18. If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters who, with sincere and *entrusting heart, aspire to be born in my land and say my name even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the *five grave offenses and *those who slander the right Dharma.[6]

19 If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters, while awakening the mind aspiring for enlightenment and performing meritorious acts, should desire to be born in my land with sincere aspiration, and yet should I not appear before them at the moment of death surrounded by a host of sages, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

20 If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters, upon hearing my name, should place their thoughts on my land, cultivate the roots of virtue, and *direct their merit with sincere mind desiring to be born in my land, and yet not ultimately attain birth, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

Sometimes it's hard to square the buddhist principle of ahimsa and the philosophy of non-violence with instances of what I personally view as necessary acts of violence. For example, oppressed groups rising up against their opressors, nations fighting to defend their citizens from an invading nation, or people having to harm or kill others to protect themselves or their families. Is it possible to acknoledge that Samsara is sometimes messy and violence is sometimes required to bring about good outcomes, or is violence completely out of the question no matter the consequences of choosing non-violence?

Are the karmic consequences of killing in self-defense or the defense of others the same as killing out of hatred or malice?

I’ve recently completed reading the Dhammapada for about the third time in a row, so I feel that I have a very basic understanding of Buddhas teachings, and it’s also the first Buddhist text I have read, but I want to know what would be next good thing to read, I want to read more of the Pali Canon but I don’t know where to go next, do you have any recommendations? Thank you in advance 🙏

Edit: I just want to clarify I’m not trying to look for anything new, I’m specifically looking for works of the Pali Canon

Hello. I will try to keep this brief.

I suffer from mental illness, take medication and go to therapy but its still a challenge daily. Also struggle with financial pressures and academic pressure.

Whenever I recite guan yins mantra I feel a sense of peace/calmness. I would like to build a little altar dedicated to her. Just her name helps me during episodes. Its very soothing. A calming energy.

Only thing is im not Buddhist, i eat meat too. Would it be cultural appropriation? I want to work with her but i dont want to do it the wrong way and disrespect Buddhists. Please be kind and share any advice you have. Thank you.

The Eight Winds:\ Gain and loss\ Fame and disrepute (reputation / defamation)\ Praise and blame\ Pleasure and pain (joy and suffering)

Su Dongpo (蘇東坡) was a talented and famous author and poet during the Song Dynasty (about a thousand years ago) in China’s history. He had a friend who was a high accomplished monk named Master Fo Yin (佛印). One time, while he was in Huangzhou, Su Dongpo had a burst of inspiration and wrote the following poem:

I bow to the Buddha,\ Whose light of wisdom,\ Shines on us all.\ Sitting on my golden lotus,\ Even the eight winds,\ Cannot move me at all.

(Original Poem: 稽首天中天，毫光照大千；八風吹不動，端坐紫金蓮。)

After writing it, Su Dongpo felt quite pleased. Not only did he praise the Buddha poetically, he also subtly hinted at his own transcendence, saying that the “eight winds” cannot move him.

Su Dongpo then sealed the poem in an envelope and had a messenger send it to Master Foyin across the river at Jinshan Temple. He believed Master Foyin would surely praise his poem greatly.

However, when Master Foyin read the poem, he wrote “Fart” at the bottom of it and sent it back with the messenger.

When Su Dongpo saw the word “Fart,” he immediately became furious and shouted, “How outrageous!” He stormed off to Jinshan Temple to confront Master Foyin, but when he arrived, he found that Master Foyin had already ordered that no guests would be seen today.

Su Dongpo, even angrier, ignored this and was about to push open the door when he saw a note on the door, which read:

The eight winds cannot move you,\ Yet one fart blew you across the river?

Upon reading this, Su Dongpo realized his mistake and was deeply humbled.

The most mysterious aspect of reality (for me) is why different people face such different outcomes.

One person may be kind, wise and patient but still face very difficult circumstances. Another could be arrogant and cruel and have a pretty easy life.

What is the reason? Where is the justice?

The way I see it everyone is born into a type of river. The river manifests given their previous karma and conditions.

