Date: August 26th,2010 (Wednesday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Taking Care of Our Minds for a World Free of Disasters 救世救心度有情
Recently, I’ve constantly been worrying about the people of Pakistan.
Of course, there are many disasters occurring everywhere.
Every day around the world, we hear many reports of natural disasters occurring in different countries.
But Pakistan has been affected by ongoing floods for a month now.
Flooding began in the north of Pakistan in areas along the border of Pakistan and India, and has continually swept south.
Approximately one third of Pakistan, which is the size of Italy, has been severely devastated by flooding and over 20 million people have been affected.
Of all these people, how many are still unable to evacuate to dry ground and are living in submerged areas?
What suffering it is that the people are enduring.
Moreover, there
are already 1.6 million people affected by water-borne diseases, and more facing possible starvation.
Up to 3.5 million children are at high risk of catching water-borne diseases as there is a shortage of clean water and food, and they are living in unsanitary conditions.
It is truly heart-wrenching to see. This is what’s happening in Pakistan.
There is also Bolivia where forest fires have been burning for over a week.
Just think, in the past week alone, some 9,000 new fires have been set.
How are they to put out all these forest fires?
Think about the threat that theses fires pose as vast areas are smothered in smoke and the burning fires have turned the night sky red.
Thinking of how people there are living in such dangerous conditions, I am truly very worried.
As we all live on the same Earth, despite being so faraway, can we really be at ease?
With this world being full of suffering and the land being so fragile, how can we be at ease?
Moreover, there are also manmade disasters.
In Pakistan, apart from the severe flood disaster, there are also suicide bomb attacks that have claimed many lives lately.
Moreover, when relief supplies were carried into the disaster areas in Pakistan, there were flood victims besieging or mobbing the relief trucks.
See how dangerous it is for aid workers. All these are disasters caused by man.
We also saw that on Monday, more than 20 tourists from Hong Kong, who were visiting Manila in the Philippines, were seized by a gunman, who hijacked their bus in a park.
The hostage crisis resulted in eight people being killed and several others being injured.
After hearing about the news, Tzu Chi volunteers in the Philippines quickly reached out to offer care and comfort.
In Hong Kong, our volunteers also got ready to visit those affected and offer care and aid to them.
See how Tzu Chi volunteers care for all in the world like family.
Wherever there is a disaster, our volunteers, like living bodhisattvas, will come forth to help those in need.
Seeing these disasters, we are very worried and concerned every day.
But, does being worried help?
We must be aware and on the alert at all times.
Most importantly, we must take good care of our minds and work to purify others’ minds as well.
I am very grateful to all Tzu Chi volunteer around the world for working so hard to spread and practice correct beliefs and views of Buddhism in their places of residence.
With wisdom and love, they go amongst the people to interact with them and guide them to change their superstitious or wayward ways.
Our volunteers also work to promote the importance of having correct faith, not only for Buddhism, but all upright religious, to help people understand that upright religions are open and all –embracing, not narrow and restrictive.
It is important for every person to have religious faith, but such faith must be correct and upright.
Furthermore, we must put our faith into action. We cannot just talk about having correct faith and not practice the teachings we’ve learned.
It’s just like plowing a piece of land for farming.
Once that is done, we must quickly sow the seeds before the land becomes overgrown with weeds.
This is the same for the field of our minds.
Just having faith in a certain religion and understanding its teachings is not enough.
If we do not practice its teachings to benefit others and from good affinities with them, it would be like plowing the land out, not sowing the seeds.
If we don’t practice what we’ve learned, wouldn’t it be the same as leaving a plowed field to overgrow with weeds?
So, when we open up our minds to adopt correct faith, we should diligently cultivate ourselves to prevent views from arising.
Once we eliminate our ignorant and wayward views, we must quickly work to sow seeds of goodness in the field of our mind so that they can grow to nourish and enrich our wisdom-life.
In other words, only when we cultivate moral discipline, samadhi, and wisdom (戒 定 慧) can we be free from afflictions and form good affinities with others by working to benefit them.
This is what is means to have correct religious faith, which is to practice what we learn, clearly know our missions in life, and always be willing to learn and grow.
We must always be open to learn because it is not possible to learn everything in just one lifetime.
As all Buddhist sutras teach us, we must vow to save all living beings and learn all the Dharma.
So, we must keep making great vows and be determined to carry them out.
Apart from that, we must keep learning as it’s not possible to learn all the Dharma in just one lifetime.
I am very grateful to all our Tzu Chi volunteers overseas for following Tzu Chi’s spirit and ideals and living them out in their countries of residence.
Indeed, one seed can give rise to innumerable seeds.
All it takes is for everyone to be inspires and make vows that benefit others.
Here in Taiwan, there are many Tzu Chi volunteers who can help and work together with one another to carry out the work we do.
It is my hope that everyone in the world can hear and see the work we do and be inspired, so that everyone can give rise to love and come together to do good, thereby helping to quell disasters in the world.
When everyone shares the same love and goodness, such sincere piety can resonate to reach all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Everyone, please work hard to inspire love in people.
To save the world, we must start with purifying people’s hearts and minds as the power of the mind is indeed great.
So, everyone, please be mindful at all times.
(Source: Da Ai TV 人間菩提)
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