It's been ten days that I have been away visiting our various offices and hospitals.
It has left me with many feelings and impressions.
There has been joy as well as sorrow feelings of reassurance as well as worry.
I have not taken such a trip in five months.
The first ting this trip made me feel and realize.
(was the phenomenon of aging)
I found that I did not have as much stamina as before.
This time, I didn't announce beforehand my plans to make this tirp.
Even my monastic disciples didn't know until that very morning, when I told them that.
I was going on a trip and apologized to them for not giving them advanced notice.
That day I rode in a twenty-seater bus for hours.
(We stopped by the Tzu Chi office in
I like it best when no one knows that I am coming because that ensures that everything I see is authentic
(What I saw showed me that everyone truly) considers our Tzu Chi office their cultivation site and looks after it with care.
This site is kept very neat and orderly everywhere exhibiting Tzu Chi's culture and spirit.
Though there was not a big crowd there, I saw that people had worked out shifts among themselves and were conscientiously carrying out their duties.
(Meanwhile, in Guandu, I found that) everyone was so in step with one another that with just half a day's notice they were able to convene over 2,000 volunteers.
Our Guandu office was filled with people in the upper tier and hallways as well.
I asked them how they were able to convene so many people so quickly.
They replied to me:
"Master, when people used to ask you"
"how you are able to mobilize so many volunteers"
"don't you always say that"
"you don't need to mobilize volunteers"
"because the volunteers are never at rest"
"in the first place so no mobilization is needed"
Indeed, I saw for myself this time that our volunteers are indeed always at work or on standby.
So, as soon as they receive the message to convene.
They can promptly convene.
I really bore witness to that this time.
With the recent economic downturn the money from selling recyclables we collected is not even enough for the cost of gas but that hasn't deterred our recycling volunteers asked them:
"Now that the money from recyclables"
"can't even cover the cost of gas"
"are you still continuing to collect recyclables?"
Everyone replied "Of course we have to continue"
"because recycling is spiritual cultivation"
Indeed, recycling is spiritual cultivation.
This time, as I was traveling south from
(stop by the recycling station in) Shueishang township.
Seeing how earnest the volunteer was, I said, " Sure, if it's on the way"
They said"
"If we plan for it, it'll be on the way."
So, I went to our recycling station in Shueishang.
Everything there was very well-organized.
They sorted everything very meticulously and kept everything neat and tidy.
The recycling volunteers there really do recycling at a very high standard.
There was one couple who came before me and very sincerely handed me a brown envelope.
The husband said that inside the envelope was the deed to the land for the recycling station.
They wanted to donate the land to Tzu Chi for recycling work.
The volunteer in charge of recycling in Shueishang said that in this town, we have recycling stations in 23 of its 26 villages.
We have a total of around 200 recycling stations of various sizes.
This place is the main recycling station in Shueishange.
I was very moved to hear it.
I then asked him how many recycling volunteers do they have.
He said around 600 recycling volunteers and this figure does not count non-certified recycling volunteers.
See, isn't our recycling station a place of cultivation?
To test their commitment, I asked again:
"Now that the recyclables don't sell for as much,"
"and it doesn't even cover the cost of gas."
"do you all still want to continue?"
His immediate response was:
"Of course we have to continue"
"The recycling station is"
"where we do our cultivation"
"This place is home to many elderly people"
"The elderly bodhisattvas are very grateful"
"to be able to come here to do recycling work"
"Plus, some elementary teachers also"
"bring their class to our station"
"to learn about environmental protection"
"Students who visited or station"
"learned to cherish what they have"
"So, we have to continue the recycling work"
(Hearing them say this, I was really comforted)
These are the volunteers in Shueishang.
Even though it's a rural area, they have a pair of cement pillars over a century old.
I don't know where they got them from.
Since they are a pair, they erected them and wrote couplets on them.
Indeed, if you want to see traditional Chinese culture, you can see it at our recycling station.
I also saw a pair of newlyweds.
They had just gotten married the day before but they were there doing recycling.
They are our Tzu Chings from
The day after their wedding to sort out recyclables with their parents.
That's how they are spending their honeymoon.
I gave them my blessings.
They make good use of their time to do good deeds.
On my trip around
Some of which were heartbreaking.
There was a boy who is (suffering from a severe illness)
It has affected his eyesight.
He has almost become blind.
But he has a wish---he wanted to see me.
So, he came to our Tzu Chi hospital in
What is this for?
To help people.
You want to help people.
You're such a good boy.
He has an altruistic heart and gave me his coin bank. He wants to donate the money to help people.
How adorable he is.
But, life is such that he is suffering from an illness.
It's truly heartbreaking.
He is such an adorable child.
Seeing a young child suffering an illness this should this should remind us adults that we must utilize our time (to do good).
(We do not know)
(what may happen to us at any moment)
So, for every day that we're safe and well we should contribute ourselves in any way we can and make full use of our time.
If we can do this, we'll be able to live a very meaningful life.
All in all, over the past then days.
I've seen many things but there's not enough time for me to share all of them with you.
In summary, we need to seize the time that we have and for every second and minute that we have we must make good use of it (to do good)
重播 週一到週五
09:48 11:45 15:15 23:00
重播 週六
07:45 11:45 15:18 23:00
重播 週日
02:45 07:45 11:45 23:00
清淨身心為道場
環保回收寓於教
闔家投入修福慧
步步踏實擁輕安
證嚴上人結束10天的行腳，昨天返回靜思精舍，這趟行程，上人有著滿滿的感動，尤其到各醫療志業聽取會報後，證嚴上人肯定各醫療的使命感，也感恩大醫王們對病患的疼惜與愛護，發揮慈濟人文，真正作到別人生命中的貴人。
每一張簡報都是大醫王為每個患者打造的貼身治療計畫，慈院醫師們力求技術的進步，就是希望在最短時間內解除病患的病苦，除了醫療發展，也有人文故事。
上人感恩各醫療志業同仁傳承愛的醫療，為民眾的健康把關。
證嚴上人開示：「經過了五個月，看到每一個醫院都真正的那一分的年輕、蓬勃、愛心、團隊，那一種醫療使命的確很令人安心。」
十天行腳中，令上人感動的還有這位罹患腦瘤的九歲小弟弟呂冠霈，歷經十幾次的腦部手術，眼睛幾乎看不見，而他最大的心願，就是見上人一面。當上人此行到慈院台中分院時，呂小弟也恭敬的奉上自己的存錢筒開心圓夢。
證嚴上人開示：「我們看到了幼小的孩子有這樣的病痛，想一想，年長的我們，應該也要把握時間，這個時間實在是由不得我們自己來選擇，不過，一天的平安，就要付出一分的力量，把我們的日子充分利用。」
把握時間，好好利用，分秒不空過，每一個人，都能讓生命的每一刻發揮良能。
2008-11-15 21:04:48
Regards, Jenny
Today's Jing Si Aphorisms: Our life is most grounded when we are contributing whatever we can at each and every opportunity.
今日靜思語:人生最踏實的事,是今日有多少力量,就儘快付出
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