tao stories volume i · 2020-05-02 · page 2 moral of the story: this is a profound story that...

Tao Stories Volume I

Introduction Thanks to the Grace of Buddhaland, Virtues of Holy Teachers, the mercy of our Grand Senior Elder

Han, Non Resting Bodhisattva Senior Elder Chen and the compassion of Master Peng and Master Tsai,

we are now in our 17th Anniversary year Tao propagation in India.

This book is dedicated to all the Tao Seniors, Compassion Masters, brothers and sisters who are

working selflessly, helping our Holy Teachers propagating Tao all over the world.

In addition, any interested readers who would like to know more information on Tao, our website is

at https://taoindia.weebly.com/

Today most people are busier than before and many do not have the time and mental energy to read

book with full-length novel.

Stories have always sit well at the heart of communication in terms of building rapport and empathy,

sharing and imparting knowledge in a structured and predictable way.

We wish this series of short stories will allow the readers to appreciate the beauty of life and reflect

on living a purposeful life based on principles and the Truth (Tao).

We sincerely hope the stories will provoke questions in your mind regarding life and society. In

addition, you can share these stories with family and friends as a way to introduce Tao .

Here’s a quick overview of the 15 short inspirational stories:

1. THE MAN WITH FOUR WIVES (PRIORITY)................................................................................................. 1 2. BOX FULL OF KISSES (LOVE) .................................................................................................................. 3 3. THE REAL MEANING OF PEACE (INNER QUALITY) ...................................................................................... 4 4. HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED (LEGACY) ............................................................................... 5 5. TWO MONKS AND A YOUNG WOMAN (LETTING GO) ............................................................................... 6 6. THE MONK AND THE EMPTY BOAT (ANGER) ............................................................................................ 7 7. LIFE IN 5 STAGES (SELF-DISCOVERY) ...................................................................................................... 8 8. EVERYONE HAS A STORY IN LIFE (JUDGEMENT) ........................................................................................ 9 9. THE BALLOON LESSON (PURPOSE) ....................................................................................................... 10 10. FARMER’S HORSE (DETACHED) ......................................................................................................... 11 11. THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH (OPPORTUNITY) ..................................................................................... 12 12. THE MARBLE STATUE (CHALLENGES) .................................................................................................. 13 13. THE CRACKED POT (ACCEPTING OUR FLAWS) ...................................................................................... 14 14. INHERENT VALUE (SELF-WORTH) ...................................................................................................... 15 15. THE ELEPHANT ROPE (BELIEF) ............................................................................................................ 16

THE ADVANTAGES OF RECEIVING TAO .............................................................................................. 17 1. Cultivating Tao can refine our temperament ........................................................................ 17 2. Cultivating Tao can inspire our wisdom ................................................................................. 17 3. Cultivating Tao can improve our destiny ............................................................................... 18 4. Cultivating Tao can benefit our ancestors ............................................................................. 18 5. Cultivating Tao can help us encounter fewer accidents and avoid potential disasters ......... 18

Da De India

April 2020

Mumbai & Pune

https://taoindia.weebly.com/

1. The Man with Four Wives (Priority) There lived a successful man who had four wives. He loved

his 4th wife the most and adorned her with beautiful dresses

and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and

gave her what she wanted.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He was very proud of

her and always wanted to show her off to his friends. But,

the merchant was always in fear that she might run away

with some other men.

He loved his 2nd wife too. She was a very considerate person. It was her with whom the man talked

and shared his thoughts. In the times of need, he turned to his second wife and she would always be

there to assist and guide .

Although the 1st wife was a very loyal partner, he hardly gave her much attention. Although the first

wife loved him immensely, he was so busy with his three wives that he hardly spent time with her.

As the years passed by the merchant fell ill and was on his death bed. All his life, the man had his

four wives beside him, now he wanted someone to accompany him after his death. Thus, he asked

his beloved 4th wife, “I loved you the most and showered great care over you. Now that I am dying,

will you follow me and keep me company?” “No way!” replied the fourth wife and she walked away

without any other word.

The man then asked the 3rd wife, “All my life, I have treasured you with love. Now I’m dying, will you

follow me and keep me company?” “No!” replied the third wife. “Life is so good over here! I will find

someone else when you die!”.

He looked into the 2nd wife’s eyes and before he could ask her to come along with him. She said “I’m

sorry, I can’t come along with you out this time! At the most, I can only accompany till your grave”.

