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Blygatan 3, 195 72 Rosersberg Sweden http://www.ibps-sweden.com E-mail: info@ibps-sweden.com

Tel : 46 (8) 5903-5801 Fax: 46 (8) 5903-5815

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Martin

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22001122 ~~~~ ~~~~

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BG:41451301266 IBPS Sweden BG:775-4898 BLIA Stockholm

22001122 IIBBPPSS SSwweeddeenn && BBLLIIAA SSttoocckkhhoollmm AAkkttiivviitteettsssscchheemmaa rr 22001122

Datum

Aktivitet

Innehll

30 Sep Buddhistisk pilgrimsgng

Kinesisk Midhstfestival

10-14 Oct Internationella BLIA Mte

Plats: Kaoshiung Fo Guang Shan i Taiwan

28 Oct Guanyin Bodhisattvas bankett

10-11 Nov Medicinbuddhans ceremoni

Medicinbuddhans sutra

25 Nov Medicinsk frelsning

Rubrik: Vanor och hlsa

2 Dec BLIA Stockholm rsmte

Samling fr BLIA-medlemmar

5 Dec Vlgrenhetsbesk

Kultur fest

16-23 Dec Amitabha Buddhas ceremoni

Recitation av Amitabhasutran

11:00

BBLLIIAAWWoorrllddCCoonnffeerreennccee22001122byWendyHar

Happinessandpeaceisthethemeforyear2013. Allchaptersaretoworkandpromote simultaneously. Howdoweachievehappiness? MasterHsingYun saidthatonehastostartwithourself.Wehavetobehappyinordertobringhappinesstoothers. Nogod,ghost,norfriendscanhelpus. Onlyyouwhocanhelpyourself! Whenoneishappy,family,societyandcountrywillgainpeace.

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Can people who go after fame, fortune, love, democracy and freedom findhappinessandpiecewithinthem?MasterHsingYun'sanswerisbittersweet:yesandno.Inhiseyes,happinessandpeacecomefromfoursetsofvalues:detachmentandcontentment;compassionandtolerance;lettinggoandpickingupwithperfectease;altruismandselfishness.Peopleshouldseek toenjoy insteadofpossess. `Learn toenjoywhatistherebutnotwhatyouearnsuchastheearth,nature,landscape,andtheBuddhaMemorialCentre,hesaidwithalaugh.Lifeisnotaboutwhatwecanown,becausenomatterhowmuchwehave,wecanneversatisfyourgreed.Enjoylifewithadetachedmindandhappinessandcontentmentwillbe foundeverywhere.Therearenoenemiesintheeyesofcompassion.Howmuchyoutolerateishowmuchyouhave.Thebiggeryourheart is, thebiggeryourworld isand themoresuccessyouwillachieve.MasterHsingYunoftenuse`Lifeisasuitcase'asametaphorforlife.Wecarryitwhenweneedto,andputitdownwhenitistimetodoso.Theabilitytoletgomakesiteasiertopickitupagain,andwhenyouarewillingtostepforward,therewillbehopeforthefuture.Mostpeoplemayfindaltruismandselflessnessthemoredifficult virtues to achieve, because sometimes it is part of human nature to beselfish.ForthosewhohavenevercomeacrossBuddhism,toletgoofattachmentsisunlikely to endwell.MasterHsingYun concludedby sharinghis initialwondrousfascinationwithBuddhism.Iwasn'tsureaboutwhotheBuddhawasevenIbecameamonk.Where isBuddha?Would Ihavea chance tomeetand speakwithhim? Imadeeightpilgrimage journeysbutIdidnotseetheBuddha.Intheend,IrealizedthatBuddhaisnowherebutlivinginmyheart.

