Robot Monk Xian'er

A soft and open heartTo stick to our own ideas does notnecessarily mean to shun others’ opinions. If we are down because of our thoughtsnot being accepted by others, what we really have in mind is only our feelings.We are unable to see the good intention of others not to say to understand andthank them. At that point, our heart is closed and weare stubborn. This is what is meant by obsession. We don’t need to take other’sopinion all the time. However, we do need a soft and open heart. We must becapable of understanding and accepting others. Everyone has his angle. What is lacking isto think in others’ shoes and to find out the reasons behind all differences,instead of labeling others as black or white. If we can follow this advice, wemay avoid of being annoyed by others, even if in the end we still believe ourideas may work better. In our everyday life, things may be done indifferent ways. All roads lead to Rome. The problem is that we just can’t letgo of our own ideas. 柔软而开放的心 坚持自己的意见，不一定要排斥他人的善意。当我们因为自己的想法没

A positive and happy mindAdjustments should be made when work piles up, but most importantly,we should adjust our mindset of resentment. Our mind is like food, essential tothe body. A positive and happy mind can be a source of energy, while a negativeand resentful mind will poison us like food that has gone bad. Every occupationhas its significance and worth. Such is the main purpose of our work. Thingslike getting plenty of rest or earning a fair amount of money only come second.Many people nowadays are getting less and less happy by assessing work throughthe criteria of the latter, and forgetting what’s most important. Those wholove what they do and gain a sense of accomplishment from work, all put theformer first. The significance and worth of our work is closely linked withthat of our life. The value of our lives is all created through our work. Seeingwork as an enemy is in fact negating and lowering the value of our lives, whichwill take away one’s enjoyment and sense of purpose in living. 欢喜心繁忙的工作需

Wishingfor nothing To wish for nothing is still a wish.It is a wish for liberated ease when alltightly entangled knots are cut off. Therefore, literally, it is not wishing fornothing. There still exists a wish, but fordifferent things. To desire for something does not mean goingupward.The desire for fame and vanity is exactlywhere one starts to degenerate. 无求无欲  “无欲无求”者，所求的是放下羁绊的自在与洒脱，实际上并非完全无所求，只是所求的对象不同罢了；反过来说，“有欲有求”也不代表就是上进，对名利虚荣的追求，恰恰是一个人堕落的开始。

Who am I? The “self” is a concept created from ourdream-thinking, which means something permanent, autonomous and dominant. We always believe that there is an eternal, essential and absolute “self” having control over life. But Dharma teaches us, in reality,“non-self” is the truth.“Non-self” does not mean the absence of “self”, but rather the nonexistence of a permanent one. The human body, emotions, thoughts, behaviors and mind are constantly changing. Hence, there is no such “self” independent of any kind of cause or condition, existing on its own.Nothing is excluded from forever changing. Everything is a result of causes and conditions coming together, having no “own-being” ordominance. Understanding “non-self” means seeing through the illusions of the world and letting go of all attachments to the external. Then, we will be able to treat all beings, including ourselves, with more wisdom and compassion. 我是谁？ “我”，是世间人颠倒妄想中定义的一个概念，它包含的涵义是：恒常、独立、主宰，世人总认为有一个独立的、不变的、永远存在的“我”在支配着生命现象，而佛法告诉我们，事实的真相是“无我”。无我，不是没有这

 Right and WrongMore often than not, when disputing on"rights and wrongs", we actually have been far removed from thethings in themselves, and fallen into a confused fighting of inner afflictions.As everyone has their own perspectives, the "fact" you see is notnecessarily the same as that your counterpart sees. If either side insist onthe counterpart accepting his own opinion, a dispute will arise. This is theroot of causing conflicts.  What reallymakes us happy is not in "a statement" or "a lot of materialguarantee", which is merely an inherent thought of attachment. Conversely,all sufferings derive from the inner attachment, just as a verse says,"All sufferings arise from greed for one's own happiness."  We have no dispute with others in that weknow fame and fortune are not perpetuate with a lot of negative effects.Sometimes we do seek them but stop half-way for the lack of strength in holdingon, especially after seeing those we consider infer

I can figure this outTo fear andworry about imaginary difficulties is nothing but your own illusions. Even ifnothing occurs, you might already be flooded by waves of pessimistic illusions.Those who’velost their mindfulness tend to think that “what if I cannot do it?” However,those with mindfulness believe that “I can try to figure this out.”For thosewithin your reach, just make efforts for it. For those beyond your capacity,you can sow the right seeds in the first place.Whatever theexternal circumstances, it is necessary to dwell your mind in the presentmoment rather than struggle with the past or fret over the future.Living in the present moment is to alive both inone’s body and mind, with no illusions nor worries or fear. In such a state,the mind does not wander about but concentrates and dwells at ease in thecurrent moment. With such a mind, one is aware of what he is doing right nowand what it has to do with his past and future.In contrast, the idea of Carpe Diem merely steals“living in the present moment