The answers from his three wives came like a bolt of thunder and the man’s heart sank and he felt

cold.

“ I will come with you. I will always accompany you through life, death and beyond .” a voice called

out. The man looked up and his 1st wife stood next to him. She was thin, skinny, weak and

malnourished. All his life, he never paid attention to her. His heart ached at the sight of her and

regretted that he hadn’t taken more care of her whilst he had the chance.

We all have four wives in our lives.

The fourth wife represents our body. We all need to die and no matter how much we take care of

our body, it’ll leave us when we die.

The third wife is our wealth and possessions. They all go to others when we die.

The second wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they had been there for us when

we’re alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

The first wife is our Buddha Nature. It is often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and

pleasure. It is the only thing that will remain with us wherever we go.

Thus it is a good idea to nourish our Buddha Nature now rather than to regret it later.

Moral of the story: This is a profound story that reminds us we humans tend to neglect the more

important thing in our lives as we take it for granted.

After we received Tao, we all know we have a true master that lives in us. We should always let that

this true master be in charge. Hence, it is key that we take care of Tao within us.

The challenge is that our lives are easily entangled with the other three "wives" the so called life

priorities.

It is important that y we practice self-awareness and this is tied back to the 3 Treasures. Self-reflect

and repent daily all these practices will help us to be more sensitive and tap in towards our true

selves.

When that true master is in charge there's no such thing as you and I. No differentiation. No ego.

We do everything in equilibrium and balance I guess. So instead of focusing all the effort taking care

of that three wives. We take care of that one wife and that one wife will have the wisdom to take

care of the others 3 wives.

In a way. If we take care and feed our soul in us, (the love, peace, joy, no differentiation, no

comparison) that automatically will take care of our physical and emotional states, our friends and

family. Because everything we do, will be like a child. Forgiving, loving, letting go quickly.

2. Box Full of Kisses (Love) Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter

for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was

tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to

decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father

the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man became embarrassed by his overreaction

earlier, but his rage continue when he saw that the box

was empty. He yelled at her; “Don’t you know, when you

give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside?”

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried;

“Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child.

Her father kept the gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would

take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

Moral of the story: Love is the most precious gift in the world. How often do we take for granted,

especially those closest to us. Deep inside us, we know their love for us will always be there.

So some questions for you. When was the last time you hugged your partner tight and thanked them

for the many ways their presence illuminates your life? When was the last time you looked them in

the eye and told them how much you loved them? When was the last time you did this with your

parents? With your children? With your friends?

Don’t let us lose sight of what matters most in life. We could do worse if we don’t pause and

consider the state of our relationships.

How can we ensure love remains centre stage when we’re all so busy and so wrapped up in ourselves

we often fail to consider those closest to us?

And why do so many of us even need reminding that love is what matters most?

In Tao temple, filial duties to our parents is very important duty for us.

Our Grand Senior Elder Han, reminded us, “”Kindness begins with filial

piety, if we are cultivating Tao but we are not filial to our parents, it is of

no use cultivating Tao then. Even if you are an altar keeper or a speaker,

you will not attain Buddhahood! If you do not have any sense of filial piety

towards your parents, how are you supposed to attain Tao!

3. The Real Meaning of Peace (Inner quality) There once lived a king who announced to prize the

artist who would paint the best painting depicting

peace. Many great painters sent the king several of

their best art pieces. One of the pictures among the

various master pieces was of a calm lake perfectly

mirroring peacefully towering snow-capped

mountains. Overheard was a blue clear sky with fluffy

clouds. The picture was perfect. Most of the people

who viewed the pictures of peace from various artist

thought that it was the best among all.

But when the king announced the winner, everyone

was shocked. The picture which won the prize had a

mountains too but it was rugged and bare. The sky

looked very angry, there were lightning. This did not look peaceful at all. It looked like the artist has

mistakenly submitted his painting depicting storm rather than peace. But if anyone looked closely at

the painting, he could see a tiny bush growing in the cracks in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had

built her next. In the midst of the rush of angry weather, the bird sat on her nest with peace.

The peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise or trouble. Peace means to be in

the midst of all the chaos and still be calm in the heart. The real peace is the state of mind, not the

state of the surroundings. The mother bird was calm, despite her chaotic surrounding indeed was the

best representation for peace.

Moral of the story: True inner peace is independent of external conditions and circumstances. It

means truly knowing yourself and what you are capable of. It means we have a peaceful mind that

can stay calm and recollected in every situation. It is important not only while things flow smoothly,

but especially, in times of trouble, difficulties or danger; this counts the most.

