Life Wisdom: Pooling Love Together to Sow Blessings All Around
Today is September 21. On this day 22 years ago, a major earthquake occurred in Taiwan, and our memories about it are still fresh. Back then, our Tzu Chi volunteers carried out much relief work. While I didn't know if we had funds for the work, I knew everyone would give with love. The earthquake leveled a lot of schools. As children's education could not wait, we offered to help rebuild 50 schools. Now, these 50 schools still look very sturdy.
Although they are not new, they do not look old. They are very beautiful. Many students have since graduated and have become pillars of society. Our volunteers have truly sown many blessings by serving with Tzu Chi. I've said to them, "I'm grateful to you" "as you've created countless merits." "Without your dedication," "Tzu Chi wouldn't be what it is today."
Recently, I've often said to them: "Each of you needs to" "express gratitude to yourself." "The work you've carried out is" "a part of Tzu Chi's history." "And, as you've made history for yourself by" "striving for the greater good," "you should express gratitude to yourself." I hope we can all recall our stories, tell them, and write them down so they will become a part of human history.
Yesterday, many volunteers who are good at writing came back to the Abode. I'd asked them to compile Tzu Chi's history. Tzu Chi began with scarce resources. There is a world map in front of my desk. I said to our volunteers: "As there are many disasters in the world," "every day, I look at the map to" "see where disasters have occurred." "This map reminds me that" "while there was no Tzu Chi over 60 years ago," "presently, we've brought aid to" "over 120 countries and regions." "Our volunteers go to different places" "not for sightseeing but for relief work."
We've carried out much relief work, which is truly incredible. There was no Tzu Chi over 60 years ago, and ever since 55 years ago, when I gave rise to a thought of helping the needy and we began to do so by saving 50 NT cents daily, we've been carrying out charity work. Fifty-five years have passed. Karmic affinities are incredible. There are many Tzu Chi volunteers in the world. This is made possible by karmic affinities, which are truly amazing.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have become financially strained. I'm very grateful that our volunteers around the world all serve with a bodhisattva heart. Wherever there are people in need, they bring relief to them quickly. Recently, I've seen how our volunteers helped not only those in suffering but also financially affected farmers by purchasing their fruits and vegetables and bringing them to the needy. Let us express gratitude to our volunteers.
As there are many people suffering in the world, we must all have the heart to relieve suffering. If we are poor and keep a coin to ourselves, we can't still buy a vegetable. Yet, if each of us drops our coin into a big vat, several sacks of rice or nutritious foods can be bought and sent to those worse off. By doing so, we can sow blessings for ourselves and feed those who are even poorer than us. Through giving, we can all become spiritually rich. As long as we harbor love within and encourage everyone to sow blessings, we can form a great strength and carry out much relief work.
Suffering is hard to eradicate. The Buddha said that we reap what we sow. This explains why there are both rich and poor people in the world. Those of us who are blessed in this life had sown blessings in our past lives, and those who suffer had created bad karma. Those serving as living bodhisattvas in this world are blessed. They reach out to those in suffering and give of themselves.
They came to this world to relieve suffering.
The Buddha taught the way of Bodhisattvas. We must live it out and walk the Bodhisattva Path in the world. To do that, we must help the needy gratefully without asking for anything in return. When we help those in suffering, we are also practicing the way of Bodhisattvas. Without suffering, there wouldn't be living bodhisattvas. How do living bodhisattvas benefit people? Because they go amongst people to relieve suffering, they are called living bodhisattvas.
So, every day, we truly must serve gratefully and strive towards goodness. We also see the school in Turkey that Tzu Chi helped set up. They've also given all they could to help with vaccination. See how people around the world all have a loving heart. With good affinities, they'll be inspired to give, and bits of money they give can accumulate considerably, just like how drops of water, when accumulated, can form a river or an ocean, or fill up a big vat. (When each of us gives what we can,) we can create countless merits. If we pool our donations together to help the needy, we can create merits that are as countless as water drops that make up an ocean. I often mention countless merits. When countless things come together, they become inseparable. Our donations, which are like inseparable water drops that make up a river or an ocean, can all relieve people's suffering, thereby creating countless merits. So, when people around the world share the same heart, we all harbor the heart of the Buddha.
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