Life Wisdom: Passing On Love and Goodness Generation After Generation
In a videoconference, our TIMA members in KL-Selangor shared how they'd carried out medical work amid the current COVID-19 outbreak. Even if our Tzu Chi volunteers are afraid of the virus too, they've displayed Tzu Chi's love. They serve with utmost sincerity, and of their own accord, they've brought care to dozens of hospitals, sending them medical devices and personal protective equipment.
See how our volunteers harbor boundless love and give of themselves to benefit all. They truly have my admiration. I've heard how the nurses and doctors are grateful to them. At a time like this, our TIMA doctors and nurses have also received care from our volunteers. They are overwhelmed with gratitude. This is very touching. By going amongst people to serve, our volunteers have been spreading love around.
The Buddha taught us to give with great, selfless love. With great loving-kindness, we will bring joy to people around the world. With great compassion, we will feel others' suffering as our very own. We can't bear to see disaster survivors suffer, and instead of doing nothing at all, we will reach out to the ill without hesitation.
(In the next few days after) August 5, something incredible happened. One of our volunteers, Peiqi, wrote in a post:
"Love can dispel the virus." "I truly believe that there'll be hope"
"when each person does one good deed."
"when each person does one good deed."
"Let's each donate RM10.13 (USD 2.44) and"
"send our best wishes"
"with a tap on our mobile device."
"Pray for Malaysia."
She went to bed after writing the post. The next day, on August 6, she found that 1,326 people had made a donation. Even more heartening is that it was over 287,000 people on the night of August 8. This is truly incredible. In just three days, some 340,000 people had made a donation. Master has stressed that fundraising is not about how much money we've raised. It's about how many people we've inspired to give with love.
You've brought us medical supplies just in time. Next week may have a spike (of confirmed cases). I'm very worried. The medical supplies were made possible with many people each donating RM10.13. In Chinese, 10.13 sounds like "One Person, One Good Deed." We see the "One Person, One Good Deed" movement. We've also promoted this movement in Taiwan. In Malaysia, many volunteers shared about how they were inspired to join Tzu Chi and how Tzu Chi members have been working how Tzu Chi members have been working for the benefit of all. By sharing these stories, our volunteers have inspired many people to give with love. By speaking good words, sharing good teachings, and doing good deeds, they've inspired goodness in many people.
Only goodness can bring about safety and peace in society, and when society is safe and peaceful, naturally the Earth will be at peace. This is a cycle of goodness. So, whenever I see people give with love, I will feel much relieved, and if I see how people do not keep their mind on the right track, I will be very worried. I keep saying that the pandemic is teaching us crucial lessons. It's very important to share these lessons. Whoever they meet, our volunteers in Malaysia first ask "Are you a vegetarian?" and then encourage them to go vegetarian. Our volunteers all listen to my talks mindfully and put my teachings into action. Even if there is a language barrier, they will still use gestures to communicate. See, this is how they strive to guide people to go vegetarian, stop the killing of animals, and do good by loving all life. They've truly taken my teachings to heart and lived them out. How can I not be touched and grateful? In an aid distribution, a mother told us that as her family had had no income for a long while and as noodles were cheaper than rice, most of the time she'd cook noodles for her child. On the night after we gave out rice to her, she was surprised to find that her child missed the taste of rice so much as to hug therice when sleeping. This was truly heartrending to hear.
Everyone, there are countless disadvantaged people in the world waiting for aid from kind-hearted people. Their hopes lie in loving aid. So, we must call on more people to serve as living bodhisattvas. When more kind-hearted people give of themselves, more people in need can be helped. Time passes very quickly, and when the children we've helped grow up, they will still remember how they were given rice, vegetables, and other relief supplies. I have faith that they will also bring relief supplies to children in need and that these children will also feel warmth in their heart before they fall asleep. This is how goodness can be passed on generation after generation. When the poor receive aid, they will nurture a loving heart and become spiritually rich.
They will also bring aid and love to others. This is how love can be passed on. After we listen to the Dharma, we must share it with others, and when we receive good teachings, we must pass them on from generation to generation. Apart from sharing good teachings, we must also live them out to set a good example for others. This is how we can inspire all to serve as living Bodhisattvas.
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