20130924 啟發心靈的財富 Relieving Suffering by Inspiring Love in People
Please thake this and come this way
This Jing Si Aphorism says a lot about you. That’s right.
“Serve joyfully and willingly.” That’s you. This one is perfect for you. Keep it safe. This is exactly what I do.
The script of our life is composed by ourselves. In our past lives, with our words, deeds, the karmic affinities we formed with other people, etc., we had written the scripts for our future lives.
That’s why the Buddha teaches us the karmic law of cause and effect to reveal life’s truths to us. Sometimes, many of us do not understand how suffering comes into being. Indeed, life is filled with much suffering and there are many people suffering in the world. Because of that, the Buddha came to this world to awaken us to life’s truths and to teach us to take good care of our hearts and minds.
We see Mr. Yan in Xiamen, China He is 72 years old. He was very filial to his mother. Once, I wanted to go to Guizhou to work, but my mom cried every day. So, I stayed with her. Their family was poor. In his mother’s old age, he moved into a nursing home with her to keep her company.
As Tzu Chi volunteers often go to the nursing home to care for the people there, he’s learned about Tzu Chi’s humble beginning. After years of interacting with our volunteers, his love has been inspired and he began to save a little every day to donate to Tzu Chi to help others.
After his mother passed away, he started serving people in the nursing home alongside Tzu Chi volunteers. Although he is in his seventies, he is still healthy and can help others.
I try to save as much money as I can to help the needy. There are far too many needy people around the world I know Tzu Chi is really helping people. There’s no doubt about that. So, I also want to dedicate my life to helping people.
One of his relatives, Miaozhu, was also sent to the nursing home after a car accident that paralyzed her lower body. After the accident, she shut herself off from the outside world. However, our volunteers often encouraged and cared for her. Mr. Yan also invite her to volunteer with Tzu Chi. So now, she has opened up and began to serve as our volunteer.
We shouldn’t underestimate ourselves because everyone has unlimited potential. I want to help the needy, too.
Seeing our volunteers in Xiamen, China, I am truly very moved. Before Typhoon Usagi
approached, they visited many families and cautioned them to take precautions.
If floods come, please stay on the bed and be careful.
We also see how mindfully they trained volunteers on how to interact with the elderly.
If I stand like this, how is he going to talk to me? Would it be better if we kneel down like
this? Yes. When we bring food to them, don’t do this. Kneel down. Many elderly people
will complain a lot of things to you. You can comfort them, but most importantly, you
should listen patiently. Don’t interrupt them.
Living in this world, this is how we should walk the Bodhisattva Path by reaching out to
the suffering to serve them so that we can feel what it’s like to go to people’s aid in their
times of need. And, seeing how those we help or support can walk out from the darkness
of despair, we’ll be ever so happy. This is the way of living bodhisattvas.
And this is what everyone can do. As long as we have the will, there is nothing we cannot
Achieve. The only difference lies in what we choose to do. When we do good, we can
benefit humanity. If we do bad, we’ll bring disaster to the world.
So, if every one of us can start with taking good care of our own hearts and minds, live in
harmony with one another, give of ourselves with love, and go amongst the suffering to
care for them as if they were our family, there’ll be much warmth in this world.
This time, we are very grateful that Typhoon Usagi didn’t bring much disaster to Taiwan.
In Taidong, the hot spring area of Zhiben was affected by flooding Tzu Chi volunteers
quickly distributed supply packs and cash to those affected, but many donated the
money back to us. Seeing how Taiwan is relatively safe from the typhoon and how loving
people are, we truly need to be grateful.
Yet, things were not so fortunate in the Philippines. When the typhoon passed by, it
weakened some areas. So, when torrential rains hit yesterday, landslides were triggered.
See how the imbalance in the water element of Nature can lead to extreme disasters.
Some places suffer from severe drought while other places are affected by torrential
rains, which flood many homes, cause landslides, and damage mountains. All these can
bring suffering to people.
Yet, although some people suffer a lot as they live in poverty and misfortunes befall them
one after another, they are still able to fulfill their duty in life, give of themselves with love,
and willingly endure the suffering they go through.
Mr. Yan is one such example. Fortunately, he encountered Tzu Chi and has been
relieved from poverty. He has been relieved from not only material poverty, but also
spiritual suffering, as he can now put his life into good use.
This requires people to interact with them. When they open their hearts, their spiritual
suffering will be relieved and they can lead a beautiful life. This is indeed very touching.
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