I am a psychologist.

Yeah.

I'm a psychotherapist.

And...

If you can, if you can speak both Chinese and English, please use both Chinese and English to ask, so you don't need translation.

As a therapist, I know, um, how important to listen to people. Um, but, uh, when I listen to a lot of suffering or all my own suffering, uh, sometimes I lose faith and I know, um, I always need to return to my heart, uh, but sometimes, um, when I witness suffering, I, I just lose my faith and trust, um, and don't know what is the meaning of life sometimes. So, but it's hard to return, so...

I am a psychotherapist. I listen to patients, that is, patients, that is, my cases, their suffering. This is my job. It is very important that I listen to them. But sometimes I listen too much, and to others' suffering, to my own suffering, I seem to be unable to bear it, and then I lose my faith, I lose my trust. So, please, Zen master, answer my question.

According to the practice, uh, to get in touch with the suffering is a good thing, uh, because we can learn a lot from suffering, and, uh, and, uh, understanding suffering can bring about, uh, compassion that can be very nourishing.

From the perspective of Buddhist practice, to contact, to experience suffering is a very good thing, because you can learn from the understanding of suffering, compassion will arise.

But that does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by suffering.

But it doesn't mean that we should allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by that suffering.

As a psychotherapist, you have to know your limits.

To know your limits.

As a psychotherapist, you must be able to know that you are limited.

As a teacher, as a teacher, I also should know my limits.

As a teacher myself, I also have to know that I am actually limited.

And I have the courage to say no when I need to say no.

When I need to say no, I must have the courage to refuse.

Even to Dr. Yu.

Even to Professor Yu Hsiang-tsung, I have once had the courage to say no to him.

So we have to protect ourselves.

So we must be able to protect ourselves.

We should give ourselves enough time in order to get in touch with the nourishing and healing elements within and around.

We must give ourselves time so that we can contact the nourishing and healing elements inside and outside ourselves.

In order to do that, you need a Sangha.

In order to do that, you need the support of the Sangha.

Psychotherapists have to come together and discuss a strategy for survival.

As psychotherapists, you and your colleagues, you can get together, you can discuss how you yourselves can survive in your profession.

If, uh, you don't have, uh, nourishment and, uh, and healing every day, and then you cannot go very far, you will burn out and you cannot continue to serve.

If you cannot be nourished every day, every day, and cannot let yourself be radiant again in spirit, you will not be able to go very far on your path of service.

As monks and nuns, uh, it's a joy to share the Dharma and the practice with other people. We organize a lot of, uh, retreats and days of mindfulness.

As monastics, they are very happy and enjoy sharing the Dharma with people and holding meditation retreats.

But we learn how to do that in such a way that we can always generate brotherhood, joy, uh, during the time of, uh, working.

What they have learned is that they know how to generate joy and positive energy in their work, in holding meditation retreats, and in spreading the Dharma.

And those who come to us to practice, if they have got transformation and healing, we ask them to come and help us.

And those who come to our meditation retreats, if they can be healed, can be transformed, and practice in this way, we also ask them to come back to the monastery to help us.

So, uh, of course we have to get in touch with so many, uh, people with a lot of suffering, but we manage to meet and to work together with, uh, happy people.

So, although in your work you will always meet these very suffering people, but if you come to a meditation retreat, you will be able to contact other happy people.

So, I think that, uh, therapists can come together and they can invite the people who have transformed, who have enough joy to come and support. And they have to, uh, to, to live, um, together in such a way that they can afford, uh, themselves, uh, uh, hours and days of joy and happiness so that, uh, we can, we can establish a balance so that we can go far.

So, you psychotherapists, your colleagues, you can organize yourselves, and then you can invite those who have been healed, who have been transformed, to come and support you. And then, in your practice, you can get, one day, one day, you will be nourished, so that you can maintain a balance in your meditation, in your work, maintain a balance.

So, Sangha building, uh, community building, uh, the continuation of the practice of nourishment and healing is the answer.

So, my answer to you is to build a Sangha, to build a harmonious and joyful community, so that you can maintain a balance.

[one sound of the bell.]