971229人間菩提英文版 Hospitals as a Spiritual Cultivation Ground

人間菩提--最好修行的道場
Hospitals as a Spiritual Cultivation Ground


Time truly passes by very quickly.
This time last year, I was also standing here giving out these hong-baos which represent wisdom and blessings.
Do you know why these hong-baos represent wisdom and blessings?
They signify wisdom because the money for making the hong-baos comes from the royalties of my books and not from the Tzu Chin Foundation.
They come from the royalties of my books published by Jing Si Publications.
Every year, I do not spend a penny of the royalties from my books so that I can share them with every one of you at this time each year. So, (it represents wisdom as it comes from my books)
There are also seeds glued inside the hong-baos---they’re rice seeds.
With the utmost sincerity, I offer everyone my best wishes, and hope that our blessings can be multiplied just like the seeds, because one seed can produce innumerable seeds
These seeds were planted by our staff and medical personnel in our hospital in Dalin.
They went into the fields to plant the rice seedlings.
After harvesting the rice plants they put them out in the sun to dry and carefully selected the rice seeds one by one before carefully gluing them inside the hong-baos.
(Each seed contains their pure enlightened love)
This is their way to spread the seeds of goodness with their enlightened love.
The love and goodwill which they hold toward all is truly very deep.
The surplus rice that they harvested was packaged, and Superintendent Chien said it would be sold o raise funds for relief work.
With disasters being so widespread across the world, they felt that the burden which I shoulder must be very heavy, so they vacuum-packed the rice they harvested for sale with all proceeds going to charity.
I’m truly very grateful to them (for embracing Tzu Chi as their family)
(So, everyone knows my burdens and tries to)
(help share the load)
They’re very close to me in heart.
Our medical mission isn’t only about providing medical treatment---while carrying out our mission of Medicine, we also integrate our missions of Charity.
Education and Culture into our medical services.
See how our charity work takes place all over the world
Every day, from Taiwan, we can see the work.
Tzu Chi volunteers are doing worldwide.
See, be it in a wealthy country like the U.S., or Australia, other countries in Europe,
Southeast Asia, South America, etc disasters are occurring frequently.
So, Tzu Chi carries out charity work worldwide, and our volunteers have left footprints of love in over 60 countries.
This is the charity work we’ve been doing.
While carrying out charity work in these countries, Tzu Chi also provides medical care.
I’m sure everyone still remembers the cyclone which caused so much devastation in Myanmar this May.
Our doctors went there to hold free clinics---
Myanmar was so poor to begin with, and then to be struck by such a major disaster, they were truly in a very bad state.
We saw a mother who took her child to seek treatment at our clinic site, and, after receiving the treatment with her child in her arms, she knelt down in gratitude.
Seeing that, Supt. Chao also immediately squatted down to help her up.
Such an image portrays. Truth, goodness, and beauty---
The image that was captured in that instant was the most beautiful picture in the world.
What it captured was love---(a model of how a doctor should be)
Turning to the Philippines, there is a village called Dreamland.
After discovering that the villagers, lived next to a landfill, our volunteers began providing love and care, and our doctors also went there to hold free clinics.
Besides that, we also shared with the villagers that (although they were receiving aid form us,) they too could help others.
See, by saving a coin a day, they were able to fill up the coin banks that we gave them and in just 3 months, the coins they had saved were enough to fill up two whole pots to the brim.
Don’t I often share with you that tiny contributions when pooled together, can amount to a lot just like how grains of rice can fill a basket and drops of water can from a river?
For example, today, many of our nurses, doctors, and hospital staff presented their coin banks to me.
Greetings, Master.
Hello, everyone.
No one’s holding it down, right?
It’s very heavy, very heavy.
Thank you, thank you.
You all contributed, right?
Thank you.
We’ll continue the practice of saving a coin every day.
Master, please do not worry.
There were also small children there presenting me with coin banks.
These coin banks come from the love of many people which, when pooled together, can do a lot to help those in need.
All in all, small donations can amount to a lot.
If everyone could give a little, we could do a lot to help those in need.
Actually, apart from those countries, we’ve been continually caring for we’ve also been providing aid in Zimbabwe and Bolivia since 2007, and in November 2008, our volunteers also went to Haiti. (to survey the locals living conditions to see)
(what kind of aid we can provide. I often say that)
(when climate conditions are favorable, the people)
(should be able to work together)
(for the greater good)
If people or political parties in a country, are always going up against one another, by no means will the country grow prosperous.
See how Haiti’s plight is a result of internal conflict.
It’s truly very……
(We truly have to learn from others’ lessons)
As the saying goes “Harmony brings prosperity to a family”
Tzu Chi’s Four Missions are like the members of a family as we integrate our missions of Charity, Medicine, Education, and Culture into one.
So, I earnestly hope that you hospital staff can give of your love and work to carry out our missions of Charity and Medicine simultaneously by safeguarding people’s lives with love.
Every day, my heart is filled with gratitude as well as respect and love for you hospital staff
I love every member of our medical team for every one of you is dedicating yourself with great mindfulness and love.
Working in this big family of Tzu Chi, we should work more harmoniously with one another and treat each other with love
This is what I earnestly hope for I know it is truly hard work to carry out our mission of Medicine in the greater Taipei metropolitan area.
But Tzu Chi people consider hard work as blessings.
(since it gives us the opportunity to help others)
While serving others, we can learn a lot form it.
Practicing medicine is spiritual cultivation and we cultivate ourselves through serving others.
Bodhisattvas must practice the Six Paramitas---giving, moral discipline, tolerance & forbearance, diligence, Samadhi, and wisdom.
Did you notice that when I spoke of tolerance and forbearance, I stressed it in my tone.
Tolerance and forbearance is in the middle of the Six Paramitas.
Everyone, I know that the work you do is truly very hard work.
No matter how you are treated (by patients, etc.,) please know that this profession you’ve chosen is actually the best cultivation ground for us to cultivate ourselves spiritually as well as for us to cultivate blessings.
That is why I refer to you as the Saint in White, which is the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
How admirable you are
And doctors are the “Great Healers”
(It is truly a most noble profession) that draws everyone’s respect and love.
(What you do is not only a job) but also your vocation which you carry out with a sense of mission.
In a word, I’m truly very grateful.
Under the guidance of the superintendent and assistant superintendents works together with unity, harmony, love, and concerted efforts
I hope our hospital can become a model hospital in the greater Taipei metropolitan area.
This is our vision.