【第七屆】107學年度靜思語與我的生命故事徵文比賽_精選_Master Program in Microbiology and Immunology_Febri Gunawan Sugiokto_Living as Religious People

My name is Febri Gunawan and I am an international student from Indonesia. Living in Tzu Chi environment is an excellent opportunity because every day I can learn new things from Jing Si Aphorism. Every day I always pass Humanity Classroom to my Laboratory in D312. I sometimes take Jing Si Aphorism in front of Humanity Classroom as my daily motivation and learn new thing from Master. One of the most impressed me is Atheism is better than superstition. Faith must be guided by wisdom. When I read these sentences, my heart was moved. In my life, I used to believe some superstitions, such as breaking glass you will get bad luck for seven years, whistling at night will invite ghosts, and the most well-known is August as “Ghost month”. My mother always said: “you can not go outside, maybe you think he/she is your friend but actually a ghost” or “you can not buy food outside because it will become rotten”. Like a good child, I just follow my parent advice. At the first time, I think in Taiwan the reaction will be worse because I think Chinese people more believe in superstitions. And I am afraid, it will bother me because almost every day I go back to the dorm almost at 11 pm. Shockingly, last year in 2018, Master Cheng Yen said that August is “Lucky Month” not “Ghost Month”. I learned that there is no such a bad day, but every day is a good day if we have a good heart. From Master’s Aphorism, I understand that if I believe in such superstitions I am no better than Atheist.

On the other hand, faith is something that we can not see but we have to believe it. Generally, faith is not always related to religion. When believing in faith, sometimes I just prayed and just wait for a miracle to happen or sometimes I force God to do what I want. But I realize from Jing Si Aphorism, it does not work like that. Faith must be guided by wisdom, not by lust. Living in faith has taught me that everything I have now is the best for me and always be grateful. Not looking other people who can use branded clothes, bags, shoes but I have to see other people in another place who do not have access to clean water and live in poverty.