20140104虔誠戒慎齊祝福 Lessons from the Tragic Stories of Syrian Refugees
Here in Taoyuan, I see that you are volunteers from all different functional groups yet together, you display such unity and order I’m thankful to our documenting volunteers for bringing us this genuine view of goodness and beauty by working together sincerely for this effort I must also say special thanks to the volunteers here responsible for cleaning and meals.
The reason our Jing Si Hall can remain so clean is because of the contributions of all our cleaning volunteers I also thank our culinary volunteers who support our many major events. Gathered here today are volunteers serving in all different capacities in Tzu Chi. Thank you for each doing your part with love.
Traveling this time to continue holding our Year-end Blessings Ceremonies, at every ceremony, I’ve seen everyone in such unity and order. Everyone shares the same heart of kindness I really saw the goodness and beauty in Taiwan. Taiwan is truly blessed. Such beauty and goodness of Taiwan’s people really inspires admiration. Every day, we can see many people being living bodhisattvas going to people’s aid.
In our video reviewing the year 2013, we saw for January 2013, Jordan received an influx of Syrian refugees due to the ongoing war in Syria. Every single day, countless families lose their loved ones due to the conflict. This is what happens when society loses peace and security. It is all because some people’s minds are not peaceful. Since two years ago, Syrian refugees have continually fled to Jordan.
When our volunteers from Jordan returned to Taiwan, they‘d have tears in thir eyes as they described how the refugees escaped from Syria. Some refugees took their family and fled. With bullets being fired at them when fleeing, they narrowly avoided being gunned down. However, those who were shot far outnumbered the ones who escaped. So, it is truly a bloody journey for the refugees. Recently, a Tzu Chi Commissioner from Jordan came back and shared what she had witnessed.
Actually she is not Jordanian. She is Palestinian. More than 40 years ago, she was also a refugee. She fled to Jordan and was granted asylum there. So, she is able to stay in Jordan. Her mother, however, ended up living in Australia. Several years ago, she went to Australia to visit her mother who lives by herself. It turned out that our volunteers there often visit and care for her mother because our local volunteers regularly care for the elderly who live by themselves as well as people in hardship.
As a daughter visiting from Jordan, she couldn’t believe there was such a nice group whose volunteers have been caring for her mother for a long time despite being of no relation to her. She was very moved and asked our volunteers: “Do you have Tzu Chi in Jordan?” They replied: “We do. We have a volunteer, Ji Hui,” “who is in charge of Tzu Chi in Jordan”
After she returned to Jordan, she went to find our volunteer Ji Hui. Ji Hui introduced Tzu Chi to her and told her that Tzu Chi originated from Taiwan started by members saving coins in bamboo coin banks to do charity work, etc. He told her a lot about Tzu Chi, how volunteers willingly go to help others and seek nothing in return, even paying for the expenses to go there themselves.
Though Ji Hui spoke a lot to her about Tzu Chi, she still didn’t quite understand it. A few days later, a bomb explosion occurred at a large hotel in Jordan, causing many casualties and injuries. Ji Hui quickly called the local volunteers there together to give care to the affected. They visited the injured at the hospital to give them care and comfort. That was the first time she really participated in Tzu Chi’s service work.
She went to care for the injured, reaching out to comfort people unrelated to her. When she was hugging them, the thought came to her: “Thought these people are strangers to me,” “I can have such love for them” “When I’m caring for them,” “I also feel loved by them” “It is a wonderful feeling”
After that, she joined Tzu Chi and became a volunteer. Now she is caring for the Syrian refugees in Jordan. When she came back this time, she shared a story with me. At that critical time, doctors quickly performed surgery to deliver the baby right after the mother passed away. When the baby was delivered his whole body was swollen.
They quickly placed the baby in an incubator and cared for him for several days. For three days, no one came to claim this baby. Our Jordan volunteer, Lily, has a daughter who had been married over 10 years but had no children. She really wanted a child. So, she made a formal request to adopt the child.
When the doctor gave her the child, he said: “Congratulations,” “this child is a gift to you from Allah” That was how the life of this child was saved in the midst of such violence and bloodshed. All in all, isn’t this all due to people’s hearts being out of balance and harmony? We must understand that what a society truly needs is peace and stability it truly needs for its citizens to have peacefulness of heart.
Only when people’s hearts stay calm and harmonious can society truly have peace. Everyone, in this new year, may all of you stay safe and well and grow in blessings and wisdom. That will take true action in cultivating blessings and wisdom. At the same time, please pray very sincerely for the world to be free of crisis while you also make a personal prayer for the direction of your own life.
Having so many people praying together adds strength to our prayers. So, everyone, at every moment, we need to be grateful for all the circumstances that have allowed us to be safe and well and face everything that comes with a heart of piety, discipline, and prudence to usher in a future of hope. My sincere best wishes to everyone.
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