| The sages said, "If our wish is to be a Saint, then | | | | souls, respect all the Gods in Heaven, follow the |
| we will be a Saint. If our wish is to be a Buddha, | | | | law of the land, be patriotic, be responsible, |
| then we will be a Buddha. If our wish is to be a | | | | restore the five bonds and eight cardinal virtues |
| sentient being, then we will be a sentient being. | | | | of morality, respect and be obedient to parents, |
| We will become whatever we set our mind on." | | | | honor teachers and esteem Tao, be trustworthy, |
| We must first establish our goal, once our goal is | | | | live harmoniously with neighbors, get rid of bad |
| established, our foundation will be deep-rooted. A | | | | habits and become good in all respect. By |
| person who does not establish any goal is like a | | | | practising Tao after learning through the discourse, |
| ship without a rudder. Without goal, we do not | | | | one will be able to purify the soul, be remote |
| really know the meaning of life and have no | | | | from lust and evil thoughts, uses the limited |
| direction. We must be careful and realistic in | | | | physical self to create an eternal life, restore the |
| deciding what goal we want to establish and not | | | | true self, return to God's Kingdom and convey |
| of fantasy. That goal will then give us the fighting | | | | the Truth to others. There is a limit to monetary |
| spirit and energy to fulfill and attain it. | | | | contribution but no end to discourse contribution. |
| Accumulating merits can alleviate the burden of | | | | 3] General Contribution - For those who are |
| evil deeds. What are evil deeds? They are those | | | | unable to contribute money or give discourse, this |
| like gaining benefits at the expense of others' | | | | general contribution covers a very wide scope. |
| losses or sufferings, repayment of kindness with | | | | With loyalty and devotion in this contribution it is |
| ingratitude, incurring bad debts without any | | | | said that big problem becomes small problem and |
| intention to repay, any actions against our | | | | small problem becomes no problem. Serving |
| conscience and etc. People commit sin because | | | | others, cleaning up the temple, providing |
| they do not understand karma and reincarnation. | | | | transportation, cooking etc are examples of |
| Good deeds will be rewarded with good, and evil | | | | general contribution. Demonic interference will be |
| with evil. Contribution in any form to ease the | | | | reduced and one can become fearless and brave |
| burden and pain of another living being is | | | | even in contributing the general contribution. No |
| considered good deed. | | | | contribution is considered small as long as one is |
| In the teaching of Tao it was said that, "It is very | | | | willing to contribute sincerely. It is known in the |
| fortunate now that the Great Tao is widely | | | | temple of Tao of Heaven that an old lady |
| propagated. We must accumulate merits and | | | | became a Saint after she returned to Heaven |
| establish virtues in order to repay for our evil | | | | just by contributing cooking vegetarian food in the |
| deeds, then we can alleviate the burden of these | | | | temple. |
| debts. If we wish to eliminate the burden of evil | | | | By coming in openly and giving away secretly, one |
| deeds of our past lives, we must pay back by | | | | will reach his goal of eternal peace. This is the |
| merits and virtues." | | | | saying of my Heavenly Teacher JiGong: |
| Merits and virtues are earned through | | | | "All you disciples are seeds in germination. You |
| contributions and there are three types of | | | | must grow and be mature. You must get healthy |
| contributions in the temple of Tao of Heaven: | | | | and strong. There is a saying: 'the Way (Tao) is |
| 1] Monetary Contribution - Money is the easiest | | | | easy to repair (cultivate), but the Truth is hard to |
| form of contributions. This contribution usually | | | | understand'. But the fact is: 'the Truth is easy to |
| covers the printing of religious books, building of | | | | understand, and the Tao is easy to cultivate'. As |
| temples and maintenance or help to cover | | | | long as you give, as long as you can twist your |
| expenses incurred during missionary trips. For | | | | thoughts immediately, then vexation (displeasure, |
| example holy books that are given away for free | | | | worry, annoyance, irritations etc) will go away. It |
| and the saying is, "We can propagate to others | | | | is the Teacher's wish that all places in the universe |
| only during our lifetime, but holy books can do it | | | | can be set up into a Paradise and let everywhere |
| for many generations." There are many activities | | | | become a Pure Land. If everyone can have peace |
| at the temples in teaching devotees and through | | | | and calmness in their mind, the dusty earth of the |
| monetary contribution it is like using the earthly | | | | human world can naturally be transformed into a |
| wealth to buy Heavenly land. | | | | Pure Land." |
| 2] Discourse Contribution - This means to | | | | The goal of contribution is stop the cycle of birth |
| propagate Tao on behalf of Heaven through | | | | and death and end the suffering. To change the |
| preaching of the sayings of the Heavenly Beings | | | | world into a Pure Land or Utopia where there will |
| and scriptures to every corner of the world with | | | | be no more killings and sufferings. The poor |
| the aim of turning the world into Utopia. By | | | | animals can firstly be spared from being |
| setting up a house temple in this earthly world, a | | | | slaughtered and then humans from being |
| lotus flower will blossom in Heaven. This is | | | | murdered. "Show mercy, in return you shall have |
| because the discourse will lead us to understand | | | | mercy" said Goddess of Mercy. |
| the Truth of the cosmos, worship the Lord of all | | | | Author: T. |