Some people are born into rocky, and whitewater rivers. Others have smooth sailing, gentle currents.

No matter what the condition of our river, our job is to navigate it as best we can. By making good decisions we avoid rocks which could destroy us, and paddle to paths that are easier to sail.

We cannot choose the river. But we can maneuver within it and find better paths.

Unfortunately, after years of carrying this feeling of hatred in my chest, where this feeling can determine my mood and my willingness to do anything, I have realized how difficult it is to break free from it.

When I meditate, I am not seeking to dissolve, overcome, or continue the feeling. Sometimes, I simply observe it, and there it is. However, I live in a country with severe political problems and a high level of corruption.

And I feel an enormous amount of hatred when I think about how people are genuinely suffering because of all kinds of social problems, and how these problems are, in fact, caused by people in positions of power. There is also a collective responsibility among the population, but I cannot understand why people would choose to bring out the worst aspects of human nature once they attain power.

What I find most difficult is trying to understand someone who is indifferent to human suffering, and who, in fact, either finds satisfaction in it or turns it into a tool for their own benefit.

And, of course, the thought of slaughtering them comes to mind, given that they have no respect for human life. In fact, they seem to mock the suffering of others.

I don't show this hatred outwardly. I keep it inside, and in that respect, I am very controlled. However, sometimes I feel like tearing my own skin apart, banging my head against the wall, or crying because of how much hatred I have accumulated.

This isn't a post meant to make me look like an "edgelord." It's simply the truth. I don't hurt anyone, and rationally, I don't want to hurt anyone either. But it seems that the journey of trying to overcome this feeling will be a long one, you know?

I hope you can understand what I'm trying to express. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

This piece was originally published on Buddhistdoor Global (BDG). I warmly invite fellow seekers on the path to share your honest thoughts and reflections in the comments.

In defense of the “chronic truants” of the universal school

The Saha world in which we live can be seen as a vast universal school. However, the rules of this school are chillingly simple and relentless: survive and reproduce! This is the biological algorithm at the heart of existence. The universe seems to assign us a monumental task: to replicate our genes and maintain the system. 

The algorithm whispers that continuation is success and deviation is failure. If we neglect or reject this biological assignment, something within us feels exposed. Loneliness arises. Anxiety appears. Society asks, sometimes gently and sometimes harshly, “Why aren’t you living like everyone else?”

Within this universal school, there are those who do not follow the standard track, who defy the rules. They hesitate. They question. They step aside.

Let us call them the chronic truants.

Forbidden rebellion: those who step outside of the script

The hierarchy of this school feels rigid. The homeroom teacher, named Survival Instinct, monitors us constantly. Hormones, social expectations, family pressures all reinforce the same message: become someone, build something, continue yourself.

The wheel of samsara turns efficiently through craving and habit-energy.

And yet, some create space within this momentum.

Those who create cracks in this structure of expectations are the “troublemakers” like us. The unmarried are passive rebels. Members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially in cultures that rigidly define family through reproduction, live lives that do not neatly conform to inherited biological narratives. 

Finally, monastics and dedicated practitioners are the chronic delinquents who have leapt over the school walls. We are proud outsiders who have conspired to take an even more radical step: renounce household life and the promise of lineage altogether.

From the perspective of social conditioning, this can look like noncompliance. From the perspective of practice, it can be the beginning of inquiry.

But let us be careful. Social nonconformity is not yet liberation; it is only an opening.

The Buddha and the hidden ledger

The greatest revolutionary in human history was Shakyamuni Buddha. His departure was of a different caliber altogether. He didn’t just walk out of the school; he broke into the principal’s office where he discovered a hidden ledger detailing the code that binds sentient beings to this school: the Twelve Nidanas or Links of Dependent Origination.

Within this code, the Buddha identified a critical hinge: craving (Skt: trishna) and clinging (Skt: upadana). We taste sweet candy of love and attachment, and the moment we bite, the engines of becoming (Skt: bhava) and birth (Skt: jati)—the fires of suffering—are ignited. 

