366 Days with Wisdom Part 2

8/21/2019 366 Days with Wisdom Part 2

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February 3

Giving others confidence, giving others joy, giving others hope, giving others

convenience: giving, is of infinite magical effect.

Knowing all-encompassing, knowing peace, knowing modesty, knowing respect:knowing is of limitless intelligence.

People who give freely and generously are the richest people in the world. People

who always seek from others are the poorest people in the world.

For most people, giving to oneself is easy, but giving to others is difficult. So how

can we harvest without cultivation? How can we have a wealthy life without giving?

Giving is the most beautiful thing in the world. Give others some good words,

give others a smile, show others our sincerity, and render services to others. hese

kind giving acts beautify our lives and purify our mind. Giving maintains harmonious

relationships within our society.

!lthough it is wise to beware of the negative acts of giving" giving others

worries, giving others sadness, giving others embarrassment and giving others

problems. he Sutra in Forty#two Section stated, $%ne who raises his head and spits

to the sky, the spittle falls back on him. he same goes with someone who throws dust

against the wind. &nstead of going somewhere else, the dust returns to defile hisbody.$

'efore we give something bad to others, we would do well to heed the (hinese

proverb, $)hat you don*t want, don*t give to others.$ )hen we give good things to

others, the value also differs according to the contents of giving. +onating money is

easier than praise and speaking good words to others. hough simply giving money

seems easier than praise and speaking good words to others, 'uddhist teachings,

universal truths, confidence, fearlessness, safety and freedom are the best things we

can ever give to others.

Read, Reflect and Act:

Giving is the most beautiful act in the world. &t beautifies our life and purifies our


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mind.

February

The value of life in realizing the selfless self.

The meaning of life lies in serving the pulic.

here have to be many $money trees$ in a family instead of -ust one money tree.

ou provide good education to your son and wish him a good career with a bright

future when he grows up. &s he not one of the money trees too? he husband and wife

who beside their regular -obs work part#time as well, they also money trees for the

family.

here*s a saying that $(lothing and food won*t make you poor, but without an

abacus, they will.$ &s not my being careful and unwasteful a money tree? & work hard

and live without wastefulness. & don*t spend unnecessarily and & minimi/e my

e0penses. hese are my money trees. 1ich people hire a house#keeper to take care of

their house#work. 'ut & do all the chores myself. Some people hire a gardener to trim

the plants while & do it myself as a form of e0ercise. !re not these practices my money

trees?

2ach member of my family cultivates these good habits. he lights are offimmediately when not in use and the water is used sparingly. hese actions help to

cultivate the money tree. 3y family members are harmonious, passionate, humorous,

and sing praises. !ll these positive attitudes make us en-oy our work and love our

family. 3y family members are the money trees.

However, be careful not to put all the emphasis on someone or something and

pressure them to be the money tree. !ll the family members are money trees if

everyone has the right thoughts and is willing to work earnestly.



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here have to be many $money trees$ in a family instead of -ust one money tree.

February 4

! mouthful of gentle words. ! handful of good deeds.! smiling face. ! heart full of happiness.

+o you wish for a treasure vase? Here is something for you to refer to"

5. )isdom is treasure. )isdom brings us more treasure than laborious work.

6. 'e kind and give charity happily. People see generosity as giving others

something. &n fact, the one who gives will get more.

7. 'e helpful to others. )e have to cultivate wisdom and compassion and have a

thorough understanding of ourselves. )e have to be helpful and create good

conditions for others.

. Speak kind and good words, be a friend to others. Help others by speaking

kind words. Good friends help each other whenever possible.

2ach of us has a body which contains treasure. &f we can make good use of our

feelings, perceptions and consciousness, the treasure becomes limitless. So we can

say, $here*s a treasure vase at home.$ &f you know how to fully utili/e the resources

available in such areas as interpersonal relationships, challenges, locations, and

ob-ects, there are treasures everywhere. 3ay we employ these resources to the benefit

of self and others.


%ur body contains treasure. &f we can make good use of our feelings, perceptions and


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consciousness, the treasure becomes limitless.

