Translated by Cathy Huang

When we say "respect life," we don't mean just respecting human lives. We also mean respecting all living creatures on earth-insects, fish, birds, beasts, plants, trees and flowers.

Buddha once said: "All creatures have Buddha's nature." Even a worm or a bird has value in its existence.

In the morning, when we meditate at the Abode of Still Thoughts, we often hear the vigorous sound of life resonating from the yard. The chirping of insects and birds is like a symphony of nature-grand and beautiful. If only we are able to appreciate the beauty of life, we can develop a loving heart to treasure and protect all the creatures in the world.

There is a short story from ancient India:

One leisurely afternoon, a group of people were chatting underneath the trees and enjoying a gentle breeze. Suddenly they heard a bird struggling to flap its wings and crying pitifully.

When they took a closer look, they saw that the bird was struggling to fly off the ground. It tried hard, but it plunged to the ground again and again. Although the bird looked to be in great pain, the people watching it did not seem to be bothered. A crowd of excited children went after the bird to tease it, and no one stopped them. The adults simply laughed it off.

At this moment, a man dressed in a plain white robe appeared and interceded between the children and the bird. He bent over and tenderly picked up the bird. He saw that a rope was tied around the bird's neck, and at the end of the rope was a stone. No wonder the bird could not fly!

The man felt compassion for the bird and wanted to save it from its tormentors. But the children said: "It is our bird. Give it back to us!"

"In that case, I will buy the bird. How much do I have to pay you?"

The children were glad that they could get money for the bird, so they sold it to the man.

After he paid the children, the man gently untied the bird. With delight, the bird spread its wings and flew upward, circling several times above the man's head and chirping happily. Its voice was one of pure joy.

The man caressed the children's heads. "Look! Isn't it beautiful to see the bird fly freely and sing happily? Every life has its value and right to exist. Such is the beauty of the world!" The children lowered their heads in shame. Even the nearby grown-ups blushed. The man stroked the children's heads again and left.

Watching the man as he walked away, everyone began to sense his greatness. What he had just said showed so much wisdom that he could not be an ordinary person. "Now, I remember!" exclaimed a child. "That was our king!"

It was the time of King Asoka, a devoted Buddhist who treated his people like his own children. He would dress himself in white and travel to every corner of his kingdom to see what his people were doing. Many times he personally saved his people in poor villages from suffering.