..續本文上一頁al all the time. Similarly, one does not come to a Vipassana centre to escape from the responsibilities of life.

　　Gain strength, and then make use of this strength to face all the vicissitudes of life. The vast majority of you are family men, family women, having responsibilities of the family, and of the society. Dhamma will give you the strength to face these responsibilities and to live ideal lives.

　　Anyone who comes and practises Dhamma has a dual responsibility. One responsibility, of course, is to liberate oneself from all the miseries and to start living a very happy, harmonious, peaceful life.

　　Another big responsibility is to live the kind of life that will become an example to others. Of course you cannot please everyone else but you have to be careful that you do not harm anyone. You don”t do anything which will hurt others and you start living a life which gives inspiration to others.

　　If people see a Vipassana meditator living a life full of misery and tension, they will hesitate to come to a Vipassana course: “Look, this is a product of Vipassana meditation. If I am also going to become like this, what is the use of my spending ten days at a course

　　” You become a barrier for others to take Dhamma.

　　On the other hand, if someone sees a person”s life changed for the better, if they see this person is now living a better life, facing various situations calmly, they will feel: “Wonderful. This person is developing such good qualities.” They will be inspired to take a course.

　　When someone comes to a course, the first to benefit are the members of his family. When one person comes to a Vipassana course, practises properly, and changes for the better, then the members of his family see this change and start coming to courses. Once they start practising Vipassana, there is a great improvement in the family.

　　Whenever there is misunderstanding or ill will among members of a family, if they sit together for Vipassana, one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, followed by a few minutes of mettā-bhāvanā, they get up smiling. The entire atmosphere of the family changes. The tension is gone and cordiality prevails. The family becomes an ideal family.

　　When one family becomes an ideal family—happy, peaceful, and harmonious—this attracts the members of other families. They start coming to Dhamma. One family after another practises Dhamma, until the whole community starts enjoying peace and harmony. Gradually, the whole nation will start experiencing peace and harmony. Eventually, the whole world will start experiencing peace and harmony. It all starts with the inpidual.

　　So every inpidual who comes to a Vipassana course has a great responsibility, a dual responsibility: “My life must change now, not only for my good, but for the good of so many.” After twenty-five centuries, Dhamma has arisen once again. One feels, “I”m so fortunate that I have come in contact with Dhamma. Otherwise, in the name of Dhamma, I would have been involved in rites, rituals, philosophical beliefs and dogmas—in different sectarian entanglements. Now I have received the universal Dhamma. I am so fortunate. And the time has ripened for Dhamma to spread throughout the world. What can I do

　　 How can I help

　　”

　　One may give service, contributions, assistance in different ways. But the best help is to be an example, a good example of Dhamma. This will generate inspiration in people”s minds so that they will also walk on the path of Dhamma: “Look this person has started living such a peaceful, harmonious, and wonderful life. Why not I

　　” This is the biggest service.

　　As this course comes to an end, the students have been purifying the mind and dissolving the ego. They start developing two rare qualities. One quality is: “How can I help others without expecting anything in return

　　 How can I be helpful so that more and more people come on the path and come out of their misery

　　” One”s only satisfaction is to see others happy, peaceful, harmonious, without any expectation in return.

　　The second quality is a feeling of gratitude. One feels gratitude towards Gotama the Buddha. After his enlightenment, he did not just liberate himself—he started distributing it to others with infinite love and compassion. And he trained others:

　　Caratha bhikkhave cārika

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