February 6

"orking earnestly and passionately is wealth and a kind act.

#aziness and idleness is poverty and an unwholesome act.

)e are given two hands and two feet at birth. %ur four limbs are for working and

walking. )e are also given eyes to see, ears to listen and a mouth to talk. &f we do not

use them well, what are we good for?

he (hinese always believe that the God of Fortune will bring them fortune. &f

the God of Fortune sends you wealth, you would have to receive it with gratefulness.

'ut if you are la/y and ignore Him, you will miss getting the wealth. &t is like

someone putting a huge doughnut around our neck. )e have finished eating the front

portion but cannot be bothered to move the unfinished part from the back, then we

deserve to be starved.

8a/iness and poverty are twin brothers. )hen one is la/y, one tends to be poor.

)hen one is poor, one gets la/y easily. his is the 8aw of (ause and 2ffect. hus, to

avoid poverty, we are re9uired to change our destiny by avoiding la/iness and work

earnestly.

!s we have said before, $here is no autumn harvest without spring cultivation.$

&f we don*t cultivate, how can we harvest? &f we don*t work hard, how can we

achieve? ! talented person who is la/y can never develop strength and stay focused.

hat person would certainly waste a precious human life and that would be a great

pity.


o avoid poverty, we are re9uired to change our destiny by avoiding la/iness and


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work earnestly.

February :

$auses and conditions are vital for achievement.

The %uddha nature is like a mirror which reflects clearly when it is dustless. The mind

is like a paddy field which produces when it is fertilized. Generosity is like seeds

which yield good harvest when widely sown.

&nvestment means making profit out of capital. &nvestment can turn a small sum

into more income, earning more and more money. So people will always envy those

companies which e0pand into many related enterprises.

However, a really good investment re9uires long#term dedication and right

-udgment. &f we cultivate successfully this year, we can harvest the following year.

)hen we do good deeds, we may have to wait for years before we are rewarded.

&n 'uddhist teachings, to develop broad ties of good causes and conditions is the

best investment. Some partnership businesses may end only after few months in

business. his happens because the partnership wants to harvest immediately after

sowing. hey have failed to create a long#term plan. %thers want to make a 9uick

profit but simply end up losing more money.

However, some people who are more compassionate and help people selflessly

can en-oy a fruitful harvest. $he flower withers when one attends to it too much, the

willow tree blossoms when one plants it unintentionally, $affirms a (hinese proverb.$

)hen we talk about investments, we have to invest in the right product, with

right timing, right place and right opportunity. %ur investments are things that could

help and benefit others.

So we have to ask ourselves, $!re all my investments beneficial to the society?$

&f you can invest with a compassionate heart, with the aim of building good ties with

others, offering oneself to others as well as availing wisdom, hard work and a helpful

mind, that would be the best investment ever.



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&f all our investments are beneficial to the society, then our investments will definitely

yield a good and bountiful harvest.

February ;

To e hopeless aout our own future is the most pathetic thing in life.

To have no plan in our vacation is the worst hait in life.

he success or failure of a nation or a business is determined by their respective

budget. )e should also plan our own budget.

he budget of wealth is not only measured in terms of money. our wisdom,

morality, friendship, and reputation #these are the relevant to your $life$ budget.

&f you do not have enough money, you may be abundant in other good resources.

However, even if you have ade9uate money, without good inter#relationships, moral

sense, reputation and wisdom in your budget, your life budget will still be considered

to be $imbalanced.$

People who are responsible for planning and budgeting in a company have to pay

special attention to the inflow and outflow of li9uidity. &f you are planning for some

income without capital, how do you e0pect to go about it? &f you go over the budgetwithout looking at your income, how could you balance your e0penses?

here*s an ancient saying, $we can never predict the future


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society and the public. $Sincerity loses nothing$ his is actually the core teaching of

the 8aw of (ause and 2ffect.

February =

&f we can do more good deeds in our daily lives, then there is no fear left when near

death.

&f we can contriute ourselves to society in our daily lives, then we can live on even

when we are dead.

Human beings are good at saving money and taking precautions. However, to

save money doesn*t mean to be greedy and aspiring to keep more and more money.