Everyone desires inner peace, few realize the importance and benefits of inner peace, and even

fewer know that it is a skill that can be learned. Now that we received Tao and we should start

committing ourselves to use the 3 Treasures. It will help us to achieve calmness, tranquillity, and in

control of ourselves, even in difficult and unpleasant situations.

Our Senior Elder Chen compassionate said, “When you are

constantly calm or in peace, you will achieve firmness. Your

heart is calm, you will feel a sense of lightness, your heart

will not be heavily laden, it will focus on a point of no

motion. You will perform tasks naturally, without undue

worry. You are able to think rationally and your Good Sense

and Good Ability will be fully utilised.

Attaining calmness is all about balancing your mind,

emotions and body. Your body and mind are not balanced,

you need to have pure tranquillity to return you back to your original state of Essence. Too many

undesirable thoughts will only harm your mind and body. Hence cultivators should focus on cultivation

of the true nature. If you have harmful thoughts against others, then you don’t have a compassionate

heart. If you are greedy, obtain wealth illegally, perform criminal doings, then you are considered to

be behaving in a way inconsistent to Propriety. Hence we got to be careful.

4. How Do You Want To Be Remembered (Legacy) More than a decade ago, a man was reading his

morning newspaper. To his surprise and horror, he

read his name in the obituary column. The

newspapers had mistakenly reported the death of

the wrong person for sure. He was shocked to read

news headline about his death. When he regained

his composure, He read it to find out what people

had said about him.

The obituary included sentences like, “Dynamite

King Dies.” and “He was the merchant of death.”.

The man was the inventor of dynamite and when he

read the words “merchant of death,” he asked

himself a question,

“Is this how I am going to be remembered?” he asked himself. He decided that this was not the way

he wanted to be remembered and he decided to change.

From that day on, he started working toward world peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is

remembered today by the great Nobel Prize, the greatest of all the prizes.

The Nobel Prize has been honouring men and women from all corners of the globe for outstanding

achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and for work in peace since 1901. The

foundations for the prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much of his

wealth to the establishment of the Nobel Prize.

Moral of the story : It is never late to start over and start now to build your legacy.

The moment we receive Tao, we are asked to change our bad habits and reduce our tempers. To

start thinking good thoughts, saying good things and doing good deeds. We are walking on the path

of Buddha and Bodhisattva, that would be our legacy.

5. Two Monks and A Young Woman (Letting Go) Two Buddhist monks, a senior monk, and a junior

monk were walking through the forest. They came

across a river flowing through their path. To

continue their journey, they would need to swim

through the river and cross to the other side.

There was a beautiful young woman who was sitting

at the bank of the river. She did not know how to

swim and requested the two monks to carry her on

their back to the other side of the river.

Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy. They are not

supposed to even look at women, let alone carry them on their backs to the other side! The junior

monk politely refused. On the other hand, the senior monk put the woman on his back, swam across

the river, and dropped her safely to the other bank of the river – without saying a word. The junior

monk was shocked at the behavior of his fellow monk. He could not stop thinking about how his

fellow monk had broken his vows by touching a woman.

They kept walking through the forest for an hour or so without a word between them. Then the junior

could not resist and said to the senior monk – “Can I ask you a question?”. The senior monk said,

“Sure go ahead.” The junior monk said – “I have been thinking about what you did at the river”. The

senior monk said – “What did I do?” The junior monk said – “you broke your vows to Buddhism when

you touched the woman while carrying her across the river and dropping her on the other side of the

river.”

The senior monk laughed and said – “I dropped the woman on the bank of the river a long time ago!

However, it seems that you are still carrying her around in your head!”

Moral Of the Story: What emotional baggage are you carrying around? Are there any past incidents

or relationships – with a partner, parent, colleague, sibling, friend – that you have not moved on from?

Are there any decisions you made in the past that are still causing you grief and sufferings? Is it not

time to let go of this baggage and move on?

Tao cultivation involves us learning how to let go and realise what is permanent and what is the Truth.

A lot of things, we been holding onto are unimportant to our life cultivation and purpose. Hence, it is

important to see the true value of our struggles and learn to let go.

6. The Monk and the Empty Boat (Anger) A long time ago a young monk was living in

a monastery near a forest and by a small

lake. Daily the monk and his community

meditated in silence for hours at a time.

