Persistent maternal love

Many people only deeply experience the sufferings of birth, aging, illness, and death in adversity, and they long to be liberated from suffering and hope to get rid of suffering and enjoy happiness as soon as possible. Therefore, many people embark on the path of learning Buddhism. Therefore, those who test and temper us (including family members) are actually great good friends who truly make us successful. We should treat them sincerely with a grateful heart.

Buddhist disciple Xiao Hong has a kind mother who takes special care of her, fearing that she will have any mishaps (but due to the pull of killing karma, her mother is still wavering between believing in Buddhism and not believing in Buddhism). But when this kind of care is too much, it will become a “sweet trouble”. The mother always longs for Xiao Hong to be by her side like a little bird. Although the mother and daughter live together, as long as her daughter comes home late, Xiao Hong’s mobile phone will ring one after another, and the voice of exhortation to go home early will be heard on the phone. Usually when Xiao Hong is at work, her mother often calls to care about her. Even when she is reading at home, her mother will ask: “What book are you reading now?” Dressing and eating are even more meticulous. The daughter knew that her mother treated her very well, and she really wanted to be filial to her mother from the bottom of her heart. However, Xiao Hong, 32 years old this year, felt suffocated by her overly persistent love for her mother.

One night, Xiao Hong had a party with several Buddhist friends. She had informed her mother in advance because she expected to go home later. But her mother was still worried and called one after another to ask: “Why are you not home so late? What kind of party are you having? What kind of friends are you with…” The daughter had to hold back her temper and answer patiently. She went home early before the party ended, but her mother was still unhappy and continued to ask the same questions on the phone. Xiao Hong had to endure, endure, and endure again, so that she could calm her mother’s excitement.

Xiao Hong was very puzzled: “Why does my mother take care of me like this?” Looking at Xiao Hong who was puzzled, I calmly told her that everything is caused by karma. This deep and heavy maternal love originated from the ancient Indian period:

In the south of ancient India, there was a country where a noble prince lived. On this day, the prince rode a white horse as usual, holding a golden birdcage in his hand, in which was a beautiful bird that he loved the most. The bird had very good food and accommodation conditions, with the best food and fruits every day, and the most colorful flowers decorating the birdcage. But the bird was always thinking about the outside world and longed to fly freely. But the owner’s favor determined its fate-to be locked in a cage for life. The ancient bird is Xiao Hong’s mother in this life, and Xiao Hong is the ancient Indian prince. So she will have the retribution of this life, being cared for and loved by her mother, but she is still not free in her 30s. And the white horse is Xiao Hong’s current father. According to Xiao Hong, her father has been willing to let her ride on his body and neck since he was a child, and he also thinks this is his joy and happiness. After learning all this, Xiao Hong can truly understand her mother’s doting.

Now Xiao Hong finally understands: To truly be filial to parents, in addition to caring more about them and following them in life (without violating the principle of cause and effect), we must also use the principles of Buddhism to slowly guide them, so that parents can truly understand the principle of cause and effect, believe in Buddhism, refrain from doing evil, practice all good, and embark on a path of liberation – learning Buddhism, this is the real filial piety.

Tip: Ouyang Xiu of the Northern Song Dynasty has a poem called “The Thrush”: “Hundreds of chirps and thousands of voices move at will, the mountain flowers are red and purple, the trees are high and low. I only know that locking it in a golden cage to listen is not as good as the free chirping in the forest.” Why are the birds in the cage not as beautiful as those in the forest? Because the birds have lost their freedom, their calls are sad, not happy. As the cause, so the effect. The little bird in the past life not only became a woman in this life, but the daughter she gave birth to is actually the owner of the little bird that she doted on and cared for a hundred times. It is natural for a mother to love her daughter, but the daughter is in her thirties, and she has no freedom at all because of her mother’s “love”. Greed is the root of life and death. At the beginning, the “prince” for his own greed, regardless of the “little bird”‘s wishes, just forcibly possessed and controlled it. In this life, the “little bird” faces the “prince” with greed, possession, and control. The Buddha said in the “Sutra of Forty-two Chapters”: “People worry from desire, and fear from worry. No love means no worry, no worry means no fear.” The “Perfect Enlightenment Sutra” says: “You should know that love is the root of reincarnation.” It can be seen that sentient beings are entangled with each other in life after life, without a rest period, and this is the reason. Practicing Buddhism is like walking on thin ice. You must always strictly abide by the precepts and stay away from greed and attachment to be liberated.