Topromote reading, alldonationsofnewor secondhandChineseorEnglishbooksaremostwelcome.ThirtyeightMobilelibrariesWillbesentouttoruralareas. MasterHsingYunadvisesusnotonlytoreadbooksbutnewspapers.Increasingourknowledgeofoursocietyisveryimportantespeciallyforthosewhoareoutlookingforajoborcareer.Chancestogetajobforastudentwithmediumqualificationbutgoodsocietyknowledgeishigherthananunsociablestudentsthathaveobtainedthebestresultinexaminationandhavenonesocietyknowledge.

To form elderly advisor association, all chapters with more than 3 elderlyadvisorsare to formanassociationwithheadadvisorandviceadvisor.After thejointdiscussionoftheelderlyadvisors,theyresolvedthattheirresponsibilitiesareto form studygroups,advicesandassistance topresident (respect thedecisionofpresident)andetc.Headofadvisoraretobeelectedyearly.

Forum on thinking forward held in the Buddha Memorial Centre was asuccessful event.According toMasterHsingYun,onehas to thinkbeforemovingforward, think while moving forward and think after moving forward. Twospokesmen,Mr.CharlesKaoandMr.StanleyYen andaspokeswoman,MadamHongLan shared and guided us education for children, the function of our brain. It isimportanttoknowhowthehumanbrainfunctionasmostofouractioniscontrolbythebrain,andwhenwehadtheunderstandingofthefunctions,wewouldunderstandbetter the childrenandelderlybehavior. Hence, thiswillhelpus to increaseourrespectfortheminsteadofbeingangryanddisrespectful.

Thedecisionofthenextcommitteemeetinghasnotbeendecided.Decisionwillbemade within 3months and the venue of themeeting will be held in eitherPhilippineorParis,Europe.

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(Newsfrom:ChinaPostTaiwan)

The Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA), the first Chinesenongovernmentalorganization listedundertheEconomicandSocialCounciloftheUnitedNations,willholdits2012WorldHeadquartersGeneralConferenceOct.1114atFoGuangShan(FSG)MonasteryinKaohsiung,withsome2,000representativesofover 100 chapters from 38 countries to participate in the grand annual event,accordingtoapressstatement.

InadditiontoacongratulatorymessagefromPresidentMaYingjeou,HonoraryChairmanWuPohhsiungof theR.O.C.Chapterof theBLIAandVicePresidentWuDenyihwilldeliverspeechesattheopeningoftheannualgeneralconference.SuchVIPs as former Malaysian Minister of Transport Ong Tee Keat and HonoraryChairman Yu Shengching of theWorld Taiwan Chambers of Commercewill alsoattendtheeventintheircapacityasmembersoftheBLIA,thestatementsaid.

Founded in Los Angeles, California on May 16, 1992, the BLIA has beendedicated to promoting humanisticBuddhism, placing an emphasis on education,culture,cultivationandserviceandhavingmadeconcreteachievementsinthefields.InMaythisyear,IllinoisGovernorPatQuinnannouncedthateveryMay16wouldbeBLIADay. JapanesecouncilorsvisitedFGS toexpress theirgratitude toTaiwanandFGSforgrantingreliefassistanceaftertheMarch11,2011earthquakeandtsunami.In addition,masters of theBLIA also served as religious guidersduring the2012LondonOlympics.

TheupcomingconferencewillcenteronthethemeofHappinessandPeacefulMind. Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founding president of BLIA, will deliver akeynotespeechattheopeningceremonytoshedlightonwaystoachievehappinessandapeacefulmindamidtherapidprogressofthemodernworldandthegrowingalienationofhumanrelationshipsinthesociety.

OnOct.12,therewillbetwoforumsonHumanisticBuddhismandMeheldatthe FGS Monastery. On Oct. 13, a thinking forward forum will be held at theBuddha Memorial Center, with Venerable Master Hsing Yun, professor H.C. Kao,professorHungLan,professorStanleyC.Yen,andCoralL.S.Wang,publisheroftheGlobalViewsMagazinetoparticipateintheforum.

