忆念母亲的恩德
广论：【又饥渴时与以饮食，寒时给衣、乏时给财，皆是自己未肯用者。】
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母亲的恩德，你的的确确无法想像的，哪怕你老了……。
唉，我自己记得，前年我回去了，我母亲八十几岁了。我母亲出门哪，我母亲就给我说：“欸，还要这个、还要这个……。”那我那个弟弟就说：“哎呀，妈，你就不要去管啦，难道还不知道？”然后我弟弟就给我说：“欸！她老人家就是放不下。”我就给我弟弟说：“啊，你错了，你不要这样想啊！你想，天底下除了母亲以外，有哪一个人一生这样关心你的，有没有？”你们仔细想想看。以后如果，尤其是在家人，总觉得：唉呀！这个父母啰嗦。你从她那一方面去看，是啰嗦。但是她为什么啰嗦，不啰嗦旁人啊？她心当中始终把你看成她的孩子，她一心一意，从你在她肚子里结生那段开始，一直到她两脚一伸，她心里没有别的，就是关心你，这样。
所以我四十年没有回去了，回去了，啊！我母亲也不能跑了，门口一听，听见声音，她还是缠着那个小脚，叮叮蹬蹬出来。然后我当然看了很欢喜，然后我出门，她一定叮嘱我这个、叮嘱我那个……。是啊！她那个是五、六十年以前的概念，跟现在怎么，完全不相应。但是我看见的，绝不是看见她的啰嗦，看见她始终把你看成一个小孩子一样，她全部精神贯注在上头。然后一再的跟我弟弟们讲，到后来，所以他们整个的改变过来了。不管母亲怎么的啰嗦，啊！她越是这样，我越心里面感到的是温暖啊！这天底下的的确确，你们仔细这样想的话，你没有一个人不会孝顺，你绝对想不到一点点要违背父母的地方，你找不到了，这样。
然后呢，你说你有没有听她？说实在我没有听她。也晓得，当然你跑出去，你不可能照着你母亲这样去做，不可能哪！我做的事完全跟我母亲不一样。有的时候她回来了叮嘱过了，她也就忘记掉了，回来她只看见，哎哟，你回来她很高兴啊！有的时候她问你：“今天怎么样啊？”然后呢，你告诉她。啊！所以啊，尽管你告诉她的事情跟事实完全不一样，她叮嘱你要你向东，你偏偏向了西，她也没关系。这母亲之真正伟大！
所以你只要体会到这个心情，不管她怎么弄，不管她怎么说，你只有一个，那个时候你只有一个念头：你总怎么方式去报答她的恩？
A gift from our Teacher, Venerable Jih-Chang, on Mother’s Day
(Extract from Venerable Jih-Chang’s Lamrim Discourse, MP3 track 94B, Lamrim, Volume 2, chapter 3, page 39 in relation to the statement:)
“Moreover, when you were hungry and thirsty, she gave you food and drink; when you were cold, clothes; when you were poor, she gave from her wealth those things which were very dear to her”
Our mother’s benevolence is something you really can’t imagine; even when you are old…I remember when I returned home last year, my mother was already more than 80 years old. When it comes to going out, my mother would tell me, “To also note this and this…” My younger brother then said, “Mum, don’t bother, don’t you think he knows ?” Then, he turned to me and said, “She just can’t let go !” I told my brother, “Ah, you’re wrong, don’t think in this way ! Think about it, in this world, other than your mother, who else will care for you in this way throughout his/her life? Is there such a person ?” Think about this carefully. In the future, especially for the lay persons, if he always thinks, “Ah, parents are so long-winded !” Look from her perspective. Yes, she is long-winded, but why is she long- winded towards you and not towards others ? In her heart, she sees you as her child from beginning to the end. From the time you were born from her stomach until the time she dies, she wholeheartedly has nothing else in her heart but to care for you.
I had not been back home for 40 years. Upon reaching home, ah, my mother couldn’t run anymore, but when she heard the sound from the door, she still walked out with her small feet. Of course I was very happy to see her. And, when I was going out, she would definitely remind me of this and that…Yes, that was her concept from 50, 60 years ago, which was totally not concordant with present times. However, what I saw was definitely not her long-windedness; what I saw was that she had always regarded me like a child and all her attention was placed on me. I kept telling my younger brothers this, thus in the end, they totally changed. No matter how long-winded my mother was, ah, the more she was like this, the warmer I felt in my heart ! Indeed, in this world, if you all think carefully in this way, none of you will be unfilial. You definitely won’t think of going against your parents in any way; you won’t be able to find it.
Then, will you do as she has said ? In fact, I did not. We should understand that when one is outside, it is not possible to do according to the method of one’s mother. That’s not possible ! What I did was totally different from my mother’s. Sometimes, after returning home and she has given some reminders, she would forget about them. When you have returned home, she only sees that you have returned and she is very happy ! Sometimes she asks you, “How was today ?” and you tell her. Ah, even though what you tell her is totally different from what actually happened; she reminded you to go east but still you went west, she would be alright with that. This is the greatness of our mothers!
Hence, as long as you realize this frame of mind, no matter what she does or what she says, you will only have one thought; at that time, you will only have one thought: In what way can you repay her kindness?