Generate theinner lightTounderstand all phenomena is to have knowledge; to know the principles behind thephenomena is to have wisdom. With both knowledge and wisdom, one can make sounddecisions when caught in difficult situations. Prajna is theinsight into emptiness. To learn the law of non-self and emptiness, one has to observeprecepts, to practice samadhi, and to reach prajna slowly. The Buddha practicesboth compassion and wisdom. He is compassionate but does not suffer as ordinarybeings do. His compassion, governed by the wisdom of prajna, is transparent andbright, without a trace of attachment or obsession, “like a lotus flower not weigheddown by water, like the sun and moon hang in the sky but not struck.”The Buddhasays, all beings have the inherent wisdom as the tathagata does. However, dueto delusion and obsession, they do not realize it. Human beings have both theseeds of virtue and the seeds of evil in their mind. They have both the Buddhanature and ignorance from beginningless time. For one aspect t

Thedouble-headed birdThere isa Buddhist story about a double-headed bird. The two heads compete against eachother for fruit. One head deliberately gives the poisonous fruit to the other, andboth heads die.  In fact,the same is true of a society. Everyone coexists with others. To harm others isto harm oneself. To be the best is to compete with oneself, not with others.  If you harborthe notion of competition anywhere you go and all the time, then you won’t haveany friends. People around you are all but opponents, pressing against you fromthe opposite side.  Enlarge yourheart a little bit to hold your own success as well as others’ achievements.Multitudes of people live on the earth, coexisting and interconnected. “I” amnot alone. 双头鸟佛教中有一个双头鸟的故事，两个头彼此争夺果实，一个头故意把毒果给另一个头吃，结果两个头都死了。其实一个社会也是如此，人人都是相依共存的，伤害别人就是伤害自己。做到最好，是要自己跟自己比，不是跟别人比。如果随时随地心存竞争之念，周围的人就都成为了对手、对立面，就没有朋友了。把心放大一点，不仅装得下自己的成功，也能装得下别人的成绩。世上有许许多多的人，大家是共处的，彼此相连的，不是只有“我”存在。

Not talking aboutother’s faultWhen facing problems, most people would blame others for it right away,and seldom reflect on themselves,especially when the other person did do something wrong.Then, they will scold others with an afflicted mind, instead of considering how to change and improve thesituation. The teaching of “do not talk about others’ fault” inBuddhismis aimed at solving this type of problem.When we see others’ fault,we should think of ways to help them correct theirmistakesand face the outcomes in a positive manner. A saying goes like this:the best people are those with competence and no temper; the second-best are those with competence and temper; the third-best are those with no competence or temperand the worst are those with temper and no competence.The Buddhism idea of “not talking about others’ fault”is encouraging us to become the best.It does not mean turning a blind eye to faults,but rather having no afflictions after seeing them,and then,dealing with people and matters with a posit

Turn the mind to a new direction The Buddha Dharma believes that “the mindis like a painter.” Everything in the world, beautiful or ugly, good or bad, areall drawn by our mind. Take for example the photo of our parents, it is nothingbut a piece of paper in others’ eyes. For us, however, it is a symbol of heart-warminglove. At the sight of it, a range of virtuous thoughts such as longing for them,repaying their kindness and shame for not being there for them, will arise to softenour heart, to give us more strength to forge ahead. The outside circumstances are reflectionsmirrored in our mind. One is apt to view what lies there in one’s mind. We seeindifference when our heart is icy; we see selfishness when our heart is shutfrom the outside world. Only when our heart is bright and generous, can we seethe warmth and hope of the outward circumstances. Therefore, do not repel the outside conditions,nor ourselves. All we need to do is to turn the mind to a new direction, toreflect upon the beauty.  把心转一个方向

Why are you so easily swayed by outsideconditions?  Our purity and kindness are the same asthat of our good-knowing advisors. The only difference is the duration. Ourmoment of clarity of the mind is transient and can be easily wrapped up byoutside conditions and afflictions. Whereas, our good-knowing advisors arecapable of maintaining this complete kindness and purity all the time.  To learn from our good-knowing advisors isto acquire this capability with which we may keep our mind in its purest stateall the time so that we can keep on cultivating good habits without beinghindered by the rising and ceasing of sensations.   为什么你总是很容易被外境改变？  我们的清净、善良都跟善知识是无二无别的，所不同的是，人内心中的清明觉悟时间很短，很容易被外境改变，被烦恼覆盖；而善知识能够一直保持这种彻底的善良和清净。 向善知识学习，就是让我们拥有这种能力，能够一直保持内心最清净的状态。持续不断地修行，不要在意感觉的起伏、生灭。

