Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

[Master's Teachings]
The Buddha explains to us that the rise and fall of our feelings and emotions is triggered by our afflictions, which are like endless knots that tie us up, making us feel constrained. The suffering we experience do not originate from others but from ourselves. When we interact with others, there may be some misunderstandings which cause friction between us. If this happens, we should see it as a self-development opportunity, a chance to cultivate ourselves.

There is always something useful we can learn from people we encounter. If we can perceive the people we encounter as our mentors, a sense of respect toward others will emerge from the bottom of our heart. And, no matter how people misunderstand us or how severely people judge us, so long as we have a grateful attitude, we will be able to face obstacles calmly and not be affected by them.  Adopting this approach as we deal with events in our daily life, we will feel more at peace and at ease, and not be as easily disturbed.  Then, afflictions and inner knots will not form.

Compiled into English by the Jing Si Abode English Editorial Team