人間菩提—20150413戒慎惜福‧賑濟苦難Humanitarian Spirit in Daily Life
People in Taiwan all sincerely pray for rain to bring us more water. In the past couple of days, rainfall has helped to raise the water level at reservoirs Taiwan, but some still fell short on expected water replenishment and some did not get any amount of water. Therefore, in our daily life, we should not think that the recent rain has eased the water shortage or that the water restriction has been lifted because of the rainfall.
We really should not have such a mentality. We should save water as a normal practice. Saving water has been my practice for many decades. For all other natural resources, we also must conserve them in our daily life because the Earth has limited resources, especially water as a resource.
In addition, people also drill many oil wells to search for petroleum, which is in high demand. But, petroleum is an even scarcer resource. So, I hope everyone will be frugal and save resources in daily life.
In Buddhism, we call this cherishing our blessings and extending the useful life of objects. In our daily life, we have to cherish our blessings by not wasting any drop of cooking oil or any grain of rice. We truly have to cherish every resource as it’s our blessing to have them and we must create more blessings. We also see a family for whom impermanence struck.
In Taiwan, a house caught fire because a boy had been playing with a lighter. His actions accidentally ignited the fire. When he saw the house catching on fire, he quickly ran out of the house. However, his father thought he was still inside and rain into the house to rescue him but failed to escape in time and died.
This was a single-parent family, where the father, besides taking care of this boy, also took care of his own mother. Now that the boy’s father has died in the fire and their home has been seriously damaged, the grandmother is left with the problem of cleaning up their home. Tzu Chi volunteers in Taoyuan mobilized immediately to provide help.
They expressed their sympathy and extended help so that this family could return to their home and recover as soon as possible. This is the power of love---a spirit of great loving-kindness even to strangers and great compassion for all. To clean up this home, a lot of manpower was needed. Tzu Chi volunteers went to give this grandmother comfort and a big helping hand.
Although this is an accident and incidence of impermanence, we’ve witnessed and felt the love and warmth in our world.
Also, in Taichung, a five-year-old girl had a sudden-onset of stroke late last year due to a rare disease. Upon learning of her case, Tzu Chi volunteers mobilized to offer care and support to this family in need. The medical expenses that are not covered by Taiwan’s National Health Insurance cost the family 400,000 TWD (US$12,500) per month.
Therefore, apart from offering love and care, Tzu Chi volunteers also help by giving them financial aid after finding out that the cost of her treatment is truly a heavy burden on the family. Tzu Chi has provided 400,000 TWD (US$12,500). Whatever happens next to the girl, our volunteers will always be there for her.
This family used to be a middle-income family. Yet, after the girl fell ill late last year, it is said that her father had to sell their house in order to pay for her medical treatment to save her life. They have run out resources and are now at their wits’ end. Their case has been referred to us, I believe that Tzu Chi volunteers will give love and care to this family mindfully.
Life is indeed impermanent and full of suffering. Yet, there is also a piece of news that makes us happy even though it originated from hardship and suffering. The successful separation of the conjoined twins from the Philippines made a remarkable care in Taiwan’s medical history. They returned to the Philippines a few days ago and attracted many Filipino news media to report in their story.
They reported this story as a marvel of medicine with a humanitarian spirit that gives the twins the miracle of a new life. This is how the media in the Philippines reported on this story, commending Tzu Chi Taiwan for helping the conjoined twins. Tzu Chi helps many people in Taiwan, but it goes unknown due to the lack of media attention.
Wherever there’s a disaster, Tzu Chi volunteers always arrive quickly at the scene to help. We are serving the people in need. There is also a man who due to an unknown cause has lost the use of his legs and arms. His mother always has to stay by his bed to carry him to and from his bed. His mother is getting old and this man is gaining weight. How can she help her son? Tzu Chi volunteers came to her aid.
They helped them by delivering a second-hand motorized patient bed that we had received up to their third-floor home. Those stairs were difficult to maneuver but Tzu Chi volunteers always do all they can. Therefore, they bent and turned this very heavy bed and carried it up the stairwell after a lot of hard work. They did this out of love. They try their best and serve selflessly. From them, we see that our world is full of love.
Of course, we saw on the footage that there are truly many people who really need Tzu Chi’s help. While we relieve their suffering, we also guide them to open their hearts while struggling with poverty. While they are receiving aid, they are also saving coins to do good deeds at the same time.
Even though I’m now a Tzu Chi donating member, I have a mission. I donate money to help the people in need. I believe in what I do. Once I donate this money, it will be put into good use. We inspire them to donate not for the money but to open their heart and guide them to walk a wholesome path so they can plant good seeds and reap good karma.
We use all sorts of methods to help people in need. There are truly many inspirational stories behind the hardships and suffering of the people we help. It is the job of bodhisattvas to go to the people in suffering and give of themselves to relieve people’s hardship and suffering. In modern terminology, such a spirit is called the humanitarian spirit.
In Buddhism, this is the spirit of a Bodhisattva. We walk the Bodhisattva Path and work with the people in need. This is the power of love.
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