The arch-enemy called affliction Harm brought by afflictions is more damagingand lasting than the harm one gets from a specific person. In fact, afflictionsare the real murderer behind the scene. Unfavorable conditions are the fruitionof bad karma which is propelled by bad deeds, which in turn, is committedbecause of afflictions.  What we see, among the complicated seriesof tricks, are often only the most direct and superficial connections. Based onthis cognition, we take the peripheral conditions as our enemies while beingdeeply trapped by afflictions, our arch-enemy. We allow this arch-enemy to stayclose to us, trust it and nurture it, only to be ruined by it in the end.Therefore, we need to identify our arch-enemy and return our heart to the wayleading to liberation. 烦恼大敌 烦恼带来的伤害远比外在任何人要大得多、持久得多，而且它才是真正的幕后黑手。——外在的境界是苦果，苦果由恶业所感，恶业由烦恼驱动而造。 在这个隐秘而复杂异常的连环计中，我们往往只看到表面和最直接的联系，不断把斗争的矛头对准枝末的境界，却被烦恼深深蒙骗，任由最大的“贼王”活在自己最亲近处，还一直信任它、滋养它，最终一定被它所害。认清烦恼大敌，令心回到走向解脱的轨道。

The stuff of “I” is no good Some people are greedy for money, some for good reputation.The latter ones are chained to vanity, and not able to be at ease. Once we are aware of such a state,It will stop proliferating.  Furthermore, we need to consider: There are one hundred of “I”s in onehundred people’s minds. The perfect images one tries to maintainnever exist. When interacting with other people, we are often caught by a situation unconsciously.All people become vague background.“My impressions of them” turns into “whatthey think about me”. That is to say, most of our impressions ofother people are related to “I”.“I” is the starting point of all thinkingand all judgments. This is due to our timidity and lack ofgreat aspiration.  If we can let go too much attention to “I”, We may receive and evaluate incominginformation more precisely, and to better shoulder our responsibilities and to benefit others. “我”可不是什么好东西 有的人贪利，有的人贪名，虚荣心重、爱面子，就是贪名的体现，它犹如一个沉重的枷锁，把我们锁住不得自在。当我们观察到这种心出现时，它就不会继续增盛； 

What are you chasing//Not affected byeight desires Are we pursuing what we really want? We will restore strength if we take a breakto ponderinstead of keep rushing along. Serenity is strength. With this strength we will not be easilyswayed by the “five desires and eight winds” for which we do not really desire.When our heart is anchored to supramundaneideals We may obtain real serenity and profoundhappiness. 你在追逐什么？//八风不动 我们追求的真的是自己想要的吗？不要一直奔跑追逐，停下来静静思考，才能让心恢复力量。宁静是一种力量。不被五欲八风扰动，因为“志不在此”，当我们内心有了超越世俗的理想，心有所止时，就能够获得真正的宁静与深沉的幸福。

Whom to compare with? What to comparewith? Comparisons are not all wrong.The key is to compare what,And with what purpose.We should compare with the sages on virtue,wisdom,Vows and resolution.Thus, to have high esteem and hope foroneself,And to strive to emulate the sages,laying the foundation for the arising ofwholesome dharmas. If we compare with others on fame andfortune,status, appearances, and entertainment,we will become either proud or humbled, andafflictions will follow,inviting shadows for a gloomy life.  和谁比，比什么？比较不一定都是错误的，关键看比较的是什么，目的何在。与圣贤比，比福德、智慧、愿力、意志，自期自尊，努力效仿，是善法生起之根本；与他人比，比名利、地位、形貌、享乐，或傲或卑，烦恼丛生，是人生黯淡之缘由。