Some people are never satisfied with their current possessions. )hen they have

ten billion dollars, they want a hundred billion dollars. %nce they have a hundred

billion dollars, they want more. hey are rich but they are stingy, they won*t give a

cent to others even if that very cent could benefit others. hus they become the slaves

of money. 2ven though they have lots of money, the money becomes valueless

because they don*t know how to make good use of their money.

he true meaning of saving money and taking precautions encompasses

prudence, intuition, and assurance. For e0ample, we lock the doors properly at all

times to prevent burglary. )e get drinks ready to serve our visitors who might comeanytime. )e do research to gather all kinds of information for fortune purposes. )e

keep a spare tyre for emergency. So, saving money is preparing for the unpredictable,

-ust as the old saying tells us" $Save one third of the harvested fruits for the fortune.$

his is practical advice for everybody.

Some people like to have plenty of savings in the bank and have 9uality things at

home. heir wish is only for more money and better things each day. )e should not

-ust focus on material desire. &nstead we should accumulate morality, mercy, honesty

and knowledge. hese are the causes and conditions which can be used forever.



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Saving money is preparing for the unpredictable, -ust as the old saying tells us" $Save

one third of the harvested fruits for the future.$ his is practical advice for everybody.

February 10

"e have to cherish our property without carelessness.

"e have to do our est in all things without regrets.

&n our lives, we should use the things and money properly and thriftily. )e also

have to make good use of time, and cherish the relationship with love. )e should not

waste our life easily. %nly people who can live thriftily are the richest people. People

who spend lots of money and live lu0uriously are the poorest people.

aiwan has a strong economy. he people have en-oyed abundant 9uality

products for a long period, resulting in the lu0uriously and spendthrift lifestyle. oung

people nowadays are so used to good life. hey can have almost everything, causing

in them not knowing what is thrifty, living not to mention the general sense of $plow

before you harvest.> hey don*t know how to cherish what they have in present. hey

-ust want to en-oy what they have and are unwilling to pay for what they want. hey

will splash out overtly and live lu0uriously when they have the money. 'ut they will

steal from others when they have no money. hey will do whatever they want,

whether legally or illegally. Hence, they have created many social problems.

hroughout history, the (hinese were able to attain success and made lots of

money around the world because of their hard work and thrifty living traditions.

People who are not afraid of tiredness, live thriftily and work hard can attain success.

So we know how important it is to work hard and live within our means.



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%nly people who can live thriftily are the richest people. People who spend lots of

money and live lu0uriously are the poorest people.

February 55

'elf-discovery arises after self-awareness.

'elf-confidence arises after self-discovery.

'elf-empowerment arises after self-confidence.

'elf-independence arises after self-empowerment.

here*s a saying that $)hen climbing a mountain, one has to focus on the

environment. )hen visiting a family, one has to pay attention to people*s e0pression.

$So whenever we meet others, we know how they feel from their e0pressions or body

language. 'efore visiting a country, we can do some research in order to obtain

relevant information. %nly when we are confident of the situation, we can visit the

country and complete a given task. hus knowledge in advance of any endeavor in

any conte0t is important to us.

)hen working with others, we have to understand more about ourselves" our

skills and market value. )e need to ask ourselves who our partner can be. &f & accept

someone*s offer, will it benefit us in the future? &s it safe to travel to some places?

Since it is important to know the conditions in every conte0t, we have to keep these

things in mind, especially our own market value. !re we worth a hundred thousandew aiwan dollars @+A a month? wenty thousand? Perhaps we are only able to

earn ten thousand a month.

)e really have to estimate our value in accordance to our morals, knowledge,

e0perience, working skills, interpersonal skills, achievements, and family amd

educational background. !ll these correspond to our own conditions. &f we don*t know

ourselves, we will end without any value.

Sometimes we have to depend on our knowledge and skills to boost our

conditions. Sometimes, e0ternal packaging is necessary. &f we want to improve our

conditions, then we have to enrich ourselves. 'eautiful packaging can be captivating

but it is superficial. &f we are prepared to work hard and be realistic, accumulate

e0perience and wisdom step by step, our market value will definitely appreciate

accordingly.



