Let's inquire into this major issue: cause and effect. Nothing falls outside the bounds of "good and bad cause and effect." According to the law of cause and effect, those who are good win and those who are evil lose. "You reap what you sow." This is the reason why the world hasn't self-destruct. If those who are good fail and those who are evil win, then justice does not exist. Without justice, the world would self-destruct. It would be time for Armageddon.

How do we make sure that the world does not self-destruct? We must change our hearts, change and be good so that world is lit with brightness. Light represents wisdom. Those who are wise are just. Everything they do is open and altruistic. Everything is done for the sake of all of humankind. There is no differentiation due to ethnicity or nationality. The world then becomes utopia. Unfortunately, the world is not the way it used to be. People are selfish and self-interested, too often willing to sacrifice everyone else's happiness for their personal gain. This is why the world is becoming darker and darker every day, more and more deluded every day, more and more dangerous every day. It is so close to the brink of destruction that the world is hanging by a thread. If we do not try to reverse the situation, we will only end up dying together. There would be no more survivors.

So how can we save the world? "Do no evil and do every good." People should head toward goodness but never evil. Starting with the leader up above to the citizens below, let us use the light of wisdom to shatter the darkness of delusion. If so, we can shine on the dark side of the world and turn it into brightness, turning war into peace.

While we are living a life of drunkenness and dreaming during this long and dark night, we need light. People grow weary in the dark but are happy when bathed in light. Light or darkness is a matter between good and evil. The destruction of the world will happen because of the human mind, and so does the creation of it. Those of us who are studying the Dharma must eliminate our false minds and preserve our true mind. This is why the Buddhadharma is the precious raft that carries people over, thereby saving the world. It is a jeweled mirror.

Whatever occurs in the world has its pros and cons. Television, for instance, may be useful for us to learn about the latest national and international current events. We could be like "scholars who know world affairs without stepping out the door." This is the positive side, but it has its negative side as well. Children who watch television are often adversely affected; they learn to cheat and hurt others. As a result, families are dysfunctional and the society at large is not peaceful. Kids turn into delinquents and go around causing trouble. How could the world be peaceful when they govern in the future? This is the damage done by television. We should consider our future generations and the state of our planet, hence prevent children from watching television. Perhaps we should just avoid buying television sets altogether. This is the most comprehensive way of pulling the rug out from underneath our feet, the way to stamp out the source of evil.

Now that our globe is enveloped by a puff of black smoke and no longer translucent, what should we do? As members of the human race, we must, first, start doing what is right in ourselves: eliminate our bad habits and clear away our greed, hatred, and delusion. Beyond that we can encourage people to become good. We could be role models then. If not, we would be all talk and no action. Anyone who considers the welfare of the world his responsibility is compassionate. Shakyamuni Buddha, for example, suffered so much when he was cultivating the ways of the Bodhisattva. He did so because he wanted to influence multitudes and make them cultivate according to the Dharma so that they may leave suffering and attain bliss. I often say, "To experience suffering is to end suffering; to enjoy blessings is to reduce blessings." We may very well use this as a motto.