Date: August 28th,2010 (Saturday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Praying for the Flood Affectees in Pakistan 凝聚心力募虔誠
Every day, we see the plight of the flood affectees in Pakistan.
Their sufferingand what they’re enduring, none of us can truly understand and appreciate whatthey’re going through.
This is because we live in a peaceful and blessed place so we cannotappreciate what they’re going through.
Everyday, I’m veryconcerned about them.
When it rains there,it is as though I’m getting wet as well and struggling in the floodwater, just like them.
When they call out for help, who can reach them to help?
Though there are people who want to help them, there are many challenged and obstacles, such asmudslides, and destroyed bridges and roads.
Even if people want to help, it’s very dangerous and difficult to reach the people in need.
There’s also the threat from terrorists.
The news reported that the Taliban in Pakistan have warned against accepting international aid and might attack foreign aid workers.
This is very worrying. When the mentality of a small group of people is not upright and they have power and the means to carry out their wishes, then, a lot of sufferingwill be created.
See, humanitarian groups wishing to help are in a very difficult position.
But we can see the great suffering of children, women and others.
They are allinnocent. It is truly heartrending.
If people’s heartscan become peaceful, then empathy for other’s suffering will arise.
Then, they will feel grateful at the prospect of aid from foreigners.
When foreigners bring forth their love and come together to help, and distribute aid widely in anorderly way, then the disaster can eventually pass.
But this is difficult now because of the mentality of a few.
In a word, the people in Pakistan truly suffer greatly.
With their collective karma, they’ve been born in a place continually threatened by both natural and manmade disasters.
Yet, we also see howwonderful life can be in a harmonious society.
In Taiwan, prior to the seventh month of the Chinese calendar, we’ve been making efforts to correct people’s misperception and turn “Ghost Month” into a month of auspiciousness.
How to create auspiciousness?
By abstaining from meat and not taking life not slaughtering animals.
We encourage everyone to eat vegetarian.
At the same time, we are also inspiring people to harbor a heart of gratitude, so that people can be grateful to one another, and respect and love each another.
Such is the heart of gratitude.
This is what we’re doing during “Ghost Month” to change people’s superstitions.
We also see that that for Muslims, the Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan, began on August 11.
The meaning behind this month of fasting is to purify one’s heart and mind and practice spiritually.
Usually, the mind is very restless and unruly.
The observances during Ramadan are a way to practice self-restraint and to remind oneself to self-reflect.
Just as in Buddhism, we speak of “great repentance”.
It is to reflect on ourselves and to quickly repent our wrongs.
Ramadan has asimilar meaning.
It also trains one’s willpower because for the entire month of Ramadan, from dawn to sunset, Muslims cannot eat or even drink water.
They can only eat after sunset. This trains one’s willpower.
So, their month of fasting is a kind of wholesome practice.
But now that is the Islamic month of fasting and some of the flood affectees in Pakistan are devout Muslims, ever since the disaster happened on July 29, the people have had little to eat. Though they can treat it as fasting for Ramadan and bear with fasting during the day, yet even after sunset, they have nothing to eat. Their suffering is truly great.
Mrs. Pi Bi: Wehave no food to eat now but it is Ramadan, so, as Muslims, we will fast.
It is heartbreaking to see their predicament.
In Taiwan, we’re calling on people to go meatless.
Living in a safeand peaceful place of abundance, we urge people to become vegetarian and not to be superstitious.
We encourage people to save the money they spend on paper money and donate it to charities instead to help the poor or disaster affectees.
This is so people can let go of superstitions and develop wisdom and bring forth people’s altruistic love.
But besides inspiring altruistic love, we hope everyone can pray sincerely and pray for a quick end to the monsoon season, so that the rain can stop, floodwaters can recede, and the roads can be cleared in Pakistan, so we can quickly prepare to help them.
We also pray that all the local people can have hearts of goodness and love and have compassion for disaster affectees so aid workers can be safe and aid can smoothly reach affectees.
Otherwise, as concerned as we are, if we cannot reach the affectees, we can’t do much to help.
So, people’s hearts must be pacified first. Therefore,we need everyone to pray sincerely.
Indeed, we mustpray for them.
As long as people have hearts of love, the disaster can pass quickly.
In aword, such things are not impossible to accomplish.
As long as people’s hearts can be pacified and their love can be inspired, I believethe situation can be changed.
Eventually, oneday, their situation will improve.
(Source:Da Ai TV 人間菩提)
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