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&f we want to improve our conditions, we have to transform ourselves through self#

enrichment.

February 12

(ow forgiving you are defines the success of your usiness.(ow loving you are defines how many achievements you have made.

1elationships, material desires and time are countable ob-ects. )e should do our

best to keep them as transparent as possible, like keeping a clear item account. &f these

countable items can*t be sorted out, it is possible that one day, even our best friends

and families will fight us in order to get us to divulge our secrets. )hat is worse,

secret and illegal societies may threaten us for some unsettled account.

here*s a (hinese saying that $2ven if you are my brother, we still have to settle

the debt clearly.$ +ebt does not only entail moneyB good payable with money are also

a form of debt. 2ven relationships are a form of debt, too. For e0ample, someone says

$& owe you too much$. )hen it comes to a field relationship, someone says $& have

invested too much love in our relationship and & want it back.$

Some people help others and ask for favors in return. Some people may have

helped you with your business by speaking good words for you, but they ask for favor

in return. Some people rendered you some service and ask for a favor in return

because of the time they spent on that service.

here is an account book which records our inter#relationships. here*s an

account book on our morality, and the good and bad deeds that we have done. here*s

an account book for our business. here*s an account book for our daily activities. +o

you dedicate credit to others? %r are you in debt to others? Seriously, are you unable

to settle the debt for the sake of safe and happy life?



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1elationships, material desires and time are countable ob-ects. )e should do our best

to keep them as transparent as possible.

February 13

)o not create your appearance with money, wisdom dignifies everything.

)o not ornament yourself e*cessively+ a compassionate mind eautifies the ody and

mind.

here was once a rich man with a fortune of over a billion dollars. )hen spoken

to, he would cry $& am poor< & am poor


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4A 2ven you have a lot of property, prodigal descendants who lead an e0travagant life

could dissipate your fortune.

February 14

eal wealth is happiness, not fortune.

eal poverty is ignorance, not eing penniless.

here are several different kinds of fortune, with narrow definitions or general

definitions. here are visible and invisible fortunes too. &n addition, there is also the

fortune of the saints.

)hat is the fortune of a saint? %nce, Gautama 'uddha and his disciple, !nanda

were walking in the street. hey saw some crows fighting over a dead mouse. he

crows fought so hard for the food that they hurt each other severely. !nanda then

sighed with regret,$ How poor they are< &s it worthwhile to fight over a dead mouse?$

'uddha said, $People in the world sought after fame and fortune, -ust like the crows

fighting over a dead mouse.$

From the perspectives of the saints, the dead mouse is fame and fortune.

However, people will fight for it with their lives.

&t is thus said, the fortune of the saints is living with a peaceful and wise mind.hey en-oy the happiness of calmness. hey have the will power to be compassionate

and humble. hey can have the Saptadhana without any limitations.

&n fact you can create your personal fortune too. 'ut you have to understand how

to en-oy the fortune by sharing it with others. his includes the sharing of sunshine,

fresh air, clean water and other things. &f you can grap this idea, all the places on this

planet, the parks, and streets are your fortune. So, are you still poor?


People in the world seek fame and fortune with their lives. )hy don*t they seek the

fortune of the saints?

Note


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he seven sacred graces" faith, observation of the percepts, hearing instruction, shame

@for selfA, shame @for othersA renunciation, and wisdom.

February 15

!ll things have advantages and disadvantages.

&f we know how to deal with them and focus on the right point, even rotten wood and

stone can e used as medicine.

veryone has strength and weakness. &f we

can utilize them appropriately and fully, even the roken iron and copper can e

refined into steel.

)hat is the most valuable thing in the world? &s it gold? &s it diamonds? 'read

can be more valuable and important than gold and diamond in times of war or famine.

