20141024安忍如地能承載Spreading Love in South Africa
We see our Tzu Chi volunteers in South Africa and how they carry out charity work there, although most of them are poor. Tzu Chi started in South Africa with a few Taiwanese businesspeople. But see how they’ve inspired so many locals to become our volunteers.
Now, there are over 8,000 Tzu Chi volunteers there. But South Africa is vast and many people there are in need of aid. Our Zulu volunteers are very receptive to Tzu Chi’s teachings and they truly know my heart. They understand love is the source of their spiritual wealth. Although they’re materially poor, every one of them is spiritually rich.
They go everywhere and readily give of their love to care for the suffering. This is what they do together with one heart. Although they’re far away from me, their hearts are very close to mine. See how they carry out our work in many places in Africa.
In July, our volunteers in Durban, including Mr. Pan and our Zulu volunteers, went to Port Elizabeth and two other towns to share Tzu Chi with people and visit the needy there. In September, seven of our Zulu volunteers went again to bring aid to those in need. For one trip, they had to drive over 1,000 km.
This time, Mr. Pan didn’t go with them, so they relied on a GPS navigation device for directions. But they forgot to activate it and got confused by it. So, they started to argue which was the right way to go and got lost.
They set off early in the morning, but they got lost and wasted so much time and gas. So, they got angry with one another. When they finally found the right way, they drove past their destination by a long distance. At the time, it was already dark. They were in the middle of nowhere and it was pitch dark so they started to ponder what to do next.
Then, they remembered what I said about how we should take good care of our minds. It dawned on them that they got lost because their hearts were not united as one. Having realized that, they knew they shouldn’t get angry with one another, but should open their hearts to talk to one another. So, they started to discuss what to do next and drove to a gas station for help.
At the gas station, they asked an employee for directions. The employee kindly showed them how to set the GPS navigation device. Finally, they headed in the right direction and arrived at their destination at 11.30 pm. Early next morning, they watched my talk and shared their thoughts with one another.
Then, they wrote down in their journals what happened yesterday, how they repented for forgetting my teachings at the time and getting angry with one another, etc. Their journals are very touching. In my heart, each one of them is a precious black pearl and very endearing to me.
In Port Elizabeth, they gave out blankets at a church, which is very shabby. The wind kept blowing in and the rain leaked from the roof and walls. See how they had to work in such crude conditions. Before distributing the blankets to people, they shared with them that Tzu Chi was founded in Taiwan and how it started with scarce resources.
They also shared with people that the blankets were made from recycled PET bottles and encouraged them to recycle.
Some locals asked if our Zulu volunteers are church ministers. Our volunteers told them that they are not church ministers, but Tzu Chi volunteers. Then, they shared with the locals the pure, enlightened love of Bodhisattvas in Buddhism.
When the locals wondered why they came to the church if they are not Christian, our volunteers replied “Church is inside everyone’s hearts and we’re the church in action. This is how religions should respect and love one another. Such is the spirit of religion.
See, they are indeed full of wisdom. Why were they born in South Africa? I believe that they must have vowed to be born there. So, when they came across Tzu Chi, they were inspired to help the needy at once. It’s not easy for them to do Tzu Chi’s work there. When claiming the rice sent from Taiwan, they even had to unload every bag of rice for customs inspection.
They moved the rice bag by bag as requested and due to their sincerity, they were finally able to pass the customs.
Despite the obstacle they encountered, they moved on to give out the rice in good spirits. They were not frustrated at all. See how they bear adversity with calmness. They’re truly as calm and forbearing as Mother Earth. Hasn’t Mother Earth kept being harmed and wounded by man? See how much harm we’ve done to the Earth.
But see how tolerant and forbearing she is and how she continues to sustain our lives. Buddha and Bodhisattvas are also the same. Even in the face of adversity, they remain calm and endure everything.
See how our Zulu volunteers make do with scarce resources and practice forbearance when faced with obstacles. They are truly more remarkable and have more wisdom than many people in Taiwan. They can tell true from wrong and won’t get blinded by rhetoric. Even though they got angry with one another, they calmed down to think and realized that they shouldn’t forget my teachings but should work in unity. It’s truly very moving to see.
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