授人玫瑰 手有余香

——“慈慧”基金会一周年感恩晚宴致辞

『2012年2月17日晚上』

各位来宾，大家好！参加今天的慈善晚宴，我本人来讲很高兴。

作为一个身披袈裟的出家人，原本，我对参加任何晚宴或社会活动，都不太感兴趣。但今天这个晚宴，关系到帮助很多可怜人，为他们点亮人生的希望，所以不管再怎么样，我也愿意抽时间前来参加，略尽自己的一分微薄之力。

相信在座的各位领导、明星、企业家、爱心人士，应该也都有这种同感。昨天我跟有些明星聊天时，他们就说，自己平时一般不出席什么晚宴，但对于慈善晚宴，还是非常感兴趣的，因为通过这样的公益组织，确实可以帮助社会、回馈社会。所以，今天的盛会，表面上看来吃吃喝喝、载歌载舞，但实际上，在它的背后，在我们看不到的地方，它正蕴

集着扶弱济危的巨大力量。

我们的 “慈慧”，从成立至今，算算只有 340 多天，按世间的说法，它还不满 1 岁。本来，一个不满 1 岁的孩子，根本做不了太多事情，但在相关政府部门的支持下、在很多爱心人士的默默帮助下、在慈慧人日日夜夜的共同努力下，过去的 2011 年中，“慈慧”确实让大家刮目相看，交出了一份令人满意的成绩 1^{1} ，也对得起信任慈慧、支持慈慧的每个人！

布施只会越来越富

我们跟很多可怜人比起来，今生能够衣食无忧，确实是很大的一种福报。按照佛教的观点，它并不是无因无缘的，而是源于前世布施利他的果报。

大家也许知道，在古印度，有个特别了不起的富翁，他的名字叫善施，不过人们更喜欢叫他“给孤独长者”。之所以叫这个名字，是因为他生性慈悲、乐善好施，一生中七次散尽家财，统统布施给孤独的人，故被冠以“给孤独”的美名。后来，他为了给释迦牟尼佛建造精舍，甚至用金砖铺地购买园林。他一辈子越布施钱越多，用现在的话来说，他成为了当时的“首富”。

无独有偶，在中国古代，也有这样一个人，他就是春秋末年的范蠡。他助越王勾践复国之后，辞去一切官职，划着小船去太湖经商了。他做生意非常有头脑，不到几年光景，就积累了亿万家财，富可敌国。在他的一生中，也曾三次散尽家财接济百姓。但散财之后不到几年，又能再次积累起万贯家财。他死后被人誉为“陶朱公”，也就是现在大家经常拜的“财神”。

再看看现在，世界上最高钱的人是谁呢？众所周知是微软的创始人比尔·盖茨 2^{2} 。他不但是全球首富，还是全球最大的慈善家。他每年投入慈善事业的是几十个亿，前几年他还宣布：死后财产不留给后代，全部都捐赠给慈善机构。

然后范围再缩小一点，我们亚洲，现在的首富是李嘉诚。他也同样乐善不止，经常拿出大笔的钱来救助贫困、捐助教育等，并将自己三分之一的家产捐赠给慈善事业。

通过以上这些例子足以看出，佛陀说“发财的因不是别的，而是布施”，这句话确实真实不虚。当然，布施后能发财，也只是眼前的果报，至于来世的善报，肯定还远远不止这些。

“慈慧”所具备的素质

今天的这场慈善晚宴，实际上并不单单跟钱有关。“慈慧”的真正理念是日行一善，哪怕一天做一件善事，或者没有钱的话，给别人一个微笑，对别人说一句爱语，这也会给我们的世界增添一分温暖。

过去一年里 “慈慧” 做了什么，我在这里就不讲了，大家只要通过网站、微博或其他方式，便可以一目了然。至于 “慈慧” 以后的发展，希望不管是政府部门，还是善心人士，都能经常予以支持和监督，并提出各方面的意见。对于不同的声音，无论是批评还是赞叹、反对还是支持，我们都愿意虚心听取，以此作为今后前进的动力和借鉴。

其实，每个人的生命是有限的，到了一定时间，你们会离开这个世间，我也会离开这个世间。但我唯一的希望是，“慈慧”这个公益组织，能够长久地留存人间，源源不断地帮助需要帮助的人。

