DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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Predestined is the interaction between people in your daily life. Considered good predestined is the relationship between people, in good circumstances, creating joy, bringing joy to everyone. Expanding good relations means building good reciprocal relationships between people widely. All beings in this world are your brothers and sisters. Due to the influence of the social environment, ideology, personality, and habits have changed, so the relationship is no longer as good as before. If you want to go back to the beginning, you should use good predestined to treat each other or teach. And should always remember:

- Meeting each other in life is all predestined

According to the Buddha's teaching, there is always a predestined relationship between people from a previous life, so in this life, when you meet someone to love or hate someone, there are reasons:

- The person who loves you gives you warmth and courage.

- The person you love will make you learn how to love and cherish.

- The person you don't like teaches you tolerance and respect.

- People who don't like you will help you grow, make you self-conscious, and re-examine yourself.

No one comes into your life for no reason. Everyone's presence has a reason, it's all appreciated. All of you are here together not by chance, but because you have been predestined to each other for many generations, so now you have met. In the sutras, the Buddha said that there are four kinds of predestined.

- There are people you have never known, but when you meet them, you feel friendly and familiar, like you have met them somewhere before.

- Someone you just met you already hates. It is a sign that you have had a bad relationship with each other in many previous lives, and only now are you meeting again.

- The person you used to be indebted to, as soon as you see it, you immediately fall in love.

- The person who has a grudge, you are angry as soon as you see it.

You are born in this world by creating mixed conditions of good and evil. So from the predestined to join together, also from the predestined to disintegrate. If it's good enough, it's still, if it's not, then it's over. When the predestined condition is still there, no matter how bad someone destroys it, it can't be broken, but when the predestined relationship is over, any kind of clinging will be broken. Of the four types of predestined conditions I have just mentioned, it shows that in a person's life, there is a gathering of predestined conditions, and if there is no predestined relationship, even if they face each other, they don't know each other. Thus, among the types of conditions of encounter, they are divided into two types:

- Good and bad.

Talking about good and bad conditions, there is a saying that:

- Meeting each other means having a predestined relationship, respecting each other is a good predestined. Hurting each other is evilly predestined.

In the spirit of studying the path of liberation, if you want to become enlightened, you must have a relationship with Buddha. However, if you want to have a Buddha-destiny relationship, you must first make a good-natured relationship. The so-called good relationship is building harmonious relationships and good relations with others. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have for many lifetimes accumulated good karmic relationships with living beings and have taken one step further to transform sentient beings and become buddhas.

One of the most precious things in human life is making good conditions or creating good conditions. Because in order for your life to be happy, also for everyone's life to be happy, it is really important to make good connections. So how can we expand our good predestined?

According to the Venerable Virtues, in human society, there are many ways of making a good predestined, such as:

- Someone built a street lamp post on the way to make a good predestined with passersby.

- Someone set up a tea shop for everyone to drink tea to make good predestined with passersby,

- Someone created a bridge connecting the two banks to make a good predestined with people,

- Someone spends money to drill a well to offer to the masses to make a good predestined,

- Someone gave a watch in a public area to make a good predestined with time,

Those are all very precious blessings. As long as people have good intentions, and naturally good predestined are everywhere, then the door of good predestined will open everywhere! All of the above suggestions are summed up into eight types of good predestined:

1- Helping the Unknown:

There are times when you can use the money to make friends with strangers, perhaps thus turning a stranger into an acquaintance.

Indeed, when I went to Duoc Su Temple, Michigan to celebrate Ullambana. For some reason, the flight from Seattle to Houston, Texas was delayed, so when it arrived, the flight from Houston to Grand Rapid Michigan had already flown. So that night I had to sleep at the airport in Houston. Due to the airline's fault, all customers get a coupon for breakfast. After going to Michigan for the ceremony and then back to Seattle, that Sunday afternoon the plane was late again, so I had to return to the temple until the next morning to return to Seattle. When going to Grand Rapid Michigan airport because it's too early, there's still time, moreover, if you don't use the coupon, it's like leaving. Seeing that I just bought breakfast, the coupon is only worth $15.00 dollars, while the food I bought is almost $17.00 dollars. Because I didn't want to pay more, I asked the salesman to take back two bottles of water, while the salesman was taking them out, there was an American friend behind me, he told me to let him pay me the amount missing. So I have another friend who is a person I have never met before.

