365 Days for Travelers: Chinese Culture and Buddhist Scriptures

On the journey of life, we spend day after day, month after month, year after year. Facing the bewilderment and helplessness, the joys and sorrows, the honor and disgrace, the success and failure, the excitement of triumph and the sadness of disappointment along the way, we hope that "365 Days for Travelers: A Collection of Chinese Culture and Buddhist Wisdom" can offer you some help.

Traveling in this world, some people are blessed with the sanctuary of home, while others wander the globe, roaming the world. Are they successful? Or frustrated? "365 Days" will offer you another perspective, allowing you to savor the heart of your homeland and the warmth of your native place, and rediscover a trace of family care and friendship. This book contains approximately 400 authors and 800 works, ranging from poetry, songs, family precepts, mottos, admonitions, to scriptures and treatises. It will surely bring you some encouragement. May those whose fighting spirit is weary be reinvigorated after reading it; may those who feel wronged and unfairly treated find peace of mind.

We hope this book can be like a loving mother's call, like the yearning between spouses and children, like sunshine in winter, like coolness in summer, injecting the splendor of life into the journey of life. Therefore, we named it "365 Days for Travelers." We hope that this Buddhist treasure, primarily focused on Chinese culture, encompassing the essence of Chinese culture spanning over a thousand years, can be found in every room of major hotels worldwide, providing a copy for everyone, both those from various countries who are connected to Chinese culture and Buddhism, and the general public. We also hope it can be like a bright lamp in a dark room, illuminating everyone's soul and serving as a guide for life.

The publication of this book was overseen by Ms. Cai Menghua as editor-in-chief, with disciples such as Venerable Huikuan and Venerable Rucang participating in revising and suggesting improvements. It is now published by Fo Guang Publishing House. We sincerely hope that experts will offer their guidance and recommendations; this is our heartfelt expectation.

Fifty years ago, I aspired to this work. Later, Principal Yang Xiuhuan of the Air Force Children's School and others also published books with titles such as "Buddhist Scriptures" and "Essence of Buddhist Classics," but they failed to gain widespread promotion. Several years ago, the Fo Guang Shan Malaysia Association also published a book titled "366 Days," but the textual collection was not extensive enough. Because it is difficult to collect consistent articles, editor-in-chief Ms. Menghua used many sentences from my "Fo Guang Buddhist Sayings," which she felt was presumptuous and regretted deeply. However, our aim is to benefit life, to cheer on and bless others, and that is the humble intention behind the publication of this book.

This book is not for sale. It is made possible by my Public Trust Education Foundation, Fo Guang Shan International Association, and friends who share this common interest. Alternatively, a Dharma propagation association may be established in the future to assist in its distribution, promoting it to all desired destinations.

I would like to thank those who have helped with this endeavor. This is the preface.

August 2014, at Fo Guang Shan Founding Monastery