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On the New Year’s Day afternoon, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in Noto peninsula, located within Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The images broadcasted on news channels depicted severe tremors which left the local residents greatly shaken. Not long after, volunteers of Tzu Chi Japan made a video call to confirm their safety. Everyone gathered at the Tzu Chi centre in Tokyo, seeking to learn more details about the disaster and take stock of the supplies available. Upon shortlisting the disaster zones that were within reach, the volunteers started preparing hot food which would warm the bellies of locals especially since the weather was chilly. A huge pot of hot food was soon prepared, leaving everyone happy and grateful. In the process, people also came to realise that vegetarian food could be sumptuous.
The Tzu Chi volunteers put their best foot forward when it comes to activating manpower readily as well as making available hot meals, and warm, environmentally friendly blankets. Wherever disasters occur, Tzu Chi would take up the necessary responsibilities. Tzu Chi volunteers globally act as support systems for their societies, and are required to call for more action from their communities. This is not to gain more monetary donations, but rather to garner the support of more individuals such that more people can come together to do good with a Bodhisattva heart.
Tzu Chi has been around for close to 60 years. From its inception, it has moved forward steadily with the aspiration of giving selfless Great Love. By bringing together like-minded individuals, time has turned it into a vocation. We should not underestimate the power of small contributions, and should put heavy emphasis on the first step of this journey that has helped to pave the way forward. The saying goes, “Embedded in a single grain of rice are the sun and the moon”. A single grain of rice conceals the hard work put in day and night by farmers, from sowing the seeds to nurturing the seedlings, ploughing the fields to transplanting the shoots, weeding and finally harvesting the rice grains. In this process, how much manpower and labour is required? How much time and how many days does it take? Not only that, sunlight and water are also predestined conditions that allow the rice to grow, hence neither can be done away with. In the same vein, people should hold onto the concept of fate, for it is predestined for people to gather together to contribute meaningfully in order to attain success.
Everything grows with the passage of time, yet things also disappear by the lapse of time. To me, since it is a natural phenomenon that our physical strength and lifespan decreases with time, we should greatly value the limited time we have. We should constantly remind ourselves that even when we sit, we should automatically sit up straight. Caution ourselves that “we should not bend over, for bending over causes us to age”. Also to remind ourselves that “we should keep our heads held high and remain energetic” as we listen to the different perspectives that others have to offer.
In December, when I left Hualien to visit the Tzu Chi branches around Taiwan, I heard heart-warming stories shared by Tzu Chi volunteers every day and everywhere. I am grateful for the veteran Bodhisattvas who constantly stay by my side, helping me to care for Tzu Chi. They do not just resolve to attain enlightenment for themselves, but also help to publicise Tzu Chi’s Bodhisattva path in a bid to invite more kind souls to join our ranks to contribute in the missions of charity, medicine, as well as education and humanistic culture for humankind. In the past 58 years, the areas that require care have broadened, hence the need for more manpower has also increased.
I love many people, and in turn, these people spread this love to more individuals on behalf of me. I am very grateful to everyone, and each of you should also be grateful towards each other on behalf of me. With mutual love and cooperation spread amongst many individuals, such love can then have a ripple effect, allowing us to materialise a Bodhisattva world.
Listening to the sharing from different individuals has left me greatly awed. Although I am getting on in age, there are still many things which I have never seen, never heard of, or never known of. This made me realise that in contrast, I am actually very small. With the progress experienced by society, there are also endless methods to be learned. Do not assume that one knows aplenty, instead, by putting in effort, we will better understand the world. We should also care deeply about the sights and sounds around us, and have the intention to contribute in whatever ways we are able to.
We should nurture a loving heart consistently, and extend this love to humans and animals alike. When we love, it is not to extend our sense of ownership, but to be more magnanimous towards everything. When we choose to be understanding, our frustrations are eliminated. Magnanimity requires us to take a neutral stance, hence even when others criticise or slander us, we should always question whether we are at fault in any way. Ask ourselves, did we cause others to be at the losing end of the stick in order to make some personal gain? Upon self-reflection, if our conscience is clear and we do not owe the other party, then we should be at ease and not harp on the matter.
We should treasure all life on earth by caring for the neglected elderly with no one to rely on. It is not about how much we can offer them, but any individual who is able to contribute is already greatly blessed. In caring for the vulnerable, we are increasing the value of human life, hence all the more we should cherish these individuals with a grateful heart. When we have an abundance of food items and the privilege of having three meals a day, we should think of regions with food shortage. Being able to live in a country that is peaceful and has favourable conditions, we should tell ourselves, “I am very blessed”. Even while we are blessed, we should create more blessings. This can be through our daily lives, where we accumulate them through the ebb and flow of everyday life. With everyone’s collective effort, we will be greatly blessed.
Upon opening my eyes to each new day, I am always filled with gratitude. Grateful for yesterday’s peace that allowed me to have a good night’s sleep, and grateful for the people, things and objects that made me feel satisfied as I get ready to embrace the peace of the day ahead. As I open my eyes in the mornings, I listen quietly and seem to hear a miniscule sound. When we quieten our minds, we can hear the miniscule sounds amidst the silence. It is a natural sound echoed between the skies and the earth. When our minds are uncluttered and filled purely with gratitude, we find peace in the tranquillity. This feeling is a privilege enjoyed only by those who are blessed.
It is our individual responsibility as Bodhisattvas, who are given refuge in this life, to transform the lives of humankind with love. The joy of being able to contribute collectively and create blessings with so many good people in this world makes us feel like time passes by in the blink of an eye, and it fills our hearts with the joyful learnings we attained. This is truly a blessing!
(Translated by Nicole Sim)
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