From Between Ignorance and Enlightenment

Open-Mindedness                  Grand Master Hsing Yun 

　

The breadth of the Buddha's mind is boundless because it can take in everything without prejudice. If one wishes to achieve greatness, he/she must be broad-minded, like the sages and virtuous rulers of ancient times who always had the needs of the people on their minds. However, in this strange world of ours, success is no longer measured by the openness of a person's mind. It has become a common sight to see that the rich are incapable, the talented lack opportunity, the broad-mind-ed are unable to succeed, and the narrow-minded are doing very well.

 

It is indeed a very strange world when a broad-minded person can-not fulfill his/her ambition to do good things for the people, while a self-ish person can be in a position of power. It is like the world has played a big joke on us when hardworking people live on barren lands while those who are lazy have plenty of natural resources. Throughout human history, we have seen examples of people, like Confucius and Mencius, who had the will to do things for the good of society but lacked the opportunity to do so. While they waited for their chance to benefit all of the world's people, they attended to their own virtue in solitude. But nature has its way of balancing out the world. For example, people who live in deserts enjoy an abundance of oil supplies, and those who live on islands can use resources from the ocean. Maybe that is why people who are broad-minded seem to have fewer opportunities.

 

A person who is broad-minded can tolerate those who are mean and without virtues. Conversely, a person who is narrow-minded can never accept those who are open-minded. Therefore, a person of great breadth often assumes a position that is both disadvantageous and unfavorable. He/she sometimes becomes the target of unfounded jealousy and animosity. It is such a shame that our society cannot always protect those who are victims of injustice on the strength of their virtues and resolve to better the world.

 

In today's business world, many employers lack the foresight to properly recognize the abilities of their employees, who in turn refuse to work for an incompetent person. It is not uncommon to have a CEO who is less educated than his or her managers and a manager who is less capable then his or her staff because most workers are highly skilled professionals. It is just not that easy for anyone to have both good fortune and wisdom.

The saying, "The more righteous a person is, the more obstacles he or she will encounter," depicts a world in which scoundrels and menaces have run rampant and have tried everything to terrorize its citizens. From the very beginning of time, a battle has waged between the forces of evil and the forces of righteousness, and people have managed to maintain a pitiful existence with a false sense of security. They have somehow man-aged to survive chaos and disorder while waiting for a leader who is wise and benevolent. We should place our livelihood in the hands of those who are open to our voices and are concerned with our happiness and welfare. Right now, if we could have a leader who is open-minded and tolerant, we would be truly blessed with the best of fortune.