Chapter 43 on the path of heaven and earth

When my mother lived in Taipei, she would call home every two days. Apart from asking about her safety, she would also tell her elder brother and sister-in-law about the farewell. Worship should not be sloppy at all. In addition to worshiping Bodhisattvas, gods, and ancestors in the morning and evening, there will always be gods’ birthdays, Bodhisattvas’ birthdays, ancestors’ death days, temple fairs, festivals, etc. every few days.We can't remember these days clearly, but it is vivid for my mother. Every time I watch my mother talk on the phone, I will remember that when I was young, I always had to say goodbye to my parents every few days. Of course, saying goodbye is a very good thing, because I always eat delicious dishes that I can’t usually eat. The atmosphere will also appear devout and warm.

But why do you have to pray so much?I always ask. Mom and Dad answered me: "Bye-bye is to give thanks, thank God, thank the gods, thank them for making our crops plentiful, and we can live a good life. Bye-bye is also to pray, because our human power is too small, and we cannot even decide on our own safety and health." , pray to the gods and Bodhisattvas to protect us, so that the weather will be smooth and the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe." As parents of farmers, they can feel the insignificance of human beings most. During a typhoon, they see the crops fall and the ground is in a mess; during a drought, they see the plants die and the land cracks; The hard-plowed crops withered and withered, and lost all their money.

Therefore, let us put our palms together, burn incense and pray, thank the heavens and earth in good times, and pray to Buddha and gods in times of adversity, because we know the insignificance of human beings. Since I was very young, when I worshiped gods and ancestors, I had a very humble and pious heart. It was because I felt my own insignificance, and I also knew that those who think they are great and proud are just ignorant and self-aggrandizing. They are just a cloud of smoke when they disappear into the world! Now that I am in my forties, I am still small, and I still pray to gods and bodhisattvas, and thank God and my ancestors.In my heart, it is too late to generate a little pride and arrogance, that is because I have gone through many small journeys in life.