HHaappppiinneessss aanndd PPeeaaccee Keynotespeechgivenatthe2012BLIAGeneralConferenceFoGuangShan,TaiwanOctober1114,2012EnglishTranslation:Ven.MiaoGuangProofreadby:Ven.MiaoHsi,LindaTsui,&LouOrtega

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Distinguishedguests,BLIAmembers,greetingstoyouall!

It has been twenty years since Buddha's Light International AssociationwasinauguratedattheLosAngelesMusicCenterin1992.Aswelookbackatthepasttwodecades,wesee thatBLIAmembershavepropagatedHumanisticBuddhismacrosstheworld,broughtlightandhopetohumanity,servedandcontributedtosociety,andalsolefttheirownmarksinhistory.Iwouldliketotakethisopportunitytoexpressmyutmostadmirationforyourdedication.

Intoday'sworld,technologicalandmedicaladvanceshaveprolongedthehumanlifespan. However, such advances have also led to increasing estrangement andapathyamongpeople.Moreandmorepeoplearefeelingthe lackofhappinessandpeace in their lives. Hence, the theme of this years General Conference isHappinessandPeace,throughwhichIhopeallofyoucantakehometheessenceofhappinessandpeaceandspreaditacrosstheworld,applyittoyourdailylives,andbe free from sorrow, worries, suffering, and trouble. At the same time, mayhappinessandpeacebroadenyourmindsandraisethestandardandqualityofyourlivestohigherlevels.

Speakingofhappinessandpeace,what isthepurposeofourexistence inthisworld? Is it to findhappiness?Or toexperience suffering?Ofcourse,mostpeoplewould say, Happiness! In reality,howmanypeopleactuallyenjoyhappiness andpeace?Whatwehearandseemostoftenarethewailsofgriefoverthecatastrophesofthisworld.Theseincludenaturaldisastersandmanmadecalamitiessuchaswar,violence, famine, poverty, and various stresses and anxieties experienced ineverydaylife.Veryfewpeoplethinkoflifeastrulyhappy.

The average person is committed to becoming famous and rich, but ishappinessandpeacefoundwithinfameandfortune?Theanswerisnotentirelyyes.Ingeneral,people like topursuemoneyand love,butcanhappinessandpeacebefoundwithinmoneyandlove?Again,theanswerisabittersweetyesandno.Asforthosewhopursuefreedomanddemocracy,evenifthecountryisfreeanddemocratic,without inner peace and ease, life is still without true happiness and peace.Therefore, it canbe said that thehappinessandpeace thathavebeen soughtbypeopleforsolongareinfactinthepossessionofveryfew.

How do we attain peace and happiness in life? I offer the following foursuggestions:

I.Happinessandpeacecomefromdetachmentandcontentment

In this world, some people pursue material happiness and others pursuenatures tranquility and peace, while some pursue material transcendence andspiritual happiness attained from detachment and contentment. So what type ofhappinessshouldwebepursuing?Material lifemay satisfyourdailyneeds,but itdoesnotbringsustainedhappiness;onlydetachmentandcontentmentallowus toenjoylastinghappiness.

Asthesayinggoes,amindwithoutdesiresmakesacharacternoble.Apersonmaybewithoutglamorousoutfitsorsensualenjoyments,butaslongasheorsheisnotgreedyforanything,heorshewillnaturallybenobleincharacter.Apersonwho

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isdetachedandwithoutdesiresdoesnotgetjealousorcomparehimselfwithothers,doesnotopposeor fightwithothers, anddoesnot treatpeopleor matterswitharrogance and insolence, but follows any conditionswith perfect ease. Take themanyeminentandvirtuouspeoplethroughouthistory,forexample.Theyearnedtherespectofothersnotbecauseof theirwealth,butbecauseof theirmoral integritynurturedthrough livingsimplebutcontentlives.Theyarethetruemodelsoflivingthephilosophyofemptiness.

