20200106和合供養報師恩Working in Unity and Harmony with Love is the Greatest Offering
Let us send off the old year and welcome the new, and be grateful to each day that has gone by; let us piously welcome a peaceful and auspicious new year. I am grateful, and my gratitude is endless. Seeing several principals on stage, I was very happy.
I’m Jiang Bizhu, I retired from the Nantou Elementary School. On August 23, 1999, I became the principal of the Nantou Elementary School. In less than a month, we experienced a huge disaster. I recall, very vividly, on November 30, Master came to the Nantou Elementary School, and wanted to know how we were, being in the tents.
Very kindly, Master told me: Principal, don’t worry, Tzu Chi will help you. On December 19, at the hand-over ceremony for the temporary classrooms, Vice President Lin officially announced the continuation of Project Hope for the Nantou Elementary School. The students and the teachers were all very excited; the children were leaping in the air, because we truly saw hope.
Indeed, Tzu Chi gave us hope for the future. Then, in less than two years, the construction of the whole school was completed. The new, strong, and elegant school buildings are to stay with our students, and they went to class happily.
I’m Xu Kunlong, a retired principal. Twenty years ago, 921 Earthquake happened. My school was the biggest school in town, and most of charity organization did not adopt the big schools perhaps due to their budgets. I was very anxious; with a special affinity, I was able to meet with Master.
I’m grateful to Master for agreeing to help build Yan Feng Elementary School. During the reconstruction period, I saw many Tzu Chi volunteers, including those from Tzu Chi Teachers’ Association, came to volunteer at my school so selflessly. At that time, I thought: I am truly touched; I will motivate myself with this feeling.
So, with determination, I decided to retire on February 1 of 2004. I immediately went to the Tzu Chi office in Caotun to become a volunteer. I went to learn; then, I took the training courses. I came to grow with all the Tzu Chi volunteers.
After the 921 earthquake, If we had not rebuilt the schools in time, who knows how long it would drag on? Students’ academic years won’t wait. I saw the principals bearing witness rebuilding project on stage. So, everything is achieved through time. Merits are achieved by going amongst people. When we serve amongst people with aspiration and devotion, we are mindfully cultivating ourselves.
When we have courage to go amongst people and create blessings in society, we are developing virtues. When we give of ourselves without asking anything in return and still express our gratefulness, we gain both merits and virtues. With no intention of seeking anything in return, Tzu Chi volunteers helped people in suffering and accomplished the rebuilding project for society.
They serve without seeking anything and still express gratitude. This is great merits and virtues. There are some volunteers here who took part in Tzu Chi projects. Theirs efforts are meaningful things they have achieved in life. So, we must not miss the opportunity of doing something meaningful in life.
During the tour for the past 10-plus days, I have seen and met Tzu Chi volunteers every day. They are true living bodhisattvas who are kindhearted and do good deeds. It has been 54 years since Tzu Chi began with a few volunteers Saving 50 NT cents every day to help the needy.
Now, Tzu Chi has brought aid relief to 100 countries and regions, Tzu Chi has taken on aid projects now, meanwhile, there are flood, wildfires, and earthquake disasters taking place, which has caused serious damage to several countries.
Look at the extreme climate in our world now. People may say, I live in safety and piece every day, there is no disaster occurring around me. I’d like to remind everyone. We all live on the same planet Earth and stand on the same piece of land. The air we breathe in comes from the same sky. All lives on earth co-exist together.
The bushfires in Australia have kept on burning and forcing people to take refuge on nearby seaside towns or beaches, take refuge on nearby coastal towns or beaches, so military ships and helicopters are called in to help rescue people. This is life’s impermanence.
Nature is truly powerful and should never be underestimated by humans. Now we rely on people giving timely love. We need to create blessings for this world with sincere Great love. Our Tzu Chi Foundation spends the donations it received with its volunteers devoting themselves to serve the community.
No matter how many volunteers go to the Abode, monastics at the Abode are very happy. Tzu Chi is a big family; it’s a global family. When a lot of Tzu Chi volunteers from around the world go to the Abode, this big family, I’m very happy, and the monastics at the Abode are even happier.
Tzu Chi volunteers of Taichung often go to the Abode to help the monastics with farm work, such as weeding, picking up grass clippings, and growing rice. They often have a small group of volunteers go to the Abode to help out with tasks. I regard this as volunteers returning home to help. When it’s busy time for farm work and volunteers return to help with the work, it’s very heartwarming.
I like seeing the sincere love of a big family. When they go to the Abode and work on the farm, They are in touch with the land and talk to the land. I often hear them tell me they will spend a certain number of days at the Abode. If I have time, I would listen to them share their insights helping out at the Abode.
When they used the hoe and hit a rock, they gained insights on the Dharma. They hear monastics telling them how they integrate Dharma in their work. While doing farm work, their action caused one object to hit another. This would give them insights into the Dharma. This makes me the happiest because they have taken my words to heart and have use it in daily life.
This is the greatest offering to me. When people work in unity and harmony with love, that’s the greatest offering to me. When I see volunteers working in unity and harmony with love, I’m full of joy. This is the greatest offering to me.
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