今年，“慈慧”资助一些西部贫困大学生，我去了他们很多人的家，去了以后，无法用语言来表达当时的心情。那些没有钱读书的孩子，对于家庭的贫困、对于内心的各种痛苦、对于捐助人的感恩，全部只能用眼泪来表示。看到这种情景，确实让人的悲心油然而生。当然，也许他们从来不知道你是谁，以前不知道，以后也不会知道，但是通过你们的爱心资助，的的确确让对方受益了。

中国当前的慈善事业，在发展中虽然一波三折，经常面临各方面的质疑，很多人也有一些误解和不信任，但关于“慈慧”基金会，我在不同场合中一再说过，刚才接受记者采访时也讲过，绝对不会滥用任何善款，更不会有贪污、浪费的现象发生，这一点我有信心！当然，有些事光是口头上保证是没用的，路遥知马力，日久见人心，我们也会慢慢用行动来证明这一点，大家可以拭目以待。

对未来的期望

我们做慈善，并不是一时的心血来潮，所以，希望每个慈慧人要有持之以恒的决心。在此过程中，要想把它永远地做下去，肯定离不开各界爱心人士的长期支持与关注。

同时，“慈慧”也并非只是小范围内的社会互动，以后如果因缘具足，在此基础上，我们还应该不断完善，以积聚更多的爱心力量，竭尽所能去帮助更多的老弱病残，关怀更

多的弱势群体。

当然，我们这样做，并不是在作秀，或者搞一点表面形式，而是真心渴望能踏踏实实做点实事，从而减少这个世间的痛苦，激发更多人潜藏的爱心。

孟子曾说：“爱人者，人恒爱之；敬人者，人恒敬之。”其实，生命就像是空谷回声，你送出什么，它就送回什么；你播种什么，就收割什么；你给予什么，就得到什么。只要你付出了，就必定会有收获，只不过是时间早晚而已。

最后，我代表所有的慈慧人，也代表所有的受助人，向大家道一声：谢谢你们！

The
Fragrance Always Stays in the Hand that Gives the Rose

A talk given at the 1 st^{st} Annual Benevolent Banquet of the Shanghai Kindness and Wisdom Public Foundation

On the evening of February 17, 2012

Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening! I am very pleased to attend the charity banquet today. As a monk wearing the monastic robe, I usually shy away from dinner parties or other social activities. But as tonight’s occasion touches the plight of many people and it will inspire in them a richer life, I am more than willing to come under any circumstance, in order to make my humble contribution.

I believe many of you here—public leaders, movie stars, and volunteers—feel the same way as I do. Just last night I heard from a few movie actors that they’re normally choosy about which banquets to attend, but that a charity dinner appeals to them greatly. It is through organizations that sponsor such events that people can offer to help and give back to society. Hence, the event tonight may seem to be just dining and entertaining on the surface, yet beyond what we can see, a mighty force is gaining momentum that will support the weak and relieve misery in the world.

The “Shanghai Kindness and Wisdom Public Foundation,” or “Kindness and Wisdom” for short, was established 340 days ago; that is, it is barely one year old. Usually, nothing much is expected from a child of this tender age. Yet the foundation has made impressive accomplishments in this short period of time 3^{3} , owing greatly to the support of government agencies, the devoted work of many kind-hearted volunteers, and the untiring effort of its members. “Kindness and Wisdom” in 2011 indeed has made many people take notice; its striking achievements prove its worth to all who have trusted and supported it.

Generosity begets more
wealth

Compared with many poor and miserable people in the world, we are rather fortunate in terms of being able to live a life free from wanting food and clothing. From the Buddhist point of view, such fortune does not just happen without cause; actually, it is the result of having been generous about helping others in our past lives.

You probably all know that in ancient India once there lived a very rich person called Loving to Give, better known as “Almsgiver to the Poor and Forlorn.” This elder had a very benevolent and generous disposition; in his lifetime he dispersed all his possessions to the needy seven times, thereby earning him his respectful name. Once, when he was trying to buy a lovely grove for the Buddha and his disciples, he went as far as laying out gold foil on the ground of the grove. Throughout his life, the more he gave away wealth, the richer he became; in today’s words, he was the “Top Tycoon” of his time.