Onlyby liberatingourselves from the shacklesofdesire can therebehope infinding truehappinessandpeace.YanHui,arenowneddiscipleofConfucius, livedwithabamboodishofrice,agourdvesselofdrinkinperfecteaseandpeace.TaoYuanmingoftheJinDynastywaswillingtoretreatfromthetrappingsofofficialdomto live a secluded life of farming and reading, carefree and content in pluckingchrysanthemums under the eastern fence and serenely gazing at the southernmountains.MasterXuanzangoftheTangDynastyspokenowordsoffameandgain;performed no superficial acts while receiving royal patronage and remaineddetached from fameandgain tomaintainhis integrity.MasterHongYiof recenttimes used the same towel for decades, and when a dish was too salty, he stillconsumed itwith ease by saying, Saltiness is a taste; so is blandness. From theabove,wecanseethatthereweremanypeopleabletonurtureanoblecharacterbybeingcontentinpoverty.

Whilemostpeoplepursuewealthandfame,theyneedtoknowthatabeautifullifewithabroadervisioncanbeattainedbyenjoyinginsteadofpossessing.Forexample,althoughIdonotownthemountains,rivers,lands,flowers,andtrees,Icanstill wander through them in a carefree manner. Is this not happiness? WhilesomeoneelsemayowntheentireworldandIdonot,Icanstillenjoythecoolbreezesandthebrightmoon.IcanstillcarefortheworldIliveinandregardallpeopleasmy brothers and sisters. To be able to enjoy the entire universe and the vastemptinessmakesmyworldbiggerandbroaderthanowningatown,acity,acountryor immeasurablewealth.Hence, life isnotabout thepursuitofwhatwecanown,becausenomatterhowmuchwehave,wecanneversatisfyourgreed.Enjoylifewithadetachedmindandhappinessandcontentmentwillbefoundeverywhere.

Ihavealwaysadmired theHakkaexpressiongiven inresponsewhenyouasksomeone ifhehaseaten.Generallypeoplewould say, Yes, Ihaveeaten,or Iamfull.ButaHakkadoesnotrespondinthismanner,hetellsyou,Iamcontent!Thisisquiteinteresting,becausethisexpressesthatnotonlyhasheeaten,butheisalsovery satisfied. A simple expression of I am content! shows somuch ease andconfidence.How can one be troubled bypoverty?A contentheartmakes one thewealthiestpersonintheworld.

Detachment and contentment give rise to the strengths of concentration andwisdom.Themoredetachedyouare,themoreconcentratedyoucanbe,andthus,themore you are able to redefine the meaning and value of life. Just as Taiwansvegetable vendor Chen Shuchu is detached from money, allowing her to givegenerouslysothatthevalueofmoneycanbemaximized.Assuch,shehaswontherespectofeveryone.

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Detachmentandcontentmentmeans:therearethingsweshoulddo,thingsweshouldnotdo in life; thereare things thatwe shoulddesire, thingswe shouldnotdesireinourminds.Whenwecanbecontent,wewillnotbeenslavedbylifeandwillbe able to settle both body and mind to enjoy the wealth and happiness ofcontentment.Therefore,detachmentandcontentmentare truewealth,andpeoplewho understand detachment and contentment will naturally have happiness andpeaceinlife.

II.Happinessandpeacecomefromcompassionandtolerance

Compassion isanasset jointlyownedbyall livingbeings; it isnotexclusivetoBuddhism. Only when there is compassion can humanity coexist in mutualprosperity.Upon the foundingofBLIA, Icomposed theBLIAVerse toserveas themottooflifebywhichBLIAmembersworldwideshouldabide.Theopeningline,Maykindness, compassion, joy and equanimity pervade all Dharma realms, is anexpectation for all of us to open up our minds and emulate AvalokitesvaraBodhisattvas spirit of great lovingkindness and compassion, bringing joy to alllivingbeingsand liberating them fromsuffering. Inotherwords: togivekindness,compassion,joyandequanimitytoalllivingbeings.

