980101人間菩提英文版 Sowing Blessings In Order to Reap Blessings

人間菩提--同造福因得福果
Sowing Blessings In Order to Reap Blessings


Living bodhisattvas, Happy New Year,
Indeed, happy new year, and may every month, every day, and every moment be just as happy and filled with peace.
Thanks to your wholehearted dedication.
We in Taiwan have been able to pass the past year in peace and safety.
The reason we can be safe and sound every day is because we’ve been sowing blessings through benefiting others with love.
With the blessings we’ve sown, we’d naturally be safe and well.
That’s especially the case for you recycling volunteers who have been cherishing resources and caring for our land by collecting recyclables.
(Besides letting resources be reused,) it also helps conserve energy and cut down carbon emissions.
See how doing recycling can benefit the Earth in many ways.
Just now I saw how our recycling volunteers in Xizhi of Taipei and Keelung went to collect the wooden pallets at a container depot in Xizhi.
If our volunteers did not collect these pallets, the container depot would’ve spent hundreds of US dollars every month to have them cleared away.
So, with our volunteers’ efforts, the depot is able to save hundreds of dollars a month, and we can also make use of the pallets.
Thank you all for spending a day every month to collect these wooden pallets and saw and organize them so neatly before transporting them back to the Jing Si Abode.
Do you know that the hot meals we have at the Abode are made possible by your contributions as you collect the wooden pallets and ever so mindfully pull out the nails one by one and saw and pile them up so neatly before delivering them back to the Abode for us to use as firewood for cooking.
Because of your efforts, my monastic disciples, do not have to worry about running out of firewood.
You have been doing this silently for years and I didn’t know until now.
Thank you. I am very grateful to you all.
After I return to the Abode, when I eat, I’ll cherish the hot dishes on the table even more as now I know that these hot dishes have been made possible by your efforts, and my heart will be filled with even more warmth as I eat the meal.
By doing this, you’re forming good affinities with those who have eaten at the Abode.
After the wood is burned, the ashes can still be made use of---my monastic disciples very mindfully draw the nails from the ashes with magnets so that the ashes can be used as fertilizer for the vegetables that we grow at the abode.
When you come back to the Abode, you can all enjoy the vegetables that my monastic disciples grow at the Abode.
This is how the cycle of love works in this world.
In this world, most things can be recycled and be reused again and again.
Truly, there are no useless things in this world.
It all depends on people---
As long as we have the heart to do it, there is nothing that we can’t accomplish.
That’s why we should not underestimate our potential.
I am very grateful.
Taiwan is truly a peaceful and auspicious place.
(Behind this lies the law of cause and effect---) when we sow blessings, we’ll be able to reap blessings.
With so many people in Taiwan doing good together with others thus sowing blessings and forming good affinities, the fruits we shall reap will be blessings.
This is the law of cause and effect. That’s why Taiwan has good weather and land conditions, and the people in Taiwan can live in peace and safety.
But when we look beyond Taiwan, how many disasters are there around the world?
We now have Tzu Chi members in over 40 countries.
In the past year, wherever there was a disaster, the local Tzu Chi volunteers would mobilize immediately and go to the disaster areas to care for the victims with love.
Look at Myanmar and China’s Sichuan. I am sure everyone still remembers what happened vividly.
At this time, our volunteers are there in Sichuan holding winter distributions because this is the first winter after the earthquake hi in May last year.
You know Taiwan actually has very nice weather.
Even though it is cold in winter, it’s not as cold as Sichuan where the temperature usually drops below zero.
So, we can imagine how the quake survivors must feel in winter, especially having lost everything to the earthquake and with the winter there being so cold.
So, our volunteers brought them blankets, winter clothing, cotton shirts, and food like rice, cooking oil, salt, etc.
So, be it food, material supplies, clothing, blankets, etc., we prepared what they needed and gave it out to them.
We have also built an activity center in Luoshui for them and the center was inaugurated a week or so ago.
They even held Year-end Blessings Ceremonies there.
The locals treat the activity center with pious sincerity and respect and also take care of it like their own home.
I saw that after an event ended, many women were scrubbing the floor.
I clean it up every day.
I stay after everyone leaves and clean it up before going home.
This is our home.
Tzu Chi built this home for us.
This is the best house we’ve ever had, so we should cherish it.
When everyone cares for the land, it will be clean.
I want to serve as a volunteer and do what Tzu Chi volunteers do.
It’s truly very heartwarming to hear and I feel that the seeds of love have already been sown in that land---
With our volunteers’ care and guidance, many of the quake survivors now can leave heir sorrow and grief behind.
After talking with our volunteers, many have opened up their hearts and their pain has also been eased.
(Seeing how they are able to smile again)
(and rebuild their lives with their own efforts,)
I am truly very happy.
(By doing this, we’re bringing aid to people)
(at the most critical moment in their lives)
When others are in need of help, we in Taiwan are able to provide aid although we’re so far away from them.
For that, we should feel very happy.
Because our heart is filled with joy from helping others, we should also be grateful for each day in the past that we’ve passed in peace.
We must be grateful every day
Every morning when I wake up the first thought I have is one of gratitude for being able to wake up to a new day again.
(I’d then move my hands and feet) and be grateful that (I am still able to move) and to continue serving others.
So, every day, at every moment, my heart is filled with gratitude.
We should se the past year off with gratitude and welcome in the new year with sincere piety.
So, for the year 2009, let us all pray with utmost sincere piety for the new year to be filled with peace, auspiciousness. blessings, and wisdom.