Life Wisdom: Living a Fulfilling Life by Benefiting Others
This third wave of Covid-19 infections is very hard to deal with. As the infection rate rises very quickly, oxygen is always in critically short supply, which is a great difficulty for us. Tzu Chi Foundation has donated to us 500 40L oxygen tanks and 40 oxygen concentrators. Everyone goes through birth, aging, illness, and death. Those of us who have awakened to this must seize our lives and do our best to bring aid to whoever we can. This is the right direction in life.
Look at the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have risked their lives to help those affected, which is very touching. Mr. U Kyaw Khin, our Tzu Chi volunteer in Myanmar, has recovered from COVID-19. At such a critical time, he still insisted on giving of himself. Only when flights were available could the oxygen concentrators be transported. Yet, we were in urgent need of the devices. So, we were very worried. There were many difficulties. It was like fighting a war. We had to be fully prepared at all times.
I'm very grateful that through this oxygen concentrator donation project, I've also helped many COVID patients to recover. I once asked Master how long I should do Tzu Chi's work, and Master told me to do Tzu Chi's work and do good continuously. I vowed before Master to do Tzu Chi's work until my last breath. We must look back at how we've made value in our lives.
Mr. U Kyaw Khin still gave with love although he was infected with COVID-19. It's best if we can protect ourselves well and stay in good health when we work to safeguard people's lives. But if he hadn't persevered in giving of himself, many oxygen concentrators and (oxygen tanks) couldn't have been transported. Then, how could healthcare workers safeguard their own health and save people's lives? Many things in the world are hard to put into words. Should we tell others, "Be brave to" "help the needy despite the pandemic" or "Protect yourself from the virus"? When the situation is critical, should we protect ourselves and not go out? Or should we go forth bravely to help? What if we get infected? This truly is a dilemma and it's hard for me to be at ease. This is why I often say that I'm worried.
Our many Tzu Chi volunteers often serve as living bodhisattvas more than willingly regardless of their own safety. How can I not be worried? Yet, without their dedication, a lot of people who are ill or in suffering could only wait for help. So, it's truly hard for me to be free of worry. We see how those suffering from starvation received food from our volunteers. Our volunteers gave with love and sincerity and wore a smile when handing supplies to those in need and caring for them. Having given of themselves, our volunteers must have been filled with joy and content, and the aid recipients must have been happy and grateful. With ample supplies in their hands, the aid recipients might have thought:
"My children can have rice to eat and"
"smell its fragrance."
"My family can fill their stomachs for some time."
Those who give and those who receive can all be filled with joy and gratitude indeed, and their joy and gratitude can last. We can write a history for ourselves when we prepare many supplies and bring them to those in need. In addition to food, our volunteers also bring packages of household necessities to the needy. When many of them mobilize to carry out relief, those in need can bask in a lively and joyful atmosphere.
Our volunteers also bring supplies to the homes of those in suffering. When our volunteers see their suffering, they learn to count their blessings. When they see their homes are too shabby to keep out wind or rain, they know they must reach out to more people. So, when we carry out relief, we can learn the crucial lesson of working hard to benefit all and those who are poor or in suffering can be helped. They are happy to receive aid and we are also happy to be able to help them. So, we must be mindful always and strive to benefit all.
This is how we can live a fulfilling life. We must devote our lives to benefiting all in this life so we can have blessings and wisdom, live a safe and peaceful life, and walk the Bodhisattva Path in our next life. As we've witnessed suffering and vowed to relieve it in this life, we can surely continue to serve as living bodhisattvas and relieve all from suffering in our next life. Whenever we have a chance to give of ourselves, we must express our gratitude, and whenever we see people's suffering, we must remind ourselves to do good. There are many people suffering in the world. May we all strive to relieve their suffering.
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