980121人間菩提英文版人間菩提-Seeds of Goodness Growing in the Philippines

人間菩提--清淨善種遍成林
Seeds of Goodness Growing in the Philippines

For people in suffering, bodhisattvas are their hope.
(Relieving suffering) is also what bodhisattvas come to his world to do.
But, in order to relieve people’s suffering, certain conditions must come together for the bodhisattva to be able to reach them to help. The place we see is Isla Putting Bato near Manila in the Philippines.
The residents there are very impoverished.
How can I describe how impoverished they are?
In the past, it was said that even the police dared not go near there.
It was a notorious area.
Poor as the residents were, they were nevertheless very combative and bellicose, so outsiders stayed away as much as possible.
However, in June 2008, Typhoon Fengshen devastated this area, damaging hundreds of houses.
(Learning that) our volunteers went there to survey the disaster situation.
See despite the difficult roads to travel on and the dirty environment,
Tzu Chi volunteers still went there to provide aid leaving footprints of bodhisattvas there.
Truly, wherever our volunteers set foot on,
(the local people’s life will be improved)
Our volunteers went there to distribute material supplies.
Tzu Chi volunteers’ humble and gentle manner (truly touched the local residents)
Furthermore, the supplies we gave out were what they most urgently needed.
So the first impression they had of our volunteers was our volunteers’ genuine and sincere love.
Touched by our volunteers’ love, the people there softened.
(and gradually opened up their hearts)
Tzu Chi volunteers (were not afraid of them) and shared with them.
How Tzu Chi started over 40 years ago with 30 people putting money aside every day to help the poor.
After finishing telling the story, our volunteers asked them.
“Would any of you like to give of your love?”
“Every tiny contribution when pooled together”
“can do a lot to help those in need”
“Does anyone want a coin bank?”
“Does anyone want to give of their love?”
See, so many people raised their hands, I want to donate and help others.
I want to put money n it and give it to the Tzu Chi chapter to help others.
As we’re receiving aid, we should also help those more in need than we are
No matter how bellicose or how unyielding they may appear, so long as you are determined to help them, and your heart is pure without selfish intentions.
(people can be moved)
We must have a pure heart of wisdom and help them without asking anything in return.
With a heart of respect, we regard all living beings as bodhisattvas who have come into our lives to teach us something.
This is why we respect them and are also grateful to them.
Harboring a pure heart such as this, even the most unyielding of living beings would be moved and inspired.
Then, we can guide them to open their hearts and to give of their love.
In so doing, we’re turning principles into paths for people to walk on along with us.
This is the Tzu Chi path that we’re walking on
See how the love in these people was inspired.
So many of them raised their hands to collect a coin bank.
See, this is an example of causes and conditions.
(coming together to produce consequences)
We see the power of love.
Our love stems from our aspiration (to help all suffering beings)
With good aspirations, blessings come
With vows, strength comes, and so we’re able to open their hearts and guide them to give of their love.
Though they are very impoverished, when we provide care for them and guide them and sow the seeds of love no matter how barren the land was.
(it can still be revived) with seeds growing in it.
Also, during this period of time, for those who were poor and ill, we’d take them to the hospital for treatment.
Among them is Freddie Manzanes.
When he was young, he murdered four people and was put in jail for 23 years.
When he was finally released form prison, his children would not accept him and his relatives also refused to take him in.
He was in his forties at the time.
From then on, he lived in such poverty
Several years ago, a tumor started to grow on his right foot,
but he was too poor to see a doctor.
So, the tumor grew bigger and bigger.
Later, the skin broke and blood and pus kept oozing out
(Though it was very painful,) when asked if it hurt, he said that the pain from that was nothing compared to the pain of being cast off by his family.
Tzu Chi volunteers couldn’t bear to see him suffer so they took him to the Chinese General Hospital to see Dr. Leh (the son of the Dr. Leh who)
(organized Tzu Chi’s first free clinics in) the Philippines. The younger Dr. Leh is also a member of our medical association in the Philippines. When Tzu Chi refers any patient to him he’d always treat the patient with love.
So, when Dr. Leh saw Freddie’s condition, he told Freddie, “To save your life”
“and prevent the infection from spreading,”
“the only solution is to amputate your foot”
“Are you willing?”
When Freddie heard that amputation was needed, he was not afraid at all.
Instead, he agreed to it with a smile.
So, his right foot was amputated.
A few days later, he was discharged from the hosp.
Ever since then, he has been very grateful to Tzu Chi volunteers.
(who came to his aid, helped him get treatment.) and thereby gave him a new life.
(Their love touched him so deeply that)
(his mindset has been transformed)
He is no longer bitter about what he has suffered and faces every day with a smile.
As his heart began to open to others, he has also received much love in return.
In order to show his gratitude to Tzu Chi, he sculptured a boat.
(like that in Tzu Chi’s logo) and asked our volunteer, Mr. Li, to bring it back to me.
When I saw it, I was very touched and I very grateful.
(Others who have received Tzu Chi’s aid are also)
(giving back by donating money they had saved up)
I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.
I didn’t know where to find you.
Now that you’ve come again, I’m giving you the coin bank you had given me.
I’ve been wanting to do that although the bank is not completely full yet.
Although there were only 60 plus pesos in the coin bank (which is a little more than US$1) that’s want she has been saving coin by coin.
Their giving back is truly no easy thing.
Every tiny contribution that the poor make contains their utmost sincerity within( and sows a wholesome seed)
This seed contains incalculable merits.
In the Buddhist sutras, there is a story about a poor old woman who offered to the Buddha a tatter of her clothes.
Her meager offering was of incalculable merit.
(Similarly,)
(for these people in the Philippines,) despite how difficult their lives are, they still save a coin every day. (to help those more in need than they are)
That is truly not easy for them to do.
All in all, no matter how barren a piece of land may be, it still contains hidden potential.
So, we should never overlook a land that is barren and think that it is infertile and useless.
Every inch of land contains the potential for things to grow in it.
(It is the same with people’s hearts)
We should not look down on people simply because they are poor, have bad ways or have done had things.
Deep inside their heart, there is a pure seed of love.
Look at these people who were affected by the typhoon.
Not only has their living condition been improved but most importantly, their innate goodness has been inspired.
(and they are now)
(taking action to give and help others)
This is what makes me happiest.
I am very grateful.