second log is not the same as the fire of the first log, it represents a continuation of the fire from the first log. In a similar way, from one being to another, we can see the continuity of life.

Given that we all play linking roles in this continuum of life, how are we to contribute to this larger life? Some people contribute through politics, others through their writing, and others yet through their examples. While these are all worthwhile contributions, Buddhism teaches us a more complete and supreme way. Buddhism teaches that when we discover our own dharmakaya (the body of truth), then we have found our own eternity. Dharmakaya is everywhere and everlasting. Our great teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, is a great example of one who found eternity in the dharmakaya. Though the Blessed One had entered nirvana over two thousand five hundred years ago, the dharmakaya of the Buddha is still here with us. This is the meaning of eternity in life.

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III. Viewing Community Differently—Putting Others Ahead of Oneself

Human beings are social animals; we cannot live apart from the community. We say, "Seek the Dharma among the people." Thus, the cornerstone of a happy living is to have good relationships with others. We all should have a thorough understanding of the role our relationships with others plays in our life. To this end, I'd like to offer the following three points: think of the greater good, reflect with a sense of remorse on the ill we caused, and be giving and thankful.

A. Think of the greater good

When we understand our world is the culmination of our collective karma and conditions, then we see that the world is here for all of us. Each one of us is born into this world because of our own individual causes and conditions. The fact that we live in this world together with others means that we share some common causes and conditions. Since we all live in this world, we should try to see others' points of view and extend a hand to others when they need help. If we all can be considerate of others, then the world would be a better place.

The Sixth Patriarch of the Ch'an school of Buddhism once said, "The Dharma is in the world; enlightenment cannot be realized apart from the world. Seeking bodhi apart from the world is like looking for horns on a rabbit." From this, we see that the Dharma is in the world, in every one of us. If we want to experience the Dharma, we should first start by understanding that we all are one. When our view of the world is grounded in oneness, then our living will be truly joyous and meaningful.

Happiness, like the Dharma, cannot be fully experienced apart from others. When we go to the movies, it is more fun to go with others. When we share our moments of joy with others, we feel truly blessed. Why? Let me explain this with the following analogy. When we use the flame of one candle to light other candles, the original flame does not lose its luminosity. On the contrary, the light from all the candles build upon each other, making the room that much brighter. The state of happiness is very much like the flame of the candle. When we share our joy with others, our joy will not be lessened. Many times, our emotional state is very much dependent on how others around us feel. Take the example of the everyday family dinner. It is a lovely sight to see caring parents and happy children sitting together at the dinner table, laughing and talking. The dinner may be simple, but the atmosphere is what makes the difference. On the other hand, eating alone takes the fun out of eating. In solitude, even gourmet food tastes like cardboard. From this, we see that happiness is something that multiplies when shared. Thus, if we want to find lasting happiness, we have to first take down the walls that separate us from each other.

I have personally experienced how much better life can be when it is grounded in oneness. In my early years, I came into some money from the books and articles I authored. Using this money, I purchased a fairly nice house thinking that it would give me a place to concentrate on my writing. True, the house was comfortable, but I ended up selling it and used the proceeds to start Fo Guang Shan. Now when I hear the voices of young students reciting their lessons at the schools of Fo Guang Shan or when I see devotees coming to pay their respects to the Buddha, I feel Dharma joy all over the place. Even though I personally do not possess anything, the reward I got from seeing how Fo Guang Shan has blossomed is many times greater than the comfort of living in a nice house. When we look at this world through the eyes of the community, then our lives will be much more rewarding and joyful.

B. Reflect with a sense of remorse on the ill we caused

Each day we are alive in this world, we create new karma through our deeds, words, and thoughts. While some of our karma is good, we also create a lot of bad karma. Thus, when we interact with the people around us, we should always be mindful of our actions.

Buddhism places a great deal of emphasis on continually reflecting on the three doors of karma (deeds, words, and thoughts) and reflecting with a sense of remorse on the ill we have caused. Repentance is a gateway into the Dharma and has profound impact on our practice. Take the example of a student making certain mistakes on a test. If the student learns from his or her mistakes, then the student will not repeat them. Likewise, we all should be vigilant in not repeating our mistakes. Repentance is like Dharma water that can wash away the filth of delusion.

During the seventy or eighty years here in this world, we are constantly busy, working, and providing for our family. How many times, because of our obligations to work or family, have we created conflicts with others? If we all learn to be vigilant in guarding the three doors of karma and are repentant of the harm we've caused, then we stand a better chance of creating more good karma than bad. One of the sutra tells us, "Fear not the stir of delusions, fear though the delay of awareness." When our delusions cause us to act unwholesomely, we should immediately recognize them and repent our actions. What is most tragic is when we do not see our faults and continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. If we mistakenly walk into a swamp, we still can be saved if we quickly turn around and walk away. If, however, we stubbornly persist on the same course of action, we will be beyond hope of being rescued.

