My heart has been very heavy since early this morning.
(We see that the wildfires in the
(are truly raging relentlessly)
All across the world, the Elements of Earth, Water Fire and Air have become imbalanced.
Ever since Hurricane Ike devastated
Up till last month, they were still providing aid to those affected, and their relief work has not concluded yet.
In the meantime, a group of scientists forecasted.
(that there was a greater than 99 percent chance)
(of a magnitude 6.7)
(or larger earthquake) happening in
( a massive earthquake drill was run)
(in
Tzu Chi volunteers in
But, on the same day, a wildfire started up in
It was reported that there are many mansions in the area.where the first fire started.
Over 100 homes were burned down and over 5,400 people were ordered to evacuate.
Driven by strong
At the moment, there are four main fires. When our volunteer, Mr. Huang, called me yesterday, I asked him:
"How far exactly"
"is the nearest fire away from our headquarters?"
He told me it was over
But just now, I received news, that the closest fire is now about
Now, there's only around
The situation is truly very urgent.
Actually, some of our Tzu Chi volunteers have also been ordered to evacuate from their homes.
Tzu Chi volunteers across
The day before yesterday, a disaster relief coordination center was set up at our headquarters.
At present, some of our volunteers are gathered at our headquarters to monitor the disaster situation while others have been providing love and comfort as well as giving out supplies to people at evacuation centers since the day before yesterday.
Though some of our Tzu Chi volunteers are evacuees themselves they are still dedicating themselves to carrying out the relief work.
Over 2,000 years ago, the Buddha had told us that if the Four Elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air were imbalanced, disasters would occur.
Look, the wildfires in
But, there aren't enough Tzu Chi volunteers.
Although most of the Tzu Chi volunteers in
Given the large area they have to take care of, the number of our volunteers is relatively small.
As the
As I often tell you, (the world is in a tug of war)between good and evil, and the side with more people on it will win. If there are more people doing evil. The evil side will become stronger.
So, we must work hard to promote goodness so that the good side will grow stronger.
As more people are sowing blessings by doing good the chances of disasters occurring will decrease.
So, may everyone around the world awaken to the lesson that disasters bring us.
We must pool everyone's love together just like accumulating the water of Dharma drop by drop to moisten the land so that the land will have moisture.
And so, when the
Indeed, we must moisten the land with the water of Dharma.
Everyday, we should work to accumulate this water.
Even small drops of water like dew can serve to moisten the land and provide the much-needed relief to the arid land.
Doesn't the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings speak of "letting fall the tiny dew of Dharma to"
"dampen the dust of desire"?
It is saying that the inner field of living beings' mind is too dry due to the fire of desire burning within and these inner flames of desire are manifesting in the physical form of destructive wildfires.
That's because man's desires are too great, and over time the karma created through our actions accumulates into a sizeable amount.
(Though insignificant at the onset)
(the bad karma gradually accumulates)
(and eventually becomes so large)
(that is incurs devastating disasters to the land)
Such a negative force of karma becomes stronger and stronger eventually bringing about widespread natural disasters throughout the world.
Now, we can only pray that the fires can be contained soon.
We see how hard so many firemen are working to battle the fires.
I earnestly hope that after the fires have been put out all our Tzu Chi volunteers across the U.S. can begin planning events that guide people, regardless of religion or ethnicity to look after their hearts and minds so that the dew of Dharma can dampen the dust of their desires.
So, I hope everyone's field of mind can be moistened with the dew of Dharma.
Indeed, we truly should work to recruit more living bodhisattvas so that when disasters strike, we wouldn't always feel that we're still short of manpower and always have the same batch of people stretched thin doing disaster relief work.
So, be it Tzu Chi volunteers in
May everyone pray sincerely for them. Tzu Chi volunteers in the
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
加州野火頻肆虐
廣召善福轉業力
愛如法水潤旱土
齊心虔祈弭災殃
美國加州野火持續蔓延，疏散了上萬居民，許多豪宅都被大火吞噬，情況告急，上人呼籲大家虔誠祈禱，讓大火消弭。地水火風四大不調，人人心靈乾燥，需要啟發更多人的善念，用善念來化解災厄。
巨大的火舌，很快吞噬木造房屋，在強風、高溫，以及乾燥環境的助長下，火勢持續蔓延，造成上萬居民疏散，當地已經進入緊急狀態，慈濟美國總會也動員五百人膚慰災民，然而，面對大地飽受傷害，都是起因於人心不調。
驚世的災難，要有警世的覺悟，證嚴上人殷切的期盼，希望人人打開心門，用愛消弭世間的災難，提起悲心，虔誠祈禱與祝福。
壞劫時代，天災人禍頻傳，但願人人都能戒慎虔誠看待每一天，唯有人心調合，才能化解天下災難。
2008-11-17 19:45:44
Regards, Jenny
Today's Jing Si Aphorisms: Let our hearts be broad enough to embrace the universe and love all beings.
今日靜思語:我們的心量與愛, 必須包容天地萬物,一切生靈
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