DOES THE PIG AGE HAVE MUCH MERIT?
(Writer: Viên Bảo Chiếu, English Interpreter: Bhikkhuni Trí Minh)
Every time New Year or spring comes, perhaps the first thing everyone wants to know, "What’s the zodiac sign this year?" Couples who intend to have a baby are often to calculate how a boy will be born in the "Nhâm" (good), a girl in the "Quý" (Precious). My grandparents have the phrase of "Nam Nhâm Nữ Quý" i.e. in these years if a baby girl is born, she will be very favorable. If a boy, parents often want their son to be born in the Year of the Dragon, because Nhâm is good, and moreover Dragon is the symbol of sacred power and strength.
In the twelve signs of the zodiac, my big family occupied more than half of them. We believe that we can have a hard or happy life due to which zodiac animal that we belong to. My father, Mr. Dậu (with a rooster age – Quý Dậu), had a lifetime of hardship; every day he must wake up from the early morning to work. My mother – Mrs. Tuất (with a dog age-Giáp Tuất), must be very economical to earn and raise my five siblings. The eldest sister – Mrs. Nhâm (with a Tiger age) got married late and had a harder time raising her young children at her older age. My next younger sister – Mrs. Thân (with a monkey age -Mậu Thân) is well-off with money, but does not have a harmonious relationship with her husband. My youngest brother – Mrs. Tý (with a snake age - Nhâm Tý), hold an engineering degree, but he couldn’t find a stable job and had to transfer from one company to the other.
If you ask which zodiac animal is the hardest working? It is mine--the author of this article--with a horse zodiac age (Bính Ngọ). I was born at 8:00 am, the time a horse leaves cage and starts a long day toiling in the fields. So my life had not been leisurely. When I was young I worked and studied hard. After graduating, I went to work at 2-3 jobs. I have money in the pocket, but it required constant hard work and saving.
However, there’s an upside because there’s a happy zodiac sign. My younger sister has this sign, Ms. Hợi (with a pig age -Tân Hợi). All day Ms. Hợi does nothing, just eats and drinks, then goes out for sight-seeing. Since she was born in the year of the pig, she is happy and lives a leisurely life. From a child to mature age, she was able to eat and attended school regularly, and had time to hang out with friends without worry. She was not good at academics, so when she grew up, she did not have a stable career to be able to support her like other siblings. In our home, my mother babied her the most because her other children have graduated from college, have a professional career, and left the house.
Ms. Hợi also goes to work, but she earns a very modest living. My mother loves her as she is the youngest daughter, and often requests her to visit: "You live with me. I feed you." Since then, she has more time to go to pagoda to chant and do the temple service. She is very enthusiastic and devoted practitioner. Any temple that has a ceremony, the Buddha Birthday or the Vu Lan Day, she attends right there to help in the kitchen by cooking, washing dishes, basically whatever tasks needed to be done. Every New Year celebration or rites, she is a volunteer to go to temples to help in decoration and other work. Our family told one another that "With the pig’s age, she is blessed and merit!"
Several times she invited us to listen to the dharma from some monks. Mr. Tỵ (with a mouse age) frowned: "Who's free like you to go?" Then she adds that “Is there anyone would like to make offerings, I (Ms. Hợi with a pig age) offer my part, and am ready to help you to offer too." Ms. Dần (with a Tiger age) is not happy and questioned her: "How do you have money to donate? You cannot afford your lifestyle, how do you have money to offer?" She laughs: "I have a small amount, so I offer a small amount."
I heard later that Ms. Hợi had also joined a Buddhist Association. Every evening, I see her going to temple to recite and complete Buddhist affairs with her group. At this time, she worked part time as a cashier in a shop, so she can have more time to do temple work. If a practitioner is about to pass away, she finds a reason to leave work early in order to have time to recite for the dying patient at the hospital. When her siblings heard about this we often made fun of her. My mother would yell at her: "You bring the virus home from hospital and spread germs at my home.” Mrs. Thân (a Monkey age) suggested that “You should go to school to learn a career to make you busy.” However, she just sits there silently without reacting.
At that time, Mrs.Thân (a Monkey age) was fight with her husband so much that she demanded a divorce petition. Ms. Hợi sincerely whispers to Mrs. Thân that: “Just calm down please for the sake of family".
For a time, Mrs. Dần (with an ox age) and her husband are jobless. Therefore, she is economic with her expenses. One day, Ms. Hợi invited Mrs. Dần (a Tiger age) to help the poor people in Vietnam. She replied back quickly: "I have no money to help." So, Ms. Hợi gave her a moral lecture: "Due to poverty, you must donate and share whatever you have, even if it’s only a little, in order to change your bad karma on finance."
Then during beautiful day, Ms. Hợi announced to the whole family: "I will get married." We were surprised, but it was true. Ms. Hợi took her beau, who had a stable career, to meet us. The pair had met at a retreat in the temple. Of course! Everyone in family agreed. We felt more released because from now on there is a man to take care her, instead of having her continue to rely on family.
On the wedding day, everybody was happy for her: "With a pig age, you are really blessed!" After she married, she announced that they will not to have children, because she and her husband want to have time to practice Buddhism. Every weekend Mrs. Hợi is busy for temple service. Her husband does not complain but also encouraged her to often listen to dharma. Indeed, "Pig age is blessed".
