When I first heard that I would be attending camp, of course I was excited about getting the chance to learn more about the religion I had grown up with. But honestly I didn’t have many high expectations. As someone coming from Virginia I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find friends and really had no idea what was going to happen, but in the end it all ended well. I have made many great friends, I have met many amazing people and the affect they had on me will last forever.
I believe that the experience and the knowledge I have gained will stick with me for the rest of my life. They are irreplaceable lessons.
One of the first lessons that I learned Regards our intentions and our actions, the theme of this year’s camp. There is bad and good Karma in this world. I have learned that they are heavily based around your good and bad intentions, they are affected by your actions as well. Personally I believe that if I have such good karma that I got the opportunity to attend this camp with each and every one of you I must have done something amazing in all my past lives to build that up. Since I have worked so hard in my past lives built such a karma I want to continue to build it this life so I may one day in my next life meet all of you again.
I have been taught many lessons and it has allowed my mind to blossom in so many ways. Ever since I was young I always thought why was I me? Why was I born as me and have the mind I have when there are so many others I could’ve been born as. Why was I this person when for all I know I could’ve been born on a different planet unknown to our world. But now I realized that I have my reason for being here and I must have some purpose. As you have yours. But this experience has given me insights to the answer to all the questions I have been asking. Karma, the three poisons. I believe that I am incredibly lucky for being given the chance to be here in this moment giving this speech in front of all you and it must’ve been because I did something good in my past life because if I had decided to come a year later my experience would’ve been different.
Another thing that I will definitely take away from this experience. So…
I will admit that there were people I don’t necessarily love but u didn’t hate them, in the society we live in it isn’t uncommon to judge and have opinions. It is a part of human nature and that is a fact. Not that everyone is, but this camp has really made me re think and reconsider. I have to be mindful of my decisions and my reasons behind why. Because of the lessons I went through I now hold no negative feelings in my heart. After reconsidering I realize that greed, selfishness, and delusion does reside in me. It is a truth and as I have learned, from my counselors, that’s a reason why we’re here. I’m working to fix myself. I am not perfect, you are not perfect, but there is no definition of perfect or imperfect just as there is no definition of pretty and ugly. It’s all a state of mind and perspective or what we call delusion.
But my heart will only grow bigger and I will continue to follow through and continue to purify myself of greed delusion and hatred.
In my ideal world I so believe that if everyone was mindful of each other’s way of expressions, action, and speech we would live in a peaceful world where no violence would be needed to communicate and we could simply discuss solutions to problems. And I know that is far away, a dream that may never be accomplished in this life. But I believe that, even if it’s a little, a small action will bring me closer to accomplishing this. And eventually in my next life and next life so on and so forth I might be able to see and live and thrive in a world such as that.
Before I end my speech I want to thank all the shi fu for their time and all my Lao si for taking the time and effort to plan lectures for us. I want to thank the coordinators Andy and Joyce for coordinating the camp so well, I want to thank all the counselors for putting so much time into preparing this for us, even if I don’t know you personally. I want to thank the teen group counselors for making my first time here so wonderful, I want personally thank my team counselors for teaching me so much and giving an opportunity of a life time. I want to thank my friends especially for giving me a place to feel comfortable and making me feel like I belong. Finally, I want to thank my mom for giving me this chance to learn and grow my mind and as a person.
I will end on this final note. Even though I was chosen to make this speech today it could be you tomorrow. Our actions are what leads us along our path in life. While I still have this platform I want to give everyone hope and confidence that we all have our special talents and things we are good at. There will always be people that are better than you, but that just means we have to continue on working in those weaknesses till they become our strengths. Whatever you may want to accomplish you can do it as long as you keep a mindful heart, a purified mind, good intentions, and good actions. I’m glad I was given the chance of a life time and attend this camp and if I could I would love to come back. Thank you.