20180214發揮生命的價值Living Out the Value of Our Lives by Helping Those in Most Urgent Need
The earthquake struck at 11:50 p.m. (on Feb. 6). By 12 o’clock, off-duty staff members at our emergency operations center had all been called back. By 00:10, our emergency department had activated its mass causally response mechanism. We conduct mass casualty drills every year lest a mass casualty incident like this should happen one day.
Our hospital in Hualien is a stronghold to safeguard people’s health and lives especially when a disaster strikes. Thanks to our hospital, which is a quake-resistant building, we can save lives without worries.
We see that staff of our hospital in Hualien have truly been of great help in the aftermath of the strong quake this time. They’ve seized every moment to save lives. So, for the past few days, I’ve been thanking them from my heart. I’m also grateful for a thought that crossed my mind decades ago.
Back then, I considered it necessary that there be a hospital in Hualien which can work to save lives in the immediate aftermath of disasters and can provide comprehensive medical services for locals. To safeguard lives and health with love, a well-established medical system is more than necessary. It is indispensable. So, notwithstanding scarce resources and many difficulties, our hospital in Hualien was eventually opened.
Our hospital in Hualien reminds me that it was because of the ill who couldn’t afford treatment that we began to provide free clinics decades ago, and it was also because of the free clinics that we realized it was necessary to build a hospital to serve more people. These are among my memories whereby I trace back to the past.
It’s been nearly 60 years since I settled down in Hualien, yet I’ve never seen earthquakes occur at their recent frequency. Despite this, we should not lose our confidence in Hualien. In fact, many places are prone to earthquakes. What we need to do is harbor a heart of gratitude towards the earthquake this time. There’s much to be grateful for.
I often share with you the importance of being understanding at all times. We need to be understanding and always see the bright side in everything--- in spite of a strong earthquake like this, most buildings in Hualien remain intact and safe. For that, we should understand how fortunate we are and be grateful. Living in Hualien, all of us must be grateful and understanding.
I truly owe my gratitude to many people this time. I’d like to thank our hospital staff for mobilizing quickly to help. When the quake was still ongoing, our hospital superintendent contacted me, saying that all our medical staff had rushed to the emergency department. When the quake struck, our hospital staff were all very concerned about patients sent to the emergency department.
We also see that at the gate of the emergency department, a doctor of ours was performing resuscitation right on the stretcher while some other staff members were pulling the stretcher forward. They truly seized every moment to save lives. See how they put everything aside and rushed to the emergency department to help.
Also, many of the staff members worked to comfort the affected, and be it injury assessment, trauma care, or other medical services, our staff made arrangement very quickly. Seeing them working with such dedication, I’m truly grateful to them with all my heart.
I’m also very grateful to our volunteers. Many of them were also affected by the quake. Yet, although furniture in their homes had toppled down due to the quake and the weather was very cold, all they thought about as the quake hit was going to the affected areas as soon as possible to care for those affected.
Although it was very cold indeed, Dharma masters at our Abode also wasted no time preparing ginger soup and hot food to help those affected stay warm. All Tzu Chi members truly worked single-mindedly to reach out to those affected. The emergency rescue and relief work of the quake also serves as an opportunity for us to learn how to act and save lives in emergency situations when a disaster strikes.
To our doctors and volunteers, you have saved lives in the most critical moment and lived out your value in life by doing so. What you have done is very touching. And I hope you won’t forget the lesson that you’ve learnt from the quake.
Natural disasters are truly terrifying and no one wishes them to occur. However, they’re part of the law of Nature as Nature’s elements are imbalanced. In both Buddhism and natural science, earthquakes are natural disasters that are part of the workings of Nature. There are four elements of Nature, which are earth, water, fire, and wind.
These four elements are indispensable to us. We rely on the earth to survive and we cannot live without water. Water is the origin of life, so we cannot do without water. Also, we cannot survive without sunlight, which represents the element of fire, let alone the air in which we breathe, which represents the element of wind. Such are the four elements of Nature, and disasters will ensue if one of them is out of balance.
The elements of Nature have become imbalanced, so we’ve seen many natural disasters strike different parts of the world time and again. I often remind our young volunteers that when we help with relief work in a country, we’re also learning how to carry out relief work by taking into consideration the local culture, environment, etc. We all hope that there’ll be no disasters. Yet, when a disaster strikes, we need to go to the aid of the needy. This I show we live out our value in life. Only when we go amongst people to serve will we lead a life of value and meaning.
As we are safe and well now, we need to uphold our faith. We also need to harbor sincere piety in saving lives during times of disasters and live out our value in life by going so.
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