2- Words create good predestined:

When someone is discouraged, you give them a word of encouragement, and that person will feel in despair he found a way to live. When someone is disappointed, you have a compliment, they will feel that life is more lovely, which is the so-called:

- A compliment is more glorious than a fine dress, a mockery more unpleasant than the punishment of an ax.

A good saying can really make you happy, then heaven and earth become peaceful!

3- Knowledge of creating good predestined

You can also use your knowledge or techniques to create good predestined with others. If you are a person with knowledge and a level of self-discipline, today you teach others a little knowledge or technique, that person will later become a person with bravery, self-reliance, and know how to behave be a good person for society. So often a profound word can affect another person's life, becoming the basis of their behavior and a guide to their life.

4- Self-sacrificing service to create good predestined

Doing something that makes others a little convenient, sometimes will become the object that everyone admires and respects you. For example, if you are walking down the street and see an old man cross the street while many cars pass by, you immediately have the heart to help the old man cross the street at the intersection, then you have built a good image. Or young people very politely give their seats to the elderly on the bus, this makes you believe that there are people in this world who care for each other. Although the work is small, it comes from compassion for people, which is a good predestined relationship. In the same way, you must treat all sentient beings with a sincere heart.

5- Smile creates a good predestined

Smiling is the common language of the world, it can shorten the distance between people, but also has the ability to bring people closer together. If you always have a smile on your face, you can easily get close to people, increase harmony and closeness, and make people release their guarded minds, making it easier for others easy access to you. So, just a smile, a raise of hand can bring people unexpected good predestined. Somewhere in the press, there was a mention of an unemployed young man lounging in front of New York's train station, looking at the prosperous scenery of traffic, he wanted to find a car of people rich to commit suicide, to let the poor mother get the compensation to live through the day. Just when he was in a despairing mood, all hopes turned to ashes, a noble beautiful girl passed in front of him, smiling and nodding at him. This nod and smile made the young man feel that this life still had meaning to live, so this young man forgot about finding death. On the second day, he suddenly found a job to support his family, so he didn't want to die even more! The predestined condition of a smile is normally seen as a simple smile, but in this case, the girl's smile is of great value because it was this smile that saved that young man's life.

6- Respect Others:

In the Sixth Patriarch Sutra or Fa-bao-t'an-ching, the Sixth Patriarch once said:

If you want to learn unsurpassed Bodhi, you cannot despise the beginner. The lowliest people also have the highest intelligence, the most intelligent people also lack wisdom. If you despise people, you will have an immeasurable and boundless sin.

Here the Sixth Patriarch clearly warns you not to look down on others. What you often see in life is that associations, due to many disagreements, arguments, and even fights, are the result of disrespecting others. If at that time everyone could respect the opinions of others, not criticize the opinions of the other party, but secretly discuss the appropriate solution, then not only could the problems be resolved satisfactorily discussion issues in the meeting can also avoid unnecessary arguments. So, no matter how good or bad sentient beings are, you still have to make good connections, because buddha's nature is equal.

7- Reach out to people

Creating opportunities to reach out to people, like in the temple, there is a day to meditate or recite Buddha's name, you should think of ways to make people have a good opportunity to attend with you, make good use of time and conditions to maybe a lot of people can participate. Share your interest so that everyone can practice together and learn together. Sharing and inviting each other to study is to create a generous predestined relationship.

