20210407分秒踏實智慧生Reflecting on Life's Impermanence and Seizing Time to Give
Hand, salute.
Chun-xiu, we’re at Sulin Station. You’ve completed your mission.
For the past few days, my heart has been laden with sadness and a sense of void. Dr. Wu Kun-chi came back to the Abode and shared with me what he saw and did at the train crash site.
The deceased lost their lives the moment the train crash occurred. They were crushed in the train cars. According to the autopsies, they all lost their lives instantly without knowing what’s happened. I said to firefighters there: “Their bodies may be unsettling to see. Yet, please have faith that they all used to be good people and that they’ll be grateful to you as you’ve retrieved their bodies with courage.”
He witnessed much misery and grief there and feels others’ pain as his very own. I feel such great pain that I’m speechless, so I wrote a condolence letter to the families of the injured and the deceased. For the past few days, I’ve been here at the Abode to stay updated on our relief work. No words can describe how I feel. I cannot go to the disaster site. Even if I did go, I cannot help with the recovery work. I can keep calm at the Abode, receive information on our relief work, and give them my suggestions.
The train crash I’ve been speaking of occurred in Taiwan and feels near to me. I also need to have videoconferences with our Tzu Chi volunteers in many countries. There are many disasters around the world. These videoconference have been scheduled. We cannot leave any of our work undone. I hope we can pool everyone’s strength together to bring comfort to the families of the injured and the deceased and pray for their best with sincere piety.
Everyone, we’ve seen a news report about a train derailment accident in Hualien, Taiwan. Will you pray together from the bottom of your hearts?
Yes.
Many people in different countries have prayed for the injured to have a speedy recovery. They’ve also prayed for the deceased. In all, many people around the world have learned about this disaster in Taiwan and have prayed with sincere piety and great compassion. I’m grateful to all of them for giving with love and praying with one heart regardless of religion.
They all displayed order when they were praying. Many Buddhist groups from different monasteries have been taking shifts to serve at the train crash site. We’ve witnessed this. It’s hard to describe how I feel. In all, I’m grateful to those who have provided timely comfort and accompanied the injured to the disaster site. Our Dharma masters at the Abode have accompanied the injured to call back the spirits of their family members who have lost their lives. People believe that by doing so, they can help the souls of the deceased rest in peace and they themselves can also regain peace of mind.
The spirits of the deceased have traveled to where their karmic affinities would take them. Let us give them our best wishes and pray for them to go with their good karma and be blessed in their future lives. Many things are hard to describe with words. In all, there is much to be grateful for and we must give our best wishes to all. Please remember that life is impermanent.
The Buddha came to this world to expound life’s suffering, emptiness, and impermanence. There’s no permanent, inherently existing self, either. This world is filled with much suffering and nothing is permanent. See how, in an instant, the train cars got badly mangled and many people lost their lives. So, life is filled with suffering and emptiness, and all of this is due to life’s impermanence. Life’s impermanence and emptiness is a law of Nature.
It’s hard to describe this with words. Some principles cannot be thoroughly explained. It’s hard to give a full account of life’s impermanence, suffering, and emptiness. Upon the train crash, many things happened in an instant. The world is vast and many things can change in an instant. It’s hard to put this into words.
Everyone, please be mindful in seizing every second to live out your value in life. When we do good deeds, we can create good karma for ourselves. Whatever we do, we will create good or bad karma for ourselves. This principle applies to all of us and this is a crucial lesson for us to learn. We must all be mindful at each moment, be firm in each step we take, and do all that is good to benefit humanity and the world. We must give of ourselves mindfully. This is also how we create good karma for ourselves.
Recently, I’ve been reminding all of you that when we do good, we create good karma for ourselves. So, we must settle our hearts and minds and seize every second to do good. This time, I saw how the train passengers faced the disaster with calmness. We must practice the Six Paramitas of giving, moral discipline, forbearance, diligence, Samadhi, and wisdom.
To cultivate wisdom, we must give without asking for anything in return. This is what we have to do in life. We should share with others not only material things but also the Dharma. In all, everyone, please be mindful at all times.