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Winter is over and spring is imminent. As nature bounces back with life anew, so is our intention to embrace the Dharma, absorbing it to the fullest. May each day dawn like spring - always blessing and being grateful to each other, which is the most exquisite connection between kindred hearts.
To welcome the Chinese New Year, many Tzu Chi branches in Taiwan will organise festive celebrations and extend warm invitations to care recipients. Back in 1969, Tzu Chi held its inaugural Winter Charity Distribution at Pu Ming Temple, and this tradition has continued steadfastly ever since. During these celebrations, the elderly, who are sometimes alone at home, find solace and companionship, experiencing a big family atmosphere during this joyous season.
Loving all sentient beings as one's kin, such love is genuine and strong. Just as we recite the “Incense Praise” every morning: “With sincere and earnest hearts, may all Buddhas manifest.” Our piety transcends the visible and resonates within. With heartfelt and genuine sincerity, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas know and bear witness. In embodying their essence, we embrace the spirit of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, naturally radiating compassion and touching all beings.
Amidst our lives, threads of poverty, illness, loneliness, old age, and disabilities weave a sombre reality. Tzu Chi volunteers often show care and support upon learning of such struggles. Through regular interactions, they nurture bonds that blossom into close relationships. As festive celebrations approach for every family, Tzu Chi volunteers remember those facing hardships and challenges. They prepare sumptuous meals infused with warmth and companionship. Not only do the care recipients feel the love from the food, but also the genuine sincerity, leaving their hearts aglow with happiness and gratitude.
During the Winter Charity Distribution, many care recipients also bring along their bamboo banks. Accumulated little by little, day by day, the humble copper coins jingle and clang when poured into the big vat. These are the 'bamboo bank years,' signifying the culmination of diligent savings over time, where seemingly insignificant amounts can amass into a powerful force. Just as water droplets gather to form a roaring river that nurtures barren lands, the tiniest contributions, when collective, can transform the lives of many.
During the Chinese New Year period, Tzu Chi volunteers from various countries gather in Taiwan to visit me. Jing Si Abode then transforms into a comforting sanctuary. While these dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to serve the communities, their return signifies a reunion with the larger Dharma family. This festive occasion is marked by over two hundred tables, with joyful greetings echoing throughout the hall.
Tzu Chi volunteers serve the community diligently, forging deep connections with those they touch. The volunteers often remind themselves: “Fortunately, I am part of the Tzu Chi family, and each of us is blessed as a 'Bodhisattva' by the Master, so I must strive to become one.” Approaching its sixtieth anniversary, Tzu Chi is grateful for the support of countless volunteers around the world. They have paved the way with their hearts and love like Bodhisattvas. If Bodhisattvas do not pave the way, they are just passers-by. Paving the road is not only for oneself but also to open the path for those who come after us to walk safely. This is the value of our lives.
The world is often fraught with disasters and calamities. If one cannot see the sufferings happening in the world, one may live in delusion and wasting one’s life away. But if one is able to hear the cries of suffering, one can truly cherish one’s own blessings. Blessed with happiness and given the opportunity to bear witness to suffering, one should aspire to do good, alleviate suffering, and spread love to the vulnerable. Whenever a disaster strikes, local Tzu Chi volunteers are mobilised. For larger-scale disasters, Tzu Chi volunteers across countries may also be mobilised, and locals are encouraged to help themselves through a “cash-for-work” approach. This enables them to not only care for themselves but also for their neighbours and helpless elderly. Tzu Chi’s disaster relief efforts extend beyond meeting immediate needs. Some initiatives provide continuous support for three to six months and intermediate help. Victims who are alone, disabled, or sick may require long-term care, sometimes until the end of their lives. That is why I am profoundly grateful for the boundless love of Tzu Chi volunteers. Wherever there are Bodhisattvas, those who are suffering will find blessings.
There are 86,400 seconds in each day, which seems aplenty, but they pass quickly with the ticking of a clock. Life, too, passes by in a matter of seconds. Often, one does not realise what one does not know, and life slips away with each passing day. No matter how much one grasps time, the tiny milliseconds still pass. One should make good use of time and turn the tiny milliseconds into something valuable.
Time passes quickly and life shortens accordingly, while history continues to unfold. Still, I am grateful for the good deeds we have done, and it is essential that these righteous acts continue. While our physical ability may decline over the years, our perseverance and courage should remain steadfast. The goal of Dharma practice is to save all sentient beings, but it cannot be done without karmic affinities. Thus, one has to establish more affinities with others in this life, in order to deeper relations with others in the next life. The more diligently one practises, the more people one can help. The path of Bodhisattva is everywhere, and all Bodhisattva paths lead to the Buddha path. Let us pay more attention to this at all times!
Translated by Chu Tiong Yong
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