It is indeed very moving to see how the impossible became possible as we worked to overcome many obstacles and change people's superstitious belief of
(keeping their bodies intact after passing away)
All this that we see now, takes me back to the beginning of our medical mission.
Today is September 10. On September 10, 1972 which is 36 years ago today,
We held our very first free medical clinic at our free clinic center in
(which gave services twice a week)
It was through the free clinics that we came to realize the insufficiency of medical resources in Hualien, thus leading me to make the vow of building a hospital in Hualien.
I kept this vow in my mind and it grew getting stronger and stronger as I continually thought upon it.
So, the fact that we have a medical mission as it is today all started from the free clinic we began 36 years ago today.
That was the first step of our medical mission.
Over these years in eastern Taiwan, we have not only built a hospital in Hualien, which is now a med center but also in Guanshan and Yuli both of which are safeguarding lives with love.
Also in the western part of
Because of the medical mission, we came to realize the importance of education.
And so we established a medical college in the effort to produce good loving doctors.
On October 16, 1994, Tzu Chi College of Medicine officially opened and has now expanded into a university---
That's when I began to share with everyone that we should teach our students about
treating life with respect and dignity.
Our medical students are, therefore, taught to treat the body donors used in the anatomy class as silent mentors as we hope they will learn to treat life with respect.
We guided our students to see that the bodies on the dissection tables are people who have donatd their bodies to our medical students for medical learning with the support of their family and we let. (our students meet the donors family and learn about the donors' life.
They can see the grief of the donors' family and how selflessly these body donors have given of themselves.
(Every one of the body donors was a real person with selfless, pure love)
This is why I'm very grateful to them.
Today is the inauguration of the
In fact surgical simulations have been conducted here in Tzu Chi for several years already
This time, we've set up a new center for our surgical simulations.
A few days ago when I went to our university Professor Zeng happily showed me around
the new
He thinks this center is wonderful and I'm very happy to see that.
(they have such a good facility)
Professor Zeng told me that this simulation center is designed to be like a real operating room and he believes that it's the only one of its kind not only in
I told him that I'm sure in the future others may set up even better facilities,
But the spirit of body donors is something that will last through the centuries as they have already established a paragon with their selfless spirit.
This year is also the tenth anniversary of TIMA.
(Tzu Chi international Medical Association)
Many of our TIMA members worldwide have been returning to Hualien recently.
This morning, I saw some volunteers from the
(Many of them are here for the TIMA convention)
This morning when I said to them:
"We've been holding free clinics for 36 years now."
Many sighed and said:
"Back then, if I had known about Tzu Chi,"
"I'd have taken part in it then"
Indeed, though it has been 10 years since TIMA has been founded and giving free clinics worldwide.
Tzu Chi has actually been providing free medical services for 36 years.
In fact, apart from the body donors who give without asking for anything in return, thus
(allowing their spirit to remain in this world)
We are also indebted to many others such as the team of Tzu Chi volunteers who interact with the donors' family and help escort the bodies to Hualien.
No matter where the body donors may be when our Tzu Chi volunteers learn that
A body donor is about to pass on.
They'll call the staff at our university and inform them of the coming of a donor.
Be it night or day, they're always on standby and their cell phone is switched on 24 hours a day.
As soon as they are contacted, they'll quickly start making arrangements.
We truly need such a team to interact with and comfort a donor's family, and they're on call 24 hours a day.
And we also see Professor Zeng and the students' lecturer, Wang Yue-ran.
Miss Wang is truly……
She how young she is. But she has been working there for over then years.
Although she looks like a student, she's actually a very strict teacher.
Though she is very strict, she is also like a loving mother, as she knows when the students are cold or hungry and will look after them in their daily lives.
Sometimes, she'll treat the students to a little something and interact with them like friends.
But when she teaches, she is very strict.
She often gets headaches.
So, I'm very concerned about her.
But she has the endurance to put up with the pain and aches and still provide a high standard of teaching.
Of course, she also has her colleagues in the anatomy team with her such as Chen Hong-bin and Ji Wen-sheng, etc. to help her.
Like her, they're always on call.
Be it in the middle of the night on typhoon days or whatever the occasion.
They'll always be on standby.
If the body of a donor is being delivered in the middle of the night, they have to wait for it to arrive so as to take special care to preserve the body. I truly don't know what words to use to describe their mindful dedication.
They are like Bodhisattvas helping to make our medical care system so complete and to educate our medical students so that each of them can become humane doctors with wondrous skills who can make great contributions to this world.
So, these silent mentors……
We live for only a limited time on this Earth.
When our time comes, we'll have to leave this world.
That's the law of nature.
But those with wisdom know to make use of their bodies that are no longer useful to them by donating their bodies for medical use thus leaving a legacy of love in this world.
These silent mentors truly educate others by leaving a legacy of love.
I'm truly very grateful.
They are all my good disciples.
I'm truly very sad to part with them.
But I also feel very comforted because they have taken my words to heart in being willing to undertake such a selfless act.
(They are truly silent mentors of Great Love)
So, that's why we refer to them as mentors.
It is because of them that we have humane doctors with such wondrous skills.
What a meritorious deed they have done.
 回溯義診方肇始 難行能行入覺途 無語良師作妙用 造就人間大醫王 一年一度國際慈濟人醫年會，即將在花蓮登場，慈濟大學模擬醫學中心就選在今天揭碑啟用；巧合的是，1972年、三十六年前的今天，慈濟在花蓮市仁愛街舉辦了有史以來第一場義診，一直到1996年，慈濟人醫會開始有了雛形，義診腳步也從台灣遍及全球。 證嚴上人在今天的志工早會上，感恩所有成就醫療志業的醫護人員、志工菩薩，以及捨身醫療的大體老師。上人說，他們都替自己的生命、創造了最好的價值。 10號上午，慈濟大學模擬醫學中心揭牌啟用，這座堪稱世界首屈一指的模擬手術室，為慈濟的醫療教育寫下新的里程碑。 而在36年前的同一天，慈濟在花蓮開始義診服務，這正是慈濟醫療志業的開端，也因此帶動了往後的醫療教育。 醫療教育就是要培育良醫，除了良語良師的用心指導，還有一群捨身教育的無語良師，他們付出身體、奉獻教育，讓醫學生在他們身上探索生命的奧妙，將來成為醫生之後，才能守護健康、守護生命。 無語良師遺愛人間，成就醫療教育，期盼能培育出更多良醫，造福人群。 |
Today's Jing Si Aphorisms: Be faithful and honest from deep inside, this is the essence of spiritual cultivation.
今日靜思語: 直心即道場
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