1) Be grateful to great Nature and to all people.

How can one who understands the method of acquiring Fortune with Blessings continue practicing forever?

We are all so fortunate, so protected in our daily lives, but where does good fortune come from? We should think very carefully, of course, and realize we must show gratitude to so many people.

No one in this world can survive alone. Think of all the procedures required to produce and deliver to us the clothes we wear, the food we eat and the place that shelters us. Suppose you are wearing some clothing made of wool material. Then just consider all the skills it required, starting all the way back with raising the sheep up to the point when you acquired it, to produce the clothing; likewise, every time you take a bite or a sip, with how many people are you in communion at that moment?

I haven,t even yet mentioned the sun, air, water and fire deserving our gratitude for our survival. We are completely dependent on great Nature, the elements and all those many people for our lives and comfort. This is very important to remember with gratitude. Every time we think of this we ought to be deeply moved by a profound sense of gratitude, giving rise to great compassion. Our actions, generated by gratitude, should always be kind and compassionate.

2) Just till and weed, and do not think about harvest.

Firstly, there are some rules regarding charity--like the one about tilling and weeding and, also, not caring about the harvest. What is done for others is meant for them and not for us to get a return. If you expect gratitude or make demands afterwards, that is not real charity.

Secondly, remember that charity begins at home. Starting with ourselves and those closest to us, as well as with our neighbors, we should put things in order out of compassion.

3) Smile and speak kindly with compassion.

A smiling kind face makes everyone feel good. A couple smiling at each other in the morning, children smiling, and remaining happy day after day are all excellent examples of how charity begins at home.

A smile must not be forced. To be a gift, a smile should reflect inner happiness and kindness of heart. To maintain a happy mind, one only needs only to realize how fortunate it is to be alive, thus giving rise to gratitude and happiness.

There is happiness with and without roots. When we get lucky and have good things, that is happiness without roots. In this condition, however, we become unhappy when bad things happen, sush as when we lose. Happiness with roots means not paying attention to whether we win or lose. We just keep on smiling. This kind of happiness is very important in our lives, because, although life is such a big event, we have no control over it; everything happens according to causes and conditions, so we really survive by a gift of grace from great Nature.

Once this is understood the good or bad events in our lives no longer matter. It is, in reality, a wonderful life worthy of celebration, cheer and congratulations. Life itself being a reason to rejoice, we all should smile and feel happy; this, I would say, is the supreme charity. The one who can stay happy and smile day in and day out, because it reflects his mind, has Fortune with Blessings, indeed!

It equally charitable to use kind words because words have such great power; so our speech should be filled with loving kindness. One's speech and one's smile are closely related; how could one use gentle words with a ferocious expression on his or her face? The fundamental source of charity, however, is the mind. The smile and the kind words come after. We should always be thinking about doing things for others. We should consider other people's success with the same satisfaction that we consider our own, and when they meet with misfortune we should be sympathetic. We should be particularly careful not to make trouble or to make it difficult for them by saying or doing anything inconsiderately.

Forget the favors you have done for others. There are three important aspects to giving, but the three things we should forget if we want to be really charitable are the time, the person and the thing given. Just let the whole situation slip from your mind.

To conclude, let me say I wish that all of you would start practicing immediately so that everybody can obtain Fortune with Blessings together all at once.