The most precious heart// giving  Donation is to tame one's stinginess, to cultivate one’s compassion and to broaden the capacity of one's heart. There are three kinds of giving: the one offortune, the one of courage and the one of Buddha Dharma. It is not merely the rich who enjoy theright to give; rather the genuine rarity is a heart fullof justice, of the willingness to share and the ability to love.It is a kind of giving when preparing cleanwater to feed birds in torrid summer. Offering seats to those in need on the busis also a kind of giving.When witnessing others doing good, words ofcompliments or appreciative smiles are givings as well.  真正珍贵的心//布施 布施是为了降伏自己的贪吝之心，培养自己的慈悲心，扩大自己的心量。布施分为三种：财布施，无畏布施，法布施，并非只有富人才可以布施，真正珍贵的是一颗平等的、分享的、充满爱的心。天气炎热时，给小鸟准备一些干净的水是布施；在公交车上给需要帮助的人让座也是布施；看到别人行善，送上一句鼓励的话或一个赞赏的微笑也是布施。

Happy and fearless We may feel extremely tired if we regarddoing something as a task that has to be finished, or, if we do it in the hopeof getting a good result. While dangling between gain and loss, our heart isgreatly distracted. Only when we clearly understand the meaning of what we aredoing instead of craving for a certain result, and only when we do itwhole-heartedly, may we feel happy and fearless.  Responsibility and capability are related. Great capability bringsabout more responsibility. On the other hand, greater responsibility pushes formore capability. Thus, it is good for both others and oneself. Do it with joy,with no complaints or regret. Enjoy it!欢喜又无畏 一件事情，当作任务不得不去完成，就会觉得非常疲惫；或者为了追求好结果，而患得患失，心也会很烦躁。唯有当自己清楚地认识到这件事的意义，并不攀附某个结果，只是尽心尽力去做时，内心才会欢喜又无畏。 责任与能力是配套的，能力越大，责任越大；反过来，越大的责任，才能激发出越强的能力，这是自利利他一体的事。欢喜去做，无怨无悔，乐在其中。

A confident person No one is perfect. Yet, a person of low self-esteemholds on to imperfections, covering everything else with an enlarged version ofthese imperfections, and negate any possibilities for the future. Filled in hismind are the echoes of “I can’t”, “I would ruin it”.One has to be clear that all these perceptions arebased on illusions. They are nothing but labels one strikes on oneself. This islike observing the world through colored lens, not able to see reality.Whenever this intention surges up, do not follow it. Instead, one needs to stopto watch it, and to reveal its illusionary nature calmly.To cherish what one already has and to becomfortable with what fits one, this is good enough. A confident person doesn’thave to be better than others in everything. Instead, he knows himself andaccepts himself accordingly.One would be in fear of shadows if one’s innersunlight has not shone forth. Therefore, one is encouraged to initiate a goodheart, to do good deeds, to understand and care about others in

Tranquility If your mind is agitated, afflictions are stirring up.Tranquility in the Buddhist context is achieved due to wisdom’s capacity tosubdue afflictions. No outside changes can sway the mind. Massive power ishidden in such quietness.  Humans are like this, easily swayed by conditions. Itmight be easy to remain calm and get along with the world wisely when one’senergy is sufficient. Otherwise, one world be tipped over easily and a tinyundertaking could be feared as a heavy burden.  This must be the performance of anuntrained mind. To practice the Dharma is to guide our mind to tranquility fora longer time, with more joy, and with more power. The basic way is to keep onpracticing regularly. For example, read sutras or chant the names of Buddhaevery day, without interruption. This helps our mind to settle down.  寂静 心不能静，是烦恼尘埃泛起。佛法所说的寂静，是以智慧堪破烦恼，故不为境界所动，这种平静中蕴含着很大的力量。 人就是这样，状态总是起起伏伏的。心力高的时候，比较容易保持平静，为人处世也就比较有智慧；反之，心力低时内心就容易动荡，很小的事情都会变成沉重的负担。没有经过训练的心肯定会这样，而修行就是让我们内心更长时间地保持在平静的状

Interaction of causes and conditionsThings are generated by the interaction ofcauses and conditions.We could not control the result ofeverything. Being successful cannot fully representone's capabilities and failure doesn't deny all the vantagepoints. All comes from conditions. There is no need to adhere vexation andfear to failure too much, but tell yourself: it is ordinary.     No one could succeed easily and casually.All achievement are from sweat andtremendous persistence.Hence do not be defeated by difficulties. Calm down and find the thing that youreally want to do; get to it and make effort.Not to plow the field diligently guaranteesno harvest. 因缘和合事情是因缘和合而生，我们无法控制每一件事的结果。成功并不能完全代表自己的能力，失败也不意味着自己一无是处，都只是因缘。大可不必在失败上附加太多懊恼与恐惧，告诉自己：这是平常事。 没有人能随随便便成功，所有的成绩都是汗水与坚持换来的，不要被困难打败。静下心来找到自己想做而能做的事，踏实付出努力，不要只看到果报，却不甘心在因地耕耘。