20230531平等普濟覺有情Embracing People in Suffering with Enlightened Love
The mission of Philippines' Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation is carrying our Master's three wishes of purifying people's hearts, having harmony in society, and having a disaster-free world. Patients will be treated with gratitude, respect, and love; they'll be treated in a gentle and kind manner, this way, those seeking medical attention will feel like our medical facilities are heartwarming places.
Our volunteers will greet the patients, chat with them, tell them about Tzu Chi, give them coin banks, and advocate vegetarianism with them. We'll spread Master's Dharma, her spirit and values, and her Jing Si Aphorisms as to share the Dharma with people after their suffering is alleviated.
I'm grateful for the love of living bodhisattvas. Everyone can be a living bodhisattva. Seeing people who are struggling financially and are struck with an illness, we can truly sense their hopelessness. What misery!
Fortunately, in our world, there are kindhearted people; they are bodhisattvas according to the Buddha. Volunteers are living bodhisattvas. Bodhisattva isn't a term reserved for Buddhists; the meaning of bodhisattva is a being with enlightened love. They have been enlightened, so they can exercise a love with wisdom. In Buddhism, a love with wisdom is the Buddha nature.
Hearing the TIMA members in the Philippines vowing to go to Nepal, I was so happy! Indeed, regardless of religions and nationalities, when we've seen, heard, or met someone in the world, we have affinities with that person. When we aspire and help, there will be boundless merits.
May we take the time to look around the world. Lately, I kept saying to harbor a grateful heart as we help others. We are to be grateful to those receiving our help because they are in suffering. In their life, they are struggling with poverty and illness, and because of that, we've come to know them.
I often say, we truly see how blessed we are when we witness sufferings. With our abilities and the love in our hearts, we are willing to go to them and help them, and we carry out the act of helping; this is an example of having enlightened love. Without this love, despite knowing other's hardships, one will not want to help.
We are beings with enlightened love, so, we cannot stand seeing others suffer. We utilize our love, which is true and sincere. Our enlightened love is true and sincere. And to give with such love is making values and meanings out of one's life; we'll give of ourselves and serve others.
Such is life, those with a meaningful life are called bodhisattvas. The meaning of being a bodhisattva is living life nobly and utilizing our power of love.
In Buddhist texts, doctors are called Great Healers. Although the Buddha said that everyone can attain Buddhahood, in the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, the Buddha especially called attention to the merits of doctors. The merits of doctors are promptly alleviating people's pain and suffering, saving people's lives, and prolonging their life. As such, the Buddha truly respected doctors and promoted the merits of doctors.
I'm also very respectful and grateful to our doctors. There are so many things to be grateful for. I'm also grateful that there are many people in the Philippines who aspire to help, such as Mr. Carlos Chan. He keeps on giving of himself and donated medical equipment to Tzu Chi. This is what we need. Then, we'll have more strength to help people.
We also heart that volunteers often go to remote islands and mountains in response to people's suffering. How noble they are, and the love they have! It's so hard to describe in words. How to describe their spirit of giving where they willingly serve people to alleviate their pain and suffering from illness?
On behalf of the people in suffering, I want to express gratitude to our TIMA doctors. Of course, besides doctors, there are also volunteers. They go alongside doctors and embrace people in poverty. Perhaps these poor people in hardship never had anyone to truly hug them, comfort them, and love them; only Tzu Chi's bodhisattvas humble themselves to comfort and guide them.
Truly, in this world, volunteers are bodhisattvas with the most love. I really praise them and thank them. No matter how much time I have I would not be able to say all my praises of them. I'm truly very grateful to them.
Yet, as long as volunteers serve with Dharma joy, I think that's where the value lies because when we are sure of what we do, other people will respect us. When we serve with a sense of self-assurance, other people will come to respect us. This is why I often talk about taking an inventory of the deeds in our life and assess their value.
Nowadays, I often say that, since I'm old, as I take an inventory of my life, my life is also full of value because I see so many bodhisattvas who have aspired big and made big vows. Seeing them serve with happiness and beings moved, I feel that this is where my value lies.
Volunteers themselves are happy and moved. So, I know that when they take an inventory of their deeds, they find what they do to be very meaningful. When we do the right things and never regret them, this is called having self-assurance.
I have self-assurance of the things I've done. So, we need to have group of volunteers who give encouragements to one another, then, we will not go on the wrong path. Volunteers, I believe that you'll use your genuine love to form lasting compassion and spread Great Love.
We want to make our work long-lasting and continue to walk this path of free clinic. We also need to train more volunteers by recruiting young people and inspiring them to join us so that we can sustain our wisdom-life. In our future world, there will still be people in suffering, so our doctors need to train more people to care fore people in suffering.
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