20150811協助清掃‧心存感恩 Be Grateful to the Unsung Heroes in Society
The mud is thick, so we need many tools and people to help us. Many Tzu Chi volunteers came to help us this morning. We’re very grateful to them.
I’m very moved to see so many Tzu Chi volunteers and how hard they’ve worked to help us.
The mud floods brought by the typhoon this time have caused people much loss. It is very difficult to clean up the aftermath. See how hard the work is! We can imagine how heavy a bucket full of mud and water must be. But see how Tzu Chi volunteers went to help people clean up their houses without a second thought. In many downtown areas, roads were strewn with tree branches and leaves. So, Tzu Chi volunteers also worked with cleaning workers to help clear them away.
This is how Tzu Chi volunteers seize time to give of themselves. In many cities across Taiwan, there were no major disasters, but only snapped branches and fallen leaves all over the streets. Seeing that, our local Tzu Chi volunteers went to help with the cleanup. They did this without needing to be asked. All they hoped was to protect the land, keep our cities clean, and ensure everyone’s safety. They’re truly bodhisattvas.
We’ve also started giving out emergency cash to those affected by the typhoon. Asst. Supt. Shyu and staff from our hospital in Taipei also joined our volunteers in visiting people from door to door as they were worried that some people might have been injured or anything might happen to them during the typhoon. So, they went with our volunteers to visit and give out aid to those affected. This is how they reach out to people in their time of need.
Apart from cleaning up the affected areas, our volunteers also delivered hot meals to people. After they were done with the cleanup, they went door to door to deliver hot meals to every household. See how comprehensive their services were! They did what they could to help and also carefully thought about what exactly they should do so they could help those affected clean up their houses and bring them the comfort and support they needed to recover from the disaster while also showing them respect.
They gave unconditionally and on top of that, were grateful to those they helped. See how people ate together with our volunteers. They were truly like family. This is how our volunteers care for everyone with love. So, we’ve started giving out emergency cash, material supplies and hot meals, as well as supplied water to people. We’ve worked with an institute to develop a water treatment system. With this system, dirty water can be disinfected and purified and become clean for people to drink.
Water is really very important. Without water, we cannot live. Without electricity, it is also very inconvenient. So, I always remind everyone to be grateful. When a typhoon comes, everyone stays home to be safe. But there is a group of unsung heroes who have to work in the winds and rains regardless of their own safety to restore electricity for us while we remain home safe and sound.
Electricity is very dangerous to work with. But see how they risk their safety and climb up and down the utility poles amidst fierce winds and heavy rains to do their work and restore power for us. No matter where it is in the mountains or lowlands, they go to serve nonetheless. They truly deserve our deep respect. But, on the news, we see that when a few men saw two power technicians, who were carrying out electrical repairs, they got out of their car and attacked the technicians.
Why did they attack them? They said that they were too slow in fixing the blackouts. After the technicians were beaten up, they continued their work and only reported the incident to the police when they were done with their work. Seeing how they worked so hard but were still beaten up, my heart truly aches. They couldn’t rest when the typhoon came and still had to work in the winds and rains. Shouldn’t we be grateful to them?
During the typhoon, some of these unsung heroes worked to rescue lives while others gave of themselves to restore utility serviced that every household needed. But have people ever thought about them? It is very convenient when we have power to use. So, when there’s a blackout, we should be reminded of how blessed we are. And when power is restored, we should be grateful to those who have fixed it for us.
Indeed, when we’ve lost something, we should remember how blessed we are. When we regain what we’ve lost, we should be grateful. So, at all times, we should cherish what we have and be grateful to those who have made it possible for us. Seeing how erratic climate conditions have caused so many disasters, we should deeply reflect upon ourselves.
If we only think about our own convenience and vent our anger against those who have provided the services we need to us, that’s very disrespectful. If no one want s to serve as power technicians anymore, what should we do? So, we should always harbor a respectful heart. When our hearts and minds are in harmony, the weather will be favorable.
The typhoon this time was indeed very strong. It was said to be the strongest typhoon so far this year. But see how we’ve remained relatively safe and sound. Yesterday, I spoke of how we should be grateful to Mother Nature as well as everyone who has given of themselves to serve and help us. We should really be very grateful to them. Only when we’ve cultivated a heart of gratitude can we enjoy peace and safety.
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