20131219重建希望志堅韌 Rebuilding Hope after Disaster
WE see in the news that Syrian refugees are suffering from freezing cold and snow due to a winter storm. It’s been about two years since these refugees escaped from Syria. The tents they live in are tattered. They’ve gone through heat from the scorching sun in summertime and freezing cold in the harsh winter.
How are they to endure the current bitter winter? Their living conditions are like a frozen hell. These refugees are truly going through unspeakable misery. In the news, we also see clashes in South Sudan in Africa. Gun battles have been going on for several days now.
Under the threat of such gunfire, residents live in constant terror. How do they get through their days? Their suffering must be acute. So, every day, we need to cherish our days of peace and security and be grateful every day that we are safe and well.
So, being safe and well, we need to cherish it. Being safe and well, we need to be grateful and be grateful to one another and care for one another for that is what makes our life blessed? We also need to have empathy for others. What is empathy? It is to be with others in their time of need. We need to understand their hardships and really care about what they feel and bring our hearts close to theirs.
Only then can we begin to understand their pain. We really need to put ourselves in their shoes so that we can feel for their suffering just as if it were our own. This is the compassion of loving everyone as ourselves. For our Philippine Typhoon Haiyan Yolanda disaster relief this time, Tzu Chi volunteers from eight countries went to the disaster area to provide aid.
Of course, our main force is our local Philippines volunteers. Our next biggest frontline support to them is our volunteers from Taiwan. Six teams went there, one after another, to help out. Over the past 40 days, we had sent six teams there. Some volunteers had stayed in the disaster area from the beginning until yesterday, when our disaster relief phase came to an end.
Though the relief phase came to a close with our mission fulfilled, we should be very grateful that during the disaster relief period, we were able to receive the latest accurate information and clear news footage of our disaster relief effort every day. This is all thanks to modern technology and the effort of technical personnel working behind-the-scenes to make this possible.
The president of a local telecommunication company also expressed her wish to help us. So, she had her staff set up fiber optic lines especially for us so we can transmit clearer footages of our relief efforts. I also have to thank Mr. Anthoni Salim in Indonesia for his part in helping to make this possible as he has close ties with this company.
He was very supportive and wanted to help Tzu Chi’s disaster relief effort. This is the result of wholesome affinities with people. So, on the Bodhisattva Path, we need to form wholesome affinities with people and create wholesome karma.
It’s thanks to all these wholesome affinities and karma that many people have come forward to give their support allowing this Philippine relief mission to accomplish wonderful, amazing results, not only fulfilling our objective, but doing so in a beautiful way, with many people’s goodness inspired.
There was also the help from the bank. We have to be grateful to Mr. Francis Chua, an entrepreneur in Manila. He was very mindful in helping us arrange for special payment vouchers that were redesigned and rushed for this Tzu Chi aid distribution to be printed in time to be sent to the disaster area for our distribution.
Since we were giving special vouchers, there were details the bank had to consider. So, they offered to set up their service at our distribution site so that after recipients received the voucher they could exchange it for cash on site. There were military personnel present to provide security.
However, after seeing our heartwarming distribution on the first day, the soldiers said that they have never seen such a heartwarming distribution with such orderliness and mutual gratitude. The employees from the bank also complimented on the distribution’s smoothness and orderliness. So, everyone worked very joyfully.
On the last day of distribution, our volunteers invited the soldiers, the banking clerks, the police and firefighters to participate and let them experience the feeling of giving. See how our world is truly full of love and care. It’s so wonderful to have such enlightened love in this world.
As we can see, they are restarting their lives. Their hearts have opened and they are gradually coming out of their trauma. Moreover, their hearts now have gained much contentment and gratitude. They know that as long as they are still alive, there will always be hope. So, their hearts have opened up and they’re starting anew.
What makes us happiest is seeing people with vices resolving to change. Because of their contact with Tzu Chi during this period and the volunteers’ very sincere and loving care, they have resolved to give up their vices such as smoking, drinking, gambling, etc.
Many people are seeking to turn over a new leaf. So, we see them revitalized and ready to rebuild their lives and the happiest thing is their internal renewal and vow to change and start anew. May they be able to rebuild their community and live their in peace, with heart and sincerity, making it a wonderful place of goodness and hope.
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