Enlightment
Story
Learning Truth from Stories
Unseen Cause and Effect
There was a believer who prayed to God every day, asking God to make him a good servant and to accomplish all that was entrusted to him. One day, God responded to him: “I will send an angel to guide you into becoming a more mature believer. Follow him, but don’t question anything.”
So the angel took him. On the first day, they arrived at the house of a wealthy man who welcomed them warmly. The angel said to him, “This man is greatly blessed by God.”
The next morning, the angel took a shiny golden cup from the wealthy man’s house, which was the cup the master favored. Perplexed, the believer asked the angel, “How can you engage in such thievery?”
The angel replied, “This is God’s will. Do not speak.” And the believer remained silent.
On the second night, they stayed with a humble farming couple who, though not rich, treated their guests with great hospitality. They gave up their master bedroom for the angel and the believer while they slept in the barn.
The following day, as the angel was about to depart, he set fire to the farmer’s house. This action further puzzled the believer, who became increasingly discontented with the angel’s actions. Still, the angel insisted it was God’s will.
On the third day, they lodged with a deeply devoted couple who warmly welcomed them. When they left the next day, on their way, they encountered the couple’s son on a bridge. The angel pushed the boy off the bridge, drowning him.
Unable to contain himself, the believer accused the angel of committing senseless acts, claiming they were God’s will. He argued with the angel.
The angel explained that it was God’s will: the golden cup used by the wealthy man was poisoned by his servants daily, aiming to kill him and inherit his wealth. If the cup wasn’t taken, he would soon die. Despite its beauty, it threatened his life.
Regarding the second household, the angel revealed that the couple had suffered for a long time, and God wanted them to live more prosperously. Their ancestors had buried a pot of gold under their house, and by burning it down, they would rebuild and discover the treasure, improving their lives.
As for the third family, God saw their devoutness and love for Him. The son would have committed grave misdeeds at the age of sixteen. God didn’t want the couple to witness their child’s descent into wrongdoing, so He took his life.
This story illustrates “God’s will.” When we judge things subjectively, many situations can be endured, or our voices can resolve important issues. It depends on our wisdom in action and our relationship with God: how His Spirit reveals to us and moves us. Let us hope to fulfill God’s will.
What happens in the present moment is the best arrangement.
There was a young prince who, on the day of his ascension to the throne as emperor, wanted to showcase his exceptional skills through hunting. From a distance, he spotted a golden leopard and shot an arrow directly into its throat with a “whoosh.” The agonized leopard rolled on the ground, and as the emperor approached to pull out the arrow, he was caught off guard by the leopard’s counterattack. In an instant, his left “two fingers” were bitten off, blood spraying everywhere. Furious, the emperor, on this joyous day of his ascension, found himself crippled. His prime minister comforted him, saying, “What happens in the moment is the universe’s best arrangement. Even if it seems like a bad thing now, it may turn into a huge blessing in three to five years.” This statement directly angered the emperor, who felt that the prime minister was simply delighting in his misfortune. He ordered the prime minister to be killed on the spot. Despite the fervent pleas of his attendants, the prime minister was only spared from death but couldn’t escape the fate of being thrown into the dungeon.
Years passed, and the emperor, disguised, went on an inspection tour down the mountains. Passing through a remote settlement, he was captured by the tribespeople and chosen for sacrifice due to his handsome appearance. Despite his attempts to reveal his identity, no one in the tribe believed him since no one had ever seen the emperor in person. Just as the emperor was about to be sacrificed, the sharp-eyed priest noticed his severed fingers and quickly called for a halt, instructing that a disabled person was not suitable for sacrifice to avoid angering the heavens. The emperor thus narrowly escaped and fled in haste.
Upon returning to the palace, the emperor soon visited the imprisoned prime minister. Arrogantly, he said, “You said everything is the best arrangement, and you were right. But unfortunately, this statement only applies to me, as you are still locked up in the dungeon!” The prime minister, calmly and unhurriedly, replied, “Your Majesty, if I hadn’t been imprisoned by you back then, I would have accompanied you on the tour in disguise. You would have escaped because of your missing fingers, and I would have become the sacrifice on the fire! For me, isn’t this also the best arrangement?”
Having no discriminatory thoughts
The Buddha prescribed that his disciples should go for alms round, visiting each household in turn, regardless of whether they were offered alms or not. However, Śāriputra’s way of begging was different from others. He always chose wealthy families and never begged from poor households. Even if it required traveling long distances, he insisted on begging only from the affluent. This was because he sympathized with the poor and didn’t want to burden them further.
On the other hand, another monk, Mahākāśyapa, only begged from poor households. He believed that by doing so, he could help the poor accumulate merit. He thought that people were poor because they lacked sufficient merit from past lives, so he wanted to provide them with opportunities to accumulate merit.
When the Buddha learned about this, he criticized both of them for their unfair attitudes towards alms-giving. He emphasized that alms-giving should not discriminate between rich and poor. Similarly, in dealing with matters, there are no absolute rights or wrongs because we often cannot see the hidden aspects behind them. Therefore, we should also let go of our subjective views.
http://www.masterhsingyun.org/article/article.jsp?index=48&item=127&bookid=2c90859c4158419f0141585374680000&ch=4&se=4&f=1
Life Isn't That Miserable
After being diagnosed with cancer, I wondered why I was so unlucky. However, when I observed that some people in the world live to enhance the well-being of the entire society, dedicating their lives to their beliefs and goals, without ever having time to sit down and truly enjoy life, I realized that I only need to strive to keep living. In comparison, what is there to resent?
Adversity Leads to Growth
In adversity, true growth emerges. People tend to stay within their comfort zones, enjoying the ease of familiar surroundings. I am a vivid example, spending my entire life working in a comfortable environment without the pressure of performance. This led to years of living without realizing the need for improvement, all the while maintaining a falsely positive self-perception.
It wasn’t until I faced cancer and left my work environment that I encountered different groups of people, revealing how limited my perspective had been.
Prosperity can easily lead to decline, while adversity inspires growth.
Not Being Content Leads to Unhappiness
The desire of individuals is ceaseless, and thus, those who are never content will never find happiness; instead, they will perpetually experience disappointment and pain. People often pursue “financial abundance,” yet they frequently overlook the importance of “spiritual abundance.” To attain “spiritual abundance,” one must consistently harbor a grateful heart, appreciating what they already have and finding joy in life’s small blessings. It is essential to remember that satisfaction cannot be provided by others; true contentment can only be achieved by oneself.
Let go of the burdens in your heart
When we become the subject of gossip in others’ conversations, it’s natural to feel uneasy. However, we often overlook a fact: those who gossip are constantly seeking new topics, and naturally, your matters will be engulfed by new gossip. Therefore, when you hear others discussing you, there’s no need to get upset. Your affairs aren’t as significant to them, and once your topic concludes, they move on to discussing others.
If possible, share your feelings with friends. Through heartfelt connections, even the most gloomy feelings can be eased, leading to a brighter future.