So to be able to live is the most valuable thing.

here was a rich man who possessed a rare and precious -ewel which weighed a

ton, as well as lots of smaller precious gems. He was a wealthy as a king. However,

his country faced adverse weather conditions where it rained heavily for years. he

rain damaged his house severely and he wanted to build a big strong building in its

place. Dnfortunately, a war broke out resulting in a shortage of building materials. !t

that time, if the rich man had a choice, he would definitely prefer stones for his newhouse to his precious gems.

here was a group of girls each with a graceful stature who disliked a friend who

had a large waistline. %ne day while walking along a small path they met some

robbers. he slim attractive girls were helpless to defend themselves. Eust then, the

plump girl with a large was appeared and shouted, C8ets see the dares to move

forward


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)hat is the most valuable thing in the world? &t is not necessarily precious stones. o

be able to live is the most valuable thing in the world.

February 16

! useful person is the one who gives enefit to others.

! precious thing is something that gives value to our daily life and is not wasted.

&f you have property and money but are not using them, then it is not different

from $having no property and money$. &f you have property and money but you don*t

know how to use it, then these amount to being $useless things$. he water in a river

has to keep flowing so that it will not become stagnant. he air has to circulate in

order to be fresh. %ur property and money come indirectly from the public. herefore,

we have to use them to benefit the public. %nly then does it befit the law of nature.

&t is good to encourage people to give to the public rather than to hold on to the

wealth, -ust like Feng Huan, who gave money to the people in order to build the good

reputation of 8ord 3eng (hang. his is actually the basis step of giving to the public.

homas 2dison was at an even higher stage of giving. He applied his inventions to

benefit people. 3atsushita onosuke, the founder of Panasonic, donated all the profits

from his business for education which benefited the public. !ll these acts are truly

acts of giving to the public and not holding on to the wealth.

&t may be difficult to reali/e the real meaning of giving to the public. )e are too

attached to possessing property and money. )e claim that we own the things. )e are

reluctant to share them with the public in the right mind and use them correctly.

&ndeed, we came to this world without anythingB and one day we will leave this world

without taking anything with us. his is the law for the possession of property and

money. So is it not great to have nothing but to give something to the public?


%ur property and money come indirectly from the public.


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herefore, we have to use them to benefit the public. %nly then does it befit the law of

nature.

February 17

"e can repair roken things ut we cannot

fi* a roken friendship. 'o we must cherish and treasure friendship.

"e can always earn ack the money that we have lost, ut we cannot turn ack the

time. 'o we must cherish and treasure time.

here*s nothing good or bad about money. &t all depends on how we spend and

use it. &f we spent it in the right way, then we are accumulating merits. %therwise, we

have committed bad deeds.

5. 3oney can buy cosmetic products but cannot buy elegance.

6. 3oney can buy beautiful clothes but cannot buy a stately body.

7. 3oney can buy gourmet food but cannot buy good health and good appetite.

. 3oney can buy big and comfortable beds but cannot buy 9uality sleep.

4. 3oney can buy tall buildings but cannot buy noble morality.

. 3oney can buy books and maga/ines but cannot buy knowledge.

:. 3oney can buy house wares but cannot happiness and satisfaction.

;. 3oney can buy superficial friends but cannot buy friends in adversity.=. 3oney can buy political votes but cannot buy loyalty.

5I. 3oney can buy companies and banks but cannot buy +harma wisdom.

55. 3oney can buy cheering crowds but cannot buy sincere respect.

56. 3oney can buy a government post but cannot buy sainthood.



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)hen money is used in the right way, it is a righteous act.

)hen money is used in the wrong way, it is a bad deed.

February 18

%e grateful to everything in the world.

%e hard-working and live a simple life.

%e satisfied with our materials things.

%e happy when giving charity.

he satisfaction and gratitude in our mind is more precious than our treasures. &n

fact, our $mind$ is our real treasure. &f there is a world in our mind, then the world is

our treasure. &f there is morality and compassion in our mind, then those virtues are

our treasure. 2ven if we are penniless and powerless, the $nothingness$ is still the

treasure of our mind. he treasure of our mind is always there as long as we have the

'uddha, +harma and Sangha in our mind. &f we have no greed, no hatred, no

delusion, no attachment of love, then everything is limitless and borderless. his is a

treasure of the mind too.hose who are poor are not necessarily Chaving a poor life>.


