20160607 調和天地行三好 Instilling Wholesome Values in Others for a Harmonious World
It is truly worrying to see the widespread flooding across Australia’s east coast. As disasters keep occurring, I truly feel that time is running out. Over the past few days, there have also been earthquakes across Taiwan.
So, we should be vigilant and keep on high alert. A few days ago, it was so hot that Taipei’s June temperature record broke again at 38.7 degrees Celsius.
Last Saturday, a wildfire also broke out in the California State of the U.S., forcing 5,000 people to evacuate their homes. See how the wildfire has scorched a vast area of land in the U.S. and how the storm has caused massive flooding in Australia. Such an imbalance of Nature’s elements is posing crises to mankind. It’s truly terrifying to see widespread devastation like this.
We only have one Earth which is home to every one of us, can we bear to see disasters like this happen? It’s truly heartrending.
Indeed, for the wellbeing of our Earth, we should remain sincerely pious at all times and work harder to purify and beautify our minds.
At my Dharma talk this morning. I spoke of how the Dharma can purify our minds and better ourselves. When we take in the Dharma, we’ll speak kind words, think good thoughts, and do good deeds.
If we can share the Dharma with others and encourage more people to better themselves, I’m sure that our Earth will be in peace and harmony. Yesterday, our university of science and technology held a graduation ceremony. On September 17, 1989, our nursing school officially opened.
Later, it was renamed Tzu Chi College of Technology, and then Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology. It was Tzu Chi’s first school. When it first opened, only 107 students registered, but over 20,000 people came to give their well-wishes.
See how orderly and beautiful our students were. Some of them who marched with the school flags are nows senior nurses at our hospital in Hualien. They are graduates from our nursing school.
Last year, our nursing school was renamed Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology. See how our students performed in sync in yesterday’s graduation ceremony.
They presented a musical play on the Sutra of Profound Gratitude to Parents. See how neat and tidy they were and how well they performed onstage.
They’ve truly learned the sutra by heart that they performed so smoothly with their teachers.
During the ceremony, our school principal also reminded the students to follow true principles, respect others, speak kind words, keep love in their hearts, live a grounded life, and work hard to learn skills.
These were our school principal’s reminders and we’ve all heard his words. Our students are indeed very blessed. There’s only one graduation ceremony for every stage of learning be it elementary school, junior or senior high schools.
This is also the same for university and graduate education. That’s why graduation ceremonies at our schools are very dignified and well-organized.
We also see Guan-rong, a nurse at our hospital in Hualien. She is a graduate of our university of science and technology and has been serving at our hospital for four years. Upon her graduation, she began to serve at our hospital. She’s very kind-hearted.
Although she doesn’t talk much, she is hardworking and loving. Her mother is one of our medical volunteers. So, Guan-rong often goes to underprivileged villages to hold free clinics with our medical volunteers. She even travels as far away as Taiwan’s offshore islands to serve.
See how she gives with love and dedication. She gave proper chest compressions to the injured. She even helped us to use the AED machine. Without her help, a life wouldn’t have been saved. So, we really appreciate her help.
I saw the man’s face had turned dark. So, I started CPR and tried to save his life. I asked if she felt hot kneeling on the ground. She didn’t even care. She only wanted to save the man as much as she could. She put what she’d learned into practice and saved the man’s life. It wasn’t until the ambulance arrived that she left the scene of accident.
She didn’t mention it at all. Later, when I saw the news, I realized what she’d done and how she’d saved the man’s life. This is truly a very touching story. There’s also one thing I’m very grateful for. Yesterday in Eslite Bookstore, we held a book launch for our two new books published by Commonwealth Publishing Group.
One is a photo book of me and the other is on our work of love over the past half century. We share one common wish with Tzu Chi---By publishing the books under our publishing house, we hope to spread Tzu Chi’s ideals, spirits and stories so they can be read not only by Tzu Chi members, but by Chinese-speaking communities worldwide.
Tzu Chi is the most valuable brand in Taiwan. From a management perspective, its ability to mobilize its volunteers is second to no other enterprise worldwide.
For the past 50 years, Tzu Chi has brought positive influences to Taiwan. Tzu Chi volunteers bring warmth and love to people. Wherever there are suffering and disasters, they’ll always be the first to respond.
I’m thankful for Tzu Chi’s dedication over the past 50 years. I hope in the coming 50 years, Tzu Chi can guide more people to gain joy and happiness. Seeing that the room was packed with many well-cultured people, I’m truly very grateful.
There are indeed many things to be grateful for. In all, we must spread wholesome teachings and encourage more people to do good.