20140106發願投入莫遲疑 To Act as a Good Role Model
I’m willing to take on the responsibility. That is the way to inspire others so that together, we can follow Master closely. Master has paved for us a big and broad path. We should take it instead of the twisty paths. So, I hope we can be more mindful in walking this big main road paved by Master.
This elderly volunteer is so brave in willingly taking on the role of Xie-li team leader at the age of 84. By doing so, those younger than her will be shocked and compelled not to sit back and she will also set a good example for others. We need such a role model as her for people to learn to take on responsibility and learn to act as a role model for others. She is a very good role model. Actually, being advanced in age means one has rich life experience Also, as we advance in age, we should give of ourselves more to seize the limited time we have left.
Yesterday, I heard from an elderly volunteer who’d originally planned to join Tzu Chi at age 82. But, he thought: I am at such an old age. What can I do if I join Tzu Chi? Such hesitation caused him to delay joining and now he is 90 years old. He only just finished his first phase of volunteer training and will begin his training for certification.
I told him that he is not the oldest person volunteering I just certified a volunteer in Taipei who is 84, still in good health, and stands up very straight. Take me, for instance. I don’t think I am old. However, I can’t do much about my physical condition. That’s why I often say that my legs don’t listen to me when I’m walking. So, we should really cherish the time we have and use this very moment wisely to give of ourselves in order to accomplish our mission. Don’t let our lives go by in vain. Our human life is a rare opportunity that’s hard to come by. So, we should make the most of it.
People write by holding a penbetween their two fingersI write by holding a pen between two toes. There’s no big difference. It’s just that people are not used to writing with their feet, so they think it’s hard and tiring. But, we have unlimited potential. We really should not underestimate our abilities, but we mustn’t be conceited either.
This young man was born without arms. Though he doesn’t have his two hands, he is very bright. Ever since he was little, he was a very good student. But when he graduated high school, his adoptive parents did not have much money so he was very worried about not being able to go to college. Tzu Chi volunteers in Penang found out about him and helped him with tuition aid.
After starting college, he also joined our Tzu Chi Collegiate Assn. He was very active and involved. When he was about to graduate, our volunteer Ji Hang told him: Don’t worry, just study hard. When you graduate, come report to the Tzu Chi office. What kind of work was offered? Computer work. He uses his feet to type and to do video editing.
Last August, he and other volunteers came to Hualien. They were talking about learning the Dharma I asked him if he listened to my. I asked him if he listened to my live Dharma talk in he morning. He quickly stood up and came to my side. He said, Master, I must repent, I have not yet started. I said to him: How can you not attend the Dharma talk? He said, Starting today, I will. When I get back, I will srart listening to you live Dharma talk every morning.
Then, around a month or so later, when Ji Hang returned to the Abode to discuss the various Tzu Chi work they were doing there, afterwards, I asked him about this young man who had vowed to attend my morning Dharma talk. Did he really? Ji Huang replied, Yes, he does. He asked me to bring this to you Ji Hang then showed me this young man’s notebook. Because he has no arms, he uses his foot to take notes. His notes were written very neatly. He really is very mindful in learning.
For people attending my Dharma talk via videoconferencing, since last January, the accumulated attendance worldwide totaled more than 405,800. Of course, by area, Taiwan has the greatest number of attendees with an accumulated attendance of more than 357,000.
So, every day, with everyone so mindful and sincerely diligent in taking in the Dharma, it makes me feel that no matter how much hard work it entails, how cold the weather is , or how unwell I feel, even if I’m suffering a cough or other ailments, I’d feel that with so many people all gathered together in that moment, and with this opportunity to share the Dharma with volunteers worldwide, how can I rest and not come out to give a talk?
To speak on the Dharma, listeners are required. So, I really have to thank all my disciples. In the Buddha’s time, for the Buddha to speak on the Dharma, some conditions needed to first be met, such as there needing to be listeners. Now, so many people are listening worldwide, so as to have an accumulated attendance of over 400,000. This really makes me very grateful. So, though I’m getting old and my stamina and health are not as good as before, I still insist on giving the Dharma talks.
Seeing you using our Jing Si e-book device, I’m very moved. But, I have to tell you that eventually, we will all need to use the e-book device. So, I hope your can all learn to use it because when using the paper donation book to record donations, every year, we need change to a new book and it takes trucks to deliver all the new books needed. Do you know much paper is used for all these donation books? It’s not very environmentally friendly.
Moreover, Taiwan now has a very strict law protecting individuals’ personal information. So, we have to be extra careful to protect our donors’ information. But most importantly, Tzu Chi’s news and articles, and many articles containing good teachings such as my Dharma talks or many books including ones no longer in print can be accessed no our e-book device. As long as you have this e-book device, you can deepen your understanding of our values.
Most importantly, information gets posted very quickly. Every morning, after I give my talk at the Morning Volunteer Assembly, an article on my talk is posted on the same day. Moreover, Tzu Chi activities and world news are posted the day after they are collected. In the e-book device, we also have news reports from several newspapers.
Furthermore, it has the read-aloud feature. Sometimes, when I am preparing my morning Dharma talk, I have the e-book, device read out the news reports to me. So, I know the news without needing to read it I need to prepare my daily morning Dharma talk and write down my talk points on PowerPoint slides.I need to do that myself. While I’m preparing my talk, I can listen to the news report on the device I feel it is very useful to me.
Everyone, I’m truly grateful to our senior volunteers, who, in their old age, are very mindful in learning and using it. How about the rest of us? So, with this Jing Si e-book device, we can have access to news around the world and with this small, lightweight device, we can also nurture our wisdom-life.
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