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hus spiritually, we cannot differentiate the poor from the rich in terms of money and

material wealth.

February 20

"ith sincerity and passion, we can earn

eople/s loyalty.

"ith a right and religious thought, we

can overcome evil thoughts.

2very one of us has to make a living in the world. here are two means of living

in 'uddhist teachings" ! righteous living and an evil one. 1ight living means we

make profit in a proper way, for e0ample from a proper -ob, proper profit income,

proper plantation earnings and proper businesses. However, evil living is a livelihood

that is discouraged in 'uddhist teaching.

hese days, there are many people who make profits from an evil livelihood. For

e0ample, the slaughtering houses, shrimping house, stores for hunting e9uipment,

brothels, pubs, casinos, human trafficking, drug dealing, as well as being loan sharks,

or committing copyright infringements, falsification of media coverage, and se0ual

blackmail etc. !ll these comprise evil livelihood.

hose who cheat, hide the truth with lies, obtain private and personal matter by

hurting people are considered to be making an evil living. hose who are involved in

earning from evil livelihood include the rich and the poor, high ranking officials,

religious masters, businessmen, organi/ations and some hardened criminals.

here*s a saying, $)e*d rather go to hell than having an evil life.$ hat*s because

there*s always a time to transform all the sufferings in hell. 'ut those who are so

accustomed to living out of an evil livelihood can never detach from it. So people who

are having an evil life need to be warned of its conse9uences.



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)e benefit by having a proper -ob and profits. Plantation earnings and businesses

which are proper lead us towards a socially, morally acceptable and righteous life.

February 21

&f you are a genius ut always say 0wait

till tomorrow10 then you are no different

from a normal person.

&f you are capale ut always say 0let

someone else do it10 then you are no

different from an incompetent person.

People are great because they have achievable dreams. So every one of us should

have our own dreams< 2ven beggar can sit for a national scholar e0am and get the

best results. &f a butcher chooses to give up his -ob, he too can be a 'uddha. So why

can*t people have dreams? 'ut most people nowadays -ust think and dream about the

future. hey make no effort to reali/e their dreams by taking practical action. hey are

only daydreaming about their pleasant thoughts.

1eali/able dreams are called ambitions but those that are unreali/able are called

daydreams. Some youngsters these days are not realistic, and are only daydreaming.

hey do not e0ercise but they want people to respect them. hey do not work hard but

they hope to have good results. !ll these are daydreams.

People today like to take shortcuts to success and hope to gain everything at the first

shot. For e0ample, you don*t have the capital but want to run your own business and

make a fast buck. )ithout careful consideration you took an uncalculated risk -ust to

obtain a loan. his is daydreaming. &f you print counterfeit money, forge passports,

credit cards and che9uesB do not want to work but -ust to get money, then all these are

daydreams too.

&t is perfectly normal if we want to have a successful business and be rich. However,

no matter what business we are doing, we have to consider the budget, evaluate the

risk involved, prepare market research and be diligent and practical. %nly when we

are well#prepared can we have the confidence of achieving success. %therwise, even

if we have a great dream but do not take any actions to reali/e it, it is nothing but a

daydream. &t is like dreaming while sleeping. )hen fully awake, we find that

everything is nothing but a dream.



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%nly when we are well#prepared can we have the confidence of achieving success. &f

you want to gain something without hard work, it is like daydreaming.

February 22

"e can lose the money, ut we will not lose our %uddha 2ature.

There3s a ranking order in position, ut there3s no ranking order in our %uddha

2ature.

hese days the $8otto$ lottery ticket is gaining increasing popularity. 3any

people hope that they can miraculously win the $8otto$ and become rich overnight. &n

fact, $what you plant is what you get$. here are causes and effects in everything, as

there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. 2ven if you have won the lottery,

reali/ed the dream of getting a big fortune, you will still need the merit to en-oy the

fortune.

