Reading does not mean only to read books! Reading is everything from observing people, situations, reasons, to examing society---all are subject to reading. Insightful reading can make a person honorable and respected. Compassionate, kind, and wise reading can help us to gain good affinities and positive recognition from others. When reading is not rigidly confined to books but is used in life appropriately, it helps us to maintain healthy relationships and to extend joy into every aspect of our lives.

From my own experience, we can start by reading from books of literature, not necessarily using the eyes to see, or the mouth to speak with language, but by using our ears to listen carefully. For example, listen to an anecdote, listen to history, listen to others’ good deeds. In reading, you must learn to listen. When there is curiosity, the mind is attracted to it. Just like when I was learning Chinese characters, I was learning it from my illiterate mother, so the way I teach was learned from my teacher who couldn’t read well. Reading historical books can be compared to looking into a mirror, which lets us understand our life’s directions and helps us take solid steps forward. Furthermore, as we delve into Buddhist doctrines, research the “Treatise of Mahaprajnaparamita”, “Platform Sutra”, “Vimalakirti Sutra” and various other sutras, the path unfolds for us to lead a complete life of Dharma. Reading has many advantages; four specific benefits are:

First, reading can uplift our image. Generally, people dress themselves up with cosmetics or use well-known, stylish brand possessions to show off. I believe that everyone should learn to become a literati; we should become stylish people, using reading and writing to uplift our images, valuing dignified personalities, and transcending above wealth, fame and fortune.

Second, reading can change our temperament. A positive temperament will show our elegance and graciousness. Reading can change a person’s temperament by enabling one to be well-rounded in cultivation. Prof. Lee Jia Tong from Ji Nan University once said, “If a country never increases their education funding; then, in the future, more funding will need to go towards funding the prisons.” Therefore, education can enhance the sanctity of moral personality. Through the promotion of reading, we hope that everyone can attain a scholarly life, build a scholarly family, a scholarly society, and a scholarly world.

Third, reading helps us to understand ourselves. Everyone has two eyes for seeing others, but we can’t see ourselves. We read because there are principles in the books---there is knowledge with twists and turns. Reading can lead us to enlightenment. Reading is like a Chan master: one can understand self, understand life, understand interpersonal relationships, and understand the world.

Fourth, reading can expand our time and space. Reading lets us expand our world and expand time and space. In reading, we know the histories of the past, present and future; from thousands of years ago, evolution of humanity, even the world of the future. History is life, within the boundless time and space. Reading provides us with precedence. Reading also allows everyone to understand the future, lets us extend our finite lifetime, and expand our time and space.

The old saying emphasizes “establish merit, speech and virtue”, which values the longevity of merits, speeches and accomplishments. Reading allows us to increase space, the world inside a book is vast and immense, a travel magazine leads us to wander the world; a book about astronomy or geology led us to understand the planetary cosmos as well as the five continents. In establishing the Buddhist college, I determined the main objective to be inviting others to read. Gathering the efforts of millions to establish universities is also advocating reading for everyone. Reading can increase our longevity. I actively promote reading groups because success and dreams all come from reading. The four benefits of reading is worthy of our physical and mental investment. First, reading can uplift our image; second, reading can change our temperaments; third, reading can help us understand ourselves; fourth, reading can expand our time and space.