Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Chinese and English, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Greetings kind viewers! Today, we are delighted to present the final part of the four-part drama series, titled “Love & Enmity.” In the previous episodes, we learned that King Longevity abdicated his throne to King Wei Mu to avoid war and suffering.

However, he was eventually captured and executed brutally by the usurper King Wei Mu. Disregarding his father’s final advice to treat the enemy with love, Prince Eternity aimed to avenge his father, by disguising himself as a talented servant. He eventually became the King’s trusted guard. This spiritual drama is adapted from a story as told by Supreme Master Ching Hai, and performed by our Association members from Taoyuan, Formosa (Taiwan).

Your Majesty, there is a severe flood in the south, and hungry people are wandering all over the regions. What can we do?

What proposals do you have?

Your Majesty, we can block the flood by raising the dykes.

Your Majesty, in ancient times, Emperor Yu prevented floods by canalling instead of blocking the water.

No, Your Majesty, nowadays, the climate has become abnormal, and the storms and floods are even more devastating than those in Emperor Yu’s time. No matter how many canals we build, the flood cannot be controlled. My humble opinion is to first move our citizens to higher places, and then we’ll figure out a solution later.

How come there is no long-term solution? Zhang Peng, do you have any good strategies?

Your Majesty, after listening to Their Excellencies’ opinions, I came up with an idea.

Oh? Tell me about it.

To manage the water we should follow the principle of nature. Upstream, we should ban deforestation, as the forests can store water; midstream, we should construct artificial lakes to regulate the water supply.

And then?

Downstream, we should build canals and guide the water into the ocean. This way we can prevent flooding.

Good, good! Excellent idea! It not only eliminates floods and preserve forests, but also resolves the irrigation problems during dry seasons. Zhang Peng, you truly have a rare talent for managing a nation.

I’m humbled.

Wow, that must be very painful.

Of course. He used to live in that palace, along with his relatives. And now the enemy who killed his father was in front of him. But he had no opportunity for revenge. Eventually, however, the chance arrived.

Too bad, it ran away again. Your Majesty, let’s chase after it.

Zhang Peng, let’s stop. We’ve chased it for so long, and I feel so tired.

Your Majesty, there is a rock ahead of us. Why not sit down and have a rest?

Okay, let’s go!

Please have a rest on the rock.

Okay. I’ll rest for a while. Where are the other people?

Your Majesty, you are too strong and fast. They couldn’t catch up with you.

Alright. Then I will take a rest.

Yes, Your Majesty, please have a good rest. Hmph! Today will be the day to revenge my father. I will make you lie down forever.

“No, son, you should learn the compassion and mercy of Buddha.” “Overcome your hatred with love. Do not commit any violent act.”

No! No!

Your Majesty!

Zhang Peng!

Your Majesty, what happened?

I…. I just dreamed that somebody wanted to kill me.

It’s okay. Your Majesty, you are very safe. Maybe you are too tired.

Alright…

Please continue with your nap.

Yes, with your presence, I have no worries.

You’ll be fine.

Okay, I’ll continue with my nap.

O Lord! He trusts me so much, but I was going to kill him… How can I have the heart to do it? No, this is a good chance. Kill him! Kill him! Okay, you murderer! Don’t blame me for being heartless. After this strike, we’ll be even.

“My son, don’t use violence; learn compassion from the Buddha. Use love to cleanse hatred.”

No! No! Zhang Peng, I dreamt that the prince of Kingdom of Longevity wanted to kill me to revenge his father! But then he changed his mind… Zhang Peng, what’s wrong with you?

Your Majesty! Please punish me for my sin. The truth is, I am the prince of the Kingdom of Longevity.

What? You… you are the prince?

Yes, I am Prince Eternity of the Kingdom of Longevity.

You are Prince Eternity? Then why didn’t you kill me?

Following my father’s compassionate example, I decided not to take revenge.

No revenge?

No more.

You won’t regret it?

No I won’t regret it.

Your Majesty, why are you laughing?

Actually, I realized a long time ago that you were different from the others.

Oh? In what respects?

Right after you entered the royal court, you worked diligently and showed proper manners. And you are very familiar with situations in the palace. So, I knew that you were different from others, and I was guarded against you. However, since you have always done a better job than others, I let my guard down. But, I was wrong. Now, go ahead and kill me.

Do not worry. I said I am not going to kill you.

You don’t hate me?

Yes, I did hate you! When my father was burned to death, I wanted to kill you. The sorrow and anger inside my heart had driven me to get near you, so I could have a chance to get revenge.

Now is the perfect time.

No, I cannot disobey my father’s last will.

What last will?

He said that we should not resolve hatred with hatred. We should learn compassion from the Buddha and forgive others.

Did he really say so?

Yes! Do you know how much I miss my father?

Eternity, actually after burning your father, I also felt very regretful. I should not have treated him so violently. It did not cost me one single soldier to occupy his kingdom and all his wealth. But instead I burned him to death. I deserve death, I truly deserve death…

Your Majesty!