%nce there was a beggar who bought a lottery ticket with pennies he saved from

each meal. He was very lucky and won a grand pri/e. He was so happy that he hid the

ticket in his walking stick. %ne day, when he was crossing a river, he thought that

once he received the money, he can say goodbye to poverty forever and he would no

longer need the walking stick. So he threw the walking stick into the river. !t home he

suddenly remembered that the ticket was still hidden in the walking stick< His dreamfits an old (hinese adage, C)ealth is a dream in the dawn while good fortune is the

front in September>.

&f we want to become rich through the 8otto lottery game, we need to work on it,

because what you harvest is what you plant. he ind, !le0ander the Great wanted to

con9uer the whole world. He fought and won many wars in many different places.

However, when he came to the &ndian %cean, he didn*t know how to con9uer the

ocean. So it is important that we have to balance the different facets in our lives. he

'uddhist teachings have taught us to focus on harmony, relationships, popularity and

fairness. &n the Heart Sutra, it says, $Koid is form and form is void$. he real world of

our lives is actually $non#arising, non#ceasing, non#increasing and non#decreasing.$



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2verything has its cause and effect. here*s no free lunch in the world. @%ne cannot

have something for nothing.A

February 67

Things happen when all the conditions are ready. Things end when all the conditions

cease.

"hen all the conditions are ready, everything goes smoothly. "hen all the conditions

are not ready, everything fails.

)e are happy when we get something and unhappy when we lose something.

However, we can never tell whether it*s lucky and unlucky when something bad

happened. here*s a (hinese saying that $2ven if we lose the west side in a war, we

may still win the east side in another battle.$ he book, 1oots of the +harma

mentioned, C&ts very natural in our lives to get and lose something.$

Sometimes, it*s worthwhile to lose some money in order to save a family. &t is sad

to lose something, but it is also happiness to get something in return. However in

some cases, it is a great loss to lose good and close friends but be left with a lot of

party friends and debtors. hat would be a worthless situation.

he feeling of possessing and losing are conditioned. &f something belongs to me,there is no need to fight and compete with others. &t will be mine eventually. &f

something is not mine, no matter how hard & try to get it, it will never be mine.

Sometimes, it*s hard to tell whether it*s good to get something or it*s bad to lose it. &t

all depends on the conditions. )hen you get something, you must make the most of it.

ou will find the thing you lost when all conditions are ready to arise.

)e can always earn back the money and capital that we had lost. However, it is

more difficult to regain our lost personality and morality. &t is easy to make friends,

but difficult to find loyalty. &t is difficult to find loyalty but easy to lose it. here are

many philosophical thoughts between $to have$ and $to lose$.


)hen you get something, you have to make the most of it. ou will find the thing youlost when all the conditions are ready to arise.


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February 24

"illing to give happiness to others.

4ou are close to the %uddha3s heart.

"illing to give good conditions to

others, you have assimilated the

%uddhist teachings.

2very one of us should do beneficial deeds for all during our life time. Speak a

gentle word, do a kind act and create a good condition. 8ike the (hinese saying, they

could be called the $three eternal contributions$ which actually refer to gaining honor,

being a good role model and writing inspirational and positive books. !ll these things

can be a legacy to future generations. hey can be inspired, emulate the achievements

and learn something as well.

! legacy is not necessarily something visible, solid or valuable like money or

property. ! legacy is not necessarily something that must be left for the descendants.

he goodwill of the ancestors is lost when any un#filial descendants fought over the

legacy. )hy not give the legacy to charitable organi/ations? 'y doing so, we leave

behind our humane spirit and wisdom to our future generationsB and the legacy can beused in better ways to benefit the society.

3ost 'uddhists know how to act altruistically when they are alive, but they will

be9ueath their possessions to their descendants. Generally, )esterners will act in the

reverse, they will give their possessions to the society and religious organi/ations.

Some descendants have little knowledge to make the most of their parents legacy to

help the public. However, religious organi/ations will definitely use the money to

beneficial for you to donate generously to your religious organi/ations?


our legacy can be made more beneficial if donated generously to charities and to


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benefit the public.

February 25

#et attitude remain unchanged in poverty or wealth.