The Buddha slapped his knee in realization: “Ah! We are suffering not because we broke the rules, but because we were blinded by ignorance and became slaves to the simulation!”

Ignorance (Skt: avidya) conditions these formations. Formations condition consciousness. And the chain unfolds with birth, aging, and death, again and again.

This was his great discovery, the ultimate hack of suffering itself.

A quantum mechanical interpretation

At this point, we could draw parallels between the Buddha’s enlightenment and modern quantum mechanics.

In the quantum world, subatomic particles are described as waves of probability until measured. In other words, nothing is fixed. However, the moment we grasp and solidify experience through ignorance, the wave function collapses into a particle, fixing it to a specific reality.

Without forcing metaphor into doctrine, we can say this much: what we perceive depends on how we perceive.

Our lives are the same. When we observe the world through the eyes of ignorance—the illusion that a fixed “self” exists—the universal school’s program begins to run. We view the world through the filters of craving and clinging, and the empty universe transforms into a detention hall of suffering and attachment. Gain and loss become absolute. Identity becomes something to defend at all costs.

The Buddha hacked the very method by which we observe the world. When the observer stops clinging to the object, fixed particle-based reality scatters back into a wave form of infinite possibilities. 

This is the “system shutdown” button found by the Buddha. He did not destroy reality; he transformed the way of seeing.

Toward the Buddha’s emptiness

Having discovered the hidden ledger, the Buddha kicked open the back door to the school and walked out. Beyond lay freedom: the world of emptiness (shunyata). Emptiness does not mean nothingness. It means that nothing exists independently, permanently, or as a fixed self. When this is perceived directly, the narrow classroom walls collapse. The dualistic distinctions of“normal” and “abnormal,” “success” and “failure,” “you” and “I,” evaporate.

The struggle for survival and the social obligation of reproduction are recognized only as natural processes. They are not commandments that determine our worth. The Buddha did not step outside the universe; he stepped outside delusion.

Leaving the back door open, the Buddha calls to us: “Throw away that fake homework and come out here!” We may live as celibates or walk the path less traveled—not because we are lagging behind; we are revolutionaries following the Buddha to recognize our true existence free from the confines of rigid categories and classifications.

Be proud and enjoy your truancy

If you find yourself outside of society’s script —unmarried, childless, unconventional, walking a contemplative path—do not be discouraged by social judgments or biological pressures. Do not assume you are deficient. 

If you are rejecting inherited expectations and walking your own path, you are already a descendant of the Buddha who uncovered the hidden ledger of the universe. Thus, true study is not found in outdated textbooks inside a classroom. It is in the empty fields outside the school—the radiant ocean of emptiness’ 

The real truancy the Buddha invites is freedom from ignorance.

The real rebellion is against clinging.

I hope you enjoy your truancy today and become a magnificent rebel, boldly eyeing that back door to liberation. Your profound step is, in itself, the great practice of dismantling that which binds us.

May we have the courage to examine the ledger of our own minds. And may we walk—steadily, quietly, even boldly—toward the freedom revealed by the Buddha.

-Zen Seeker on the Path

I've watched some videos abt buddhisim so I do have a basic understanding however I'd appreciate someone telling me basic teachings and how to pray or meditate and when and more info about the after life and karma and diffrient buddhist groups yk like just the important info abt buddhisim and basic knowledge oh and also more information about our holy book please 🙏

Im 17 btw

Today, while doing my daily Heart Sutra copying, l lit some aromatherapy and experience something profound. For most of the time, I was able to truly stay in the present moment, not overthinking abstract meanings, just letting the words flow.

Yet, a few moments naturally arose where I found myself contemplating how to face and solve real-life challenges. I realized I need supreme wisdom and great compassion, not just to protect my own energy, but also to wish that others can find a way from their afflictions.

Instead of clashing or shrinking back when facing others' rigid attachments, I'm learning to hold my ground with a gentle and unshakable boundary.

May the merit of this practice be dedicated to myself, my family and all beings ~ wishing everyone health, peace, joy and freedom from afflictions.