In Buddhism, there are various kinds of rites and rituals which teach us to atone for our mistakes. In addition to these services, I have here a simple method that we can use in our everyday life. This method works all the time and all you have to do is remember this, "You are right; I am wrong." This may sound counter-intuitive because we are trained from very young to look out for ourselves. Very often, we can spot others' mistakes from a mile away, but we are blind to our own follies even when they are right under our nose. If we could switch this around, then the world would be a much more peaceful place. Let me give you here an illustration of how this could work in everyday life. It was a hot day; Lee wanted to turn on the fan. Chan was annoyed and yelled, "Don't just think about yourself. You know I have a cold. Please turn off the fan."

Lee was put off by Chan's yelling and answered back, "You are the one with the cold. If you don't like the fan, you can sit over there."

Now, Lee was really angry and shot back, "Why should I move?"

One wants to turn on the fan, and the other wants it off. They just cannot see eye to eye. What if Lee had just apologized to Chan in the beginning and moved the fan so that it did not point in Chan's direction; the whole incident would have just blown over. When we're focused on our own faults, there is little room or time for delusion to manifest itself. When we do not dwell on the faults of others, there is little chance for conflicts to develop. In this way, we make peace, not war.

C. Be giving and thankful

Most people are focused on themselves. They have no qualms about taking, but when it is their turn to give, they make all kinds of excuses. If we understand the Buddha's teachings on the truth of life and the universe, we will change our ways. If we understand that every cause has its effect, then we may think differently about taking advantage of others, and we would not be so hesitant about giving. In Buddhist literature, there is a wonderful story that may open our eyes to the true meaning of the saying, "It is better to give than to receive."

Once, there were two men from the same village; one of them was miserly while the other was generous. They both happened to pass away at about the same time. In death, they appeared before King Yama who was about to pass judgement on their past actions. He told the two men, "I am going to let both of you be reborn into the world. One of you will always be giving, while the other will always be receiving. Which one would you rather be?"

The miserly person immediately spoke up, "I want to be the one that will always be receiving."

The other man did not mind to being the one who will be continually giving, and so he nodded in agreement. Both of them stood there waiting for final instructions of where they would be reborn. King Yama picked up his staff and pounded on the ground a few times. He said to the miser, "Since you choose to be receiving from others, you will be reborn as a beggar. This will give you plenty of opportunity to be on the receiving end." He then turned to the other man and said, "You will be reborn into great wealth. Share your wealth with those less fortunate and give alms."

We Buddhists should model ourselves after the Buddha. The Buddha is always compassionate. He puts the welfare of others before his own. He is a good example of what we mean by, "Be the first to worry about the world's problems, be the last to enjoy the its prosperity." Instead of thinking, "What others can do for me?" we should think what I can do for others. [President Kennedy of the United States once stated in a very famous speech, "Ask not what the country can do for you; ask what you can do for your county."] The experience of giving is much more fulfilling than that of receiving.

If we pause just for a minute, we will see that we owe our existence to the very generous giving of many. We'll realize that in addition to giving, we should also be thankful for what we have. Giving and being thankful always go hand in hand. What should we be thankful for? We should be thankful for the Buddha's teachings. We should be thankful for our parents giving us life, raising us, and teaching us. We should be thankful for our teachers and elders teaching us right from wrong. We should be thankful to all those who provided us with our many necessities in life. We should also be thankful for the sun which gives us warmth, for the air which gives us oxygen, for the rain which gives us water, and for nature which lets us enjoy its beauty. When we think of all the causes and conditions that are present for us to live, we should feel very much indebted to everything we have. We will then listen to the singing of the birds with delight and look at the beautiful flowers of nature in a different light.

All the great Buddhists in history share the common trait of gratitude. Their gratitude is a form of practice. One example that came to mind was Venerable Yin-kwang, who became a monastic at the age of twenty-one. When he first became a monk, he was responsible for making sure that there was enough boiled water for drinking. When he needed to boil more water, he had to first go into the woods to get firewood. A lot of people in the venerable's shoes would complain of being assigned such a menial task. Not only was Venerable Yin-kwang never bitter, he was very grateful that he was given the opportunity to live there working for the temple. If we are conscious of our blessings, we will not be bent out of shape when we are thrown a curve in life. We are fast becoming a nation of cynics; we concentrate on being vindictive rather than being grateful. If we develop a grateful attitude, I can assure you that conflict, jealously, and squabbles will disappear without a trace.

There is a prevailing misconception that Buddhism has very little to do with living. Some people look at Buddhism as something that is mystical, unfathomable, and cryptic. This cannot be further from the truth. Buddhism is about life and is inseparable from life. Today, we have explored how Buddhism can have an impact on the way we look at the three basic aspects of life—space, time, and community. I hope you all have gained a little insight into the living aspect of Buddhism. May the nourishment of the Dharma strengthen us.