An Honest Revelation
All my life, many have thought of me as rich, but the truth is, staying poor has always been my motto. I grew up in a poverty-stricken family, yet I never saw myself as poor, because I always felt rich in heart. Till my old age, many have thought of me as very wealthy because they believe I own many education institutes, cultural enterprises, publishing houses, and foundations; however, I never felt that I owned anything because these belong to the public, not to me. Although I have constructed many temples around the world, none of these houses, buildings, or even any of the furniture were intended for me. I own not a single piece of the tiles above my head or a single mound of the dirt beneath my feet. Every object within the Buddhist community belongs to the world, so how can there be such a thing as individual possessions? Nonetheless, in my mind, I can still feel that the entire world is mine.