#et honor remain unchanged in politeness or rudeness

#et faith remain unchanged in success or failure.

o the farmers, success means good harvest. o the workers, success means profit

in sales. &n a democratic election, success means being elected and failure means

being defeated. Some people set up their own business and make money while some

work as assistants and help others to profit. &t*s said, $housands of people were

sacrificed when the general is victorious$. he general won because everyone helped

him.

Some people who seem successful might be a failure if we see them from another

perspective. here are also some people who appear to e failures but are actually

successful when things are seen in totality.

For e0ample, (ao (ao was an ambitious prime minister in ancient (hinese

history. He was successful and powerful prime minister because he was in control ofthe king and all the officials. However, his poor record in ethics and loyalty failed him

from a historical point of view. %n the other hand, both )en ian0ing and Shi efa

were defeated as generals and were held captive by their enemies. hough they failed

in the battle field, they were successful because people remembered their loyalty.

Success is not measured in ranking of position, status, knowledge, or even height.

&t is the moral behavior that determines one*s success or failure. (an you -udge that

someone is a failure because he was killed for his righteousness and humanity? (an

you -udge that someone, who is rich and powerful, is successful though detested by

most people? So there*s no absolute success or failure. )hat*s important is the reading

on the scale in relation to our morality.


he definition of success is actually the scale reading of our moral behavior, which


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determines our success or failure.

February 26

!ccepting good advice can correct mistakes.

The charitale donors can cherish everything.

! gentleman accepts advice, a kind person gives charity.

here was once a stingy lady who was never benevolent or generous to any

charitable activity. Her husband then asked 3aster 3o Lian to give her some advice.

)hen 3aster 3o Lian met the lady, he spread out his palm and said, $3y palm

always spreads out like this and & can*t close it, what should & do?$ he lady answered,

$hat*s odd


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)e need to learn how to hold $no grudges$ concerning belongings. )e can only get

something in return after giving out something else.

February 27

$almness and peace are the happiest things.

5uietness is the most enjoyale thing.

he most tempting power in this world is that of money, se0ual desire, position

and power. et once you have got the money, desire, position and power, are you truly

satisfied?

here are still many people who are happy to lead a humble and virtuous life. &n

fact, most of them have cultivated e0tensively. 8ook at an Hui of the Spring and

!utumn period in ancient (hina. He was contented with his humble life. He was

happy even with only a glass of water, a bowl of food and poor living conditions. an

(hu of the )arring States Period was contented with his humble life, though the king

once offered him a -ob. He said, $& don*t mind simple meals and walking instead of

big feasts and taking rides. & like my humble life.$ ao uanming of Eing +ynasty,

also en-oyed his humble life in the countryside after he had been treated with

disrespect. He wrote in his poem that, $)hen picking the flowers by the fence, & have

a great view of the mountain.$ 3aster Hong i also said that, $Salty has its ownflavor, plain also has its own flavor.$ He also lived humbly but with a virtuous

lifestyle.

here were many writers and elegant gentlemen who embraced the simple

country lifestyle in order to cultivate and live a humble and virtuous life. here were

many powerful officials and ministers who left their government posts -ust to have a

humble and virtuous lifestyle. he simple life freed them from power struggles and

enabled them to do things voluntarily. !t present, we may have better living

conditions and more resources, but we are still not contented. Some people satisfy

desires with material needs and some even willingly to trade their body and soul -ust

for money. !ll these are negative attitudes which reduce one*s morality and raise

discontentment. So we can see the necessity of finding and nurturing humble and

virtuous 9ualities within us. %nly then can we let go of our material desires and return

to our self#nature.



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he most tempting power in this world is that of money, desire, position and power.

+o you think you can be contented with a humble and virtuous lifestyle?

February 28

$herishing merits lead to more merits.

$herishing good conditions lead to etter conditions.

)e put all the money we earned in our pocket. )e will lose our money if there is

a hole in our pockets. )e put all things in a bo0 or a basket. &f there is a hole in the

bo0 or basket, we will also lose them. Some people cultivate and accumulate merits.

hey make sacrifices and give donations. However, they may not know how to keep

their heart and mind in a good condition. his will bore $holes$ in their body, mouth

and mindB and they will lose all their merits. his is pitiful

366 Days with Wisdom Part 2

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