Charity as a way of practice-用修行的心做慈善

Robot Monk Xian'er

Charity as a way of practice

The most important thing in doingcharity for public good is to have a compassionate heart and the desire to bekind. Bearing this in mind, we can do charity anywhere all the time.

Make a vow everyday: may what I say andwhat I do deliver happiness and hope to others, and can be a help as well. Thereis no need to worry about failure or losing face, nor how other people judgeyou all the time. “All afflictions result from merely caring oneself”. Manysufferings originate from the extreme attachment to a self and the habituationof wrong ways of thinking. Find opportunities to participate in some charityevents. To give with a tender heart and learn to really care about others.Thus, the sun would shine brilliantly from the inside. Virtuous behavior canbring us inner peace and tranquility. Therefore, to help others is to helpourselves.

We engage in charity and events ofpublic interest in order to improve the external world and to help others. Thisis a very good intention. However, if we could not tame our mind during theprocess, it won’t last long. Troubles of all kinds would pop up from time totime. We need to combine the altruistic deeds with our self-cultivation,treating others with compassion and taming ourselves with wisdom. By walking onthe two legs of compassion and wisdom, we pursue the long journey.

By doing charity, we help others solvetheir problems at hand, and make favorable connections with all beings; weexperience and contemplate on sufferings to initiate great aspirations;meanwhile, we harness our habitual afflictive energies during the process,accumulate merits of wisdom and fortune. Thus, with unbounded patience, wisdomand virtues, we benefit limitless beings. When we regard charity as a way ofpractice we won’t be overwhelmed by any afflictions.

用修行的心做慈善

公益慈善它最重要的，就是要有慈善的心，要有慈悲心，要有这种善良的愿望，那么随时、随处、随地，都是可以做慈善的。

每天发愿：让我说的话做的事能够带给别人快乐，带给别人希望，能够帮助到别人。不要总是害怕自己丢脸、失败，担心别人怎么看自己。“爱自即是众苦因”诸多痛苦皆由太过强烈地执取自我，串习错误的思维方式而来。有机会去参加一些慈善事业，用心付出，学着去关爱他人，就能开发内心的阳光。善业会让我们的内心安宁、祥和，帮助别人就是帮助自己。

做慈善、公益事业，想要改善外境、帮助别人，这种心是非常好的，但是如果不能与对治自心相结合，做久了也会做不下去，种种烦恼都会冒出来。要把利益他人与修行自我结合到一起，用慈悲对待他人，以智慧调伏自己，两条腿走路，才能走得长远。

通过慈善行为，一方面救助眼前的困难，一方面与众生结善缘，一方面体察苦难、策发愿力，一方面在这个过程中调伏自身的烦恼习性，积累福慧资粮，然后才能在无限生命中以无限的耐心、智慧和福德，去利益无限的众生。用修行的心去做慈善，才不会被烦恼打败。