The young monk had difficulty staying

focused during his meditation practice due

to a variety of reasons.

As soon as he would close his eyes and try

to meditate, he hear someone moving

around. He would open his eyes and look

around to see who was causing the

disturbance. He would get upset that

someone interrupted his meditation.

After a series of interruptions, the young monk would feel the anger rising inside him. This was exactly

the opposite of what he was trying to achieve with meditation. Instead of being calm and at peace he

would often tend to get upset and angry.

The monk decided to go to the bank of lake so he could meditate peacefully. Although it was quieter

than the monastery, there were still things that would disturb his peace.

One day, the monk decided to row to the middle of the lake and meditate there. As he had expected,

there was nothing in the middle of the lake to disturb his peace and he meditated all day. This

continued for a couple of days and the monk was very happy that he had finally found a place to

meditate peacefully. He hadn’t felt angry and was able to continue his meditate practice in a calm

manner.

On the third day, whilst meditating in the middle of the lake, the monk heard some splashing of water

and a little rocking in his boat. He started getting upset that even in the middle of the lake there was

someone or something to disturb his peace.

He opened his eyes and saw a boat heading straight towards him. He shouted loudly but the other

boat kept coming straight at him. There was no answer from the other boat and it kept heading

straight towards the monk’s boat.

The boat finally hit the monk’s boat. Now he was really angry. He shouted loudly, “ who are you and

why have you hit my boat in the middle of this vast lake?” There was no answer. This made the young

monk even angrier. He stood up to see who was in the other boat. To his surprise, he found that

there was no one in the boat was empty. The boat had probably drifted along in the breeze and had

bumped into the monk’s boat.

The monk found his anger dissipating. It was just an empty boat! There was no one to get angry at!

Moral of the story: In Tao cultivation, we have to reduce the 3 poisons. One of the 3 positions is anger.

So what makes us angry? Is it people, situations, or circumstances? All the people or situations that

make us upset and angry are just like the empty boat. They don’t have the power to make us angry

without our own reaction. Next time, treat any annoyances as “empty boat” and continued to be at

peace with yourself.

7. Life in 5 stages (Self-Discovery) “Chapter One of My Life. I walk down the street.

There's a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.

I am lost. I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It still takes

forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two. I walk down the same street. There's a

deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall

in again. I can't believe I'm in the same place! But it

isn't my fault. And it still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three. I walk down the same street. There's a

deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it there. I still fall in. It's a

habit! My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter Four. I walk down the same street. There's a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter Five. I walk down a different street.”

Moral of story: To err is human, to continue our mistakes without reflection and correction is foolish.

We need to go outside our comfort zone, especially we need to mend our ways and grow.

In Tao, reflection is a pre-requisite for our cultivation. Reflection requires us to check on our

behaviour, speech and thoughts. In Tao temple , we are asked to reflect, repent and renew ourselves.

So which stage (chapter) are you in, right now?

8. Everyone Has a Story in Life (Judgement) A 24 year old boy seeing out from the train’s window shouted…

“Dad, look the trees are going behind!”

Dad smiled and a young couple sitting

nearby, looked at the 24 year old’s childish

behaviour with pity, suddenly he again

exclaimed…

“Dad, look the clouds are running with us!”

The couple couldn’t resist and said to the

old man…

“Why don’t you take your son to a good

doctor?” The old man smiled and said…“I

did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes

today.”

Every single person on the planet has a story. Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The

truth might surprise you.

Moral of the story: How many times we jumped to conclusion, passed judgement and later

regretted after we realised our foolishness. At times, we then to judge or decide something without

having all the facts; to reach unwarranted conclusions.

Hence, to have solid relationships with our friend and families depend on solid evidence. Allow

yourself to take the time and willingness to suspend judgment, and your relationships will be all the

more fulfilling. In addition, empathise with others. Sometime we must prepare to give them “some

slack” and empathise with others, only that way we can develop harmonious relationships.

Tao , using the Three Treasures, teaches us to pause and catch ourselves if we are treading the right

path and detached from the situation. Treat the matter at hand calmly and purposefully. We

encourage everyone to practise the Three Treasures consistently.

9. The Balloon Lesson (Purpose) Everyone wants to find happiness in life. No matter what our circumstances, and no matter what hand

we are dealt, the search for true contentment is at the heart of everyone’s goals.

The question, then, is how? How are we supposed to even begin looking for it? A group of people

gathered in a room attending a seminar about life and happiness to learn to find happiness in their

lives.