ChanMasterJindailovedorchids,soheplantedmanypreciousorchidspeciesinthe temple garden.Oneday, ashewaspreparing to leave the temple to attend tocertain affairs, he reminded his disciple to take care of the orchids during hisabsence.Unfortunately,whilewateringtheplants,thediscipleaccidentallyknockedover theshelfandbroke thepots.Hewas fullofshameand thought tohimself, Ihavedestroyedmymaster'sbelovedorchidplants.Master isgoing toget soangrywhenhereturns! UponCh'anMasterJindai'sreturn,thediscipleacknowledgedhismistakeandaskedhismaster for forgiveness.Tohissurprise, insteadofscoldinghim,theChanmastercomfortedhimandsaid,Iplantedtheseorchidstobeautifytheenvironmentand tooffer them to theBuddha. Ididnotplantorchidsso that Icouldgetangry!

As noted in a Buddhist sutra, Lovingkindness ends greed; compassion endsanger.Ifwecan learnfromChanMasterJindaisvirtueandreflectuponourselvesby asking, Did Imake friends to get angry at them? Did I getmarried to getangry?DidIhavechildrensothatIcouldgetangryatthem?DidIstartmycareersothatIcouldgetangry?Ofcoursenot!Achangeofperspectivecanputanendtogreedandanger,resolvingconflicts.

Compassion isnotademandonothers,nor is itastandardbywhichwe judgepeople.Itisawaytodisciplineourselves.Compassiondoesnotmeanblindtolerancetophysicalattackorverbalabuse.Whenjusticeisthreatenedorwhengoodpeoplearebeingslanderedorattacked,weshouldstandupbravelyforthem.Compassionisnotamomentaryemotion,butapersistent service forothers.Compassion isnotjustbeingkindonly toour friendsand family,nordoes itmeanweare toexpectanything in return. Compassion is not always about praises and encouragement.Sometimes, inthe interestofcommonwellbeingortosubduethehardheaded,anangry expression is required to subdue villains. This is actually the greatest andmostdifficultformofcompassion.

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There are no enemies in the eyes of compassion. Compassion brings goodaffinities.Compassionharmonizesselfandothers,andisonewiththeuniverse.Asthesayinggoes,tolerancefostersgreatness;withcompassionandtolerance,wecannaturallyunitepeopleandcreatemanysupportingconditions.Confuciustraveledtodifferentregionstoteachandhadnofixedhome,yethestillhadafollowingofthreethousanddisciples.TheBuddhatraveledacrossIndiatoteachtheDharma,andmanyofhisassemblieswereattendedbyamillionpeopleandheavenlybeingsalongsidethe regular entourage of 1,250 followers. Different people have differentcharacteristics and needs, hence, it is difficult to please them all. Ifwe can treatothers with a kind and tolerant mind, we will certainly develop good affinitiesbroadlyandreceivethesupportofmany.

However, compassion and tolerance alone are not enough. They need to besupplemented by wisdom. In this world, the meaning of compassion is oftendistorted,leadingtoexcessiveindulgenceandturningablindeyetowhatiswrong.When applied inappropriately, compassion canbecome the source of crimes andwrongdoings. For instance, the common practice of freeing live animals actuallycausesharm tomoreanimal lives. Inappropriateand lavish givingofmoneyonlynurturegreedand corruption.Therefore, true compassionand tolerancemustbesupplemented by prajna wisdom to prevent traveling down the wrong path,renderingtheinitialintentionsfutile.

Once,ayoungmanhadaquarrelwithhisneighboroverawall.Hewrotetohisfather,an imperialminister,hoping thathewouldhelphimwin thiswalldispute.Beingareasonableman,thefatherreplied,Alettersentacrosstenthousandmilesjust for awall,what harm can there be in yielding him three feet of space?TheentirelengthoftheGreatWallofChinaisstillintact,yetEmperorQin(whobuiltit)isno longer around.These simplewords are sufficient to explain the interactionbetweenpeopleaswellasthewisdomandartoftolerance.