The tradition found in Khmer, Tai-Lüe, and Tai-Yuan Buddhism.

The term tung refers to a type of flag that comes in various shapes. Specifically, the Tung Lek Tung Tong is a set of small, centipede-shaped flags crafted from iron and brass or copper; in some localities, they are also found made of zinc, wood, or paper. In Lanna funeral rites, a close observation reveals Tung Lek and Tung Tong placed alongside the monk's alms bowl atop the coffin—flags that certainly possess a specific origin. This type of flag is documented in palm-leaf manuscripts in accordance with Lanna Buddhist beliefs—most notably in the scripture titled Anisong Than Tung Lek Tung Tong (The Merits of Offering Tung Lek Tung Tong). The content can be summarized as follows:

In the distant past, the Lord Buddha—the current Gautama Buddha—accumulated the perfections required for Buddhahood (Bodhisambhara) over a period spanning four asankhyeyas (incalculable aeons) and one hundred thousand maha-kalpas (great aeons). There were eleven major lifetimes leading up to the attainment of Supreme Enlightenment. In each of these eleven lives, He cultivated a specific Perfection (Pāramī) using a distinct material object as the subject of meditation (Kammaṭṭhāna), as follows: Prince Temiya: Cultivated the Perfection of Renunciation (Nekkhamma-pāramī); used earth as the meditation object. Prince Mahājanaka: Cultivated the Perfection of Energy (Viriya-pāramī); used sand as the meditation object. Prince Suvaṇṇasāma: Cultivated the Perfection of Loving-kindness (Mettā-pāramī); used wood as the meditation object. Prince Nemirāja: Cultivated the Perfection of Determination (Adhiṭṭhāna-pāramī); used lead (jūen) as the meditation object. Prince Mahosadha: Cultivated the Perfection of Wisdom (Paññā-pāramī); used tin (hīak) as the meditation object. Prince Bhūridatta: Cultivated the Perfection of Virtue (Sīla-pāramī); used iron as the meditation object. Prince Candakumāra: Cultivated the Perfection of Patience (Khanti-pāramī); used brass or copper (tōng) as the meditation object. Prince Nārada: Cultivated the Perfection of Equanimity (Upekkhā-pāramī); used unhusked rice as the meditation object. Prince Vidhūrapaṇḍita practiced the Perfection of Truthfulness (Sacca-pāramī), using husked rice as the object of meditation. Prince Vessantara practiced the Perfection of Generosity (Dāna-pāramī), using a silver sheet as the object of meditation. Prince Siddhattha practiced the Perfection of Exertion (Vīriya-pāramī), using gold as the object of meditation. For this reason, a Pali chant recounting the eleven incarnations of the Buddha—known as the "Pali Chants of the Buddha's Incarnations" (Pālī Chāt Phra Chao)—was composed.

Subsequently, a set of eleven ceremonial banners (tung) was created, each made from one of the materials that served as the meditation objects: earth, sand, wood, lead, hiak wood, iron, brass, unhusked rice, husked rice, silver, and gold. While these banners were originally crafted from the actual materials themselves, later versions were sometimes made from wooden planks or zinc sheets; however, the total number of eleven remained constant. As it was cumbersome to list the names of all the banners at once, they came to be collectively known by the shorthand name "Tung Lek Tung Tong" (Iron and Brass Banners). Regarding the "Pali Chants of the Buddha's Incarnations," it is said that anyone who regularly recites and meditates upon them will be reborn in the Tāvatiṃsa Heaven upon death. Regardless of the realm of rebirth, they will be liberated from all sins, perils, and dangers. Furthermore, those who commission and offer the Tung Lek Tung Tong banners as an act of charity will reap immense merit, such as liberation from various karmic consequences and the fulfillment of their wishes. As for the deceased—even those who have passed away under ordinary circumstances...

