Life Wisdom: Relieving Suffering in a Relay of Love
Every country has reported erratic climate conditions and has suffered severe devastation caused by climate disasters. Yesterday was Monday and our staff members responsible for the coordination of our international work had a weekly meeting with our overseas Tzu Chi volunteers.
When I heard our volunteers share how they'd carried out relief in disaster areas, my heart was heavy with pain. Although our volunteers first set my mind at ease by saying that they were safe and well before they shared about the severe disaster impacts, I was still deeply pained.
How were they to bring care to those affected? How far were they away from the affected areas? Were the areas near or far? How far did they have to go to reach those areas? What kind of road would they take, mountain roads or roads on the plains? I wished to know the details so as to give my advice and suggestions to our volunteers.
I reminded them that only when their own safety was ensured could they bring aid to those in suffering. I asked them to be more vigilant about whether the roads were safe and whether the bridges were still passable. There was truly much to say. I'm truly grateful to all Tzu Chi volunteers. Wherever a disaster occurs, volunteers in different countries always mobilize quickly and travel long distances to provide relief, as they can't bear to see people suffer. I'm truly grateful to them.
Yet, whenever I hear that our volunteers are far away from an affected area, or that there are no Tzu Chi volunteers there, my heart becomes very heavy, for many disaster survivors are in suffering, but there are no local Tzu Chi volunteers to help. Without volunteers serving as living bodhisattvas, those affected cannot receive aid. When there are people in suffering, living bodhisattvas will go to their aid.
Those who suffer need living bodhisattvas. So, I often say that in whichever country our Tzu Chi volunteers carry out relief, they need to work mindfully to inspire locals to serve as living bodhisattvas. By inspiring others to serve as living bodhisattvas, we can not only live out our value in life but also guide deluded people to learn the Dharma and understand life's truths.
One has to walk the Bodhisattva Path to attain Buddhahood. I hope people around the world can all understand the Dharma. As we reach out to relieve suffering, we can better inspire people to serve as living bodhisattvas, for when we help lift them out of suffering, we can share life's truths with them.
I often say that living bodhisattvas always go to people's aid in their time of suffering. If there were no disasters or suffering in the world, there wouldn't be living bodhisattvas. There are living bodhisattvas because there are many people in suffering and there are many who are still deluded.
We must serve as living bodhisattvas to guide everyone to give with love and to reach out when they hear cries of suffering. This way, when there are people in suffering, many people will work together to provide aid, just like the Bodhisattva of Compassion with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes. We must understand this and be more mindful.
I hope you can be more concerned about what's happening in the world. Many of you are still young, so you enjoy good vision and hearing and are in good health. I hope you can all walk the Bodhisattva Path to live out your value in life. Please be mindful of this.
Every day, I seize every opportunity to call on Tzu Chi members to walk the Bodhisattva Path steadfastly. I know that whenever I give a talk, Tzu Chi members in thousands of places are listening to me through live streaming. Whenever I hear our overseas volunteers share their experiences, they always speak of the words I've said, when I said those words, and how they will put them into action.
When I hear that, I feel relieved and also feel that I have no regrets in this life. Yet, I'd still like to encourage Tzu Chi volunteers to give and serve. Perhaps our volunteers do not see what I've seen. When I see people in suffering, I tell our volunteers to see their suffering. I hope the local people can also call on and encourage one another to help those in suffering.
This requires many of us to share life's truths with the locals and encourage them to do good. We must look around the world and bring aid to those in suffering. Tzu Chi volunteers are all living bodhisattvas. When a disaster occurs, they will ask one another: "Are you safe and well?" and say: "Is more manpower needed to carry out relief?" Are relief supplies and cash aid needed? Let us inform the Abode quickly." This is how our volunteers around the world spread word among themselves and pool their efforts together.
We must share about the suffering in the world with one another. When we hear about people in suffering, we must pass on the information. We must let the information be passed on quickly and continuously so everyone can receive the information. When everyone works together, many people in suffering can be helped.
Every one of us can be like a firefly that gives off light. Every Tzu Chi member is like a firefly that has partners. Let us light up our Tzu Chi Path to guide more people to join our rank. We must care for everyone attentively and guide and inspire them towards our path. Then, naturally the sky will be covered with glowing fireflies that point out the right path in life and turn this world filled with much darkness into a bright and beautiful world. This is doable for all of us. We must not underestimate our individual strength.
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