Accordingtothesutras,thereisaworldinasingleflower;abuddhainasingleleaf.Withinagrainofsand,apieceofrock,aflowerorasingleleaf,wecanseethethree thousandgreatchiliocosms.Thismeans thatallmatters innaturecoexist inmutualprosperity.The same applies topeople.Differences in character, thinking,andbeliefneedtobetolerated.Thedifferentreligions,races,andskincolorsamongnationsrequireevenmoretolerance.

Looking at the conflicts in thisworld, they are usually caused by intolerancebetween different nations, cultures, races, and religions. Poverty gaps and socialstratificationare thecausesofvariousconflicts,aproblem facedbyhumanityasawhole.Ifwewishtobefreefromthesedilemmas,compassionandtolerancearetheonly solution. Only compassion and tolerance can awaken peoples morals andconscienceforsocietytoflourishand improve.Onlycompassionandtolerancecanhelp to resolve conflicts,preventwars;only compassion can enhance and sustainworldpeace.

Itismyhopethatfromtodayforward,allBLIAmemberscanspreadthespiritofcompassionandtolerancefromselftotheir family,society,andtotheentireworldandhumanity.Onlywhentheworldisfilledwithcompassionandtolerance,canwe

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havelastinghappinessandpeace.

III.Happinessandpeacecomefromlettinggoandpickingupwithperfectease

Veryoften,wehearpeoplecomplainingaboutthestressesandanxietiesoflife,andrelationshipsthatbecometoomuchtobear.Exactlywhatiscausingthislackofpeaceforthebodyandmind?

Whenwe feel toomuchpressure in thisworld, it isusuallydue toour lackofwillingnesstoletgo.Forexample,whenwewereyoung,weweremostlikelycaringtoomuchaboutwhoourparents lovedmore. In school,wecomparedgradeswithourclassmates.Asadults,weworryaboutwhetherornotourfriendswilllookdownuponus.Inrunningabusiness,wecalculateprofitandlossdaily.Whenwearesick,weworryaboutsufferinganddeath.Whenweareold,weworrythattherewillbenoonetotakecareofus.

Unable to let go, the human mind is constantly worried about all kinds ofinterpersonalproblems,troubledbydisputesoverrightandwrong,andplaguedbyall types of comparisons.Once, aBrahmin brought two vases to see theBuddha.Uponseeinghim, theBuddhasaid,Letgo!and theBrahminputdownoneof thevases.Again,theBuddhasaid,Letgo!andheputdowntheothervase.However,theBuddhacontinued tosay,Letgo!Confused, theBrahminsaid,Ihavealreadyputdowneverythingthat Iwasholding,whatelsewouldyou likemeto letgoof?TheBuddha replied, What I am telling you to let go of is not the vases, but ofunwholesomethoughtsandemotionssuchasyourarrogance,pride,anger,jealously,andhatred.

Ioftenusethesuitcaseasametaphorfor life:wepick itupwhenweneedto,andweletgoofitwhenitistimetodoso.Whenwepickupsomething,weshouldbeable to shoulder the responsibility with courage, with the resolve and sense ofmissioninserving.Whenitistimetoletgo,weshouldalsofollowconditionsandletgo inacalmandcomposedmanner.Theability to letgomakes iteasy topickupagain.Whenyouarewillingtotakeastepforward,therewillbehopeforthefuture.

Therewasonceapuppyrunningaroundincircleschasingafteritsowntail.Anolderdogsaw thisandasked, Whatareyoudoing?Thepuppyreplied, Someonesaidthatadogshappinessisonitstail,soIamchasingaftermyhappiness.Thedogthensaid,Youcanneverfindhappinessbychasingafteryourowntail.Allyouneedtodoiswalkforwardwithyourchinup,andhappinesswillfollowyounaturally.

Inpickingup,wearepickinguprightmindfulness,rightactions,rightspeech,rightthought,compassion,morality,goodconditions,anddiligence.Inlettinggo,weshouldhavetheflexibilitytobebigortobesmall,togiveortotake,tohaveornottohave,andtostayhighortolielow.