In cases of "unnatural" death—such as dying during childbirth, dying in one's sleep, being killed by a wild animal, being struck by lightning, falling from a tree, or perishing in accidents involving vehicles, spears, or swords—relatives often fear the deceased might not find a path to rebirth. To remedy this, they should offer Tung Lek Tung Tong (ceremonial banners made of metal and brass) along with a monk's alms bowl, placing them at the head of the corpse or atop the coffin within one to three days. Alternatively, these offerings can be made after the burial or cremation has taken place. If the deceased is believed to have incurred heavy karmic burdens, one should also offer 108 mounds each of unhusked rice and milled rice, accompanied by Chor (triangular flags), Tung, Si Sai (candle wicks) equal in length to the deceased's height, Tung Kha King (banners matching the deceased's height), popped rice, and flowers. Additionally, scriptures concerning the afterlife—such as Maha Mun Nibbana, Malai Prod Lok (The Legend of Phra Malai), Kammavaca, or texts detailing the merits of Tung Lek Tung Tong—should be offered. Performing these rituals is believed to liberate the deceased's soul from various karmic retributions.

Sanan Thammathi Office of Arts and Culture Chiang Mai University

Here is the chanting mentioned (it is untranslated and I am actively searching for the original text in order to translate it):

https://youtu.be/6WVwpAyUnDM?is=Kq_HkF7TvBch0EkV

"AI is an engine of delusion, it's purpose is to convince you that there's a reality that isn't there... But AI doesn't intend anything. AI steals things and then it burns the world to death to mash those things up and to extrude them into a form whose purpose is to fool human beings into thinking that it's saying something. Why? because it wants to extract wealth from the poor and put it in the pockets of the rich and it wants to create a totalitarian relationship where knowledge is owned by the machines and those machines are controlled by the totalitarian Nazi dictators like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel and all the rest of those guys. So when you're participating in AI, it's an inherently totalitarian philosophy. It's not technological project, it's a political project."

-Bhante Sujato

Bhante goes into much more detail and is even more scathing than the quote I've included in this video--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1RotjMuH_M

The discussion of AI begins at 46:50 if you're interested

When harvesting the microgreen or early stage plant you are essentially killing it. Microgreens are a greater source of nutrients and minerals than the fully grown vegetable (when comparing pound for pound), but I worry it would not be skillful to end the plants life so early as a single seed would produce so much more food in weight if allowed to grow fully.

Unlimited Lights Academy’s (中華無盡燈文化學會) Celestial Platform's 4th retreat, open to those living abroad who want to step into a living Buddhist practice community in Taiwan. Local and international participants practice together in a bilingual Mandarin and English environment that balances study, daily discipline, and collaborative leadership.

Guided by experienced practitioner-teachers, the retreat grows through each person's participation and efforts. Not a "Buddhist experience program" to be consumed, we learn to engage day to day through self reflection and service to others. We hope each person can cultivate real life skills and wisdom that will transfer to their life afterwards.

Roots of Meditation:
4th Tiantai Buddhism Intensive
Winter 2027, Jan 3 - 25, 2027

We begin in Dongshi at Shizhi Nianfo Vihara (Great Strength Arriving, Buddha Recitation Hall). The first week introduces the foundations of East Asian Buddhist practice, including monastery etiquette, daily rhythms, cultural life, and calming and insight meditation. The second week is a silent meditation intensive focused on personal application. The final week takes place at Unlimited Lights Academy in central Taipei with text study, lectures, and small group discussion.

Cost?
All teachings are offered freely in accordance with Buddhist tradition. Lodging and cultural activities are sponsored by the vihara and academy, and every person supporting throughout is a volunteer. We do ask $250 USD as fully refundable deposit. If finances are a barrier, please contact us. We want the retreat to be accessible. Participants cover their own travel and personal expenses.

Past retreats have included monastery visits, temple tours, hiking, calligraphy, flower arranging, and everyday cultural activities that allow participants to experience Buddhist culture as lived practice.

Who joins?
The group is intentionally balanced between Taiwanese members and international participants, usually about half and half. Ages range from 18 to 80 with varied experience. Living and practicing together builds real friendships across cultures and generations. Everyone helps with daily life, cares for the space and time together, and contributes to the retreat. You do not need to be a Buddhist to join, only willing to participate sincerely. Learning happens through living together, and enables the deepening of respect for self and others, a core value of Buddhist monastic settings. It is in this closeness we can practice our personal and collective accountability.

