Her Loving Reminders
-- Finishing Today's Work Today

During Master's early years in Formosa, She often traveled and hold group meditation sessions at various Formosan centers, thus Her personal attendants would work late into the night alongside Master. Only then would they have time to do their own chores. But sometimes, when the attendants got too tired at night, they did not feel like doing their laundry. When Master noticed this, She would lovingly remind them like a mother, "You never know where you will be heading tomorrow. So finish the laundry while you still have a little time now."

When Master was staying at the Hsihu Center, She instructed the resident disciples as follows: "Always clean up any instrument or tool you have used, and return it to its original place, as if it had never been used. This way, the next user can find it conveniently. No matter how late you stop working, always clean up the site and tools before you go to bed." But occasionally, someone would carelessly leave some tools out in the rain. Master would feel very bad when She saw this, and so She reminded us, "Treasuring public property is treasuring our own merit."

Master often reminds us that living in a group is different than living at home. We should always be thoughtful of others and refrain from polluting them with our undesirable qualities.

Entering It into the Account

Once during a seven-day retreat, I was helping out at a stall selling daily necessity items to fellow initiates from all countries. Then Master came over with a disciple, and told him to take anything he needed. Before She left, She specifically told me to have the items recorded in Her account. I was so thrilled when I saw Master that I virtually forgot about everything. I thought everything belonged to Master anyway, and so She could just help Herself to anything She wanted. Thus, I gave no thought to the account! But Master is always considerate of others, making it convenient for them, and is attentive to every detail. If Master had not reminded me about the account, I would have been my usual disorganized self and not given any thought to informing the next shift of workers about this transaction. In the end, the bookkeeper would not have been able to balance the account. Master's way of handling things is always clear-cut and immaculate!


Picking Up Nails

Behind every word and action of an Enlightened Master, there is always great blessing power. If we can put aside our ego and always follow Master's instructions in our work, many unknown obstacles will be surmounted.

Once, Master and some disciples were busy repairing a building. Master saw some nails on the ground and asked a disciple next to Her to pick them up. For some reason, the disciple did not do as he was instructed. Master told him again, but he still did not pick them up. (He did eventually pick the nails up later, however.) Afterwards, Master mentioned this incident, saying, "Because of this, he will have a very long lesson to learn."

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