20151013以愛啟善致祥和Inspiring Love in Everyone to Bring About Peace and Harmony
I work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and I can collect three trays of mica.
Even if they don't have to pay for the uniforms and tuition, their families can't make ends meet. So, they have no choice but to work.
Every day, there are too many stories of suffering to share with everyone. In this world, many people can only make ends meet by doing very hard and labor-intensive work. Take for example a group of coal cycle pullers in East India who scavenge coal and then sell it to support their families. It is truly very hard work. They load sacks of coal on their bikes and then push their bikes for 80 km to sell the coal to restaurants and households. For every kilogram of coal they sell, they can only make less than NT$4 dollars about 12 US cents.
So, those who lead a good life should really count their blessings and try to be more frugal and use the money they save to help the needy. We also see the rice distribution in Ladysmith, South Africa. The rice provided by Taiwan's government has arrived just in time to be given out to the people in a local community. They were all very happy because they're really impoverished. Due to their poverty, the crime rate in the community is high and there is constant fighting with weapons between people.
Fortunately, starting last year, Tzu Chi volunteers have been bringing care to the people in the community. They also go to a nursing home for the elderly and a home for children with cerebral palsy in the community to bring them care. Having come in contact with this community, Tzu Chi volunteers have started to care for the people there. Although it is considered unsafe to go there, our volunteers are not daunted. Now, they've become very close with the locals.
Apart from bringing them care, in June this year, our volunteers also gave out rice and blankets to them. Now, the people in this community all greet one another with "Amitofo." There used to be fighting in the community, but now it has become very peaceful. See how they even greet one another with "Amitofo." They don't know what "Amitofo" means. But as Tzu Chi volunteers often go there to bring them love and care, they've felt the warmth of our world and learned to say "Amitofo" like Tzu Chi volunteers do.
Every time they say "Amitofo," they'll think of the love of our volunteers. Such love of Tzu Chi volunteers can be witnessed every day across the world. Take Jordan for example. In Jordan, there is a Pakistani family who lives in one area in summer and moves to the other in winter to farm for others. In this family, there's an elderly woman who is ill. So, every three months, our volunteers will bring medication to her. But every time they move, our volunteers have to spend hours looking for them. This is how our volunteers follow the family to bring them the help they need.
They do so just to bring them medication, supplies, etc. Isn't this what is described in the lyrics of Tzu Chi Foundation's anthem? We also see our volunteers in the Philippines giving out rice to the needy. Many government officials, mayors, etc. also came to express their gratitude. The locals were very moved by Tzu Chi volunteers' help, so many of them were inspired to serve as our volunteers to help carry rice for others.
Some even shared the rice they've received with their relatives and neighbors. Indeed, when people's love is inspired, they'll help one another.
My uncle is generous. He shared with us the rice he's received from Tzu Chi Foundation, so we've got the rice, too.
It's better to give than to receive. I want to experience that.
When seeds of love sprout, they will gradually grow into big trees and form a dense forest over time. So, nothing is impossible. As long as we work hard to sow a seed of love in people, even the suffering can be inspired to give with love. Although they don't have much money to donate, they do recycling as our volunteers taught them and bring the recyclables to our volunteers. This is how they give back.
Also, despite being poor, some even save up money in a plastic bottle and donate their savings to help the needy. This is how they repay our volunteers' love. See, be it the money they donate or the recyclables they bring to us, even though they're poor themselves, they can still do their part to contribute. This is what they've learned to do when their love is inspired. If they can do it, can't we do the same?
We should follow their example and be more frugal. For all the resources we have, we must use them wisely and not be wasteful because there are too many people in need of our aid. So, we must inspire more people to give regularly so donations can keep coming in for us to do more for those in need. At the same time, we must not waste the money we've collected. Just as how I often remind you to cherish water like gold, we must use the donations we've collected wisely and sparingly.
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