We should letgoofourgreed for fameandgainaswellas theattachment totroublesanddefilements.Weshouldevenletgoofthedelusivethoughtofhavingtoletgoofsomething.JustastheSixthPatriarchHuinengindicated,Inherently,thereisnothing,wherecanitattractdust?thisistruelettinggo.Asthesayinggoes,Withatroubledmind,evenheavenandearthbecomesmall;withamindatease,justabedcanbebigandbroad.Onceweletgoofourattachments,wewillbesocarefreeand

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atease!

Picking up and letting go are two sides of the same coin; they are equallyimportant.Topickupdoesnotmeantofightforsomething;itisaresolve,aformoftolerance,andwisdom.To letgodoesnotmean torideona loosereinand indulgeoneself; it is the bodhisattva spirit of giving, onlymaking contributions and notexpectinganythinginreturn.

Throughouthistory,many sagesandeminentpeoplewere respectedbecausetheyplacedthewellbeingofothersbeforetheirownandneverthoughtofpersonalgains,evensacrificingtheirlives.WenTianxiangoftheSongDynastywascapturedbytheYuanarmyduringaresistancewar.Theenemiesluredhimwiththepositionofaprimeminister,butheremainedunmovedandwrotetheSongofIntegrityinjailtostatehiswill,thus,leavingagoodreputationinhistory.Confuciusexpressed,Sacrifice ones life to preserve ones virtue, and Mencius said, Give life forrighteousness. Guan Yunchang exhibited a righteousness soaring high into theclouds and nourished a vast, flowing nature,while Fan Zhongyan stated, Bearhardshipandbitternessbeforeothers;enjoycomfortandhappinessafterothers.Theseareallparadigmsthatshowby lettinggoofthesmallerself,agreaterselfisaccomplished.

Furthermore, there was Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, whorelinquished the palace life of a prince for treading on the path of spiritualcultivation.Eventually,he attained enlightenment and spenthis life spreadinghisteachingsacrossIndiatohelpallbeingstobeliberatedfromsufferingandattainjoy.Knowingtoletgoallowsusamuchbiggerworld;beingbravetopickuppermitsourshort and limited life to be more at ease. Because we learn to give, naturally,happinessandpeacewillfollowus.

IV.Happinessandpeacecomefromaltruismandselflessness

Noman is an island.We allmust rely on various causes and conditions tosurvive. Inotherwords, the lifeof aperson is closely tied to allwalksof society.However,thegreatestflawofhumanitycomesfromselfishnessandattachment.Forexample,peopleusuallygivewithexpectationsofreciprocation;themoretheygive,themoretheyexpecttoreceiveinreturn.Whentheirexpectationsarenotmet,theybecome troubled. That is why Buddhism advocates the sublimation of moralcharacterthroughcompassionandthepurificationofourworldlysentimentswithrationality.

AstheBuddhistsayinggoes,Complainnotofatemplesblandteaandfood,forthesentimentofamonasticisfarlessstrongthanthatofaworldlyperson.Withoutselfishness and attachment, what appears to be heartless actually embodiesboundlesscompassionandwisdom.Onlywithinsimplicitycanthegreatesttruthbefound;onlywithinthemostordinarycanalongstandingpathbefound.

ZiXiaonce askedConfucius, What are the Three Impartialities?Confuciussaid, Heavencoversallwithoutpartiality;earth sustainsandcontainsallwithoutpartiality; the sun and moon shine on all without partiality. This means thatbecause heaven and earth are impartial, they can be large; because the sun andmoonare impartial, their lightcan shine ineverydirection. Ifwewish toachieve

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majoraccomplishmentsinlife,wemustbeimpartialandalwaysstriveforthewellbeingofothersandthegeneralpublic.Thennaturally,wewillbesupportedbytherightconditionstosucceed.Peoplewhoonlythinkforthemselveswillnotonlylackthe affinity and support of others, but will also encounter difficulties inaccomplishingtaskswithoutthestrengthaffordedbyteamwork.Beingselflessandaltruisticexpandsourheartsandsavesusfrombeingselfcentered.Wu(nothingorwithout) does notmean to bewithout principle, nor does itmean no distinctionbetween rightandwrong; rather,wumeans tobe steady inprincipleand tohavecompassionthattranscendsall.

