WE BECOME WHO WE SURROUND OURSELVES WITH
Master Jun Hong Lu: Interpersonal relationships are getting increasingly complicated nowadays. Why? Married couples suffer from marital dissension, while children are estranged from their parents. What’s the reason behind all these phenomena? The problem lies in one’s thoughts.
Each of us has both the Buddha nature and the evil seeds in our eighth consciousness. When a person’s Buddha nature is tapped on, he will be kind to his wife; the moment an evil seed enters his mind, he will treat his wife badly. We hold both wholesome and unwholesome thoughts in our mind which will determine whether we react positively or negatively towards a person or situation.
When a person’s mind is occupied by the Buddha nature, he will empathise with his wife, thinking, “Life has not been easy for her.” As a result, instead of reprimanding her, he will choose to forgive her. However, the moment a negative thought comes by, he will find his wife so irritating that any other woman is more pleasant looking than her.
The seeds of evil make you an evil person. Likewise, the seeds of kindness make you a kind person. A person who perpetually harbours kind thoughts is kind and vice versa. This explains the many differences that are prevalent in families, workplaces, etc.
‘Conditioned origination’ means that the affinities you meet with determine whether you give rise to kindness or evilness in your heart. The good and evil are dormant in us. When you meet good people in your life, they will inspire the kindness in you. Soon, you become a good person.
Conversely, when you meet an evil person, one who only has bad things to say, he is likely to arouse your resentment and jealousy towards others. Soon, you will turn into a bad person with a bad temper.
Hence, your encounter with negative people contaminates you, while your encounter with good dharma friends will unlock the Buddha nature within you.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse to Disciples, Volume 2 Chapter 15
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