20141224 遠來受證 菩薩行捨 Seizing Time to Do Good
At the last certification ceremony held in Kaohsiung for Tzu Chi volunteers last week, a group of our volunteers from Malaysia were also present. Some of them are ill, but they still came to be certified by me.
Over 200 of them came to Taiwan on a chartered flight. I asked them: “Is the ticket cheaper that way?” They said, “No. It’s 30% more expensive” “That’s very expensive,” I said. But they didn’t want to give up the opportunity to come to Taiwan and let me certify them in person. They live in different parts of Penang and other states of Malaysia. So, they gathered in Penang and flew to Taiwan on a chartered flight.
The air fare was over NT$20,000 (nearly US$630) for each person. I was told that not everyone who came could afford the tickets easily. Some had to save up for years. For example, a family of four had saved up for three years before they could come to Taiwan to attend their certification ceremony.
The family used to sell meat noodles. But, having joined Tzu Chi and listened to the Dharma, they realized that animals are living creatures as well and how living beings cycle through the six realms life after life. So, the whole family became vegetarian and decided ti sell vegetarian noodles only.
A bowl of noodle is two ringgits (US$0.57) . So, they had to work hard to save up as they really wanted to come to Taiwan for their certification ceremony. Finally, last week, one has been certified as our commissioner, and the rest three our Tzu Cheng members. This is truly very moving.
So, one doesn’t need to be rich to be a Tzu Chi volunteer. But in fact, this family is very rich spiritually. Every one of them had been saving up for three years before they could finally come to Taiwan this time. This family is really blessed, and they’ve cultivated both blessings and wisdom.
When I went to Tainan this time, I saw a couple who were very strong. Their eldest son was killed in an accident. He was only 22 years old, but he had left many fond memories for those around him. He was very sensible and kind, and also a very good son to his parents. He loved gardening and landscaping. That was his passion. He had even represented Taiwan in an international skills competition for youth. That was how good he was.
After graduating from college, he started working for a landscaping company he started working for a landscaping company. He had not even worked for a month when the accident happened. He was transplanting a big tree with another worker. They loosened its roots first and then had a lunch break before coming back to finish the work.
However, when they approached the tree, the tree fell and he was crashed under it. He died in the hospital. His parents are Tzu Chi volunteers and have been learning the Dharma. So, when this happened, they immediately thought of what I said that there’s no one we cannot love, forgive and trust. They chose to forgive and accept it.
They even donated their son’s useable organs to others. The father said that he is proud of his son and that his son had helped nurture his wisdom with his own life. So, he is very proud of his son and also very grateful to him for showing him life’s impermanence, the karmic law of cause and effect, etc.
The father has really taken the Dharma to heart. He told me that his son’s employers still can’t get over it and has been feeling down. They came to see me together, and the couple kept comforting the employer. This accident happened days before I went to Tainan, and I was truly very moved by this couple. They are really living bodhisattvas who are very caring to others. Having taken the Dharma to heart, they are able to not only let go of their pain and grief, but also bring comfort to others. Life is truly full of impermanence.
Yesterday, it grieved me to learn of the passing of Mrs. Hong Xie Xue, our first Tzu Chi volunteer in Yuanlin, Zhanghua. When I was in Taichung this time, she came to see me in a wheelchair. I said to her, “Get well soon” She said, “ I will, Master” “I still have over 1,000 donating members” I said, “Exactly! They need you”
“So, you have to continue collecting donations from them so their goodness won’t be lost” She said, “Don’t worry” “My daughter-in-law will also collect donations for me” I said, “But I want you to do it” Despite that, I knew that she was at the terminal stage of cancer.
Yesterday, her son escorted her body to our Tzu Chi University in Hualien as it was her wish to donate her body for medical use. After that, her children came to thank me. They said that for over 20 years, their mother had been very happy doing Tzu Chi’s work, and they’ll carry on her work. They said, “Master, please don’t worry” “We’ll pick up where she left off”
Even now, she still had over 1,000 donating members. She had been serving as our volunteer for 25 years and was our first volunteer in Yuanlin. I am sad to see her go, but this is only the law of nature. She had inspired over 60 people to become our certified Tzu Chi volunteers, and they had been there caring for her. See how beloved she was by so many people because she was full of love herself.
She was 73 years old. If she hadn’t volunteered with Tzu Chi, she would’ve just led an ordinary life like everyone else. Having dedicated herself to Tzu Chi for 25 years, she’d done much meaningful work in her life. She had inspired many people to give and helped them grow in wisdom. I am indeed very happy for her. By donating her body, she’s become a silent mentor now. I give her my best wishes. Life is full of impermanence. So, what is there to cling to? Let us seize time to do good.
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