COMPASSION OVER COMPETITION
Master Jun Hong Lu: In the 1960s, the United States Customs and Border Protection was auctioning off a large batch of confiscated bicycles. During the auction, a 10-year-old boy would always kick-start the bidding process with a five-dollar bid, only to have the rest of the participants jump in to take the bids higher. Without fail, the boy could only stare at the bikes as each and every one of them got auctioned off for 30 to 40 US dollars.
During the break, the auctioneer asked the boy, “Kid, why can’t you offer a higher bid?” The boy responded, “Sir, I don’t have much. Five dollars is all I have, but I really wish to have a bike of my own”.
When the auction resumed, as expected, the boy would still be the first to place a five-dollar bid, only to have the bikes auctioned off to other bidders. By now, the boy had caught the attention of many people. The last bike to be auctioned off was as good as new, it came with multiple gears and a nighttime flashlight.
The auctioneer pressed, “Do we have a bidder?” Silence fell upon the auction room, as everyone was hoping that the boy would raise his hand to place a five-dollar bid. But, no one did. Not even the boy.
At last, the auctioneer declared, “This last bike goes to the boy in the white sneakers”. The crowd broke into applause. Moved to tears but beaming from ear to ear, as the boy fished out his five-dollar note.
Things in life are not always obtained by means of competition. Similarly, we don’t necessarily have to fight with others to be victorious. Sometimes, we can outperform others by ways of persistence. Determined are the ones who refuse to give up. What’s more important is the ability to touch others’ hearts.
Many people are relentless in their effort to introduce Buddhism; no matter what, they won’t give up. Their efforts eventually are rewarded with their families starting to practise Buddhism.
In this story, we are touched and inspired by so many kind-hearted people who didn’t make the bid to pave the way for the boy to get the bike. We Buddhist practitioners should do the same to touch people’s hearts and we will be rewarded with blessings that enable us to attain fruition in our spiritual cultivation. This is precisely the reason that the Buddha is inseparable from sentient beings.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Sabah, Malaysia, 19 January 2015
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