Life Wisdom: Living in Harmony with All Things on Earth
“We've received your relief supplies. Thank you all for not forgetting about us,” said Haspaul, a jeepney driver who receives assistance related to the Covid-19 pandemic in Zamboanga, Philippines.
We can always see how our Tzu Chi volunteers are dedicated to helping disaster survivors, the poor, and others in need in all of the five continents. Every day, I take part in meetings and talk to our Tzu Chi members. When they update me on our relief work, I look at a big world map on my desk to see where the disaster has occurred and where our volunteers have gone to.
I also hear about how they've carried out relief. With our five sense organs, we can perceive the five objects of sense. When we hear or see something, we give rise to a thought. When our Tzu Chi members talk to me, I always pay much attention to what they say so I can understand where our volunteers have gone to carry out relief.
Sometimes, after I walk out of my room, on the short, narrow hallway, I'll be shown one or a few pieces of paper and be told when our volunteers have set out and where they've gone, or how they have completed their disaster survey and have started a meeting. I wish to know if they've set out, if they've come back safely, and other things about the relief work.
I often ask, "Have they arrived?" "Are they all safe and well? And I often say, Tell them not to take dangerous roads, for to help disaster survivors, we must first safeguard ourselves." I am worried and I give this advice every day. Just think, our relief work reflects the current situation in the world right now. We seem to live in stressful times.
Everyone, how can we bring about peace in the world? The only way is for all of us to repent and awaken, vow to do so, and take action to live out our vows. As there are many disasters in the world, we must keep calling on everyone to awaken to life's truths, take action to bring about peace, heighten their vigilance, understand life's impermanence, etc.
We all know that we can't foresee the length of our life, for life is impermanent. What we'd done in our past lives determines what we are in this life. It's not that by doing good from now on, we can enjoy longevity in this life. It's not so. The karma we create in this life will ripen in our future lives. In the same manner, by switching to a vegetarian diet and taking in many nutrients meal after meal, our health will improve in the future.
A meat diet is bad for our health. Thanks to nutriology research, we know that a vegetarian diet is good for our body, including our digestive system, and can bring our heart and mind back to balance gradually. So, we must go vegetarian in order to bring our body and mind back to balance. We must also share good thoughts with one another.
We humans have been damaging the land and polluting the air. So, Nature's elements have become imbalanced and disasters have been occurring frequently, bringing suffering to many people. Thankfully, there are also people who have learned to give with love. Full of love and strength, they give of themselves more than willingly to help the needy.
We must keep working to bring everyone's body and mind back to balance so the land, the air, and so on can return to balance gradually. We must not damage the Earth. This is how we protect her. In all, we must keep everything in the world in balance. We must also be grateful to Mother Nature and We must also be grateful to Mother Nature and be grateful to one another, be grateful for favorable climate conditions, the orderly working of nature, and people's hard work so we can enjoy abundant resources for clothing, food, housing, and transportation.
It's best if all animals can live peacefully in their own habitats. See, there are countless different animal species in the sea. Even corals are living beings too. As we humans live on the land, we must only eat what the land offers us. The land provides us with abundant vegetables and grains, so we must be grateful to her. The oceans can influence the air. With the rise of ocean temperatures, the elements of water and air have become imbalanced. So, natural disasters have been occurring frequently.
We humans are responsible for this situation. Humans, animals, and plants live on the land. We humans must live together in harmony and we must also respect all animals. We must live harmoniously with everything on the land. In all, these are all true principles of life that we must share with others.
We must speak good words more often, share good teachings with more people, and inspire others to do good. These are the three good things for us to do. By inspiring others to do good, sharing good teachings with more people, and speaking good words more often, we can bring about peace and harmony in the world.
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