`Red Padmakumara (emitted) the Vow Light.` As I have said before, every good and kind-hearted person who performs charities, who generates a great vow to help others, who practices alms-giving and entirely donates his or her time, money, and deeds to the welfare of other people will have a kind of `red vow light` emitting from his or her crown.
I have often contemplated this quotation from the Bible:
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Why? It is indeed true! I realize that, in the past, I have not done that much charity work, and I have recently started to do a little more. I have learned that, when we give away things to other people, or perform almsgiving or other good deeds, we feel an extraordinary happiness and peacefulness in our hearts. This kind of happiness reaches an even higher level when you give to other people the object you are most fond of, the item you cherish most, or something you are most reluctant to part with.
We have to shatter the concept of ownership, that `this is mine and this is yours.` If you want to transcend the idea of ownership, you have to enact your vows. By integrating your vows and your actions, you can transcend the view that `this is mine and that is yours.`
Give this some thought! If, in the future, it occurs to you that `what I have is what all beings have,` your crown will manifest the red vow light. If everyday you still indulge in thinking that `What`s mine is mine, what`s yours is mine, and what`s everyone else`s is also mine,` then you will have a black light above your crown. To become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva or to engage in spirituality is to do away with these words: This is mine.
In fact, in all the world, there is not one thing that is yours. Therefore, when you reach the realization that `there is not a single thing in this world that belongs to me,` the red vow light will appear above your crown. Your heart will expand and become as immense as heaven and earth, and you will have a heart of infinite kindness to help others. Such people will in the future be the Red Padmakumaras.
~ His Holiness Living Buddha Lian Sheng , December 3rd, 1988
