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Time flies, but it feels like a long time for us, given the many catastrophes happening around the world. Time seems to come to a standstill when a calamity disrupts our natural environment. Moreover, the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic makes it even more uncertain when the chaos will end. The mere mention of the pandemic makes everyone nervous and compels us to always be vigilant to ensure that we are not infected to keep the people around us safe.
The unstoppable and invisible virus is sturdy. Our society should reflect on our arrogance in thinking that we have the ability to overcome all odds and create everything. We should also reflect on whether we are seeking too much comfort in our daily lives and wasting resources as a result. The right thing to do is to remain vigilant and devout, sincerely repent and stop any wrongdoings to avoid heading in the wrong direction. We need to practise how to stop, listen, look, and pause to reflect and understand worldly matters and assess how to start life afresh.
The immense power formed when evil thoughts combine can cause great damage. It can be hard to even judge right from wrong, given the conflicts in this world we live in. However, victims of such disasters are the most innocent. The Russian-Ukraine war, for example, has destroyed many beautiful and cosy homes, and culturally rich urban cities were ruined overnight by bombs and gunshots, causing everyone to live in fear every moment. It is heart-wrenching to see people losing their loved ones.
Millions of Ukrainians had suffered under the siege of war and fled to neighbouring countries like Poland for their lives. Able-bodied men stayed behind to defend their country while the elderly, women and children made the long and arduous journey to safety. With much uncertainty about their safety and peace back home, will they ever be able to return home? This situation has put the refugees in a dilemma of having to decide to move forward or head back home.
Time must have passed by very slowly and hearts filled with sorrow for the countless refugees in the same predicament. It is difficult to lead a stable life during troubled times like these, and also unbearable for us not to reach out to help under such a bleak situation. We continuously seek ways to help the refugees find an escape route. Thankfully, with the help of kind-hearted souls, we managed to gather Tzu Chi volunteers from 12 different countries to work together with international humanitarian teams in Poland in these few months. Even though we may not be able to lend a helping hand personally, Tzu Chi volunteers contributed every bit they could given their strong faith and determination to help and were able to send their warmth and love regardless of distance.
Despite needing assistance themselves, many Ukrainian refugees have stepped up as volunteers under the warmth and welcoming guidance of Tzu Chi volunteers. They have the affinity to get acquainted with Dharma in Poland. Hopefully, upon their return to Ukraine, they will be the seeds that will be scattered, sowed and taken roots to benefit the local community and their future.
Tzu Chi volunteers have gathered here and extended their arms to embrace the refugees, working together to focus on a single task and to live out Dharma, which is none other than the Tzu Chi Dharma. I am also looking forward to Tzu Chi volunteers learning the Dharma to understand suffering when worldly affairs coincide with realities in life. The word “suffering” may seem very hollow, but it can be very real for people experiencing it, especially when war is initiated inexplicably by a few ambiguous and vile minds. Such events on the global stage remind us to remain steadfast in our duties amidst chaos in the world in order to achieve peace and harmony.
The weal and woe around us are the results of our accumulated karma. Be it heart-warming thoughts or how we carry ourselves every moment, the accumulation of good and bad deeds is differentiated by the karma earned. Those who do good will be blessed and the evil-doers will be punished. However, most people are oblivious to how blessed they are to be able to enjoy peace and security in life. Without gratitude, they fail to appreciate how fortunate it is to be able to lead life harmoniously. They will not understand that life can be full of uncertainties and will never feel contented. The insatiable greed and desire for more will lead to sinful thoughts, acts and disasters around us.
To obtain blessings, we need to know how to benefit others and increase the blessings. The age-old rule of 80/20 applies with a saying and analogy that if four persons were to spare some food from each of their plates, it would be sufficient to feed another hungry man. If everyone around us were to share the thought that by saving a little each time, we can help more people, the satisfaction in our hearts would overwhelm us and further drive our willingness to give. Without a loving heart, there will always be discontentment which makes giving an arduous effort.
Love empowers every one of us to protect all sentient beings on Earth. With loving kindness, we do not hurt but cherish each other. Be grateful for all that Mother Earth has provided us to feed and clothe us and enable us to travel around and live in peace and comfort. We also need to love and cherish earth to sustain it for a long time to come, to keep it moving along the orbit and to retain its beauty.
Good things can be advocated with good words. By spreading good deeds and appealing to all to have loving hearts, our society can achieve peace and harmony. We also need to make full use of time and follow karmic causes to do what we need to do, say what we should, and boldly take steps forward to share our loving-kindness. By making others happy with our actions, more people will follow in our footsteps; with that, we will never be lonely on the Bodhisattva path. I hereby plead for all to put effort into what you do.
Translated by Kerri Loh
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