PureInsight | October 14, 2007
[PureInsight.org] According to the Historical Records,
Li Shizhen was a famous physician from the Ming Dynasty. Li Zhizhen
loved medical books and was a brilliant physician. He was considered a
sage among physicians. In his home town, there was another ignorant and
mediocre physician who pretended to know everything. The foolish
physician bought a lot of medical books to show that he had a wealth of
knowledge.
One year, after the rainy season, this physician told his servants to
put his collection of medical books in the courtyard to dry. He paced
back and forth like a peacock displaying himself. When Li Zhishen
happened to see it, he got such an impulse that he loosened his
clothing and lay next to the book racks. The physician saw that Li had
his chest and belly exposed to the sun and asked, "Hey, what are you
doing here?"
Li said, "I want to get some sunshine for my books too."
The physician asked, "Where are your books then?"
Li patted his belly and said, "All my books are in here."
Li Shizhen was being sarcastic, of course, but his remark told us that
a person's knowledge depends not on how many books one owns but on how
many books one has digested. Reading is an activity for the mind.
Books, good or bad, can affect a person's temperament or even change
it. Actually, one's temperament and spirit are connected. Good books
can enrich one's mind and also help to refine a person with elegance
and grace.
As for cultivators, when they have compassion in their heart, they will
be kind and peaceful. No matter where they go, they bring with them a
field of kindness and peace. Someone once asked Sakyamuni why people
who had noble characters and liked to cultivate their hearts seemed to
be so peaceful and joyful? Sakyamuni said, "They are not saddened by
the past or anxious about the future. They are content with the present
and, therefore, they are happy and joyful."
Talking about the present, let's just look at the blossoming of
udumbara. It blooms only every three thousand years and is now blooming
in many continents. The King of Falun Paradise is spreading Dafa in the
human world and that, too, offers a rare opportunity for everyone who
is fortunate enough to obtain it. Hopefully all these people will bring
joy and compassion to every sentient being in this universe.
Translated from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/10/7/48737.html