They were being taught various skills and lessons about

life. Suddenly, the speaker stopped and started giving

each person a balloon. He asked everyone to write

one’s name on it using a pen. All the balloons were

then collected and taken to an another room.

Now, these delegates were let in that room and asked

to find the balloon which had their name written,

within 5 minutes.

Everyone was frantically searching for their name, pushing, colliding with each other, and there was

utter chaos.

No one could find their balloons within the given five minute time and they all had to return to the

other room empty handed.

Then they were told to go to the other room and randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person

whose name was written on it.

Within five minutes everyone was carrying the balloon with their name on it.

The speaker began: This is exactly happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness

all around, not knowing where it is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them

their happiness, you will get your own happiness.

And this is the purpose of human life.

Moral of story: Helping and giving others happiness is not only good for the beneficiary parties but it

also makes us happier and healthier too. The act of giving connects us to others, creating stronger

communities and helping to build a happier society for everyone.

In the Tao temple, we do not emphasise in giving money but the giving of your time, ideas and

energy. We hope you can join us , to learn and understand more about Tao and preciousness of Tao.

You can then proceed to share Tao with others , how Tao give us happiness and meaning in our lives.

10. Farmer’s Horse (Detached) A farmer and his son had a beloved stallion who helped

the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and

their neighbours exclaimed “Your horse ran away, what

terrible luck!”. The farmer replied “Maybe so, maybe

not. We’ll see.”

A few days later the horse returned home, leading a few

wild mares back to the farm as well. The neighbours

shouted out “Your horse has returned and brought

several horses home with him. What great luck!” and the

farmer replied “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to tame one of the mares and she threw him to

the ground, breaking his leg. The villagers cried “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!”. The


A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all the able-

bodied young men for the army. The farmer’s son wasn’t enlisted, because he was still recovering

from his injury. His neighbours shouted “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!”, to which the


Moral of this story : Life is a journey. We should take all things in our stride, regardless of whether

they originally appear to be positive or negative. Live in moderation. Don’t let the things we couldn’t

control affect the things that we could control. Learn to ask what are the learnings we can take away

from the

11. The Obstacle In Our Path (Opportunity)

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see

if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and

courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything

about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant

laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining,

he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the

boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the

person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

Moral of the story: Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our

circumstances, and whilst the lazy complain, the others are creating opportunities through their kind

hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things done.

In Tao cultivation, we are encourage to go outside our comfort zone to change ourselves for the better.

We are all working towards a better version of our selves. In the course of our cultivation, we would

have to face challenges and obstacles. This will require us to face our inner demons i.e. ego, patience,

ignorance and greed. Removing these obstacles within us, there will be reward waiting for us. We will

become a kind, humble, sincere and respectable person.

12. The Marble Statue (Challenges) In the middle of a beautiful city, there was a museum laid with beautiful marble tiles and with a huge

marble statue as a part of the display. Many people from all over the world visited the museum every

day and admired the beautifully crafted statue. One night, the marble tiles started talking to the

marble statue.

Marble Tiles: Hey statue, Don’t you think

that it is just not fair that everybody

from all over the world come all the way

here to admire you while ignoring and

stepping on me.

Marble Statue: My dear brother, marble

tile, Don’t you remember we are actually

from the same cave.

Marble Tile: Yes! I do, that is why i feel it

is even more unfair. Both of us were

born from the same cave and yet the world treats us so differently now. This is so unfair!

Marble Statue: Yes you are right my brother. But, do you still remember the day when the sculptor

tried to work on you but you resisted his tools.

Marble Tiles: Yes, I despise that guy. How could he use those nasty tools on me.

Marble Statue: Well, Since you resisted his tools he couldn’t work on you. When he decided to give

up on you, he started working on me instead. I knew at once that i would be something different and

unique after his efforts. I bore all the painful tools he used on me and allowed him craft me as he

wanted!

Marble Tiles: But those tools were so painful.

Marble Statue: My brother, there is a price for everything in life. Since, you decided to resist and gave

up half way, you can’t blame anybody who steps on you now.!

The marble tiles silently listened to his brothers words. and started to reflect on it.

Moral of the story: We get computers and mobile phone upgrade every year. What about ourselves?

Do you upgrade ourselves? The harder the knocks you go through in life, the more you learn and put

them to use in the future! Do not be discouraged by setbacks and failures! Keep trying to be better.

