Life Economics《人生經濟學》英文版

About Author

Dharma Master Cheng Yen was born in 1937 in a small town in Taichung County, Taiwan. When she was twenty-three years old, she left home to become a Buddhist nun, and was instructed by her mentor, Venerable Master Yin Shun, to work “for Buddhism and for all living beings.”In 1966, she founded a charity, which later turned into the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, to “help the poor and educate the rich”—to give material aid to the needy and inspire love and humanity in both givers and recipients.

In recent years, Master Cheng Yen’s contributions have been increasingly recognized by the global community. In 2011, she was recognized with the Roosevelt Institute’s FDR Distinguished Public Service Award and was named to the 2011 TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people.

Introduction

The state of the earth’s ecology is truly very worrisome. If we wish to mitigate this ecological crisis, we must first purify our minds. We must all unite and work together to help those who suffer. We must seize the opportunity to make good use of time and space, and inspire others to do good. These years, Dharma Master Cheng Yen is deeply worried about the raising ecological crisis, climate changing and human strife. In order to reduce these problems, Master Cheng Yen carries out the idea of making good use of our time to benefit others, and broaden our minds and step out from our personal spaces to help and care for one another.

This book contains three chapters: Time, Space, and Interpersonal Relationships. Each chapter discussed general introduction and followed with the stories from Buddhist text and today’s true stories. These are the life wisdom we could apply to our daily life and positively influence one another.

Time─Time through a Microscope, Time Flies; Time Crawls, Making Each Moment Count

This chapter we will find out how Master Cheng Yen distinctively sees time, cherish time, and how to make good use of our time.

Space─Penetrating Space, The Measure of Happiness.

From the space of our mind to the space of universe, in this chapter, we will know more about Master Cheng Yen’s expanded vision and aspiration, this is also a compass of today’s environment and ecology.

Interpersonal Relationships─Initiate the Cycle of Love, Achieving Harmony among People, Matters, and Principles, Building a Vision of Beauty and Benevolence.

How do we start to create the good affinities with others in our family, schools and society. When good people accumulate the great cycle of love, soon our society and environment will full of harmony.

《Life Economics》

Contents

Part One – Time

Chapter One – Time through a Microscope

Section One – The Clock that Cannot Be Turned Back

Section Two – Will Tomorrow Come for Sure?

Section Three – Life’s Treasure Trove

Chapter Two – Time Flies; Time Crawls

Section One – Diamond or Dirt?

Section Two – Crossing the Barrier of Each Second

Section Three – A Moment Becomes a Lifetime

Chapter Three – Making Each Moment Count

Section One – Calculating the Time of Life

Section Two – Racing Against Time

Section Three – The Length, Width, and Depth of Life

Part Two – Space

Chapter Four – Penetrating Space

Section One – The Myth of Big and Small

Section Two – Between Near and Far

Section Three – The Pull of the Heart

Chapter Five – The Measure of Happiness

Section One – A Drop of Water and the Ocean

Section Two – From Dots to Lines to Planes

Section Three – Love Transcends Distance

Part Three – Interpersonal Relationships

Chapter Six – Initiate the Cycle of Love

Section One – Begin with the Mind

Section Two – We All Have Unlimited Potential

Section Three – Be a Benefactor to Others

Chapter Seven – Achieving Harmony among People, Matters, and Principles

Section One – Getting Along Under the Same Roof

Section Two – Networking on Campus

Section Three – Spiritual Practice at the Workplace

Section Foue – Quality Interactions in the Community

Chapter Eight – Building a Vision of Beauty and Benevolence

Section One – Coexist with the Earth

Section Two – A Stream that Purifies the World

Summary

In this era, natural disasters are becoming ever more frequent. As the greenhouse effect warms the earth, the situation is indeed worrisome. Only when we purify everyone’s mind can we alleviate the ecological crisis. Only when we are united in one heart can we work together to help those in suffering. We must make good use of time, space, and interpersonal relationships to actively create blessings in this world.

In recent years, Dharma Master Cheng Yen has been worrying about erratic climate changes and various natural and man-made disasters. Master Cheng Yen suggests we should cherish our lives, this world, and our relationships with others. This book contains Master’s teachings on the importance of seizing the time to benefit others.

作者簡介

證嚴上人於一九三七年，出生於臺灣省臺中縣清水鎮。在一九六三年，證嚴上人依印順導師為親教師出家，師訓「為佛教，為眾生」，證嚴上人奉持不懈。一九六六年，證嚴上人創辦佛教克難慈濟功德會。慈濟世界在法師慈悲呵護下，數十年來，一步一步地堅實茁壯；發展為慈善、醫療、教育、人文四大志業，以及國際賑災、環保、社區志 工、骨髓捐贈八大腳印，透過親手拔除眾生的苦痛，以善與大愛膚慰人間。

近年來，證嚴上人的貢獻獲得國際間一致推崇；於2011年獲美國羅斯福基金會頒贈「傑出公共服務獎」， 並被時代雜誌列為2011年全球百大最具影響力人物。

內容簡介

「時間」部分──有「微觀時間」、「時間快慢的分界」、「分秒有效『用』」三章，闡述上人獨特的時間觀，以及如何看待、珍惜時間，才能有效地善用時間。

「空間」部分──有「透徹空間」、「幸福度量衡」二章，從心的空間乃至大宇宙的空間，具體而微地感受上人開闊的眼界與胸懷，也是現階段大家關心環境生態的指南針。

「人與人之間」部分──有「啟動愛的循環」、「人事理之圓」、「構築美善的圖象」三篇，如何從自身出發，在不同的生活場域如家庭、校園、社會中，與人人結好緣，讓好人匯聚成善的效應，期構築出淨土願景的圖象。

目錄章名

自序

輯一　時間

　　　第一章 微觀時間

　　　　　　　之一 撥不回的時鐘

　　　　　　　之二 一定有明天？

　　　　　　　之三 人生的寶庫

　　　第二章 時間快慢的分界

　　　　　　　之一 鑽石還是泥土？

　　　　　　　之二 秒秒過關

　　　　　　　之三 一秒鐘成一輩子

　　　第三章 分秒有效「用」

　　　　　　　之一 細算人生

　　　　　　　之二 與時競爭

　　　　　　　之三 生命的長度、寬度與厚度

輯二　空間

　　　第四章 透徹空間

　　　　　　　之一 「大」、「小」的迷思

　　　　　　　之二 遠近之間

　　　　　　　之三 心向引力

　　　第五章 幸福度量衡

　　　　　　　之一 滴水與大海

　　　　　　　之二 點線面的延展

　　　　　　　之三 愛，沒有距離

輯三　人與人之間

　　　第六章 啟動愛的循環

　　　　　　　之一 從「心」做起

　　　　　　　之二 人有無限可能

　　　　　　　之三 做他人的貴人

　　　第七章 人事理之圓

　　　　　　　之一 屋簷下的相處之道

　　　　　　　之二 校園人際網

　　　　　　　之三 職場如道場

　　　　　　　之四 優質的社群互動

　　　第八章 構築美善的圖象

　　　　　　　之一 生命共同體

　　　　　　　之二 清流滿人間

值此世代，天災頻仍，溫室效應致全球暖化，實令人憂心，唯有淨化人心，才能緩和生態危機；人人合心、協力，方能拯救苦難人，因此要把握時間、空間、人與人之間，積極造福。

近幾年，證嚴上人見到氣候變遷與人為的災禍，時常感到憂心。證嚴上人慈示：眾人要珍惜生命、珍惜大地之母、珍惜人與人之間的關係。本書整合證嚴上人的教導，引導眾人要把握時間造服眾生。