Dharma Master Cheng Yen was born in 1937 in a small town in Taichung County, Taiwan. When she was twenty-three years old, she left home to become a Buddhist nun, and was instructed by her mentor, Venerable Master Yin Shun, to work “for Buddha’s teachings, for sentient beings.” In 1966, she founded a charity, which later turned into the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, to “help the poor and educate the rich”—to give material aid to the needy and inspire love and humanity in both givers and recipients.

 

In recent years, Master Cheng Yen’s contributions have been increasingly recognized by the global community. In 2011, she was recognized with the Roosevelt Institute’s FDR Distinguished Public Service Award and was named to the 2011 TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people. In 2014, she was presented with Rotary International’s Award of Honor in recognition of her humanitarian efforts and contributions to world peace.

The content of this book came from Master Cheng Yen’s “Wisdom at Dawn” lectures given at the end of 2002, whereas the book The Sutra of the Bodhisattva’s Eight Realizations was based on her teachings in 1984. This book not only explains the sutra, but it also contains current real-life examples of people applying the Buddha-Dharma to their daily living. In this way, readers can realize the principles contained in the sutra through these examples and apply the spirit of the Buddha-Dharma to resolve difficulties in their daily living.

The Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings clearly demonstrates the ways in which we can realize impermanence, eliminate greed, eradicate delusion, and understand cyclic existence. This sutra was given by the Buddha to his disciples to explain to them how to cultivate their minds and refine their character, but the text is also like a light that illuminates the path to purifying our minds and engaging in proper conduct.

It has been said, “To save the world, we must first save people’s minds.” In other words, it is only when people’s minds are purified that the seeds of love can be spread all over the world. People, regardless of religion, race, or lifestyle, can all make use of their special abilities and work together to care for this world.

證嚴上人於一九三七年，出生於臺灣臺中清水。上人服膺上印下順導師「為佛教、為眾生」之慈示奉持不懈。一九六六年創辦佛教克難慈濟功德會，自此展開「濟貧教富」的工作。慈濟世界在法師慈悲呵護下，數十年來，一步一步地堅實茁壯；發展為慈善、醫療、教育、人文四大志業，以及國際賑災、環境保護、社區志工、骨髓捐贈八大腳印，透過親手拔除眾生的苦痛，以善與大愛膚慰人間。

 

近年來，證嚴上人的貢獻獲得國際間一致推崇；於2011年獲美國羅斯福基金會頒贈「傑出公共服務獎」， 並被時代雜誌列為2011年全球百大最具影響力人物。2014年獲頒國際扶輪社「最高榮譽獎」，肯定證嚴上人對於人道主義精神與世界和平的貢獻。

《救世救心八大人覺經》取自證嚴上人二○○二年底晨間開示，而早先出版之《八大人覺經》則是結集一九八四年之講述。本書在釋義之外加入當代時事演繹，更切入佛法生活化的腳步，期使讀者由事會理，能以佛法開解日常種種難題。

 

本書以《佛說八大人覺經》為藍本，明示「覺無常，去貪欲，離癡怨，知生死」方向，雖是佛陀為弟子們講說修心養性之法，對一般大眾而言，亦是一盞指路明燈，能淨化人心、端正人行。

 

所謂「救世先從救心起」，人心淨化了，愛的種子就能遍滿天下，不同宗教、不同族群、不同生活方式的人，都可以展現不同特色，一起為關懷世界而努力。