Life Wisdom: Tzu Chi's Medical Volunteers, The Living Buddhas of Our Time
Seeing our TIMA members around the world, I truly have mixed feelings. In the past, on Mid-Autumn Festival, TIMA members from around the world would come back to the Abode, our spiritual home, and we would enjoy the full moon together. At this time over the past 25 years, we'd admire the full moon together here at our spiritual home. Yet, things are different this year.
Although the moon is still full and the sky is still clear, we can only see and hear each other through live streaming. Although you are in different parts of the world and are far away from me,I still feel close to you. We've all expressed how much we miss each other. I truly wish you could come back.
Each year, I look forward to your return. Time always passes very quickly. I can no longer see many of our volunteer doctors, who were TIMA members. Although most TIMA members can't come back this year, they can still come back often after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Yet, over ten volunteer doctors will never come back. I will no longer see them and I miss them deeply.
Prof. Tseng Wen-ping, former superintendent of our hospital in Hualien, joined our rank when I began our free clinics. He also went with me to mountains and rural areas for medical outreach. Later on, he gave me great support in building and developing the hospital. Prof. Tseng truly helped me a lot to carry out our medical mission. Prof. Tu Shih-mien had also supported me for a very long time. He began to work with me when I was planning to build the hospital. He was its first superintendent. I truly miss him deeply.
There was also Prof. Yang Sze-piao, who passed away this year at the age of nearly 101. There were also Dr. Leh Siu Chuan in the Philippines and
Dr. (Lin) Huei-ju, who lived in the U.S. and often came back to the Abode.
There was also Dr. Juan Silverio Meza Leguizamon.
In the past, during the eighth lunar month of every year, I'd always see Dr. Meza, who was from Paraguay, in our annual TIMA convention. Our senior TIMA members probably still remember him. There are still many others who I miss deeply. Although I can no longer see them, we are still connected together. They have gone ahead to pave the Tzu Chi Path and are waiting for me. A few decades later, we'll probably continue to work together. No one can escape illness, so we must carry out our medical mission life after life. I'm grateful that our medical mission has been providing medical services for over 30 years and we've been offering free clinics for nearly 50 years.
At first, we set up a free clinic on Renai Street, Hualien City. Later on, as more and more poor people came to our free clinic, I thought it necessary to build a hospital. We built a hospital in Hualien because there were truly many people who became poor due to illness or vice versa. No one can escape illness and those who are poor and ill suffer the most. We must help those who are poor and ill, and most importantly, we must work together to take care of everyone's mind. This patient once committed suicide.
Although he was saved, because he wasn't strong enough mentally, he still gave up on himself. Our volunteer doctors cared for and interacted with him for some time. Finally, by living out Master's teachings, we melted his icy heart. Originally, he was bedridden. More than one year later, he could walk well with support from others.
This March, he could walk uphill for over 30 meters. In April, we held a birthday party for him and he could walk without a walking aid. This was what he said to thank us after the party. In July, when volunteers brought him medicine, he could go out by scooter to have a haircut. It's the greatest reward for our doctors to see that their patients are recovering and can go out on their own. Yet, life is impermanent. We must cherish our affinities with others and seize the time we have. What's most important is to live out our value in life.
So, I often say, "May every one of us" "create the greatest value out of our life." "This is doable for all of us." Recently I often say, "Let us look back at" "how much value we have created out of our lives." We must strive to benefit humanity and the world without asking for anything in return. This is how we can create countless merits. I often mention countless merits. Indeed, by striving to benefit humanity and the world, we can create countless merits for ourselves.
Our TIMA members, you truly are living buddhas who reach out to people in their time of need. I hope that every day, you can hold on to your aspiration of going amongst people to serve and bringing aid to the needy.
I often say that you truly are living buddhas and bodhisattvas who always reach out when hearing cries of suffering. Thank you, our TIMA members. Thank you all.
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