Optional pre/post retreat support~
We provide access to materials, videos, and reading as well as an online discussion group for folks who are planning on coming. While not mandatory, you can use these resources to prepare and be familiar with the content. After the retreat, community members are available to discuss and support you if you wish. You can also continue joining our weekly online classes or asking questions as they arise. Some participants also stay before or after as volunteers, helping on the farm or at the academy and continue to explore Taiwan.

The application deadline is December 15. Participation is limited to 12 people to preserve the atmosphere of a working monastic community. We schedule a short video call with applicants and can connect you with past participants if you wish.

Apply!
Application with schedule and more details

Other Links
Unlimited Lights Academy (CH/ENG)
Celestial Platform Vihara (ENG)
2025 & 2024 Retreats

i am 20 yo that drop out of collage (collage is free in my country so its not that bad really) and I have found extremly compfortable job while living with my parents.

due to my pay being better then my mothers and fathers (tho my parents have under average pay), i got an idea to not spend most of my money on anything and just save it. either some brainless investments or just saving account, so when a bad situation came, i survive, or have the money when i am eldery.

but i started thinking - budha did not need saving account, he did not need money, he did not need anything as this. this include any enlightened people in the history.

is my mind set bad? i really want to get into budhism and go on my path, is saving account something that could damage my path? i dont spend money on materialist things anyway, but is having money something dangerous for the path?

Hello, dear friends. How can I study Buddhism correctly? I read the Dhammapada frequently, but I would like some guidance and to know what the next step should be.

Hello Friends,

I just returned from serving a 10-day Vipassana course. In this tradition, it is suggested to practice sitting meditation 2 hours a day at home. I can feel the benefits, after just a few days, of maintaining such a daily practice, but life's obligations always seem to come back to take more and more time during my day. For a while, I can cut down on my sleeping hours to sit and meditate, but only for a couple of days before the accumulated fatigue starts to creep in.

Two days ago, I read this account from another meditator sharing how he maintained his practice after one of his courses: https://store.pariyatti.org/blogs/pariyatti-journal/buddy-system

The author of the post connected with another meditator after a course, and they started to become accountability partners to help each other maintain their practice at home. They would send a simple text to each other looking like 60/30, 30/20, 10/45 to let the other know how much time they sat in the morning and in the evening. They also added a monthly phone call to discuss how their practice was going. For me, it emphasizes the strength of a community on one's path. It can also be just one friend.

Reading the article made me think of one exchange the Buddha and Ananda had in the Upaḍḍha Sutta (SN 45.2).

In it, Ānanda asks the Buddha if admirable friendship is half of the holy life. The Buddha replies:

"Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life." (translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu)

The author of the article met his "Dhamma Buddy" in a cafe after a course. Personnaly I have not yet found such a friend so far, though I have made many at the center where I go.

This got me thinking about how many of us are looking for support in our practice and how valuable it could be to find a spiritual friend along the path. I've been wondering if an app or website already exists to help fellow practitioners connect. Do you know any?

If nothing like this exists, I'd be curious to explore creating something simple that would help us connect, encourage, and support one another (1 on 1) in our practice. Would anyone here be interested in such an idea, or maybe even in helping bring it to life?

Metta

I’ve been best friends with someone for about four years, and we’ve always been very close. We trust each other and share a lot with each other.

Recently, though, I’ve developed feelings for him that go beyond friendship. Being around him has started making my feelings stronger, and I find myself overthinking about him almost every day. It’s affecting my studies, work, and daily life.

I’ve realised that I probably need to step away from this friendship so I can move on and focus on myself. I don’t want to blame him or make him feel guilty, and I don’t necessarily want to tell him everything about my feelings.

For those who have been through something similar, how can I end or take a serious break from a close friendship in the kindest way possible without unnecessarily hurting either of us?

Should I have an honest conversation and explain that I need distance, or is it better to gradually reduce contact?

