Move and Term begins

The view of the HCCS Stafford campus

Because Chen’s family plans to sell their house, I am able to move out their place next week. They help me find an apartment, so I am ready to move in as soon as the tenet finishes cleaning the apartment. Furthermore, my summer class had begun last week, so my schedule becomes extremely busy now. Fortunately, I only take Mathematics this term. Thus, It is easy to manage, especially in a three weeks' term. The school gains money easily, and I can get my credit hours faster. It is a win-win business.

Yes, business. I still remembered when I just entered college, the counselor advised me to take a guide studies course. "This is business”, these are the first few words I learn in America. The professor came in and told us in the beginning of the class, "This is business, you pay and I teach." It is a totally different culture between West and East. In America the relationship between teaching and learning is not only like business, but it is really more detached than Chinese culture.

When I came back to Houston, I request Elliot, one of my disciples, to practice English with me every week, in return I would teach him Chinese. It is a wonderful opportunity to understand each other. Once I taught Elliot the word Master in Chinese is “師父 Shi-Fu”. “師 Shi” means “Teacher”, and “父 Fu” means “Father.” He gazed at me with a puzzled face. In Chinese Culture, it is very important to respect your teacher. An old Chinese adage said, “Being a teacher for one day, its regard as being a father for the whole life.” Usually, the teacher treats his students as his children. I think I will need to spend more with this American kid, and maybe someday he will understand the true meaning of “師父 Shi Fu”.

In Buddhism, we not only treasure the relationship between teacher and student, but extend to all being. Buddha told us before him nirvana, “I regard all of sentient being as my own son.” In Mahayana’s discipline (Bodhisattva Vinaya) asked Bodhisattva way practicer to “regard all men as father, all women as mother.” As a Buddhism monk, I don’t have my own children; however, I treat all of my small disciples as my own children. I respect all elders as my parents. Even though, I left my family and ordained to be a monk. It seems like I don’t have a family anymore. But to tell you the truth, I have a lot of families.

Since I came back to America, I have two more families, Chen’s and Elliot’s’ family. They give me a lot of helps when I got back. I sincerely appreciate Chen’s family for caring for my daily life and support me when I first came back to Houston. I am also grateful to Amanda and Elliot for giving me an opportunity to understand the American society.They are not the only ones; I know I will have more and more family in my missionary path in America.