As the sky darkens, Teacher Zhen-Ru walks around cautiously. Suddenly, she stops. With a flashlight in hand, she shines it around her feet. Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, there is movement around her feet. To everyone’s surprise, a beetle, the colour of the ground, scurries by. Though the beetle may never know, it had just escaped a bone-shattering crisis because of one mindful thought.

There are many tiny lives in this world that are easily neglected. As someone who’s encountered Buddhism, if we could learn to cherish and understand those we’ve encountered, and give them the space they need, we’ll know what it’s like to protect one another. Through time and practice, we wouldn’t have the heart to hurt them.

Let us walk the earth with kindness! Through the tiny lives we encounter, let us practice to let go of our selfish old habits: putting ourselves before others. Wherever we go, may all beings benefit from our kind deeds and thoughts.