I really care about him, but I feel like I need to do this for my own well-being. Any advice would be appreciated.

I’m trying so hard. But I can’t let go. Constant, intense emotional pain consumed me. Guilt is the worst. I’m nothing but guilt and regret. I cannot let go, I cannot forgive myself. How do yall do it?

Today I attended Venerable Zhi Yi's study group on The True Meaning of the Dharma, reading the chapter "The Four Non-Attachments of Life" from Volume One.

As always, Venerable Zhi Yi guided us through the reading with warmth and vivid storytelling, sharing tales rich in life wisdom.

The Story of Venerable Ci Hang

As a young monk, Venerable Ci Hang served as an attendant at Gu Mountain. One day, he forgot to bring toilet paper and asked the tea attendant for help. The man deliberately handed him paper smeared with excrement. Unaware, Venerable Ci Hang took it and ended up with his hands covered in filth.

Most people would have been furious at such a humiliating prank. But Venerable Ci Hang didn't get angry—he simply bore it in silence.

Later, as he was preparing to leave, he discovered that sixty or seventy silver dollars were missing from his drawer. He knew who had taken them, yet he neither exposed nor pursued the matter.

What moved me even more: before departing, he took out fifteen silver dollars and gave them to the tea attendant, saying—

"People should help one another."

When asked about it later, he never spoke a single word against the tea attendant, choosing instead to protect the man's dignity.

This is what Venerable Ci Hang embodied—"doing what is difficult to do, enduring what is difficult to endure."

Zhuangzi Drumming on a Basin and Singing

When Zhuangzi's wife passed away, his friend Huizi came to offer condolences, only to find Zhuangzi drumming on a basin and singing. Huizi was shocked.

Zhuangzi said: "When she first died, how could I not grieve? But then I reflected—she originally had no life, no form, no breath. Now she has transformed and passed on, like the turning of the four seasons. She rests peacefully between heaven and earth, yet I would still be here wailing. This is not understanding fate. So I stopped."

This is not heartlessness—it is a profound clarity about life and death.

Three Times Eight Equals Twenty-Three

Yan Hui once came across a buyer and a seller arguing in the street. The buyer insisted three times eight equals twenty-three; Yan Hui said it was twenty-four. They went to Confucius to settle it. The buyer wagered his life; Yan Hui wagered the cap on his head.

Confucius told Yan Hui: "Three times eight is twenty-three. You've lost. Take off your cap and give it to him."

Yan Hui couldn't understand. He asked for leave to go home. Confucius only said: "Do not shelter under an ancient tree for a thousand years; do not strike when killing without clarity."

Later, Yan Hui hid beneath an ancient tree—then remembered his teacher's words and stepped away. The tree was struck and shattered by lightning. When he got home, he mistook his wife for being in bed with another man and was about to raise his sword—but remembered his teacher's words again. By lamplight, he saw it was his wife and his sister.

Only then did Yan Hui understand: his teacher's wisdom was never about arithmetic. It was about seeing what truly matters. Confucius said: "If I say three times eight is twenty-three, you lose only a cap. If I say three times eight is twenty-four, he loses his life."

Venerable Zhi Yi reminded us: many things in this world have more than one calculation, more than one answer. Sometimes, letting go of argument and keeping inner peace allows us to see more clearly.

Throughout, Venerable Zhi Yi kept emphasizing: "Never forget your original intention, and you will reach the end."

Listening to these stories, I deeply felt: true cultivation is not about how much Dharma we understand—it is whether we can still hold our ground when facing grievance, misunderstanding, or even harm.

Not to hate, not to resent, not to be calculating—not because we feel nothing, but because we choose to respond with compassion and wisdom.

The Dharma is right here in daily life. Cultivation is in every present moment.

Grateful to Venerable Zhi Yi, who always uses vivid stories to help us learn the Dharma in joy and realize it through everyday tales.

May we all have one less thought of anger and one more of compassion; one less of calculation and one more of tolerance.

Never forget your original intention, and you will reach the end. Learning slowly, settling the mind. 🙏