人間菩提--用愛心迎接未來
Year-end Blessing Ceremony:Welcoming the New Year with Love
I’m truly filled with gratitude.
Our Year-end Blessings Ceremony has started to be held, beginning last month.
Tzu Chi members work hard to hold the ceremony, hoping to inspire people to be grateful for this past year, and to welcome the new year with love.
It is truly moving to see their efforts.
We also see that starting in July or August our Tzu Chi volunteers began making the hong-baos and gluing the rice grains onto it.
People of all ages (participated in the activity with joy)
We see that even people with ailments participated such as Zhen-ye.
Though she has difficulty walking due to bone cancer and her hands would shake, she still participates because she wishes to from good affinities with people far and wide---
She knows that with the hong-bao she makes, she will form a good affinity with whoever receives it, wherever they are.
So, instead of resting at home due to her illness she would rather work on the hong-baos with other Tzu Chi volunteers.
We also saw a grandpa in his eighties.
Actually, he became Tzu Chi’s care recipient three years ago.
Tzu Chi volunteers visit him regularly just as if they were his children.
Our volunteers always invite him to attend the Year-end Blessings Ceremony.
They even traveled far to bring him there.
Are you happy today?
I didn’t sleep last night.
You didn’t sleep last night?
He was too excited.
When he received the hong-bao, it warmed his heart and made him so happy.
So, around the time of the new year, our volunteers are very busy
I often say that I’m very grateful for all that they do
Do you know how many have been preparing for the ceremony over the past few months?
At every Tzu Chi office (around Taiwan) whenever our volunteers had spare time,
they would come to make the hong-baos.
And, to make it convenient for attendees to attend the ceremony would be held at a local venue.
(Our volunteers would have to)
(rent a suitable venue, and they always)
go there a few days before the ceremony to give the place a good tidying up.
They would wash and scrub the restrooms clean, etc.
They do this at every venue the ceremony is held.
Why do they do this?
Because it is Tzu Chi’ s way.
We cherish every place that we use no matter if we only use if for two or four hours.
We also do this to set a good example.
A hall that holds a ceremony ought to be clean.
That is how we show respect to the attendees.
When we hold the ceremony is schools, we also clean it, so that every place the students set foot on will be clean. This is to teach the students.
No matter what kind of venue we use, we have to be respectful towards the people who attend the ceremony so that coming there.
There is an air of humanity and respect.
I have to thank all our Tzu Chi volunteers for their hard work be it finding a venue managing traffic, or arranging the transportation.
All of this has to be planned many days in advance in order for everything to go smoothly.
Setting up the venue arranging transportation,
(making all the hong-baos and gifts)---all these require months of work.
So, Tzu Chi volunteers.
I’m truly grateful to you.
In Taiwan, even though it’s now winter, we feel warm because of
(your love which is like the winter sunshine)
As all of you know, lately, I’ve been very worried about the situation in Zimbabwe because of the cholera outbreak that began in Aug.
The situation is truly very worrying Tzu Chi volunteers from South Africa had gone to a South African city bordering Zimbabwe because many Zimbabweans have fled there.
Some already have cholera while some are still healthy
But, they all lack food and medicine.
So, our Tzu Chi volunteers in South Africa went to the border city to offer care and to understand their needs and how we can help.
The water they have is very dirty.
Though they’ve escaped to the South African border, there is still a serious food shortage.
Even worse is the lack of clean drinking water.
What they really need now is water purification tablets.
Later, Tzu Chi volunteers surmounted many difficulties and finally were able to procure 9,600 tablets.
On Dec. 17, ten volunteers, including Mr. Cai and Mr. Zhu,
(our main contact persons in Zimbabwe)distributed water purification tablets.
(in a township of he capital)
Before the distribution, our volunteers had first sought permission from the local police and the distribution had been approved.
When the distribution first began, things went smoothly but toward the end of the distribution a large crowd suddenly gathered around and surrounded our vehicle.
When our volunteers saw the crowd closing in, they quickly got into the vehicle and closed its doors.
The crowd pounded on the car’s doors.
It was really a dangerous situation.
They were finally able to make an escape.
The incident had given everyone a fright and it has made me even more worried.
The incident reflects the difficulty we face in trying to get supplies into the country.
It’s already hard enough getting in urgently needed medicine and water purification tablets much less food supplies.
Of the food, what they need most now is cornmeal a staple of their diet.
(They are running out of food)
So, besides the lack of medicine, there’s also lack of food.
Their plight is truly heartbreaking
Look at the life in this country.
It is truly……
Seeing their conditions, we must truly realize how blessed we are and not be wasteful in our daily living.
We must live more simply and frugally.
It’s a blessing just to be safe and well.
Seeing all that’s happening around the world every day, there are heartbreaking situations.
But we also see that here, where all is safe and well, every day, people are working together to help one another and wishing each other well.
People are dedicating themselves to the community and from every person hey encounter, they’re learning about life’s truths and are developing wisdom.
There was one little boy who is only six years old.
His mother had told him that if he saved up money in his coin bank, at the end of the year, she’ll take them to Japan for a vacation.
So, all throughout the year, he diligently saved up money.
While at our Year-end Blessings Ceremony,
(he saw footage of people in suffering)
It made him ask many “whys”
“Why are people dying from hunger?” he asked.
“Why was there an earthquake?”
He had a lot of “whys”
I told him, “We aren’t going hungry”
“but we still want to fly off to Japan”
“What should we do with the money?”
He said, “I want o donate it”
“to help those kids who are going hungry
This is wisdom.
He’s only six.
It is only because we are safe and well that our children can be so blessed and wise.
Everyone, truly, every person, be it an elderly person, a sick person, or a little child---
Every person has the Buddha within. Everyone has compassion and is willing to help others.
Everyone is capable of living in a way the follows the Dharma---living with contentment and gratitude.
See, this is how things are in a place where all is safe and well.
At this year-end, I wish everyone well and hope every day can be a day where all is safe and harmonious.
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