As part of Tao cultivation practise, we need to improve and eradicate our bad habits and tempers so

that we can get closer and manifest our pure self and the Tao within us.

No doubt, there will be inconveniences and hard work ahead as any improvement involves us going

outside of our comfort zones. However, straight roads do not make skillful drivers. Do not be

discouraged by setbacks and failures. An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards, so when life

is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it is going to launch you towards something great.

.

13. The Cracked Pot (Accepting our Flaws) A young woman worked for a merchant who lived

on top of a hill. She worked as the merchant’s

laundress and every day she had to walk down the

hill to collect water from a stream. She had two pots

to carry water, which she hung upon a pole she

could carry over her shoulders. With time one of her

pot got a slender crack along its side. She observed

the cracks on the pot and decided she could still use

it.

Every day, the woman carried those pots down the hill to the stream, filled them to the brim, and

walked back up the hill, balancing the pole across her shoulders. By the time she reached the house,

the cracked pot would be only half full while the other pot delivered a full portion of water.

The cracked pot glanced at the other pot and saw water filled to the top, and it began to feel desolated.

The full pot was proud of its accomplishment while the cracked pot felt ashamed and miserable that

it was able to accomplish only half of what it was meant to.

After few years of what the cracked pot perceived to be a failure, it spoke to the lady . “ I apologize

for my flaws. The crack on my side, has made me useless. I spill half of the water. I’m of no good!” the

pot said.

The lady felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and she said, “But pot, you don’t understand, You haven’t

been paying attention. Look around you. As we return to the master’s house, I want you to look at the

path we traverse”.

The next time when the lady carried the water up to the hill, the pot carefully observed the path up

the hill. For the first time the pot stopped looking inward and instead looked out. On his side of the

trail the pot noticed beautiful flowers growing in abundance. While the other side was still dry.

As the women reached the top of the hill, she asked “Did you notice the beautiful flowers on the path?

They are only on your side of the path. I had always known about your cracks and I took advantage of

it to water those beautiful flowers along the way. Without you being just the way you are, the path

uphill would not have this beauty ”

The cracked pot was overjoyed. All its sadness was gone. He understood that the very thing he thought

to be his flaws turned out to be a blessing for the flowers along the path.

Every one of us is unique and we have our own strengths and also flaws. It is our little quirks and

faults that make us and the world so interesting.

Moral of the Story: This story reminds us not to underestimate ourselves. No one is perfect, if we do

not look up to ourselves, we are only making our lives more difficult. Our confidence and faith has to

start with us.

In Tao temple, you will be encouraged to participate in some of the Tao activities, to showcase your

talents and more important how to work harmoniously with others. This is also part of our cultivation.

14. Inherent Value (Self-Worth) A popular speaker started off a seminar by holding up a

$20 bill. A crowd of 200 had gathered to hear him speak.

He asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”

200 hands went up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first,

let me do this.” He crumpled the bill up.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

All 200 hands were still raised.

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” Then he dropped the bill on the ground and stomped on it with

his shoes.

He picked it up, and showed it to the crowd. The bill was all crumpled and dirty.

“Now who still wants it?”

All the hands still went up.

“My friends, I have just showed you a very important lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you

still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, life crumples us and grinds us into the dirt. We make bad decisions or deal

with poor circumstances. We feel worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your inherent value. You

are special – Don’t ever forget it!

Moral of the story: We all know that are inherently we are Buddha but most of us are still “asleep”.

As we start to cultivate and propagate Tao , we are future Buddha. It is a work in progress, don’t get

discouraged when we face difficulties. These tests are to see our sincerity and build our virtues. Always

believe you are a Buddha in the making!

15. The Elephant Rope (Belief) A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and

he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in

cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp,

was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely

confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their

strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They

could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to

at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just

standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied;

“when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age,

it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away.

They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over

time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.

Moral of the story: Receiving Tao has unlocks the wisdom within us. Our Buddha seed been planted.

Within us there is a Buddha. Our tasks is to remove the pollutants that cloud our pristine Buddha

inside of us.

We believe our Buddha nature is the same as the Buddha nature of previous Saints, sages,

Bodhisattva and Buddhas. From now on, we believe that by learning, cultivating, sharing,

propagating and practising Tao will help us to attain Buddhahood.

No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you

want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually

achieving it. Persevere and don’t give up. Don’t let limiting beliefs pull your down.

