20180711協力拔苦志堅固Bringing Relief and Hope to the Suffering
Starting from a sharing about an elderly lady who could smile again after recovery, we saw that man people have experienced suffering on account of illness. No suffering in the world can compare to the suffering of illness. We all only pass through this life once and we're subject to illness throughout our lives, be they chronic diseases or sudden illnesses, from which we see the impermanence of life.
Many suffering from illness have received treatment and care from our medical staff. They relieve the ill from their suffering and take good care of them with comprehensive medical services so as to help them regain health. They try every way possible to diagnose the illnesses and relieve the patients' suffering.
The medical cases shared by our medical staff are indeed very impressive and laudable. I truly admire how our medical staff put their hearts and efforts into utilizing their expertise. Yet, it's also suffering form illness. (Thankfully, )we ave many medical professionals who take good care of the ill and help them make remarkable progress in recovery.
This afternoon, we looked back to the catastrophic quake that hit Nantou in 1999. Indeed, we should never forget the disaster.
"For a long time, in fear of aftershocks, we didn't dare to sleep at home. We slept by the road or on the square in front of an Earth God temple. What we saw on the road was piles of coffins. Those sights traumatized me and it still pains me to think of it. Yet, I'm very grateful because thanks to the help of Tzu Chi volunteers, those affected received lots of aid and children who were born after the strong quake could all go to school.
This is Yan-Ping Elementary School after reconstruction. It's now a very sturdy and earthquake-resistant place where students can study. I'm very grateful for the aid of Tzu Chi members. In truth, those who received aid back then all harbor gratitude in their hearts. "
"My brother and I are both Tzu Chings. We lived in Taipei when the quake struck. Around five o'clock in the morning, when my parents and I arrived at the scene where the Dongxing Building collapsed, I knew that Tzu Chi volunteers in Songshan had arrived there within 15 minutes after the building was reported to have collapsed. They worked with one another to make our hometown a better place. Their dedication truly overwhelmed me.
Be it those who received tuition aid, helped build pre-fabricated houses, or those who couldn't help build pre-fabricated houses like us, we as Tzu Chings wish to tell Master that we were all overwhelmed and inspired by how efficient and effective Tzu Chi volunteers were in reaching out in the aftermath of the quake.
I remember that at the time, Master told us, 'I hope you can help me tightly embrace those who were bereaved of their loved ones so they could cry their grief out, and tell them not to be afraid as they still have a long way to go. '"
We also heard the sharings from our young volunteers. When they were little, they also experienced the strong quake. (Thankfully, ) they grew up with the love from Tzu Chi family members.
Two of them gave sharings and they are among our many young volunteers who serve as living bodhisattvas. They're just like my own children coming back (to this home of Tzu Chi.) They walk the Tzu Chi Path with one heart and with steadfast conviction, which is truly rare and precious.
At daybreak, hours after the quake, I received a call from a volunteer in Taichung. She told me: "Master, could we ask our hospital in Hualien to buy body bags?" At noon, she called again and asked me:" Master, could we come by two refrigerated cargo containers?" Then, our volunteer, Li Zong-ji, who was a sipping entrepreneur, helped transport two refrigerated cargo containers from Keelung to the affected area soon in the afternoon.
Then, I learned that after the bodies were put into the body bags, they were stacked one on top of another. And, about every 50 minutes, our Tzu Cheng members would have to go into the containers to turn over the bodies. Looking back, I feel that our Tzu Chi members truly have great courage.
Being in Taichung at the time, I had no worlds to describe how deeply pained I felt after I saw that the disaster scenes. I stayed in Taichung for more than a month and our Tzu Chi members across Taiwan all gathered together for the relief work. In the aftermath of the quake, everyone did their part to help and I called on all Tzu Chi members around the world to mobilize and help so we could gather all our efforts to provide aid.
So, in the aftermath, many Tzu Chi members reached out to those affected in person and in addition to offering timely aid and care, as many can remember, our Tzu chi members also continued to care for those affected for nearly three years.
I also remember how our reconstruction projects entailed massive and long-term work. With concerted efforts, we helped with the reconstruction without thinking how much money it would cost or whether we should do it or not. We just launched the projects. Thankfully, our Tzu Chi members in dozens of countries and regions all did what they could to help.
I cannot bear to think of the disaster scenes at the time. Indeed, the disaster scenes were truly devastating and I had no words to describe my deep grief. That morning when I was going to set out to Taichung, I just couldn't say any word. This is why I say I had no words to describe my deep grief. It pained me to see the devastation and I'd rarely had such a feeling.
And speaking of our reconstruction projects, we rebuilt many schools in a short period of time, with a total of 50 schools in Nantou and Taichung, in the aftermath of the quake. In each construction site, our Tzu Cheng members helped do the work and supervise the progress so the brand-new schools can be sturdy and strong.
"Next year, it'll be 20 years since the quake hit. In fact, people's memories about the quake have slowly faded. However, our relief work for it is very significant in Tzu Chi's history. Seeing how our volunteers have given of themselves selflessly, how those affected have got back on their feet, and how the media recognized Tzu Chi's dedication, I'm truly proud to be a Tzu Chi member and feel deeply moved.
Since the quake's 20th anniversary is approaching, it's time for us to think about what we should do next year. We can visit those whom we've helped so they can look back, recall memories and have a bright outlook for the future. In addition, we should bring together our fellow volunteers, care for them, and work together to record our memories of the quake and our relief work.
And most importantly, we must inspire more people by visiting families and communities. By working with the schools we helped rebuild and our volunteers in central Taiwan, our hospital here in Taichung hopes to visit all of the areas affected by the quake in order to make known our volunteers' experiences of the relief work and the great burden that Master shouldered back then. What we need to do now is to inspire more love in people.
When the quake struck back then, I was serving at our hospital in Hualien, but I had the opportunity to come help out, so I'm deeply moved that I had the chance of a lifetime to witness Tzu Chi members' great wisdom, benevolence, and courage. "
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