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Video-1101 Buddhist Stories: "A Man Named Coppertooth"
Video-1101 Buddhist Stories: "A Man Named Coppertooth"
No. 1101
Category / Between Master and Disciples
Event date / 2015.09.20
Place / (France)
Language / English
Time (mins) / 33,39,44
Published date / 2016.07
Updated date / 2018.02
Tables / Arabic,Aulacese,Bulgarian,Chinese-S,Chinese-T,Croatian,Czech,English,French,German,Hebrew,Hindi,Hungarian,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Malay,Mongolian,Persian,Polish,Portuguese,Punjabi,Romanian,Russian,Spanish,Thai  | 
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  • Summary

In this lecture Supreme Master Ching Hai discusses the turbulent refugee situation in Europe. The Supreme Master says that she offered financial assistance to the countries that accepted refugees, and also speaks of specific ways in which the public can help. Master says that she wishes people will pray for those affected, and applauds the countries that demonstrated love for their neighbors by accepting refugees. She adds that the citizens of these nations are true Christians, Buddhists or Muslims, who adhere to the teachings of the Masters and Prophet by helping the helpless, and acting in the true spirit of religion as examples of brotherhood. These countries will gain immense merit. Their people will be prosperous, peaceful, and happy to no end for many generations to come, and the countries as a whole will benefit as well.

Then the Supreme Master tells the Buddhist story, "A Man Named Copper Tooth." Copper Tooth was an executioner who put thousands of people to death, but in his later years he heard Sariputra, one of Buddha’s chief disciples, teach the Dharma. His sincere offerings to this great and good spiritual counsel caused Copper Tooth to be reborn in a high spiritual realm after he died. This story reminds us that we cannot tell whether a person's inner self is good or bad. Some people are forced to take cruel jobs because they can't do other types of work or are poor, but their inner selves can recognize good from bad, just as Copper Tooth did. As long as they have repentance and reverence for a real practitioner, they will be saved by the unsurpassed power of the Buddha. The Supreme Master also urges Association members to strive for enlightenment through diligent practice to gain greater understanding. If we’re only enlightened through the grace of a Master, we’ll know less or almost nothing. But if we have faith and follow the Master's teachings, we’ll still go to Heaven.


Highlights
  1. Master mentions that more and more countries are accepting refugees; for example, the small nation of Slovenia, which has a population of only two-million, took in 10,000 refugees. Also, countries such as Jordan and Turkey quietly accepted approximately a million refugees. Master was deeply grateful to these nations for their generous acts. Master says that for generations countless blessings will come to the countries who were willing to help and to their people.
  2. When we perform acts of charity, they have to be from pure love. When we sympathize with people who really need help, we should put ourselves in their shoes.
  3. War is horrible. Many refugees have to run for their lives and save the lives of their children. We should try our best to help them in their time of desperate need, so that they can survive until large countries take them in and provide them with greater service.
  4. Some people are using Islam as an excuse to do violence, cause suffering, and harm other people. True Muslims are helpful, loving and kind. For example, just as Christians do at Christmas, during the holy month of Ramadan Muslims exchange gifts, do charity, and forgive one another.
  5. Everyone makes mistakes. After we learn from them we change and don't repeat such behavior. However, we should not just change but do the opposite to recover whatever harm we may have done to ourselves and others. Any damage we do to other people is first damaging to us. It is always like that. That's why all religions always teach, "Love others as much as you love yourself" because others are yourself. Whatever we do to others will come back to us manyfold.
  6. Should the death penalty be abolished? Why are many countries now outlawing the death penalty and other harsh forms of punishment?
  7. Master cites examples to show that all religions mention initiation into the Sound-Hearing system: in the Sikh scriptures the Sound is called Shabda; in Buddhism, the Inner Sound or Sound Stream; and in the Bible, the Word. As the book of Genesis says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."
  8. The Buddha concludes the story "A Man Named Copper Tooth" by saying, "Though a thousand speeches are made of meaningless lines, better is the single meaningful line, hearing which one is at peace." This means that only words from those who have attained honesty, correctness, and power through inner realization can liberate others and change them into better people; otherwise, they are just talk.