Performing with belief is a critical factor for achieving success at anything in life. When your belief is

strong, you perform smarter, better, and with greater resilience in facing any obstacles. This is true in

everything we do.

THE ADVANTAGES OF RECEIVING TAO

The purpose of receiving Tao is to make us realise the transience of all material possessions

on Earth and we should not be overindulgent in our pursuit of such tangible luxuries. Tao

enables us to know who we actually are (our True self) and the path we should take in order

to recover our original self. Besides that, there are lots of advantages after receiving and

learning Tao.

One of which is to develop good attitudes towards life and to improve our relationship with

members of the family and community. At a higher level, it enables us to develop the mind to

see things and life as it really is, so that we do not get entangled in worldly pursuits and to

understand the road to “Buddhahood”, begins with the cultivation of the inner self.

After receiving Tao, we begin to learn, cultivate, share, propagate and practicing Tao. We go

to the Tao temple and get to know many Tao brothers and sisters, who are just like our

mentors and good friends. We also study the scriptures and learn the etiquette rules and

mannerism. Under the grace of our Holy Teachers with Buddhaland Decree, if we maintain

our faith and sincerity, there are numerous benefits and effects will show, some of which will

be stated in the following:

1. Cultivating Tao can refine our temperament

As cultivators, we follow in the footsteps of all the past saints and sages, constantly reflect

on the value of life, and therefore we understand the significance and the missions of our

presence in life. Our learning the etiquette rules of the Temple makes us more polite and

modest with people. Cultivating Tao also helps us break bad habits and refine our bad temper.

Consciously and subconsciously, our temperament will be refined; hence the true sincerity

will show on our behavior and expression.

2. Cultivating Tao can inspire our wisdom

We are lucky being able to receive the Heart-Dharma of the Three Treasures, which unlocked

our Mystic Gate leading to Buddha Land. According to the Scriptures, “One gateway is

opened and hundreds of gateways will be opened likewise.” Therefore, as long as we

cultivate ourselves in accordance with this right Dharma, our True-Nature’s original peace

and brightness will reappear; and our innate perfect wisdom will automatically show.

Furthermore, our immersion in Truth and the sage classics will help to inspire our wisdom

and broaden our horizons.

3. Cultivating Tao can improve our destiny

As we learn, cultivate, share, propagate and practice Tao in our daily lives, we assume

our proper roles and perform our duties. We set the right goals and work hard to fulfill

them. Such an attitude gradually nourishes mercy and compassion in our minds and

makes us willing to help and to serve unselfishly; benefit others and partake in holy

affairs. When we help our Holy Teachers with the enlightenment of the sentient beings,

we accumulate merit for our benevolence and appropriate deeds. Our destiny fate will

be improved with our benevolence and merits. Just as the saying goes, “A kind heart

promises a good life.”

4. Cultivating Tao can benefit our ancestors

According to the Scriptures, “A man’s receiving Tao benefits all his ancestors.” When a

person receives Tao, steps into the gate to Buddha Land and learns to cultivate himself,

all his ancestors in the underworld will be granted with a white lotus flower, which is

the permit for them to attend the lectures of Di-Zang Ancient Buddha. That way they

may one day escape the suffering sea of reincarnation. Our ancestors and we are of the

same blood, so if we cultivate virtues and do good deeds, our ancestors will also be

honored. Cultivation and propagation of Tao ensures the accomplishment of saint, sage

and Buddha. Why do we not try our best to eventually achieve Buddhahood and to

enjoy the eternal bliss with our ancestors in Buddha land? It is the ultimate practice of

filial devotions to our parents and ancestors.

5. Cultivating Tao can help us encounter fewer accidents and avoid potential disasters

Buddha Land helps those who help themselves.” In the process of learning, cultivating,

sharing, propagating and practicing Tao, we devote ourselves to helping and serving the

others. Such gestures and attitudes in turn earn us blessings and Buddhas’ help.

Furthermore, receiving Tao makes us closer to the Buddhas. Under the grace of our Holy

Teachers, we are gifted with the Three Treasures. They provide lifelong protection and

redemption; personal difficulties will be overcome and potential disasters will be

avoided or minimized. This truth is documented through numerous examples and

testimonies.

We sincerely hope you will give yourself a chance to understand more of Tao, to

appreciate the preciousness of Tao and join our efforts in making this world a better to

live in.

tao stories volume i · 2020-05-02 · page 2 moral of the story: this is a profound story that...

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