Busy but Happy, Tired but Joyful

I always support the ones who are busy, busy, busy, busy but happy; tired, tired, tired, tired but joyful.

 When we realize that time is money, life is limited, what we know is still little; we gradually take advantage of our limited life to do infinite merit in adulthood. Life really is limited, I knew that for a couple of days when I was a boy, now I am old in the blink of an eye. There are more people older than me. I would tell them: “It’s coming! Coming! Nearly coming!” I say “coming”, which means “being about to die.” Now I am going to be 80 years old. I do not predict when I willdie, but I believe that there will no longer be 50-year-old or 60 ones.

There is a saying in Buddha’s sutra: "The more each day passes, the more life shortens, as fish is away from water, no fun at all." Because life is limited, weimpossibly wish for a longer life. We had better take good advantage of our life, constantly enrich our wisdom and do good things for our mercy.

 

Buddhists believe that life starts from the past. Moreover, when life ends, there is still the other future lives. As our life is full of nuisance and adversity, it is not easy to be born as humans. Therefore, embracing good things, accumulating more virtue, gaining wisdom and mercy as assets are for the better future.

 This reminds us that when we were young, we should work hard, earn more, save more all for retirement funds. The more saving money we have, the safer the elderly life will be. As a result, we ought to know how to make use of time, dedicate ourselves to helping, serving, and caring for others, concerning for society. I often say: “Busy people are the ones with the most spare time, industrious people are the ones with the best health.” The busy ones appreciate their time, andthey will know how to make use of time rationally, so they will have much leisure time. The one working very hard should certainly have such a good health. To have a healthy and happy life, it is advised to be busy. The more we want to accumulate much merit and wisdom, the busier we should be although it is sometimes none of our business. At first, it seems that we are so busy that we have to take a loss and we think it is not worth. Based on the concept of Buddhism, such a thought is incorrect. Our concept is that: being busy is for ourselves, even if your life is nothing in the eyes of other people, but we still have merit which is the one of wisdom and mercy. Being busy at work, even we ourselves are also mature, it does not mean no value as we reckon.

 Because of such a concept, we are happy although we are busy. We are tired but we are filled with joy. This happiness is the same as that of farmers working in fields as they are grateful for having lands in order to cultivate, workers also thank for this good opportunity.

 If they satisfy with their money, houses, cars, materially not worrying about anything, all is satisfactory; they can do for charity, remediate polluted environment, work at reception, care for others, etc. They may perceive "busy, busy, busy" status, and feel rapture of "tired, tired, tired."

 

HT. Sheng Yen

Translated into English by Nguyen Hoang Thoai.