20130923 敬愛天地共生息Living Each Day With Gratitude
In the aftermath of this typhoon, we truly gave much to be grateful about. We saw how the repair staff from the power company climbed the high power poles in the wind and rain. Seeing them do such hard and dangerous work in the midst of the rain to provide us with electricity, I really admire them and have to pay them my respects. I am very grateful to them.
We also saw that in the mountains, there were landslides and rockfalls. But we could still see the road repair crew brave the wind and rain to clear and repair the roads. They are truly unsung heroes. In life, when we have access to power, we take it for granted. When we can travel the roads, we think it is just as it should be. But we need to understand how any people’s blood, sweat and tears went into making it possible for us to travel the roads with ease.
Truly, everyone, when you’re living your everyday life, having access to all the resources you need, be grateful for it. We all need to be grateful in order to understand the principles of life. If we don’t have gratitude, that means we are deluded and ignorant, thinking that everything comes naturally. With that mentality, are already going astray.
This time, with Typhoon Usagi, we have to be very grateful. The typhoon had many people very worried I don’t know worried all of you were. But I was very worried because the forecast warned of very strong impact at the time of our major events. One of the events was the service for our silent mentors when we paid last respects to our body donors at the end of the surgical simulation program that their donation had made possible. So, it’s a very important event.
Also, we were celebrating years of Tzu Chi’s bone marrow program. There were overseas bone marrow recipients who came with their whole family to express their gratitude to the donors. In addition, we have our 15th annual TIMA convention. These three major events brought a lot people together. Just for TIMA convention, more than 500 attendees came to participate.
However, we have over 600 supporting volunteers in Taiwan who came to help. After the completion of all events, on Sunday, many shared their experiences. Everyone was very moved I hope all they had seen and experienced can be well-documented because every TIMA member in every country is full of the power of love. This is what is happening in our times. If we can record such beautiful life stories, they will be a treasury with eternal value.
So, I was very touched and very grateful. But, at the same time, I was also very nervous and worried because the typhoon, with its heavy wind and rain, might disrupt transportation systems. We had over 1,000 people gathered at our Jing Si Hall in Hualien who needed to leave after the convention’s closing ceremony.
Some had international flights to catch to return to their home country while our volunteers from all across Taiwan also needed to return home. See, so many people had to travel home. How to arrange for the transportation while ensuring everyone’s safety?
During those days, I was truly very worried. But when the typhoon’s center with winds akin to a category 5 hurricane was getting close to Taiwan, the typhoon suddenly veered slightly south of its original projected path, so the strongest winds remained offshore. We truly need to be very, extremely grateful. We need be profoundly thankful that winds of such intensity were unleashed offshore, over the strait. So, the land areas were able to remain safe. We really need to be grateful.
Every day, I express my gratitude. This gratefulness never leaves me in daily life. Also, we are very blessed that such heavy rainfall ended up falling over four days instead of one.We could also see how Tzu Chi volunteers went to give care after the storm, it was very heart-warming.
We also saw that a large group of soldiers already started to clean up a school so that the students could go to school today as usual. Even the chemical corps has been mobilized to disinfect the flooded areas. It looks like precautions are being taken to ensure everyone’s health, so that after recovery, everyone can go back to their regular life.
Indeed, being able to go about our lives is very important. But, being able to live in peace and safety is even more important.We see Tzu Chi volunteers who, besides tending to their fields, also protect the environment. Look at our volunteer Mr. Zhong. He is rice farmer, but he is still involved in Tzu Chi’s work. He lives a simple life and is very happy. See how he lives in a house made with bamboo wattle and daub walls. He is very content and lives a good life.
Farmers need to work out in the sun. Even on typhoon days, we still need to go out and check that the ridges between the fields don’t collapse. The life of a farmer won’t be very prosperous as we don’t earn much profit, but I feel that having enough money to get by is good enough. My wife says that having a house to love in is good enough, there’s no need to renovate it. Though it’s not in prime condition, this wattle and daub house won’t collapse either. So, I’m very content living in such a house.
There’s our volunteer Minghua. You see, she’s also very happy and is always smiling. I have a full trolley loaded with recyclables. Do you invite your neighbors to do recycling? Seeing me working so happily an this, they come on their own to help. Here, I’ll swing it. Swing. Who made this? Me. Grandma. Grandma made this. This is made from a second-hand chair. second-hand chair.
She works in the field and also does recycling work. People at the recycling station all say good words about her all say good words about her. If she has time, she’ll play with her grandson. See how happy and carefree she is. There’s no need to love in luxury or earn a lot of money. You see how people all praise her and like her. It’s because she’s always praising others and she likes everyone.
That’s why she’s always smiling. Her joy comes from her heart. Seeing them so happy, we are happy too. Doesn’t happiness come about this way? It comes from broadening our heart.In a work, the power of love can bring boundless happiness and peace.
首頁 