2015/04/06洗滌無明．多元照護 To Have Peace and Harmony in Society
It is said that the driest desert on Earth is in the northern region of Chile. The region is typically arid without any rain all year round. Now, they have been hit by muddy floodwaters. They news footage is very shocking. In Taiwan now, we are sincerely praying for rain in hopes for enough water to fill our reservoirs. We really look forward to the coming of the rain. In my morning Dharma talk recently, I’ve often spoken about clouds bringing falling rain.
We hope that the rain can fall on the entire land, covering the mountains, the meadows, the rivers, and the forests, so that all vegetation be it the trees and grasses or crops in the field can get the moisture they need. May these plants and crops receive ample water and be sufficiently nourished to grow well and provide humankind with abundant food and supplies for living.
The Dharma is just like this rain. When speaking on the Water Repentance text, I had described the Dharma as being like water, for the Dharma can cleanse away our ignorance. Taking in this Dharma, we can dissolve our negativity and become kind and good. Then we can get along with others in peace and harmony. Just as everything on the land needs water from the rain to grow, we, humankind, need the water of Dharma.
Only then can our wisdom—life grow. I hope everyone’s hearts can be filled with Dharma so we can all do what we ought to foster genuine relationships with sincere actions.
In Hualien, there is a woman who is only around 50 years old. However, her house was filled with rubbish. The head of the village asked Tzu Chi to help. Thirty-three Tzu Chi volunteers in Hualien were mobilized to carry out a detailed clean-up of her house. Besides doing the cleaning, the volunteers also repaired her washroom to restore running water and electricity. Such a work could not be done by one person alone, nor two or three people only.
It had taken 33 people to complete the task. This is the power of love. When society needs such loving assistance, volunteer organizations like us become very important. Also, at the Tafalong Settlement in Hualien, Tzu Chi’s volunteers and staff have been working together with the local pastor to promote the drinking of tea instead of alcohol to help them cut back on or quit drinking. Our tea club is officially launched today. Drink tea, not alcohol, to have lasting health. The tribal chief is willing to change.
He will promote this to his tribe from the perspective health. Therefore, he and his fellow tribal leaders have started drinking tea together. After they switched to drinking tea, they told me, “Pastor, when you come to meet with us, bring tea and not alcohol.” I feel very pleased. This is a big change. This program is in many villages now.
While carrying out this program, we found out that the younger people have left their hometowns to make a living, leaving the elderly to live by themselves. Quite a few of the elderly are living alone. We also provide hot meals in these villages for the elderly to come together to enjoy their meal. Grandma, do you have enough to eat? I have washed the bowl. Before we started delivering the boxed meals, what did you eat?
Whatever I had. Just whatever? Do you have enough rice to eat? Yes. Vegetables? Yes. Tzu Chi prepares this boxed meal for you. Do u have enough to eat? Yes. Yes, thank you. The theme for this activity is love and care because I truly see Tzu Chi’s Great Love in our tribe. To deliver care, it will be up to us in the tribe to help these elderly people and those in need.
With such love and care in our community, I believe we are blessed. For a long time, Tzu Chi has been delivering hot meals to the elderly in remote tribes. Sometimes Tzu Chi also organizes gathering for them to bring them joy and very healthy group exercises as entertainment. This is a very beautiful example of love and care. This is what we need in this world.
As time passed quickly, day after day, people grow old, and some develop dementia as their brain slowly deteriorates. Soon their organs also decline in function. Therefore, the care of the elderly with dementia has become a major social issue. What we need are caring organizations with loving volunteers to provide timely help to these dementia patients.
Some people are busy with work during the day and can’t stay home to care for their elders, yet they worry about their elders being at home alone. So, we thought to help take care of these elderly people during the daytime. For this reason, we set up this center. Everyone here is very nice and kind. Elderly people are like young children sometimes. You really have to be loving and patient in order to work with them.
We see Tzu Chi’s hospitals providing elderly care. Look, the elderly regarded our hospital as their extended family. We see the nurses and volunteers being so kind and warm to them. We provide such service not just in one hospital. We have a nursing home in Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital. When elderly people go to a typical nursing home, they are not likely to go back home again.
However, in our nursing home under the loving care and guidance of our medical team and volunteer, some have improved and are able to go home. A-he, do you know who I am? Do you miss me? You missed me? I missed you. I really did. Did you miss me? Though the patient has recovered and gone home, he still regularly visits the nursing home.
Dear grandpa, you’ve returned. I know you. You work here. My daughter asks you for help. Yes, you remember well. Such is the cycle of love. The nursing home gives the elderly a place where they are cared for both physically and mentally. In our social structure, we need many loving organizations to get involved in helping the elderly population. Such is the heartwarming and loving interaction among people in our world. Seeing this makes us feel much relieved and calmed. What we need most now is peace and harmony in society.
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