20151028自覺利他續慧命 Living Out the Value of Our Life Through Benefiting Others
If we clean it up, other people who use the washroom will be in better moods. They won’t think that it is dirty and turn around and walk out. We do this happily so others who come be in a good mood, too.
The ten stages of Bodhisattvas start with joy. We are learning to become Bodhisattvas. We are not at the moment, but we are learning. So, we should be joyful. When we serve with joy, we’ll be happy.
By not serving, we are wasting time, letting 24 hours a day slip by. We need to take hold of the moment and give as much as we can.
The two elderly volunteers we see are cousins, in their eighties and seventies. See how they share the same heart and join Tzu Chi together. They’ve lived out the value of their lives by dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to Tzu Chi’s work. They truly lead a very meaningful life as they seize every moment they have every day to serve and benefit others. So, are the elderly a problem of our society? No, they are not.
See how they give of themselves to care for the Earth. They are so grounded and live such beautiful lives.
We come and learn from Master every day, so I call this place “Tzu Chi University.
Since we didn’t receive much education, I call it “Tzu Chi University” as if we were attending college.
Did you two study Japanese before?
Yes, we did. We recognized very few Chinese characters. At Tzu Chi, we’ve always been attending classes and doing many things, so we have learned a lot. We’ve forgotten the characters we learned before. We learned these when we came to Tzu Chi.
Recently, I often hear Tzu Chi volunteers say that their lives are now more grounded. They live their lives to the fullest. In the past, they idled time away or slept their time away. Now, they rise early to learn the Dharma and have a better understanding of what’s happening around the world.
Master gets up very early in the morning. At around 3 a.m. she is already awake and prepares to give talks. Listening live is different from watching TV and help us stay connected to the Dharma. Master always makes a lot of preparation for her Dharma talk to help us walk onto the right path in life without going astray. I feel as if I were at the Abode and very close to Master.
Hearing how they’ve gained knowledge and wisdom. I am very moved and happy. Truly, the meaning of life lies in whether we can seize time to bring value to our lives through giving. If we do, our lives will be very blessed and meaningful. By going amongst people to serve and learning the Dharma, we realize that due to our afflictions and ignorance, we suffer. So, we must get rid of our afflictions and not to fuss over things.
When we eliminate our afflictions, learn the lessons from our experiences, and awaken to many of life’s truths, we can further benefit others. Only when we awaken to the value of our lives will we learn to benefit others. In my Dharma talk this morning, I mentioned Mr. Jorge Chang, our volunteer in Honduras. He has been serving there for almost 20 years.
Seeing how he gives of himself to serve and help those in need, his son admires him very much. His son is very tall and handsome. A few years ago, when we held an aid distribution for those affected by flooding, he also put on Tzu Chi’s volunteer vest and came to help out. He treated an elderly lady who was weak and ill with warmth and chatted with her.
Learning of her hardship endures by the grandmother, he felt for her and shed tears. See how compassionate the father and son are. For this son, Mr. Chang is truly a role model. Mr. Chang is also very loving and has been caring for the flood victims there.
Seeing that many houses have been destroyed by flooding and the locals are too poor to rebuild their houses, he made a vow to help them rebuild their houses.
As the people there were poor and short of resources, I suggested him to hire the locals to build their own houses. That way, we could help improve their lives. We also guided the locals to make bricks for building houses for the needy Mr. Chang purchased cement and a cement mixer and built some molds. By hiring the locals to make bricks, many unemployed people there could receive help.
We lived in a house built from plastic sheets. It was very uncomfortable. When it rained, the home got wet inside. I remember that very well. We couldn’t believe this is real. We don’t need to pay only participate in the construction work. Now, we have a roof to shield us from the wind and rain. I believe everything will be fine. I can only say “thank you.” Thank you.
See how our volunteers have lived out the value of their lives! They use local resources to reduce cost and provide the locals with a better life. They’ve helped a lot of people and inspired them become our volunteers. Many of the locals have learned wholesome values and started walking down the right path in life.
This is how our volunteers inspire goodness in people and relieve their suffering. It is truly very moving. Every time I see their reports, I feel very moved and cannot praise them enough. They changed people’s lives and built the houses for them to live in. See how happy the locals are! Indeed, life is filled with hardships, but if every one of us can give rise to love and pool our strength together, we can help many people in need.
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