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More than two thousand five hundred years ago, the Buddha attained enlightenment. Teaching the Dharma for forty-nine years in the world, he listened to countless afflictions of sentient beings, told innumerable stories, and applied infinite analogies and metaphors, all in the hope that everyone would have the causes and conditions to listen to the Dharma and be transformed.

Master Cheng Yen has made a vow to spread the Buddha-Dharma and benefit all sentient beings. For decades, she has led Tzu Chi volunteers to walk the Bodhisattva-path joyfully, without regret. Over the years, Master Cheng Yen has gathered many stories from the Buddhist sutras as well as from real life. Based on the conditions and people’s capabilities, she kindly guides everyone with these stories. Each story provides teachings that illustrate the principles taught by the Buddha.

The various forms of suffering, afflictions, and joys experienced by sentient beings are all created by the mind. Thus, we must safeguard our minds at all times. We can give rise to a thought of kindness within the span of a second; if we can seize it and mindfully put it into practice, it can influence our entire lives. By upholding such kind thoughts, we can prevent ourselves from going astray on our path in life.

This book gathers many stories told by Master Cheng Yen that describe situations we may encounter in our daily life. In addition to spreading the Buddha-Dharma in the form of literature, these stories are also examples showing us how we can polish the most precious mirror of our minds so that we can all return to our pure intrinsic nature.