(Photo by Wong Twee Hee)
Gratitude, respect, and love—everyone has embraced these values. Listening to your sharing is fulfilling and reassuring. I am deeply moved and want to express my gratitude. Whenever I thank everyone, you all respond with "Thank you, Master," which shows that your contributions are selfless. This mutual gratitude we share is truly beautiful!
The Yunjianan region is pure and simple. Every time I visit Daling or Dounan, the groups of Tzu Chi volunteers who come to share their experience are very down-to-earth, like the big trees in a forest, each protecting the earth. It’s truly touching. I also see many seasoned volunteers who have walked alongside me from the past, supporting me, and still progressing today, along with middle-aged faith corps and commissioners who respect the elders. When hearts unite, it’s the Bodhisattva hearts coming together.
We must vow to give rise to the Bodhi mind and practise the Bodhisattva path. With shared thoughts, vows, and journeys, we cultivate together. It’s not just couples who are partners in cultivation. When a husband engages in Tzu Chi, and the wife not only supports but also does Tzu Chi work with him, they are walking the Bodhisattva path as a pair. This creates a blessed and harmonious family, serving as a model for their children. It’s often said that harmony in the family leads to prosperity and harmony in the family brings harmony in the heart.
In this era, young people often focus on pursuing their careers or studying abroad, while the elders in the countryside grow older each year, and the younger generation moves away, leaving them lonely. If we have a network of volunteers, we can provide nearby care and companionship. Especially with our eco stations, we can bring them out to engage in environmental work and welcome them into the Tzu Chi family.
“Trash turns into gold, gold transforms into love. Love becomes a clear stream that flows around the globe.” Tzu Chi’s environmental efforts not only support Da Ai TV in spreading the Dharma and benefiting lives but also in doing good deeds in the world. Just like the sea, which comes from drops of water, everyone’s love accumulates into a sea of merit, helping more people.
I look forward to everyone seizing the moment to share with others what we have done in the past. Who guided us into Tzu Chi in the past? It was all volunteers inviting other volunteers in. The Buddha said in the Lotus Sutra that the Dharma should be passed down to the fiftieth person. I hope for this to be passed down through fifty generations, increasing the number of seasoned individuals so that every family has a model of virtue—not just filled with descendants, but also overflowing with love.
A peaceful and safe family and children’s achievements are indeed blessings, but they are the result of past efforts. Only by creating blessings can we receive them. We must continue to seize opportunities and cherish karmic affinities. Whenever Tzu Chi volunteers return to Taiwan, I remind them, "Remember to greet the senior volunteers on my behalf and express gratitude for their past contributions." With these karmic affinities, we should invite the elder volunteers out, hold their hands and encourage them to come and listen to everyone’s sharing. This also helps preserve memories and mental acuity.
On the stage of life, we should reflect on what roles we play. If we play our roles well, we will feel satisfied and receive praises, and enjoy family happiness, for which we should be very grateful. I reflect on myself and said to myself, “Thank goodness I decided to start Tzu Chi at that moment; thank goodness I chose this path.” Now, Tzu Chi volunteers are spread across 136 countries and regions, with Tzu Chi’s charitable care widely reaching out. Our connections are deep and extensive, making involvement in Tzu Chi a blessing and a way to cultivate good karma. We must seize this life, this moment, while we can still speak and walk, to practice the Bodhisattva path.
Hearing everyone’s sharing about recycling and hosting book clubs touches my heart, these are all acts of cherishing blessings and cultivating wisdom. It’s not just about studying and distributing educational materials, but also about engaging with the community. The Chinese characters “学” (means learn) and “觉” (means awaken) are very similar; there’s a path between them—the Bodhisattva path, which involves continuous learning and putting it into practice to understand how to walk this road. The end of the Bodhisattva path is enlightenment. Everyone inherently possesses the Buddha nature. Without walking the Bodhisattva path, one cannot see the suffering of life or recognise their own blessings, thus missing the true path. If this path is the right one, let’s quickly progress and encourage each other while witnessing each other’s achievements and progress.
This time, as everyone returns, we also meet many people. Witnessing the diligence displayed by others inspires us to strive for improvement, reminding ourselves, "I want to catch up with them." In this way, we can make progress. Please find time to come back often; the most important thing is to keep listening to the Dharma. Hearing the sharing from all of you confirms that you are truly listening to what I say. Try to repeat and share what I have said. Spreading good words is a way to help others. I am grateful to the Yunjianan region, and I give you all my blessing!
Translated by Yang Yu Jia
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