..續本文上一頁 ego. If he pays respect to us, then our ego will not get dissolved.” What a wonderful way of thinking!

　　Similarly, anybody who is appointed earlier to these responsibilities will be seen as senior and respected by someone who is appointed later. Understand that he or she represents Dhamma, I bow down to Dhamma, and I have to respect them. Only then will the whole atmosphere be very congenial. The seniors must always have love and compassion for the juniors.

　　At the time of the Buddha, of course there were some who didn”t work properly, but the vast majority of his followers, the monks, etc., were renowned for this. Samaggā—“Look how they live united. Wonderful!” They were the followers of Buddha, the sons and daughters of Buddha.

　　You are all sons and daughters of Buddha, because you were given a new life with the words of Buddha. How did those sons and daughters of Buddha live

　　 Samaggā—united, free from quarrelling, with happiness inside.

　　Sammodamānā—all the time there is compassion, love, happiness, cordiality. That is the quality of a Buddha putra or a Buddha putri, of a son or daughter of the Buddha. Avivadamānā—they don”t quarrel. If they quarrel then they are not fit sons and fit daughters.

　　And then, khīrodakībhūtā. Khīra means milk, udaka means water: they live like water and milk joined together; you can”t separate them. And they look at each other with love in their eyes, not with anger, not with red eyes. Their eyes are full of honey—piyacakkhū, so much love. This is their way of life. That ideal must be continued. This is the code of the family: khīrodakībhūtā. The whole family must live like brothers and sisters. Be an example; be ideal.

　　People look at you, so it is very important that your relations with each other are very cordial. People should be encouraged, inspired, seeing you. You should attract people towards Dhamma, who, until now, have had no attraction to it. And you must see that those people who have already been attracted towards Dhamma are attracted more strongly.

　　It is a very big responsibility. This is the time when the expansion is starting. Now it will be very rapid, there is no doubt. We are very fortunate that we have an opportunity to serve in such a good atmosphere. This is a time when there is so much unhappiness; Dhamma has to arise. It has started arising. It will grow, in spite of us, whether we are there or not. Now we have an opportunity to serve and to develop our own pāramīs.

　　Make use of the opportunity for your own good and for the good of others; for your own liberation and happiness, and for the liberation and happiness of others. May Dhamma grow! May the people of the world come out of their miseries! May there be peace, harmony and happiness!

　　Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṃ—May all beings be happy!

《The Family of Dhamma》全文閱讀結束。