8- Enthusiastically helping people:

In 1978, when our ship as a refugee arrived on the Indonesian island of Surabaya. Here I can see people working in love for their fellow human beings, regardless of body or non-kin. People with money spend money, people with strength help, in the spirit where there are people in need, they help there. They have fully promoted their compassion and kindness, in helping refugees. The acts and deeds of the people on this island are not for the sake of others' praise but are derived from the sincerity of the inner service to save others. So as long as you have a mind to help people, there is a place for you to practice your wish anywhere. As long as you have a sincere and enthusiastic heart, you can always make good friends with people. Besides, a good predestined result can also be a good source of merit.

Those are the good predestined ways of an ordinary person in today's society. Talking about promoting the good predestined for those who study the Buddhadharma, make merit, sometimes it is not necessary to go to the mountains and deep forests to practice, or discharging money. But there are times when a good word, a good deed, a smile, or a little knowledge can give you a wide range of good relationships, and great achievements of merit. Chinese Buddhism has five famous mountains, each of which has a Bodhisattva that transmits the Dharma. It is Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Mahasthama Bodhisattva you all know. These five great bodhisattvas each have their own superior predestined causes:

1- At Pu-To-Shan, there is Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who takes compassion as a good predestined, universally saving sentient being, so he has achieved compassion.

2- At Chiu-Fa San, there is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who takes his vows to make good predestined:

- To save all sentient beings, I will only witness the Bodhi fruition

Hell is not empty, I swear not to become a Buddha.

Over many hundreds of thousands of years, these four immeasurable verses of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva have shown a path to Buddhahood for the world.

3- At Wu Tai Shan, there is Manjushri Bodhisattva who takes wisdom as a good predestined. Here appeared a bright light that enlightened the blind, the sound of the Dharma resounded for the ignorant, and with profound wisdom, he enlightened the realm of great wisdom, even magic salvation for people

          4- At O-Mei-Shan there is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva who takes practice as good predestined. Here he incarnates the predestined people. Building noble character, and practice for China's Buddhist community.

          5- At Sumeru Mountain in China, there is a Mahasthama-prapta Bodhisattva who takes the power of diligence as a good predestined

In addition to the five great bodhisattvas, in Buddhism, there are also high monks and nuns of all ages, each with their own unique good predestined connection methods such as:

          - Master Hoang Nhat uses calligraphy to make good relationships with people. As long as you are an admirer of the Buddhadharma, he does not regret using pen and ink to write sutras or calligraphy to form a predestined relationship. He himself was very strict in his practice, strictly observing the precepts, and absolutely did not say a word that slandered the Dharma, did not do any actions that violated the precepts, and built an example of noble dignity.

          - The Most Venerable Hu Van uses meditation to make good relations with people. In his monastic life, his mind was as immobile, one-pointed as undisturbed, not preaching the Dharma, but spreading the Dharma and spreading widely, taking on countless government jobs without changing his mind to worldly circumstances.

          - Thai Hu Great Master used the teaching of the Dharma as a good condition, used the writing to deduce the prajna, or used the teaching of the sutras to enlighten those who had gone astray. He wandered around, established goodwill with everyone, and revived Chinese Buddhism.

          - Others like Tu Dat the Elder of India, used almsgiving to make good conditions and built the Jetavana Monastery, which became the Buddha's teaching place in northern India that received the respect of the whole country...

          - Venerable Vinh Minh Dien Tho Zen Master used the release of living beings to establish a good relationship and saved countless animals and creatures living in the water.

          - Long Kho Imperial Preceptor takes the offering of tea to passersby to make a good relationship so that passersby are not thirsty and have the strength to go further!

          - Venerable Thich Quang Duc Bodhisattva, in 1963, burned himself to protect the Dharma, by using the fire of ardent service to establish a good relationship with sentient beings.

           To say that it is to create good conditions or to promote good conditions is in the spirit of a student of the Way. But according to the world, instead of talking about creating goodwill, today's society says that it must rely on the combined operation of each other to be able to promote effective functions. That is, the life of each individual must also depend on close coordination with everyone to exist, and be able to live happily. Everything in your daily life depends on the unbroken cooperation of the castes:

          - Intellectuals, farmers, workers, and traders.