During the year 2007-2009, it was the most painful period for me. After ten years of hard work, saving some money, I (Ms. Ngọ with a Horse age) decided to invest and play stockbroking. Thanks to a good market, many people can buy and sell houses with a lot of profit. However when I engaged in it, I unfortunately lost my house and money. I collapsed completely. In that bad situation, Mrs. Hợi gave me a book "How to recite the Buddha Name to be reborn in Blissful Land?" I kept it without intertered it much. Incidentally, when I rearranged my desk, I accidentally found this book. I immediately read it. Surprisingly, the book held my attention from the first to the last page. Turning the last page, my insight is opened for the first time. There is a way to transfer my suffering. Thank you Mrs. Hợi!
Since that time, I, Ms. Ngọ (Horse), changed completely. Every day I no longer complained about my bad karma. Every morning, after waking up I read aloud the Amitābha Buddha’s name. After work, in the evening, I recited Buddha Sutra and on the weekend I go to the temple do chants, listen Dharma. Mrs. Hợi and I have found the same delight participating in Buddhist affairs.
Then the couple (Mrs. Hợi and her husband) bought a new house. They invited the whole family to come to her house. After showing their beautiful and warm home, Mrs. Hợi opened a room. Wow! The wonderful worship room! The decoration of the altar is so beautiful and solemn, the Amitābha Buddha is in the middle, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and the Medicine Buddha are on both sides. I admire their tranquilling statues without blinking. Suddenly, she heard the words of Mrs. Thân and Mrs. Dần whispered, "Well, congratulations for her!" Strangely, our siblings all have solid jobs, but why are we not happy like her? She managed not to have a career but is so carefree. She had a luxurious house, her husband's precious love, a happy life, and everything she wanted. "Pig age is really blessed!"
I (Ms. Ngọ, a horse age) keep silent, but in my heart I understood the merit from where Mrs. Hợi has achieved her peace...
The merit came neither naturally nor was granted from the heaven above. Merit is not due to luck from being born in the year of a certain zodiac sign (Pig Year or Dragon Year). If so, then hundreds of millions of people was born in the year of the Pig are all happy? How it is that simple?
Turning back to Mrs. Thân and Mrs. Dần, I said: “Look back what Mrs. Hợi has done; she followed the Buddha’s teachings by going to the temple, doing community service, listening to Dharma, reciting Sutra, advising siblings to avoid conflicts, and doing charity. This is the benefit to other people. When we give someone something, sooner or later we will also receive the rewards. Mrs. Hợi has helped so many people, so she earned the merit... ".
Then suddenly whole family turned to discuss the hot topic of Buddhist merit. "So what we will do to gain merit as Mrs. Hợi?" Mr. Tý (a Mouse age) asked. I (Ms. Ngọ, with a Horse age) replied: "Do whatever good that Mrs. Hợi has done." Ms.Tiger (Dần) asked: "Repeat please." Mrs. Hợi laughed: "There are following:
- Giving, offering, helping the poor and people who are less fortunate than us.
- Build a pagoda and a bell hall to serve community.
- Cast the Buddha statues (Shakyamuni Buddha, Medicine Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and so on...) in order that people can come to worship.
- Recite Sutra, pray, read the Buddha name aloud to reduce greed, anger and ignorance.
- Live harmoniously to help others.
- Being careful with our words, our actions, and our ideas so no harm or hurt will be thrust upon others.
My mother who was standing to admire the Buddha statues, suddenly turned around and said: "I was so old and weak, if I donate the statue of Medicine Buddha, I will be blessed with good health, am not I?"
Mrs. Hợi explained that "The Medicine Buddha has a vow to heal all illnesses and sufferings of the living, and he vowed to help them to improve the health of the body and mind. They are provided with everything they need, such as food, drink and clothing, freeing them from defilements, so they can begin to benefit others. "
I (Ms. Ngọ, a Horse age) encouraged that "Mom If you donates to cast the Buddha Medicine, and at the same time Mom recites the Buddha Names, your body and mind will be fine. Every month, Mom saved money to offer to monks and nuns to build temple or help the poor. The donations of $30, $50... did not make Mom poor, but as a result Mom will have merit, not only this life but in the next lives, Mom will enjoy ... "
Ms. Thân (a Monkey age) applauded, "Here is money. Please accept my donation!"
Mr. Tý (a Mouse age) also shouted happily, "Me too!"
Mrs. Dần (A Tier age) said excitedly, "So everyone in our family will try to do what the Buddha teaches so that we will gain merit and be blessed like Mrs. Hợi!" (Everyone clapped).
Looking up at the altar of Buddhas, I feel like they are smiling down on us.
Beyond the door, the spring breeze by. The old year passed and the New Year approaches. Life is a periodic cycle such as the circle of cause and effect. By sowing the good seed we gain a sweet fruit in return.
Merit- The dream is for everyone.
Merit- Our prayer for every time spring and New Year coming.
Merit- The greetings must be in the New Year.
Merit comes from the mind.
Merit arrives from the devotion.
Merit presents from the good deeds.
Living well, sacrifices for others; bring happiness to everyone, even if born into any zodiac, you will also be blessed!
The Pig Spring 2019!
Please see this PDF file for phoots related to this article: 1.10.The_Merit_of_Pig_-_TN_Tri_Minh.pdf
