Master Chin Kung - Wisdom Comes from Blessing with Virtue 福中有德才有智慧福氣好沒有德就沒有智慧

(English subtitles) Buddhist Master Chin-Kung (淨空法師), 1927-2022, talks dharma.
Subtitles:
Blessing and wisdom can't be separated. As a Chinese proverb, the so-called Blessings lead to the inspiration. This person's good fortune has appeared, and he suddenly becomes smart. In the past, he looked stupid and dumb, but now he has good fortune and becomes smart. The inspiration is wisdom. There is wisdom in blessings, and blessings in wisdom. But you must have the blessing with virtue so that you bring up wisdom. If you have the blessing without virtue, you won't bring up wisdom. The blessings without virtue, we usually call it good fortune. Someone has good fortune. That is good fortune, the blessings without virtue. So he is not wise. If he has the blessing with virtue, he will bring up wisdom.
Having real wisdom, then you can cultivate excellent blessing and virtue. From here we know, how can people not learn? How can we not get close to virtuous intellectuals?
I have told you before, I am the most person without good fortune. My material life did not get better until I was 40.
2:00
Before I turned 40, some monk friends who knew me looked at me with pity. I am very pitiful. That's true. But I don't think so. I am young and vigorous, no matter how hard is it, I can get through it. Meanwhile, I learn lecturing from my teacher, I have a very rich spiritual life even my material life is very poor.
I have followed Teacher Bingnan Li in Taichung for 10 years, thanks to venerable Mrs. Gan, mother of Guisui Gan, who took care of me. I knew her at the Hut in Puli. She took refuge in Master Canyun and came to see him. I knew her in this way. She took care of me for ten years. The care method is to find 15 fellows, including herself, each person gave 10 yuan a month, she collected and helped me with 150 a month for living expenses.
4:00
I relied on this and lived for 10 years. This number is set by Teacher Li. So we lived like this at ease. These dharma guardians had no difficulty at all. They had no added pressure, and 10 NT$ a month is a breeze.
Teacher Li told me, at that time, I had become a monk and returned to Taichung. Teacher Li said: If you spend more than 150 NT$ a month, you are not a monk.
About my living expenses, it cost me 3 NT$ a meal at that time. In other words, at that time, my monthly food expenses were 90NT$. The remaining 60 is pocket money. I am not as good as Teacher Li. The teacher eats for 2 NT$ a meal, and 60 NT$ a month. I am incomparable to him. He eats less, but I eat more than him.
Many people say: Master, you are practicing asceticism and eat one meal a day.
6:00
I say: how am I practicing asceticism? I was forced, there is no way, I can't afford a 2nd meal. If it is affordable, I can eat 5 meals a day. I know I have no such good fortune. But eating a meal is very comfortable and really saves trouble. This is what I learned from Teacher Li. The Master ate one meal a day for his entire life, and ate so simply and so little. This is because of the purity of heart, I can't compare with him.