          There is the transportation of goods, so there is no shortage of food and clothing, avoiding shortages, so you have to thank the predestined conditions, thank many people who have accomplished for you. If you want a successful career, a favorable life, and a happy life, you must establish good conditions with all sentient beings in this life, even make good causes and conditions for future lives establish a dharma relationship with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Ten thousand people give alms, ten thousand people rejoice, together with ten thousand causes and conditions, surely society will be good, the fruit of becoming a Buddha is certainly not lacking! It can be said that a life of good conditions, blessed for thousands of kalpas, through which according to the records in the Canon, it is said about Venerable Vakkula's predecessor:

          - At the time of the Buddha Vairochana, there was a monk whose head was very painful. At that time, Venerable Vakkula, who was a poor merchant, took a fruit capable of curing pain and offer it to him. After the monk finished eating, the headache was completely gone. Thanks to diligent practice, that monk attained enlightenment

          Venerable Vakkula, because he had done this good deed, had established this predestined relationship with a future Buddha. So, in the next 91 lives, Vakkula lived happily, and his body never got sick. Later, Vakkula was reincarnated into a Brahmin family, his mother died early, and his stepmother tried to kill him many times, but all were unsuccessful.

          Once, his stepmother left him with a pan of boiling oil but did not die, then the stepmother threw him into the river, being swallowed by a big fish. The fish was immediately caught by the fisherman, and when he opened the fish's belly, there was a baby. Vakkula later became the adopted son of a nobleman. Later, practice attained Arhat status.

          Good condition is a very impressive word in thought, or consciousness, formed on the inside and manifests in action on the outside, moreover, it is a unified combination that sublimates thought and action your own action. Normally speaking, in a traditional society, the degree of good deeds of a person more or less depends on the conscience and karma of each person. This is not absolute, especially when human society has entered the era of high technology and good communication system. This is also the reason why people's honesty declines, people's hearts are not as good as before. The moral character of people is decreasing day by day, social evils exist everywhere, evils such as gambling, drugs, etc. These evils creep into every corner, making you do not do good deeds, but with one heart only eyeing money, getting rich illegally.

          In short, the promotion of goodwill is the ladder to Buddhahood, the basis of Buddhist practice, the wider the goodwill is, the deeper the Buddha's relationship will be. You must live well and grasp every part of the good conditions, then build a bridge between the human world and the realm of the Buddhas, save sentient beings, and lead them to the shore of liberation.

          Like the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas have extended good relations with people everywhere, so they have also saved many sentient beings' suffering. That's why, if a person can promote good conditions, your predestined will be good. If you can all promote good conditions, believe that in terms of saving people, and helping people, you can definitely get good results. Great results with little effort.

          Everything starts with fate and ends with fate. So in life, someone has also uttered the familiar sentence:

          - Well, everything has a destiny,

          Or:

          - Fate is determined.

          That is to say, ten years, twenty years, or a hundred years of human life, is just a segment of human life. You can only be destined to go together for only a certain part of the way, don't confuse your attachment to temporary possessions and think it's yours and then bring suffering into your body. For those rare moments of fate, you should care, and not think that others have to conform to your style. In this way, you will not be misunderstood, respect and help others, leading to a positive and joyful life, without causing suffering to yourself and others.

          Always doing good deeds, and promoting good conditions, is the most important moral virtue that you need to follow on the path to enlightenment.

          You can be happy without worries, live a peaceful and comfortable life, you can practice, create merit and cultivate good roots. People who study Buddhism have an honest heart and like to do almsgiving. Not because of greed for fame, profit, greed for wealth, and greed that they fight with each other, on the contrary, using an equal mind, a reverent mind, and a joyful mind, you practice giving, rescue sentient beings' sufferings, and always encourage everyone in the society live together in peace, and enjoy all the fun, auspicious and peaceful.

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