Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

In Malaysia, there's a three-year-old girl who attends Tzu Chi's kindergarten in Nibong Tebal. As this year is Tzu Chi's 45th anniversary, our kindergarten teachers planned a trip for the students to visit our Jing Si Hall in Penang. At the Jing Si Hall, the children learned about Tzu Chi's history, the disasters occurring around the globe, and how there are a lot of people suffering in the world and in need of help. This girl was inspired and quietly told herself that she was going to be a good child.

Sometime after the trip, the teacher told the children the story of Dharma Master Wu Da of the Tang Dynasty who had suffered terrible pain from a sore. After learning the sore was karmic retribution for the killing he had done 10 lifetimes earlier, Dharma Master Wu Da sincerely repented his wrong and wrote the Water Repentance text. The teacher encouraged the children to learn from Dharma Master Wu Da. She told them that if they had done wrong they should be courageous and admit their wrong. This is repentance, and it can cleanse their heart. She then explained to them what actions constitute wrong deeds.

After listening to the teacher, this 3-year-old girl was very courageous and told the teacher that she had something to repent for. The teacher asked her, "What did you do?" In front of the class, she said, "I have jealousy." "Who are you jealous of?" "My brother. I thought that mommy and daddy favor him more than me because he has a heart condition and had an operation. When I'm mad, I hit him. I also laugh at him and call him stupid a lot because he's slow at learning." The teacher then asked her, "What are you going to do as a way to show your repentance?" "I'm going to change my behavior. I'm not going to hit him. I'm going to be good to my brother. I know now that because my brother has a poor health that mommy and daddy need to give him extra care."

This child is only 3 years old. Her brother is just 4 or 5. The mother of these children is very grateful to their teacher for this repentance teaching. She said, "My daughter is behaving better now. She did not fight her brother anymore. She is able to share her things with him. They can play together very happily."

 
To read Master's teachings on the practice of repentance, please click here.

By the Jing Si Abode English Editorial Team, based on information from Da Ai News