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Planting the Field of Good Fortune
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| (Translated by Mike Lee, Northern
CA) |
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In 1981, a Japanese business tycoon, who had
returned to Japan from Taiwan after World War II, wanted to donate
US$200 million to the Tzu Chi Foundation to build the hospital
in Hualien. Master Cheng Yen politely refused, for the following
three reasons:
I. This would hurt the dignity of our citizens.
II. Although he is helping us with the demeanor
of a gentleman, once the hospital has been built, the money will
have come from him while the land will belong to us. The authority
over the hospital would be complicated. In that case, would it
be possible for this compassionate endeavor to go on successfully?
III. If we accept this gentleman's offer, the
work of building this hospital will be completed easily, and then
this hospital will not have the slightest accumulation of compassion.
From the Buddhist point of view, if only one person sowed the
Field of Good Fortune, it would be a waste. All of us should unite
in planting the Field of Good Fortune together on behalf of this
hospital. Then the Field of Good Fortune will invite all good
people everywhere, and ten thousand hearts filled with lotus blossoms
will build the Tzu Chi world.
