20151003善護人間天地安 With Love, Bringing Harmony Around the World
In Jakarta, the donated rice from Taiwan has played a role in inspiring people there to give rise to altruistic love. Seeing Tzu Chi’s relief effort, the local people were happy to help and make donations. The police officers were willing to offer help and donated money too. The local's also responded by offering their help. All this is because of the power of Great Love that circles in our world to bring about the love and compassion in every one of us.
Seeing this, I am truly touched. We also see volunteers in Muar, Malaysia planning to build a Jing Si Hall and raise funds locally. Look at this volunteer in her 70s. She did not only donate her life savings, but also went out to raise funds.
Look at typhoon, explosion or even plane crash. In Master’s teaching, we hear these disasters and realize life is impermanent. When I go to bed at night, I don’t know if i will wake up the next morning or not. We come to and leave this world without money. You’re happy. Thank you. To build a Jing Si Hall, we must join efforts like an army of ants. We give what we can, be it money or efforts, to build a sturdy hall brick by brick. I am really happy. This can brighten the hearts of everyone.
Seeing her example reminds me of how Tzu Chi started. Tzu Chi volunteers have been so enthusiastic. They can be seen around neighborhoods talking to people to encourage them to do good deeds. Every time Tzu Chi starts a project, such as international disaster relief or major disaster relief, volunteers would support with a donation drive.
Right now in Malaysia, volunteers are working hard to build a Jing Si Hall in the local area. Some donate land while others raise funds and in the hope of building a Tzu Chi office in their community for them to have a place to get together to learn the Dharma and do good deeds. See this volunteer in her 70s, she even rides her motor scooter around the neighborhood to solicit donation. Tzu Chi volunteers overseas also spread love in their country.
Tzu Chi’s Great Love has extended to other countries, whether it’s in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, or even in Africa. Look, in Africa, a distant land where poverty is prevalent, Tzu Chi can actually inspire locals to volunteer and truly serve local people in need. Tzu Chi also provides education by building schools in a very rudimentary way. Volunteers guide and nurture a group of local children to empower them to serve the community.
These young children learn to give with love and to cultivate the land diligently. This is what education has achieved in Africa. In little fishing village in Tainan, Taiwan, a group of patients in hardship can’t go to the doctor due to lack of transportation. Tzu Chi doctors with great compassion go to these patients homes to help them. These patients are Tzu Chi care recipients. Volunteers often go to care for them.
When the people in hardship can’t come out, volunteers who are blessed and full of love go to them. Words can’t describe the extent of my gratitude. The same is true in eastern Taiwan. Tzu Chi hospitals in Guanshan, Yuli and Hualien take on the responsibility of safeguarding the local people’s health. As the season is changing from fall to winter, this is the time for flu shots.
Therefore, government assigns Tzu Chi hospitals to safeguard the locals’ health by giving free flu shots to elderly. So, Tzu Chi doctors and nurses also reach out to communities. This is very touching. To have a healthy body and mind is a true blessing. Indeed, looking at Tzu Chi history, we see many events in this world. On this date, October 3, 1999, in Tzu Chi history, a prayer ceremony took place. On September 21, 1999 a powerful earthquake struck Taiwan.
Quake survivors were all very helpless, scared and anxious and without a home. So, Tzu Chi volunteers helped them hoping to calm their anxious hearts. On this date, October 3, 1999, Tzu Chi had planned an outdoor prayer event, which was cancelled by rain. After the heavy rain passed on the same day, volunteers continued by delivering well wishes to each survivor. Tzu chi then held 14 large scale prayer events afterwards. This was a way to calm people’s traumatized hearts.
Not only did we calm their hearts, we also provided them a place, a home, to live in. Otherwise, how could they live in small beach tents for the duration of disaster recovery, which was a very long period of time. Tzu Chi immediately went to work and built Great Love villages one after another. We also see Mr. Zhuang who used to live in one of the transitional houses in the Great Love village.
He also mentioned that, back then he saw a lot of Tzu Chi volunteers coming to help. One day he asked his wife, “What is the monthly salary for these Tzu Chi volunteers? “ His wife replied, “What salary? They are all volunteers.” Then, he said to her, “If this is the case, you can volunteer too. “ Since then, his wife has been a Tzu Chi volunteer. Look at the very beautiful landscape of Great Love villages.
Every Great Love village had beautiful landscape in order to help residents open their mind and reduce their stress so that they don’t regard themselves as victims. Tzu Chi gave them a comfortable living environment with open roads. Although the houses were small, they had spacious community shared space.
I had been to these transitional houses to touch and to feel the structure. It was our hope that with this solution, residents found peace in both body and mind. This is what we have been through. In summary, when serving with love, we can overcome difficulties without fear.
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