One day, when Confucius's distinguished disciple, Yan Hui, was out runningerrands, he saw twomen fighting in front of a fabric store.The seller asked thebuyerfortwentyfourdollars,butthebuyershouted,Ifitsthreedollarsperfootforthisfabric,and3x8=23,whyshouldIpayyou24?

Upon hearing this, YanHui approached the buyer and said, My friend, yourcalculationsarewrong.3x8=24,thatistheamountyoushouldpay.

Refusingtocomply,thebuyerangrilypointedatYanHuiandsaid,Whatgivesyoutherighttospeak?OnlyConfuciusisqualifiedtodecidewhether3x8=23or24.Letsgoaskhim!

Fine!Confuciushappenstobemyteacher.Whatareyougoingtodoifhesaysyouarewrong?askedYanHui.

IfIamwrong,Iwillgiveyoumyhead.Butwhatifyouarewrong?

IfIamwrong,IwillgiveyouthishatthatIamwearingonmyhead.

The two went to Confucius and explained the dilemma to him. ConfuciusimmediatelyturnedtoYanHuiandsaid,YanHui,youhavelost.3x8is23.Givehimyourhat!Whenheheard this,YanHui felt like theworldhadbeen turnedupsidedown,andhethought,CanitbethatTeacherhaslosthismind?However,sinceheneverdisobeyedhisteacher,hequietlytookoffhishatandgaveittothebuyer.

Afterwards,themoreYanHuithoughtabouttheincident,themoretroubledhebecame.Finally,hecouldnothelpbutask,Myteacher,is3x8=23or24afterall?

Inresponse,Confuciusaskedhim,Tellme,whichismoreimportant,someoneshead(life)orsomeone'shat?

Someonelife,ofcourse!repliedYanHui.

Thatiscorrect.IfIsaid3x8=23,ahatwouldbeallthatyoulose,butifIweretosay3x8=24,thenhewouldhavelosthislife!saidConfucius.

In Buddhism, nothing remains fixed and unchangeable. Since rules can beflexible,3x8canbe24,23,oreveninfinity.Thereisnoneedtobeattachedtoafixedanswer.Thisisthewisdomofasage.

Indailylife,eachandeverythoughtcanbeapointforcultivation.Ifwecanfacethe world with selflessness, altruism, detachment, and no desires, then we willnaturallyhaverespectandtoleranceforeverything.Assuch,ourliveswillbenefitsomuchmore,andhappinessandpeacewillcomenaturally.

2012- 11.12/23

Since its establishment, BLIA has selflessly and altruistically served society. Ihope that when we are serving others, we are also making our lives moremeaningful at the same time.With selflessness, we can embody the public; byplacingothersbeforeourselves,ourmindswillbebroadenedbybeingselfless.Withaltruism,wecanreduceourattachments;wewillthink forothers,society,andourcountry. Selflessness and altruism open up our minds and broaden our vision,allowingustofindhappinessandpeaceinlife.

To sumup,happiness andpeace arewhat everyone seeks and the vision allhumanitystrivestoattain.Ahappyoutlookinlifebringspeaceinliving.Itismyhopethat allBLIAmembers and friends from alldirections cannurture a characterofcontentment and detachment, have amind of compassion and tolerance, learn topick up and let gowith perfect ease, and achieve a character of selflessness andaltruism.Letusworktogether,contributetothehappinessandpeaceofhumanity,andbuilda HumanisticBuddhaland that is filledwithhappinessandpeacehereandnow.

Lastbutnotleast,mayyourheartsbefilledwithDharmajoy,andmayeachandeveryoneofyoulivealifeofhappinessandpeace.