I was wrong! I was so wrong! How could I kill such a wise king? Heaven, please forgive me for my stupidity and incompetence! I’ve committed great sins.

Your Majesty, please don’t say this.

Eternity, I’m sorry. Go ahead! Kill me and avenge your father!

Your Majesty, I have forgiven you already!

Eternity, you came to me with hatred, but have repaid me with love. I didn’t realize until today that love is truly the noblest quality. Today I finally understand the greatness of benevolence.

Your Majesty!

I am here.

Your Majesty, you are here!

You finally caught up. Okay, let’s go back.

Greetings to Your Majesty!

Arise! My beloved ministers, after we took over the Kingdom of Longevity, I had ordered you to search for King Longevity and Prince Eternity in order to eradicate future troubles. Do you remember that?

Your Majesty. Yes we remember. At that time, a woodcutter turned King Longevity in for the reward. King Longevity did not resist at all even before his execution. His behavior was different from normal people, and it was difficult for me to understand.

Your Majesty, we still don’t know the whereabouts of Prince Eternity.

Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will find him and kill him so that we can eliminate future troubles.

Wait! I don’t want to kill him anymore.

What?

I was lost in the forest yesterday while we were hunting, and I came across the long-missing Prince Eternity.

Prince Eternity?

Did the audacious prince do anything disrespectful to Your Majesty?

You worry too much. He did not show any disrespect to me. Instead, he forgave my sin of killing his father. His leniency made me feel deeply ashamed for the violence I had committed.

Is that so?

In order to eradicate future trouble, I killed the benevolent and virtuous King Longevity. He not only accepted his fate without resistance, but also told the prince to overcome hatred with love and not to revenge for him. All these years, even though I enjoyed glory and wealth, I have been plagued by my conscience.

And I haven’t had a single good-night’s sleep – until yesterday, when Prince Eternity liberated me from the deep abyss of guilt with his boundless love. Only then was I completely awakened. I realized that wars and hatred are sinful. Only love is the only treasure. My beloved ministers, this is the person who saved me, Prince Eternity.

Prince Eternity? It’s him? How come we didn’t know?

My dear ministers, I have decided to return the Kingdom of Longevity to Prince Eternity.

Your Majesty!

Please think it over.

I believe that his wisdom and compassion will surely bring limitless happiness and peace for his subjects.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

After I return to Wei Mu, I will also reign my country with love and let the people therein live a happy life. Eternity!

Your Majesty.

Now I am returning the Kingdom of Longevity to you.

This…Your Majesty!

Come here.

This… Your Majesty!

Sit down. Come…

Your Majesty…

Please sit down.

Your Majesty.

Take your throne.

This…

Long live King Eternity!

Wow, Prince Eternity finally became the King.

Thank Heavens!

Yes, he did not seek revenge. Instead, he touched the King of Wei Mu with the compassion of a Buddha. In the end, the King of Wei Mu returned the kingdom to him and said that he would also treat his people with compassion.

That is wonderful!

After Prince Eternity took back the kingdom, he reigned his nation with boundless wisdom and compassion. His subjects lived happy and peaceful lives. The whole nation praised him and loved him.

King Eternity was truly a benevolent and wise king. If King Longevity saw his achievements today, he would be very pleased.

This story is so touching.

Yes. Although King Longevity had passed away, he still looked after everything with his invisible presence.

Wow!

This is the dragon jade pendant.

Grandpa, didn’t you say that King Longevity gave the jade pendant to the guard?

Yes.

Strange, how come you have it?

Were you the guard? Grandpa?

And this pendant looks just like the Dragon totem on Granduncle Long’s tomb stone.

All these stories have long passed. Let’s set the bunny free.

Okay.

It is late now. You’d better go home.

Okay!

Let’s go.

This concludes our four-part spiritual drama series “Love & Enmity,” performed by our Association members from Taoyuan, Formosa, and adapted from a Buddhist story as told by Supreme Master Ching Hai. During the August 2010 teleconference in the United States, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke of the story to emphasize why war is never justified.

Because the leaders, if they are so attached to their position and their opinion, and they cause suffering to anybody of any kind, then their bad karma (retribution) is too heavy, too heavy. I mean, even if you gain the whole kingdom, even if you are king of the biggest nation, how long can you keep it?

But the bad karma (retribution) will be with you forever. And when you die, my God, nobody there will help you, except your terrible retributions are waiting for you. The leaders, if they realize that, they would never raise a finger against any neighbor country.

Even the enemy country, they will find a way to negotiate, to dialog so that things will become ironed out and better and peaceful for both countries, because war will always cost lives – lives of the people, the elderly, the innocent, the women, not just the men.

War is never good, never justified.

Thank you for watching today’s Enlightening Entertainment. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Words of Wisdom, coming up next after Noteworthy News. May all our hearts be blessed with nobility and forgiveness.