Hear the Dharma in the Morning, Die Without Regret at Night

Attorney Liu Longzhu: Hello everyone, I am Attorney Liu Longzhu. Today we are deeply honored to have with us one of the most senior elders from Fo Guang Shan, who is also the abbot of Thai Hua Temple in Thailand: Venerable Master Xinding—Master Ding. He will offer us some reminders and share his teachings. Master Ding, may auspiciousness be with you.

 Venerable Master Ding: Blessings to you all.

Attorney Liu Longzhu: After Venerable Master Hsing Yun passed away this past February, upon our return to Fo Guang Shan from the cremation ceremony at Tainan's Daxian Temple, Venerable Ding delivered a particularly important teaching and reminder on behalf of the entire monastic community, all devotees, and the general public of Fo Guang Shan.He emphasized that we must not only respect and venerate the Master's physical relics, but also, crucially, his Dharma relics. The Master's Dharma relics are embodied in the Complete Works of Master Hsing Yun, which have now been officially published.Venerable Ding, the Complete Works of Master Hsing Yun, of course, contains over 40 million words. It is extremely comprehensive, and its content is vast and profound. You have followed the Master throughout your life, beginning when you were a young man around 20 years old, and have continued to do so for nearly 60 years now.

 Your unwavering devotion to the Dharma is truly remarkable. You are also the person most qualified to speak about the Master's thought, having the deepest understanding of it. So, what do you consider to be the most essential part of Master Hsing Yun's collected works? Where do you see the essence of his thought?

Master Ding: It has been 56 years since I ordained under Master Hsing Yun. In my early years at the Buddhist College, he taught us the Diamond Sutra and many other courses. He also regularly gave Dharma talks to devotees. Back then, Buddhist terminology was specialized and difficult to grasp.Therefore, I had to take notes on the blackboard—back then, we didn't have the modern advancements we have today, like screens for viewing. We simply wrote on the blackboard. So whenever Master Hsing Yun gave teachings to the faithful, I was more fortunate than my fellow monks and heard more. For instance, his philosophy on life was to never forget one's original aspiration. When you undertake a task...

You just asked: Why did you choose to become a doctor? Why did you choose to become a police officer? Why did you choose to become an architect? Back then, you were always motivated by improving people's quality of life or something similar—that was your original aspiration. So why did you choose to become a monk? You hoped to use the power of religion to influence society, promote social harmony, and even advance world peace. These represent our initial intentions and thoughts.Why did you choose this profession? When you pursue a career, your motivation is usually well-intentioned. For instance, a young girl sees her grandmother sick, even beyond a doctor's help, and declares, "I'll study medicine and become a doctor." That's what it means.

This thought of hers is a righteous thought, the original aspiration. So, for instance, "staying true to one's original aspiration"—if one practices Buddhism without forgetting this aspiration, one will surely attain Buddhahood. But speaking of this worldview, it emphasizes the importance of, say, staying true to one's original aspiration.Additionally, in human relationships, one should not dwell on past grievances. Not dwelling on past grievances means that while people may share pleasant experiences, conflicts over interests can sometimes lead to disputes. Whether these disputes involve disagreements, arguments, or even physical altercations, once they have occurred, one should not carry these unpleasant memories forever in one's heart. Thus, not dwelling on past grievances means that after an unpleasant incident, once it has passed, one must let it go.Master Hsing Yun teaches: Do not carry troubles to bed. Before sleeping, release all the day's unpleasantness—do not dwell on it, much less carry it into tomorrow. A noble person holds no grudges overnight. Those with broad hearts do not dwell on disputes or grievances. Thus, do not dwell on past wrongs.Next, how should we navigate society? Follow circumstances without changing your principles. Some may ask you to do good deeds, while others may ask you to do things that might be illegal. If it is legitimate, rejoice in the merit and participate with others. But if it ultimately leads to illegal activities,Then you can just go through the motions at first, but when it comes to actual execution, you can say you have other commitments and can't continue participating. This way, you go with the flow of circumstances without putting others in an awkward position. Yet at the critical moment, you remain untainted by the corruption. That is, you can

Maintain your integrity, character, and morality. Sometimes the master will instruct his followers:

 When it comes to who's right and who's wrong, we ordinary people always want to argue. Even when it's clearly your fault, the quarrel just keeps going. So when it's about who's right and who's wrong, this "you're wrong, I'm right" argument—just have one round. Don't let it go on for two or three rounds, endlessly. When it's about who's right and who's wrong,

 expand your heart a little. Even if the other person is clearly unreasonable, arguing further brings no benefit—just let it go.Then, "You have, I lack"—let the good things go to others, while bearing the hardships yourself. Like Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty, who practiced this bodhisattva-like heart: directing blessings toward others and misfortunes toward himself. Let others enjoy the advantages first; keep the lesser things for your own use. Thus, "You have, I lack," and "You enjoy, I suffer"—let the easy tasks fall to you,

I'll take on the hard parts—that's how it is. This is how people interact, even when one is senior and the other junior. Many insist on sitting in the center for photos, walking ahead when walking, and being seated first at meals.When names are called during speeches, if yours isn't mentioned, I won't come next time. People like that—they crave a bit more fame. That's why Master Hsing Yun's life philosophies emphasize this mindset: you're big, I'm small; you have, I have not; you enjoy, I suffer; you're right, I'm wrong.

