We drove out for some errands in a summer afternoon.  The car was traveling on the shaded mountain road that we didn’t feel any sultry in the hot weather.  I gently rolled down the car window to allow some cool breeze brushing on my face, which increased the coolness and comfort.

Mean while, I sensed that the vehicle ahead of us was slowing down and there was a traffic jam.  I guessed there might be an accident ahead.  In the motorcade, we couldn’t see what really had happened but could only follow the car ahead of us slowly and to stop from time to time.  In a moment, some of the cars already bypassed another vehicle from its left and right sides impatiently.  It multiplied the risk to pass by on this curve mountain road.  If you did not pay attention, then an accident might be occurred.  Some of the drivers saw the neighboring car was bypassing they just followed it and did the same thing.  In this way, the traffic would become more chaotic.  At the time, the motorcade moved forward slowly.  Ha! I saw the cause of the traffic jam finally.

The traffic jam was caused by a big truck fully loaded with sand and gravel.  Because it was very steep to drive uphill, the truck was moving very strenuously.  It had to take a break occasionally after driving slowly up a section.  The vehicles behind the truck could not wait any longer and the drivers kept on blowing the horn at that truck.  But it was still moving slowly like a snail.  Mean while, the truck driver poked his head out, shouted and scolded at them and didn’t care who’s false was.  Because there was a distance between us, therefore I couldn’t hear what he was shouting about.  I could only saw his face was filled with anger and his complexion was very ugly.  The driver behind the truck was already annoyed with hot temper by this situation so they scolded back at each other without making any mutual concessions.  At the mean time, a white sedan escaped from the motorcade and bypassed several cars.  While the vehicle just about to bypass the truck, the truck driver said: “Bah!” and spit a full mouth of chewing gum on the roof of that white sedan.  The truck driver laughed at it meanly.  It seemed that he wanted to warn other drivers behind the truck to see who dared to bypass him!  Because the traffic jam was very serious behind the truck so everybody hinted to the truck driver telling him to yield to the right and let fast speed vehicle to bypass first in order to clearing out the traffic.  But he didn’t even pay any attention to it.  Whenever there was a car blew the horn and wanted to bypass him he would do the curve driving intentionally to prevent any car to bypass him.  Nobody could do anything about it so everybody moved slowly with patience like cow walking.  After driving to a place that the road turned wider, everybody started to bypass that truck at the same time without any prior agreements.  We also cautiously bypassed that truck while we could.  That truck driver was blowing the horn fiercely and unhappily while I looked back at him.  That irritation noise seemed very uncoordinated in this tranquil mountain and rural.

In a short period of time, we bumped into a big freight vehicle again while driving on the road.  My intuition was: “This is not good!”  Perhaps, the same thing was going to happen again.  What do you know?  The driver of this big freight vehicle stretched his hand out and waved to hint everyone to bypass him.  Furthermore, he yield to the right initiatively once he saw a car driving behind him to let everyone passing through smoothly.  Every one passing by was grateful to him and blowing the horn to thank him.  And, he also blew the horn joyfully to say welcome.  So the road was unimpeded.  When it was our turn to pass him, I joined my palm and said: “Be with the Buddha!” to him.  He was stunned at first then a spring like dimple was blooming on his face.

This happened not long ago.  Although it had passed severalvdays and it was not worthy to be mentioned.  But, I had a very deep impression and sensation on it.  Because of individual’s different actions towards the similar matter based on the causes and conditions, it reflects a different retribution.  Like that big truck driver who didn’t have the spirit of giving precedence out of courtesy with a narrow mind, he caused everyone unhappy and created bad connections.  This would also reflect others’ unfriendly response to him.  But the driver of that freight vehicle treated others with courtesy.  He was not only benefit everyone but also kept himself happy without anger.  Wasn’t that incredibly perfect?  I remembered my Master’s explanation on “Virtue” and it was like this: “To benefit self means ‘The Right Path’, to benefit others means ‘Moral’, so to benefit self and others is called ‘Virtue’”.  The way of practicing the ‘Virtue’ is to help others, to contain others and to give precedence out of courtesy to others through the actions in our daily lives.  It is the performance of the moral style.  If we live in the ignorantly habitual pattern all the time, make other angry, and destruct others, it still is a non-moral performance even we are talking about the Buddha Dharma but we cannot do it right in our daily lives.  We should understand that the practice starts from a small action.  It should be bound into our daily lives then one will indeed benefit others and self”.