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Every day during the evening recitation session in every Buddhist temple, there will certainly be the recitation of the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Verses of Exhortation: “This day is over, our lives are that much less. We are like fishes in a shrinking pond, what joy is there in this?”
That is exactly the point! What can be considered joyous in this world? Climate change and unrest in many countries. Some people live in poverty their whole lives with endless suffering and misery. People’s entanglements between what is right and wrong, and the cruel wars between countries have displaced many people worldwide.
Life is full of joys and sorrows, and also separations and unions, which are all impermanent. In the wee hours of February 6, a strong earthquake struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border. It caused the collapse of more than 34,000 buildings and the death of more than 40,000 people. In a matter of split seconds, scenarios can change completely. Surrounded by destroyed homes and constant aftershocks in the cold weather, one could be constantly worried and the days felt like years. Not only does the time feel longer than usual, but the shock, the fear, the suffering, all these are extremely hard to handle too.
Before the earthquake, perhaps one could sleep soundly with happy dreams, ready to embrace the new day and plan for the future. It is often said that life is like a dream, but this dream was shattered even before one wakes up and everything one used to own, is now gone in an instant. The death of the dearest and beloved could make life on earth feel like a living hell. There is only one way to describe this agonizing pain and silent wailing, and that is “a broken heart.”
Istanbul, where Tzu Chi is located, is more than a thousand kilometres away from the epicentre of the disaster. Delivering a large number of aid supplies was needless to say, a huge challenge. Compassion ignited the volunteers’ will to help. Tzu Chi sprang into action and tried their best to help the victims in low temperate of zero degrees Celsius. When physical conditions are harsh and cold, that is when we need every ounce of warmth we can get. It is akin to when people who are suffering receive a Tzu Chi eco blanket; they will feel warm at heart too.
With extreme climate change, cold places have become colder. I have been looking forward to thicker blankets since last year. After the disaster, over 8,000 blankets have been sent to Turkey. That is why I am often grateful; grateful for the community within Tzu Chi who gathered a group of environmental protection volunteers and took charge of the collection and sorting of various used plastic bottles. These plastic bottles are repurposed through textile remaking, and volunteers took charge in areas such as sewing, stitching, and packing. Because of the consistent efforts through the years, there has always been a decent ready supply. Whenever the world requires it, Tzu Chi is able to provide continuous support and supplies to where it is hit by disaster.
The Turkish Trade Office in Taipei launched a campaign and entrusted Tzu Chi Neihu Branch to assist with receiving the donated items. There were many kind and compassionate Taiwanese who showed their love by purchasing the necessary supplies in hopes of helping to alleviate the suffering of the disaster victims. Tzu Chu volunteers were responsible for receiving, sorting, and packing while the food preparation team from the north region helped in preparing rice boxes, which were the source of energy for thousands of people every day.
Tzu Chi’s disaster assessment team arrived in Turkey to assess the options of purchasing supplies locally – one to save on shipping costs and the other to boost the economy for the disaster-stricken businesses. While providing emergency relief, Tzu Chi also evaluated the mid-and-long-term plans for recovery to help the victims settle down, feel at peace, and eventually be able to build their lives back. I appeal to all to be compassionate and be the pillar of strength for Tzu Chi volunteers in Turkey. Love should be spread widely across the world. We ought to draw strength from each other from time to time. Through these situations, we forge long-lasting relationships and spread more love.
Every day, I worry about the hardships of the world. I worry about the people living in poverty, natural disasters, and disharmony among people. This vicious cycle of trouble and accumulated ignorance has inevitably harmed the environment and led to disasters. I keep pondering on how I can make the world a safer and more peaceful place. Although sentient beings create collective karma, they can also share the blessing of all living beings by not creating more harm but sowing more blessings in the world.
When we sow a little bit more blessings each day, love will grow as days pass by. We should motivate ourselves, “I have done a good dead today and I can do more tomorrow. By doing so, I also gain blessings and wisdom.”
The little pocket change we save each day may not have a major impact on our lives but becomes massive accumulated, and especially handy in times of crisis. Sow the seeds of blessing for yourself and create good affinities with others. The more people there are who are willing to give, the greater the blessing. The accumulated blessings can protect and bring peace to the world.
Take stock of your life’s journey and evaluate how much good have you done that can benefit the world in the long term. One should also monitor one’s thoughts from time to time: do you have more good thoughts than those unwholesome ones? Just like a drip of ink in a pail of clear water, the entire water would become polluted in a split second. If you have committed mistakes in the past, quickly repent and correct them in time to not tarnish your life. In the tug of war between good and evil, always work towards the good.
The imbalance of nature’s four elements, the fragility of lands, and the striking of impermanence without warnings are the teachings of Buddhism and are great lessons for us. These serve as a wake-up call to people of the need to be vigilant. Do not let time slip by meaninglessly and always offer timely help when one encounter any person who is suffering. It is lonesome for one to do good deeds on their own, so we should recruit as many volunteers as we can to be our comrades and together we can create a caring and harmonious society. I look forward to this vessel of compassion sailing through the world and liberating sentient beings by relieving the suffering of souls and difficulties in life. May all of you continue to be mindful and compassionate.
Translated by Goh Hui Jie
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