When Nothing is Accomplished…

Accomplishing Nothing is the Best way to celebrate New Year by Dharma Master Shi Jing Zong

净宗法师：一事无成，好过年

‘Accomplishing Nothing’ is often used as a term of depreciation.

But after careful consideration, it can also be used as a neutral term or even a term of appreciation.

For instance, according to my view, the main thing in life is to recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.

But the recitation is only the movement of the lips.

At times, even the lips are not moving when we recite with our mind silently.

The Name Namo Amitabha Buddha belongs to Amitabha Buddha.

He has been thinking about this for five Kalpas, cultivating the Paths throughout uncountable Kalpas to accomplish this Name. The Pure Land is accomplished by Amitabha Buddha.

When we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, we are gathered in by the Buddha’s lights. This is also the job of the Buddha.

At our death bed, the Buddha comes forth to welcome the Amitabha reciters which is also the job of Amitabha Buddha.

See, from the beginning until the end, all the activities involved are the job of Amitabha Buddha, accomplished by the Buddha.

Now that I am reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, enjoying the limitless benefits of merits and virtues, ultimately, I dare not say I have accomplished anything.

That is why I say I have accomplished nothing.

Next. I will talk about Dharma teaching, the teaching of the Sutra. Whatever that I have spoken are not mine. They are all stated in the Buddha’s Sutras, the teaching of the Patriarchs.  

For example, when we eat something delicious, we will call out to people to come and taste. We cannot say we make it. That is why in the teaching of the Dharma, the Sutras, nothing is accomplished.

As we have not accomplished anything, the taste will surely be original.  It will be a failure if we were to add in our ideas. We are not helping in any way. In fact, we are creating more problems.

Some people have thus said, Hong Yuan Monastery is built by me!

Oh dear, how am I going to live on! I am not the one who draw the plan. I did not even carry a piece of brick. The land is not mine. And I did not even give away any cent. But as people have suggested to build the temple and I agreed.

So, it was built. Can this be built by me?

The workers said, ‘I have a salary to do this job. I have long been home. It is not built by me.’ The designer said, ‘I am only using what I am specialized in to draw the pictures on the computer. I did not build it.’

The lotus friends said, ‘I just donate the amount that I can afford. I did not build it.’

‘So, who has built it?’

No one has done it. Everyone has accomplished nothing and the temple is built. The Buddha has thus said, ‘Nothing is done as there is no doer.’ All the dharma is only conditional arising.

So, we cannot accomplish big things.

How about the minor matter? Is there any accomplishment? Of course, nothing is accomplished too.

For example, let us talk about cooking a dish. I have cooked the vegetables and placed it on the table. Every one praised my cooking. I am so happy as there is an accomplishment. ‘See, I cook this dish.’

Think about it again. It is still accomplishing nothing. First you must have the vegetables. The vegetables are grown by the heaven and earth, sowed by the farmers. After a few months the vegetables are grown. You just enter the kitchen a few minutes and you say the dish is your merits.

For instance, if you are frying the vegetable, you have to on the gas stove. The gas is sent from the gas tunnel connected to the gas fields a few thousand miles away. Your stove is built by the workers. The switch you touched is designed by the technician. The pot and utensils you carried in your hands are made by the workers. So, you just fry or boil the vegetables, using the fire. Without the fire, your can stir fry the vegetables until you are all sweat, the vegetables remain uncooked. Pour the vegetables on a porcelain plate which is made in the porcelain factory. Put the dish on the table, the table is made by the carpenter. Even when you walk out from the kitchen to the dining hall, the floor, the door and corridors are all constructed by the workers. Only then you can carry your dish and walk out. So, frying the vegetables is a very minor matter. How much is your effort comparatively? It is so little and it might not be taken into account. It is still accomplishing nothing.

In this world, can there be anyone who is qualified to be called the successful man? Does the successful man really feel that he is successful?

When nothing is accomplished, our life is so carefree.

When nothing is accomplished, there will be no failure in life either.

Everyone is plain and honest, dwelling in equality. This is truly joyful.

In this way, there is no tweaking as no one is successful, no one fails.

It is coming to the end of the year. May all accomplish nothing to enjoy a happy New Year.

Oh, may be some feel there is no good luck. Anyway, the Chinese always says, ‘The man will conduct the activities while the accomplishment of the activities is decided by the heaven.’

So, everything is accomplished by the Heaven, in the New year!

Oh dear, even good luck depends on others to wish us.

Ultimately nothing is accomplished by man.

净宗法师：一事无成，好过年

“一事无成” 一般用作贬义词，但仔细想想也可以是中性词，甚至是褒义词。

譬如依我个人来说，最大的事是念佛，但念佛不过是上嘴皮碰下嘴皮，甚至有时连嘴皮也没碰，只在心中默念。所念的这一句名号是阿弥陀佛的，是他五劫思惟、兆载修行所成；净土也是阿弥陀佛成的；念佛即被佛光摄取，也是佛的事；念佛临终佛迎也是佛的事，从头到尾、彻彻底底是佛的事，佛所成就。我虽念佛，享受无边功德利益，究竟不敢说自己成了什么，故说一事无成。

其次是讲经说法，讲的说的都不是自己的，都是佛经祖典里现成的。比如吃到好吃的，也喊人家共同品尝，总不能说这就是我做的。所以讲经说法，也是一事无成。一事无成才能保证原味，就怕加了自己的东西，成事不足，败事有余。

有人说HY寺是我建的，哎呀，还要不要我活啦！不画一张图，不搬一块砖，没献一分地，没出一分钱，不过大家都说要建，我也说那就建吧，这样就建好了，也能算是我建的？工人说：“我干活拿工资，早就回家了，不是我建的。”

设计师说：“我不过利用我的专业，在电脑上画画图纸，不是我建的。”

莲友说：“我不过随份随力出了一点小钱，不是我建的。”哪是谁建的？没人，大家都一事无成，而事就成了。佛说“无作，无作者”，诸法缘起。

大事不能成，小事是不是可以成一点点呢？也是一事无成。

还拿做菜来说，自己烧好的菜，端到桌上，大家都说好吃，心中便美滋滋的，有成就感：“这菜可是我做成的。”

可再一想，仍然一事无成。做菜首先要有菜，菜是天地长的，农民种的，历时数月，你不过偶来厨房几分钟，总不能贪天功吧。就说炒吧，手一碰燃气灶，气是几千里外油气田铺设管道送的；灶具是工人做的；开关一拧即打火，是技术人员设计的；抓到锅铲，人家生产的；翻炒煮熟，火力使然，没火任你满头大汗也熟不了一分；盛入盘子，盘是瓷器厂做的；端上桌子，桌子是木工做的；就是从厨房到餐厅的地板、门、过道也是工人先做好的，你才能走得过，端得出。这么算起来，炒一盘菜，我们在当中到底占多少比重？微乎其微，几可忽略不计，仍然是一事无成。

这个世界真的有成功人士吗？成功人士真的可以认为自己就是成功人士吗？

一事无成，人生才轻松；一事无成，人生才没有失败。大家都赤裸裸，坦荡荡，平等平等，好不惬意；免得有人成，有人不成，扭捏作怪。

年底了，祝大家：一事无成，好过年！

哦，可能有人嫌没好彩头，不过中国人总说

“谋事在人，成事在天”，那就：万事天成，在新年！

哎，连彩头也要靠人家来祝，人毕竟是一事无成啊。