Ever since I was young, my parents would ask my sister and me to read scriptures and memorize classic books with them. We never stop this family activity even after we went to school. After it became a habit, reciting sacred texts comes as a natural thing to me.

However, I had real difficulty memorizing the passages while we started to study Master Tsong Khapa’s “Speech of Gold in the Essence of True Eloquence”. I was getting so worried that I felt I might not have accumulated enough merits to possess the capabilities. Deeply trapped in anxiety, the mere thought of reciting scripture would make me sick to my stomach, then I would try everything I could just to avoid opening the books.

Last summer, my mother came to visit me on Prince Edward Island. I couldn’t help but ask her “Mom, please pray for me, I’m having a lot of difficulty with memorizing “Speech of Gold in the Essence of True Eloquence” in my study. When the autumn came around, I set an ambitious goal to memorize a large amount of materials from my studies. The strange thing was, this time around, I felt much calmer and was not as agitated as I was before. I completed my goals every day and was astonished by this miraculous transformation.

During a video call at mid-autumn festival, mom told my sister and I, “Dad’s been staying up late recently, he doesn’t sleep until almost 2 AM, and I’m worried it’s taking a toll on his health.” Confused as we were, we asked dad, “What are you doing so late at night?” He replied, “When I get home from work and my daily class, it’s usually 9:30 PM. Then I recite one chapter of the ‘Prajnaparamita Sutra’, as well as ‘The Universal Door’ Chapter of the ‘Lotus Sutra’, the ‘Bhaishajyaguru Sutra’, the ‘Sitatapatra Sutra’, and three times ‘The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas’. Along with some other usual practices, time passes really quickly.”

Curious as to why Dad had so many sutras to recite every day, he said as if it was no big deal, “I wanted to pray for you so that your studies would go well.”

Parents dedicate all their times and efforts to their children, cherishing them and holding them close to their heart. It’s heartwarming and virtuous actions from my end can become very powerful. I’m really grateful for what my parents have done for me!