20150407自覺覺他作渡舟 Following True Principles in Life to Bring Blessings to Our World
When there's a water shortage, people will pray for rain. In the chapter of. "Parable of Medicinal Herbs" in the Lotus Sutra, it speaks of how rain can bring life to everything on earth. On this Earth we live, when all conditions are right so clouds form and it rains, all living things on earth can be nourished. Thanks to rain, flowers, trees, medicinal herbs, forests, etc. will all thrive, which is very beautiful to see. Even when it doesn't rain, early in the morning, we can often see dew drops on the tips of blades of grass, which is also very beautiful.
So, even though it doesn't rain, during the night, dew drops will form on the surface of everything. But when it is so dry that there's no dew at all, nothing on the land can grow. We humans are also the same. We cannot live without water. So, we must cherish water and keep in mind how hard it is when there's no water to use. Last week, in a U.N. dialogue on water and sanitation, the U.N. deputy secretary-general called for "hydro-diplomacy" as the world faces growing water shortages.
The issue of wastewater management was also discussed. A few months ago, we saw that. Microsoft founder Bill Gates had funded a company to design a device that can process human feces to produce clean water for human consumption. Water shortage is an issue that everyone has to face in the future. We may have to rely on water processed from sewage if we don't cherish water now. So, we need to cherish the resources, such as water, we enjoy now.
How can the weather become favorable? By all means, everyone must act in line with true principles in life with a sincere, genuine, and kind heart. When we follow life's true principles, we will not deviate from the correct path and will enjoy peace, safety, and blessings throughout our lives. If we don't follow true principles, our life path will be very bumpy.
When we follow true principles, even if the path we walk is bumpy, as long as we face it with a peaceful mind and mindfully walk the path with a sincere heart without ever deviating from it, over time, a smooth path will unfold before us with very beautiful sceneries along it.
We see a Filipino couple in Taiwan. The husband was in good health and could work to support his family. But, after an accident that injured his back, he can only do odd jobs. He has three school-age children. Learning of the family's condition, a teacher referred their case to Tzu Chi in 2009. Since then, Tzu Chi volunteers have been supporting the family and caring for their children.
There is also a Thai woman who came to Taiwan to work in her twenties. She fell in love with a Taiwanese man and they got married later. When their daughter was about one year old, one day when they went to a park, a group of young men approached her husband and beat him up. Why did they beat her husband? It turned out that they mistook him for someone else. But her husband had suffered brain damage. That was in 2004. In 2007, Tzu Chi went to their aid.
In my most difficult time, I ate instant noodles every day. Sometimes I didn't have anything to eat I couldn't tell my parents. They'd be worried and think that I wasn't treated well in Taiwan and then ask me to go back. Back then, I had no friends here and I couldn't speak or read Mandarin.
Learning of her condition, Tzu Chi volunteers began to care for the family and their care continues to this day. As her husband is paralyzed on one side of his body, he cannot work to give back to Tzu Chi. So, he asked his wife to serve as Tzu Chi's recycling volunteer.
Master said we should seize time to do good. Even though we're poor, we can still help instead of asking for help all the time.
We don't have money to donate. So my husband asked me to be a recycling volunteer. Tzu Chi helps us. There are people worse off than us. Since we have no money to donate, I can only do recycling work as a way to give. I feel very happy.
Apart from Tzu Chi's long-term care, they also receive financial aid from the government. Such is life Karmic affinities are inconceivable and we never know when impermanence will strike. Take for example the Filipino couple. They had a happy family, but when misfortune befell, they had difficulty supporting their family of five and couldn't afford their children's education. Such a life is truly very hard.
As for the Thai woman's husband, he was beaten up for no reason and became paralyzed. All this has to do with karmic affinities. Otherwise, how can it be explained? See, life is truly filled with much suffering. When we're safe and well, we must be grateful at all times. Living in this world, we need to cherish our resources as well as everyone around us with a sincere heart. We also need to follow true principles and walk on the path of goodness. Only then can our society enjoy stability and peace, which will be a true blessing for our world.
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