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My Hero: Venerable Master Hsuan Hua
by George Hou
"If we did not fight, were not greedy, did not seek anything, were not selfish, and did not want to benefit ourselves, we would have no anger.” Now, who famously said this wisdom-filled line? The correct answer would be Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. Master Hsuan Hua had many more quotes that were all so true; however, this famous saying caught my eye. Now, you may have asked: Why did this quote stand out? Well, because, if we have never even fought, were greedy, sought for things, were selfish, or tried benefiting ourselves, anger would never be in the way of us. Everything starts among these 4 major principles. Could you imagine a world filled with peace? Your answer is probably no, because the world we’re living in is filled with chaos, which all starts from anger.
So, how do we fix this problem? Well, this is when his teachings come into play. We stop this huge anger problem by looking at ourselves. By asking ourselves, have we done a good job by following the 4 major principles? Most likely, the answer is no, because you haven’t reached enlightenment yet. But, that answer can change not instantly, but maybe after a few years of the practice of these principles. I mean, this was why Venerable Master Hsuan Hua was so influential. The only concern is whether or not people follow his teachings. People would be living in a peaceful world if these principles were followed.
How has Master Hsuan Hua played a role in my life? Well, ever since I was young, my mother would take me to the temple, to listen to the dharma. However, when I was young, I was just this little playful kid that liked action figures. But as I matured at the Gold Wheel Monastery Chinese School, which took place weekly, I started to understand his teachings more and more, by the week. Suddenly, my greed for toys started to lessen and lessen, amazingly. But this was not what surprised me most, for this was just one tiny way Venerable Master Hsuan Hua changed my life. Filiality. This was the most important thing I have learned from his valuable teachings. Ever since I was a kid, I wasn’t quite the “good, nice kid” every parent had wanted. I would scream and cry really loudly. Although, this all changed after my mother told me about Venerable Master. She told me all about how everyday he would wake up and bow to his parents. This, I would say, changed my whole perspective on my parents. What kind of kid at such an early age would even think of bowing to their parents? This made me think of why Shifu would even do this in the first place. After thinking hard, I realized all the hard work my parents had to go through just to give me a good life. From that day on, I had another perspective on life.
Well, all I have to say is, Venerable Master Hsuan Hua deserves to be recognized with the greats of all-time, including Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. for being most influential. Without his teachings and his knowledge, I wonder how many toys I would still have and how much annoyance would be put on my parents shoulders… Thank you so much Venerable Master!