STAYING STEADFAST IS A MUST EVEN AFTER YOU HAVE BENEFITED FROM YOUR BUDDHIST PRACTICE
Master Jun Hong Lu: There will be times when practising Buddhism can be likened to digging a well. If you wish to dig a well, you have to be prepared to draw water from it later on. Many people merely wait for the water to fall into their laps, not realising that they should become well diggers.
When you are digging a well, you’re preparing for the day when you can draw water for drinking. This ensures your immediate needs are met. However, with a long-term outlook, you will come to realise that once a well is dug, you must continuously draw water from it to ensure a steady supply for nourishing your body.
The same applies to Buddhist practice. Now that you are learning Buddhism, you must understand that you need to be relentless in dedicating yourself to progress, as only then are you able to reach the point when the water drawn from the well is always sweet. Many people fail to put in their best effort in their Buddhist practice and end up with stinky well water.
Even after making sacrifices for others, greater exertion of effort awaits you. Many believe that once they’ve tied the knot, they can stop putting effort into the relationship. In fact, life after marriage demands even greater tolerance and nourishment. In any relationship, it is easy to be a taker but challenging to maintain the bond; thus, determination is essential. To break free from the shackles of suffering and vexation in the human realm, you must harness perseverance to sustain a steadfast spirit.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting, Madrid, Spain, 13 May 2016
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