Life Wisdom: Do Good Deeds Together to Bring Peace and Safety to the World
“In 20 minutes’ time, the water level rose around 1.5 meters,” said an inhabitant.
Climate change is happening right now. We see the severe flood in China. Floodwater rose suddenly. Landslide occurred and destroyed houses. It all happened in an instant.
Life is truly impermanent. Everything changed in an instant. One can hardly see anything, so it’s hard to describe what happened. This is why I keep on saying that many things in this world are hard to describe. This is what’s happening now in our world. It’s already hard to describe what has already happened, and yet, we also worry about the future.
With the world being so vast, there are many countries that one knows and doesn’t know and countries with names some know or might not know how to pronounce. The world is so big, so there are so many disasters in this world. This is what the Buddha says about our world being impermanent; it’s full of impermanence.
Do not have the mentality of “I’ll believe it when I see it.” When we see it with our eyes and come to believe that it’s true, it’s already too late. This is why I often say that “time is running out.” Now, I say, “We’re not acting fast enough” to make an impact.” When there was still time, we could say, “Time is running out, so we must act quickly.”
Now, I say, “Despite acting quickly, the impact we make might not be enough.” So, we can see how urgent the world’s crisis is. With today’s technology, we can hear volunteers’ reports and see them with our eyes right now. Where are those Tzu Chi volunteers? They are in Henan, China. Tzu Chi volunteers from several counties and cities came together; some came from far places, and they also encouraged the volunteers around there to come out and serve.
“It’s 10:30pm now, but volunteers are still moving some supplies. Later, we are going to the fire department on Xiang Sheng Street in Zhengdong New District of Zhengzhou City in Henan Province. Zhengzhou City in Henan Province. We’re going to deliver the supplies we’ve purchased in time,” said Li Ruyu, Tzu Chi Volunteer.
Volunteers have been holding distributions of daily necessities these days. The distributions were set up with wisdom. Volunteers lay out the goods and recipients will stop at each booth to take what they need. All the items are things they needed.
“I got towels, soap, blanket, and a bucket,” said said one of the victims of the disaster.
“Are these items what you need?”
“Yeah, things in my house all have been flooded,” said one of the victims.
“I’m also one of the people affected. We came to volunteer, to receive and distribute the supplies, and help the elderly and the children. Today, Tzu Chi came to distribute buckets, washbasins, towels, things that we needed the most,” said Ji Xiang, a volunteer.
Many of the elderly were so moved that they cried. In fact, I was touched too, you know? They are extremely grateful. Recipients were greeted warmly by so many people with the power of love. This is a sincere love. From this flood, we see the kind nature and sincerity within people.
All these people are strangers to us, but Tzu Chi volunteers and volunteers from organizations there all come together with their sincerity, and they have the same mindset. Tzu Chi volunteers bow and care for people with their power of love, and volunteers with other organizations also give of themselves with the same sincerity. This is living bodhisattvas caring for living beings and sharing teachings with others.
We can always see living bodhisattvas. Such is the karmic affinity to deliver living beings. Seeing this, I’m touched, and I’m very grateful. Yesterday, volunteers shared with us many touching stories. I told them, “Please truthfully record the work you’ve done,” “it is called Tzu Chi’s history.”
In our time, impermanence like this just happened. Before people left home, they wouldn’t have foreseen they might run into such heavy rain, nor would they know that vehicles could get stuck inside the tunnel and become stranded. All this is indeed impermanent. In all, being able to stay safe and well is a blessing.
One hour before, people felt safe and happy, but everything changed all of a sudden within an hour, in fact, not within an hour, but within only minutes or just several seconds. So, I often talk about time and its connection with our life and our lives. See, the volunteers did their best and wasted no strength; they both carried aid material together with one hand, meanwhile, using the other hand to carry bags.
They don’t waste their strengths, do you see that? Everyone has devoted themselves to giving of their strength and love. When taking action like this together, volunteers can help provide necessity goods to many flood affectees. Indeed, the value of our life should not be underestimated. There are truly many things to be grateful for. The work is carried out in places so far away, yet we can all see how it is done remarkably and wondrously.
We should make the best use of modern technology to speak good words more often and spread good words to people in the world and do good deeds together; by this, the world can become safe and peaceful. I wish everyone safe and well every day, and do good deeds all the time. This is the world of living bodhisattvas. Thank you, and best wishes to everyone.
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