20140119 欲調四大慎思量 To Take Disasters Seriously and Reflect Deeply
We see that California, U.S.A. has declared a drought emergency and initiated water transfers to ease shortages. On top of the water shortages, California also has forest fires that are still burning. Truly, we should learn from others’ experience. Seeing what others are going through, we really need to be on guard ourselves because as we go about our lives we aren’t aware of all the changes constantly taking place.
Such constant change in conditions is one of the sources of suffering in this world. The reason it brings suffering is that unawares, we are “using up” many things our time left on Earth, for instance, diminishes as each day passes. But, our earth’s store of water, too, is diminishing without our being aware of it. It is like the verse in our daily evening service: “We are like fish in water that’s shrinking” “What joy is there in this” Yet, we are still like oblivious children playing inside a house that’s already on fire and still not wanting to stop our play.
This is truly worrying. We mustn’t keep indulging our desires. We really should think seriously about our lifestyle and whether we are wasting resources and using more than we really need. There’s a lot that we should really think about and examine ourselves over. We really need to take it seriously. Disasters of water, fire and wind keep breaking out.
This year’s first tropical cyclone in Asia has already formed. On Friday, we held three prayer vigils with over 10,000 attendees and we have more scheduled for today I hope this tropical cyclone will not cause much impact and allow them to carry on with the prayer vigil so all attendees can pray sincerely with a repentant heart.
May all divine beings hear our prayer and help us have better weather today, so the prayer vigils can be held to inspire everyone to have a heart of piety and repentance and to begin anew. As the local typhoon survivors start their lives over, I hope they can repent for past errors and really begin anew to live a better life from now on.
This chance to start over usually comes after some kind of major life-changing event, but this time’s was truly too severe I really hope they can begin anew. Actually, a few days ago, Tzu Chi volunteers from seven countries and regions gathered in the Philippines for relief work. Since January 11, our shelter design team from Taiwan have been working hard in the rain to build temporary classrooms for the local children to study in so that they don’t need to worry about having classes while rain leaks in.
That’s why our volunteers worked in the rain to quickly finish the classrooms. They give of themselves sincerely and unconditionally with selfless Great Love to help the disaster area to recover quickly. This also counts as a kind of well-wish or prayer. We also held a free clinic there. We saw how considerate, gentle, caring, and loving our medical volunteers were.
This time, Supt. Lai of Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital led medical staff from Tzu Chi hospitals in Dalin, Taipei and Taichung and members of TIMA to participate in the relief mission. They witnessed the impact the disaster had on locals, young and old alike, especially the psychological impact which we can imagine, not to mention that these areas were poor to begin with, so people could not afford to see doctors.
So, for people with chronic illness or disability, our medical volunteers have to guide them to face their condition with a healthier outlook besides treating their physical condition. Our volunteers truly care for the people with so much love I’m truly grateful. We see the love with which everyone gives of themselves.
Moreover, our Philippine volunteers, such as Alfredo Li and Michael Siao, and other young volunteers, as well as our Tzu Chi Foundation staff Monica Sy have tended to survivors in the disaster area for more than two months, to help them recover both physically and psychologically. To help them, they really need to give the people an abundance of love give the people an abundance of love.
So, I really hope that we can finish our relief aid in Leyte in a few days smoothly. Then we can continue with our aid in other parts of the Philippines. There’s still the disaster area in Bohol affected by the recent earthquake. We still need to consider how to help with mid-and long-term needs.
Though we have distributed aid right after the quake, aid is still needed for people left without homes and damaged schools. So, we’ll need to go to Bohol again to continue our aid there. Also, in Zamboanga, the mayor has requested Tzu Chi’s help to provide 1,000 transitional shelters for people without homes.
So, this is also a heavy responsibility. These are all work we still need to carry out. Also, we see flooding in northern Indonesia. It’s the same weather system that’s causing rain in Tacloban, Philippines. Heavy rains have caused flooding and landslides in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The government and military invited Tzu Chi to provide relief there.
Yesterday, before daybreak, military aircraft transported 20 Tzu Chi volunteers and aid supplies to the disaster area. They plan to be there for five days to make disaster assessments and distribute aid. This weather system also caused flooding in Jakarta.
So, our volunteers in Jakarta have also mobilized to give aid. See how Nature’s elements are out of balance, causing a drought emergency and widespread flooding. Also, we see wildfires in Australia, just like in California, U.S.A.
Such are disasters of fire, wind, water, and earth with wildfires, storms, floods, and earthquakes happening frequently, causing devastation. With Mother Nature out of balance and our Earth being damaged, living in such times when our world is undergoing destruction, how can we not wake up to the Truth in life?
So, we really need to discipline ourselves and think more deeply about the impact of our actions on the Earth. So, let us all be mindful of what we do.
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