As a happy coincidence, there was a similar type of person in ancient China, and he was Fan Li of the late Spring and Autumn Period. Fan Li first assisted Emperor Goujian of Yue to reclaim his lost kingdom; he then resigned from his government post and sailed to TaiHu to become a merchant. It turned out he had a special knack for running business, and in just a few years began to accrue tremendous wealth rivaling that of the entire country. In his lifetime, he also had given away three times all his wealth to the poor, but each time in merely a number of years, he rose from ground zero to become fabulously rich again.

He is honored as “Tao Zhugong” by later generations and is a “Mammon” deity people venerate and pray to these days.

In the world today, who is the richest person in the world? We all know that it is Bill Gates 4^{4} , the founder of Microsoft Corporation. In addition, he is also ranked No. 1 in global philanthropy with annual charity contributions exceeding billions of dollars. He also made it known a few years ago that his offspring will inherit nothing from him and all his wealth will be donated to charitable organizations.

On a regional scale, the richest person in Asia now is Li Ka-Shing. He is also very generous in doing good deeds and has made sizable contributions to assist the needy and support education. One third of his estate has been offered to philanthropic causes.

From the examples above, we can see clearly that the Buddha’s teaching—“The cause of being rich is none other than being generous”—is indeed infallible. But wealth is not only a reward brought about by generosity in one’s current life; other benefits it begets in futures lives will be even more impressive.

The Qualities of “Kindness
and Wisdom”

In fact, tonight’s benevolent banquet goes beyond funding alone. The real idea of “Kindness and Wisdom Foundation” is to perform one good deed a day. By performing an act of kindness each day, which does not need to involve money—such as giving a smile or saying a kind word to others—we will add a measure of warmth to our world.

The activities “Kindness and Wisdom” has carried out in the past year are open to view on its web page, microblogs, or other venues, and need not be elaborated upon here. What I would like to ask, rather, is your continual support and supervision in regard to the future of “Kindness and Wisdom.” We will listen to all voices from government, volunteers, and others, whether to criticize, praise, support, or oppose with appreciation and use them as the driving forces and reference points for our advancement.

In reality, everyone’s lifespan is limited. When your time is up, you are bound to depart from this world, and so am I. My only wish is that this foundation of “Kindness and Wisdom” will instead long remain in this world, and continue to help those people in need unceasingly.

In the past year, “Kindness and Wisdom” has provided financial aid to a number of college students of poor families in remote western regions, many of which I have been to. The sentiment aroused at such a visit is indescribable. The students, stricken by poverty and mental anguish, could only express their gratitude toward the benefactors with volumes of tears, and compassion welled up in our hearts at the scene. Of course, the students will never know who you are—not before, nor in the future. But one thing is for sure: Through your kind-hearted offering, someone indeed has received the benefit.

The establishment of charity organization in China is all new and it has been a long, twisted road. There have been many inquiries, misunderstandings, and doubts against it from various sectors. However, I have full confidence in “Kindness and Wisdom.” As I have stated on various occasions and in the press conference moments ago, I believe the donated funds will never be abused; neither will there be cases of corruption or waste. Obviously, merely making verbal promises amounts to nothing. The proverb says: Only over a long distance, does the strength of the horse become evident; only over a long time, will the true character of a person be shown. Likewise, we have to prove our pledges by real actions over time. Please wait and see.

Our wishes for the future

Our engagement in charity is not based on sudden impulses;

therefore each one of us must arouse a lasting determination. To be able to persevere in the process, we definitely will also need long-term support and care from individuals from various sectors. In the meantime, “Kindness and Wisdom” shall not limit its scope to a small slice of society. Rather, we will strive to improve ourselves on solid foundations, to grow in the power of kindness, such that we can help more of the sick, the old, the disabled, and care for more disadvantaged groups.

Of course, our charitable activity is not just a show-and-tell, nor is it a superficial facade. Rather, we genuinely wish to do something substantial in a steadfast fashion, all the while wishing sincerely to lessen the misery in the world and to arose the latent loving kindness in many people

Mencius says, “Whoever loves others is loved by others always; whoever respects others is respected by others constantly.” Indeed, life is like the echo in a deep valley, it reverberates exactly what you have sent out; you will harvest whatever you have sown, you will receive whatever you have given away. Anything you pay will definitely be repaid; it is just a matter of time.

Lastly, on behalf of all members of “Kindness and Wisdom” and all those who have been assisted, I would like to say thank you to you all!