by Wen-Chun Kong of Taipei
While growing up, my folks always took good care of me. I was able to trust my classmates and friends in school. This fulfills exactly the old Chinese saying: “One depends on parents at home while depending on friends outside the home.”
However, as I grew up, I lost faith in human trust and dignity. I shared the view that our society is a violent and morally degenerated. So I stayed away from strangers. I didn’t talk to strangers! I didn’t want to be one of the victims of our unsafe society. In fact, I didn’t trust others any more. Sometimes I questioned people’s motivation when they went out their way to help others. They probably wanted to cheat people. After I practiced Mahayana Zengong teaching, I am happy to say that I gradually changed my point of view and attitude towards others and society as a whole.
The Center of Mahayana Zengong is like a paradise on the planet Earth. That has been my unshakable conviction ever since I joined the Mahayana Zengong. I vividly remember my first encounter with the group. It was the Collegiate Zen Retreat Summer Camp in 1996. I saw that many brothers and sisters sacrificed themselves in order to take good care of our daily activities during the Seven-Day Retreat. They were busy as bees and didn’t expect anything in return. Their only concern was to provide a comfortable and friendly environment for us so that we could concentrate on our study and meditation practices. Those brothers and sisters were strangers to me and the other participants. They were kind and cared for us. They made sacrifices for us without any connection with us. Their actions made me think about the inner meaning of “unconditional loving, kindness and compassion.”
Gradually I got to know more about Mahayana Zengong. I found out why those brothers and sisters cared so much about others, the Centers, and the teaching. It was simply because they were inspired by two great Grand Masters. Under their guidance all disciples diligently studied and practiced what they were taught. Both Grand Masters dedicated their time and efforts to teaching and propagating Buddha Dharma. They integrated the Buddhist principles taught in the classroom into daily life themselves. They set excellent examples for us to practice the Way of Bodhisattvas in conducting worldly activities and affairs.
I realize that I have made great advances in my perspective about life, nature, and the world in general. My co-workers noticed changes in me too. They commented that I was more patient than I used to be; that I could handle matters more peacefully and smoothly; that I was not upset by setbacks. All these improvements can simply be attributed to a Teaching that I can always use. This is a Buddhist School that allows me to continually grow and develop my physical, mental, and spiritual capacity to a lofty stage.