 Venerable Ding: On February 5th this year, Master Hsing Yun passed away. Later, at the memorial service,

 his remains were transported to Tainan's Daxian City for cremation. After the ashes cooled, I selected about twenty relics. That day, I returned to Fo Guang Shan very late, yet thousands of people

 awaited the return of Master Hsing Yun's relics to the mountain. I then addressed the assembly, saying...

The Master's physical body has departed this world, but I have also collected these relics from his body. They are remarkably smooth, luminous, and perfectly round. I witnessed this personally. They are meant to be enshrined for veneration, allowing us to cherish his memory and express our gratitude. Yet what we must truly uphold is Master Hsing Yun's promotion of Humanistic Buddhism—giving people confidence, hope, joy, and convenience. And then there is...

Every day, everyone should do good deeds, speak kind words, and harbor benevolent thoughts. These are how the Master simply expressed the compassionate spirit of Buddhism. Everyone can achieve this.Master Hsing Yun originally authored 365 volumes. After his passing, numerous scholars, experts, and those who knew him personally continued writing articles praising him. These were collected and added, increasing the total by nearly 30 volumes, ultimately completing 395 volumes. We honor Master Hsing Yun, we cherish his memory, and we wish to repay his teachings and his kindness.Regarding his physical relics, I personally collected these luminous, perfectly round relics. Yet the truly precious relics are his Dharma body relics—his writings. Throughout his life, he urged people to practice kindness and shared principles for conduct and human relations. This is the foundation. If we wish to repay Master Hsing Yun's compassion, wisdom, and kindness, then everyone should read his works.In Buddhism, this is called the Dharma Body relic. The Dharma Body relic permeates the void—it is the eternal presence of his writings, his thoughts, his ideals. These words, aided by technological progress, can be placed online, in cloud storage, and disseminated far and wide, ensuring perpetual transmission. This is the true essence of his Dharma Body relic. Therefore, everyone should learn Master Hsing Yun's compassionate spirit and his methods for conduct and interaction. This Dharma Body relic is the most important.In our Chinese society, we say that opening a book is always beneficial. Opening any of Master Hsing Yun's books, reading just a few lines, will bring enlightenment. Each book is like a segment of a gold bar—cut into pieces, each is pure gold. Therefore, when it comes to Master Hsing Yun's collected works, you can choose whichever volume you wish to explore based on what you want to learn. That is why I tell believers that these collected works are his Dharma Body Relics.Thank you all.

Attorney Liu Longzhu: Thank you, Venerable Ding, for your teachings. I was present at the scene at that time. After the Master passed away in February, I immediately rushed back to Fo Guang Shan. At Taoyuan Airport, it felt like half the people arriving or departing from overseas were rushing to Taiwan to attend the Master's cremation ceremony.After the cremation ceremony at Tainan's Daxian Temple ( ), I followed the convoy back to Fo Guang Shan's main temple. The drive took over two hours. Along the way, especially nearing the mountain, devotees stretched as far as the eye could see.I captured the scene with my phone, filming for over ten minutes. Judging by the procession's pace, there must have been at least ten thousand people present, many of whom had returned to Taiwan from overseas. Everyone was profoundly saddened and deeply grieved during the journey back.Later, Venerable Ding, representing Fo Guang Shan, our monastic community, and the entire Fo Guang Association, offered words of encouragement and guidance to everyone. This gradually helped calm the collective mood. He particularly emphasized that the best way to honor the Master's memory was to request this complete collection of Master Hsing Yun's works, because doing so...

Learn from the wisdom of the masters, and you will be able to live well. First, you will live a more harmonious life yourself. Second, you will find it easier and more harmonious to interact with others.

Attorney Liu Longzhu: As the Master's junior and his nephew, I had the opportunity to accompany him on overseas visits at a very young age, learning many things. Many people say, "Attorney Liu, you're so smart and wise." But it's not that I possess wisdom—it's simply that I had the chance to learn a little of the Master's teachings. I also sought to draw closer to eminent monks like Venerable Ding, seeking their guidance whenever possible.This perspective transforms your entire life. Often, it's a matter of heaven or hell in a single thought. Especially as a lawyer—a defense attorney in the United States—handling criminal cases, divorces, property disputes, and battles that leave you battered and bruised,Truthfully, my litigation work only addresses symptoms. What truly matters is Humanistic Buddhism—the Master’s teachings. Master Hsing Yun’s collected works are Venerable Ding’s guidance, his admonitions. That is the cure for the root cause. So if you only treat the symptoms, the problems will persist. For example, someone might hire me for a case, and after it’s settled, they say, "Goodbye, Attorney Liu." I tell them, "Let’s not meet again."hoping we never meet again. Yet often, two or three years later, we meet again. Why? Because the symptoms were treated, but the root cause remains. So if you truly wish to avoid future meetings—or rather, if you wish to meet but not for litigation—the simplest solution is to obtain a copy of Master Hsing Yun's Complete Works. Seek opportunities to draw closer to our Venerable Master Ding, who is exceedingly busy.and today I have specially invited Venerable Ding to share his teachings with us. I sense that my guests—whether from the U.S., mainland China, or Taiwan—are collectively immersed in an atmosphere of restlessness and aggression. This makes Venerable Ding’s guidance all the more vital. Thank you all.

Master Ding: Thank you all. Wishing you good health, success in all your endeavors, and may everything go smoothly and according to your wishes. Thank you all.