THE THREE FIELDS OF BLESSINGS
In Buddhism, there are three types of blessings and collectively, they are termed as the Three Fields of Blessings. The Field of Blessings is capable of generating the conditions for good fortune.
The first Field of Blessings comes when you make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and this is called the Field of Reverence.
Today, you prostrate the moment you see the Bodhisattva, aren’t you being respectful? Do you respect the dharma? Do you respect the monastics, or monks and nuns? If you do, you have the Field of Reverence, which will generate blessings for you in the future.
The second Field of Blessings is the Field of Gratitude. If you yearn for more blessings, you must practise greater filial piety by serving your parents and teachers. You need to have a sense of gratitude and an intention to repay their kindness. This is why this field is known as the Field of Gratitude.
The third Field of Blessings is the Field of Compassion. When you see those who are pitiable, including the destitute, the sick and the handicapped, you must develop a sense of pity and compassion for them. This explains why we must give up our seats to the handicapped and why there are reserved seats for them. Why do we need to be kind to the handicapped?
There are also many aged mothers who suffer from bad back and ill health. When you are kind to them, you are seeding your Field of Compassion.
Hence, be kind to the destitute, the poor, the sick and the disabled. You should provide and care for them with your compassion. Why are there people who are so blessed and not you? For one who yearns for blessings, the fastest way is to plant the seeds in the Three Fields of Blessings: the Fields of Reverence, Gratitude and Compassion.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 23
