Lighten up our conscience and cultivate Tao peacefully and joyfully

Lighten up our conscience and cultivate Tao peacefully and joyfully

A speech by the Grand Master on 18 February,2007 at the Hung Tsung Headquarters on the occasion of the Chinese New Year gathering.

Masters, Temple Supervisors and officers, fellow believers,
A very happy Chinese New Year to you all ! Today marks the occasion of Chinese New Year gathering of our An Tung Group for 2007. Seeing so many people coming back to Hung Tsung from different places, saying season’s greetings and well wishes to one another, and seeing many performers who have practiced very hard, getting ready to perform their programs, I really feel very happy.

In the past year, I notice everybody has made very big efforts either in enlisting new believers or in the setting up of new temples; I feel very comforted when your performance was much better than previous years.

During the process of cultivating and performing Tao, be it new year gathering, enlightening classes or any place of learning or study, all these are one of the important learning stages in the cultivation of Tao. It is because in the course of working and practice, many senior believers and preachers will remind us of the faith of Tao cultivation, tell us the profound meaning of I-Kuang Tao and the way to cultivate ourselves. They make us understand that our life will become more valuable and solid, our family happier, and the society more harmonious. That is why Tao cultivation is so precious.

Tao cultivation is in fact very simple, and that is to improve our character and to control our temper and to start with : be filial, be brotherly, and be kind. Followers of I-Kuang Tao should not only lighten the basic conscience given to us by god, but also should treat others as ourselves, educate and enlist all human beings until achieving the goal of ultimate perfection and the world in a state of cosmopolitanism. Temperate yourself well, and further render filial piety to your parents, treat your brothers respectfully, treat your children kindly; as a start, improve yourself and further change for the better, your family, the society and the nation, even our temples. In so doing, we can then call ourselves true followers of I-Kuang Tao, being able to live up to the expectations of Shih Tsun and Shih Mu.

We should understand that the reason why the Teacher passes Tao to us is to point out a way which requires us to follow and practice personally; in other words, no one can
cultivate Tao on our behalf. Therefore in the process of Tao cultivation which includes saving human souls and exercise merits in fulfilling wishes, we must pay attention to our own minds. No matter what situations we are in, favorable or adverse, we should uphold our quiet and peaceful mind, which everyone of us possesses,--a Buddhist and Taoist heart.

It is important that everyone must maintain a grateful and repentant heart all the time and whatever we do, we ask for god’s forgiveness, make more efforts to repent, to make corrections and ask our Mi Le Buddha for guidance and advice. We should also intensify the practice of the Three Treasures, which will greatly benefit the enhancement of our mind. It is the obligation and mission of every Tao follower to be determined to practice virtues and merits, come to the temples as often as possible and educate and guide every person who we chance to know so that Tao is extended to every corner of the world and I-Kuang Tao can then be passed on indefinitely.

Although in the past year, everyone’s studies and realizations had made progress, you should not be satisfied with such a small achievement. We must expand the affairs of Tao with a broader, more diligent and more courageous mind; for the good parts, let them be kept and enhanced further, but the shortcomings should be remedied and improved after reviews are conducted. I believe that in 2007. the development of our Tao affairs as well as the cultivation of our inner self will not only be good, but even better.

With the passage of the year of Ping Shu(the Dog), let us welcome the year of Ting Hai(the Boar) with a lively, joyful and vigorous mood. After all, this year we have a lot of important matters to handle, such as An Tung Mi Le Hill, which Grand Teacher
Shih Tsun has urged us to accomplish within ten years, and the training of religious personnel has to be intensified to meet the future needs of our temples.

Finally, at the beginning of a new year, I bless you all. I hope everyone will stride forward courageously toward the common goal and ideal.
Thank you all very much.