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Free of Self-Interest and Jealousy

By Qing Yan

(Clearwisdom.net) In traditional Chinese culture, it is believed that every person has his own fate and his fortunes are predestined according to what he has done in previous lives. Such a belief is also prevalent in the world of cultivation practice. It is believed that a person who harms other people out of jealousy or feeling unjustly wronged will not change his situation. Instead, this creates karma for him and results in worse fortune in his next life. With this in mind, a person should try to be more generous and forgiving, and let go of jealousy, as it will only cause endless harm to others and himself.

Lu Yuqin was an important political advisor to Emperor Taizu, the founder of the Song Dynasty. Lu Yuqin was known to be a generous and virtuous man who was never jealous of others.

Before Emperor Taizu founded the Song Dynasty, Lu served under the Late Zhou Dynasty, and Taizu was known as Zhao Kuangyin. When Zhao Kuangyin heard of Lu Yuqin's talents, he recommended Lu to the government and made Lu one of his advisors. Lu then followed Zhao Kuangyin as a close advisor during his subsequent posts.

After Zhao Kuangyin founded the Song Dynasty and became Emperor Taizu, Lu Yuqin became one of the founding members of the Song Dynasty. Except for Lu, all the founding members, such as Zhao Pu and Li Chuyun, were given high-ranking positions. An average person might have held a grudge against Emperor Taizu, but Lu bore no bitterness towards Taizu.

Shortly afterwards, Li Chuyun was demoted to a post in the state of Zizhou, and when Lu Yuqin returned from a trip, Emperor Taizu summoned Lu to ask him about Li Chuyun. Had Lu Yuqin been jealous of Li Chuyun, he could have taken the opportunity to speak ill of him. Instead, he reasoned with Emperor Taizu and defended Li based on facts. In the end, Emperor Taizu agreed with Lu's defense of Li.

Later Zhao Pu offended Emperor Taizu because of a difference of opinion. His peers at the royal court distanced themselves from Zhao Pu and denounced him eagerly, hoping to use this as a chance for advancement. Lu was the only one who reasoned with Emperor Taizu on behalf of Zhao Pu, until Taizu's anger subsided.

Hence, Lu Yuqin became famous for his magnanimity, frankness, and lack of jealousy. He was highly praised as a virtuous elder.

Posting date: 1/3/2008

Chinese version available

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4.1.08 07:15, comment

Let Us Control Our Own Emotions

Qingqing Lin

[PureInsight.org] In your living circle, when you are hurt, criticized or humiliated by other people's words, how do you react? Do you lose your temper and curse back angrily or swallow your anger and force it back inside? After that, do you become angrier while thinking about it more and have your mood adversely affected? For an ordinary person, it is very difficult to control his emotions well under this kind of situation. However, as a well-cultivated person, one will be able to face the tribulation with a calm heart and behave with great composure in the face of crisis.

There is a story that goes like this: One day, when Buddha was passing by a village, some people who went out to meet with him talked to him in a very impolite manner, and some even spit out dirty words. The Buddha stood there listening quietly, and then he said: "Thank you for you coming to see me. I have to get on the road because people in the next village are waiting for me. But when I come back tomorrow, I will have more time. If you have more things to say to me, please come again.

Those people couldn't believe what they heard with their ears and what they saw with their eyes. What happened to this person? One of them asked the Buddha: "Did you actually hear our words? We talked about you as if you were nothing, yet you didn't have any reaction!"

The Buddha answered: "If what you want is my reaction, then, you came too late. You should have come to see me ten years ago. I would have reacted back then. However, during the past ten years, I have become free from control by other people. I am no longer a slave and I am the master of myself. I do things based on myself, not reacting according to others."

I have heard another story: One person always buys his newspaper from a particular newspaper stand. Although the newspaper seller has a constant cold and unfriendly face, this person always politely says "thank you" to him. One day, his colleague saw the situation and asked him: "Dose he always look like that when he's selling things?"

"Yes."

"Why do you then still treat him so politely?"

The person answered: "Why do I have to let him make the decision about what my actions will be?"

It's so true! Why do we have to let other people's actions and words make decisions about our feelings? We cannot stop other people's manner in dealing with us, but we can control our own emotions and not let them be influenced by others. Of course, it requires a process of xinxing cultivation to achieve this. Let us start from changing our inner state and let our own emotions be governed by ourselves.

Translated from:
http://www.xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2007/12/5/42002.htm

19.12.07 08:04, comment

Moral Integrity Without Greed

By Qing Yan

(Clearwisdom.net) Divinely-inspired culture is of the highest moral integrity. No worldly hardships or barriers, wealth nor lust would cause a person of moral integrity to change their moral conduct, code of brotherhood, or righteousness. To come up to this standard, one must control one's desires and greed. The following are stories about Confucius and his disciples that illustrate these principles.

Once when Confucius went to visit Prince Jing of the Kingdom of Qi, the prince gave him an area of land called Bingque for the purpose of supporting his livelihood. Confucius turned the offer down. After leaving the Kingdom of Qi, Confucius told his disciples, "Gentlemen shouldn't accept rewards without having earned them. Prince Jing didn't carry out my proposals, but offered me that piece of land instead. He didn't understand my teaching!" So he left the Kingdom of Qi.

Zengzi, also called Zengcan, was also one of Confucius's disciples. He always wore old, ragged clothes on the farm. The King of Lu sent his representative to offer him a manor. The representative said, "You should go get changed!" Zengzi rejected the offer. The King's representative came back many times to offer him the land. Still Zengzi maintained his refusal. The representative said, "This isn't what you asked for, but it's others who are trying to give it to you. Why don't you accept it?" Zengzi said, "I heard that when one accepts something from someone, one will be afraid of offending him. Even if the king were to give me something without showing his pride, wouldn't I be afraid of offending him?" Therefore, Zenzi never did accept any such gifts. After hearing the news, Confucius said, "With this kind of integrity, Zenzi has indeed preserved his nobility and moral integrity."

Zisi, Confucius's grandson, had a very hard time making a living when he was in the Kingdom of Wei. He could only afford nine meals within twenty days, and had hardly anything to wear. What he wore on his back was no more than rotten cotton clothes, and he didn't even have a jacket to wear. When Tian Zifang, the renowned scholar, the tutor of the Prince of the Wei Kingdom, heard about this, he had his representative bring Zisi some very warm clothing made of white fox's skin. Afraid that Zisi might not accept his offer, Tian Zifang added, "I always forget what I donate, just like throwing things away." However, Zisi refused the offer. Tian Zifang said, "You don't have what I do, why can't you accept it?" Zisi said, "I heard that giving things improperly to others is no better than throwing them away in a trench. Although I'm poor, I wouldn't want to be a trench, so I can't accept it."

Posting date: 12/4/2007
Original article date: 12/4/2007
Category: Open Forum
Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/11/12/166435.html

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5.12.07 06:15, comment

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