Date: August 27th,2010 (Friday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Finding Spiritual Wealth by Giving with Love 共聚善業行正道
I often ask myself, “Why? Why? Why is it that people in the world are not equal, but instead lead very different lives from one another?”
In this world, we see how extravagantly some of the rich people lead their lives when they want new clothes they go buy them; when they crave for certain foods, without even going out to restaurant, they can get a sumptuous meal by having the freshly made hot food delivered to their homes.
That’s how many of the rich people enjoy life as if they are in paradise.
But, will such a life last forever?
The Buddha teaches us that life is short and impermanent, no mater how good our life is.
However, most people do not understand this, so they spend much of their time pursuing a materially rich life and indulging themselves in extravagance.
But, can such an extravagant life bring people true happiness?
No, it cannot.
In fact, this world we live in is filled with much suffering.
Coming to this world, no one can choose where and which family they wish to be born into.
In fact, the Buddha teaches us that this world is now where we must be able to endure suffering.
This is because in this world, there are more people suffering than those who are not, and this is all due to the bad karma people create collectively.
No one can choose where they are born or who their parents are as our fate is determined by our karma and no one can escape their karmic retribution when it comes to bear.
See how people in the impoverished areas in the Philippines suffer enough from being poor.
On top of that, they are constantly affected by fires and floods constantly affected fires and floods.
Just a few days ago, fires broke out and burned down many houses in an impoverished area affected by year-long floods.
See how a resident waded in the trash-filled waters, hoping to salvage anything he could still use.
“Can we bear to see them like that?”
“No, we can’t.”
However, here in Taiwan, we are quite far from the Philippines.
Thankfully, for many years now, Tzu Chi volunteers in the Philippines have been caring for the needy like living bodhisattvas.
Seeing how people have been affected by fires, Tzu Chi volunteers quickly reached out to provide aid and comfort to the residents.
Apart from providing material aid, they also gave comfort and support.
This is because one of the fires was so big that over 1,000 homes were burned down.
Imagine how fear-stricken the residents must be.
That is why Tzu Chi volunteers immediately went there to bring aid.
At the same time, our volunteers also shared with the residents how they can become spiritually rich.
Despite being materially poor, people can still be spiritually rich if they change their mindset.
So, our volunteers guide the residents to see that they, too, can help others.
If they make a vow to donate a little each day.
For this aid distribution, many local volunteers went to help pack relief supplies and distribute them to those affected by the fires.
These volunteers are residents of a Marikina City who had been affected by Typhoon Ketsana last year.
At the time, Tzu Chi volunteers implemented a cash-for-work program as a way to help them restore their lives.
From then till now, thousands of Ketsana survivors in Marikina City have attended training to become our volunteers.
Though they are still materially poor, the spiritual wealth they now possess has enabled them to help others in need.
At the same time, we also guide them to protect the Earth by conserving and recycling the resources they have.
When a volunteer from the Philippines, Mr. Chua, came back to Taiwan in June, he vowed to me that he’d work with others to set up recycling points in Manila.
And now, they already have 99 recycling points and three educational recycling stations.
A local Tzu Chi volunteer, Ka-Men: “My goal is to set up 100 recycling points here as there’s a much better response to recycling now. In the past, residents here didn’t bother going to the larger recycling station a little farther away. Now what we’ve set up many recycling points near each household, everyone is more willing to do recycling.”
A store owner, Nierda: “I used to sell all my cardboard for money, but after Typhoon Kestana hit and Tzu Chi came to help us, I don’t sell it anymore but donate it to Tzu Chi because Tzu Chi truly helps a lot of people. Tzu Chi’s mission is to help people, so I do all I can to help by donating cardboard to Tzu Chi.”
A local recycling volunteer, Lilibeth Bartolay: “Doing recycling has brought meaning to my life. In the past, when I was free, I’d just sit and wait for time to pass. But now, when I wake up, I think of how I can collect more recyclables.”
“We are residents of Minahan. We love the Earth, so we do recycling in our community.”
Tzu Chi volunteers even went to a mosque to express their wish to set up a recycling point in a Muslim community, and the Muslim elder happily agreed to support our effort.
See how our volunteers not only provide people with material aid, comfort and support but also inspire them to give and help others as well as do recycling as a way to save the Earth.
This is how we’ve helped turn their lives into ones of hope as they diligently give of themselves to do something meaningful.
Many have attended our volunteer training programs. See how their lives have been transformed.
From this, we can see that inspiring the poor to give of themselves isn’t impossible. It’s just that we haven’t made the effort to do it.
With the locals giving of themselves like this, they can surely benefit the Earth and help other people in need.
That’s why we must work harder to inspire more people to join our rank.
We see that recently in Taiwan, because of the seventh lunar month, Tzu Chi volunteers have been holding many prayer gatherings in the local communities.
Through these gatherings, people have come to understand why the seventh lunar month is an auspicious time and thus replaced their superstitions with correct faith and greater wisdom.
For that, I am indeed very grateful.
Without so many Tzu Chi volunteers’ efforts, how could we possibly inspire others to follow us on the path?
Everything arises form a single thought of goodness that we put into practice steadfastly.
So, everyone, please be mindful always in everything we do.
(Source: Da Ai TV 人間菩提)
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