The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.109)

01 TZU CHI 109 By Dharma Master Cheng Yen from February 1 to 12, 2019 Translated by Max Siew aster’s Teaching Living a life of material abundance, where we can enjoy every day like New Year’s Day, we should all the more watch over our mind – get rid of afflictions and control our desires, while reaching out to the needy and bringing them hope. D uring the Chinese New Year, large groups of Tzu Chi people both from overseas and from Taiwan, arrived at their spiritual home [the Jing Si Abode in Hualien]. Despite the huge crowds, they moved around in an orderly manner. This showed that the big family of Tzu Chi had celebrated the Chinese New Year with a Dharma touch. Tzu Chi people brought along their families to return to the spiritual home in Hualien not for sightseeing purposes but to experience, especially for the younger generation, the ideals upheld by Tzu Chi. The young people were encouraged to express their love to their parents besides serving the latter tea and offering them a warm embrace. This not only serves to foster a closer parent-child relationship, but also to impart the virtue of filial piety in the children. The short stay at the Abode filled their hearts with joy while allowing them to gain some insights into life’s truth and principles. The sharing by Tzu Chi people worldwide during this period revealed to us that there are still many people in our world who live in abject misery; and it is by no means easy for the Tzu Chi people to alleviate the mental suffering of the poor and needy. As we watch the world with penetrating eyes and cultivate within the heart, we should always be contented, full of gratitude, understanding and forgiving. Nowadays, our lives [materially] are much better off than the past, and the wastage is correspondingly much higher. In the past, people would only buy for the New Year, new things, such as new clothes, which they greatly appreciated. However, nowadays, people are buying new clothes so frequently that some are disposed of as rubbish after being worn for only a few times. The same goes for food consumption. In the past, many people struggled to have food on the table. Nowadays, people tend to overeat and yet, their desires are never satisfied. Since there is an abundance of material goods, almost every day of the year is like NewYear’s Day. As such, we should be more mindful and live each day with a heart of cultivation. It is common to clear clutter for the New Year, but don’t forget to reinforce our spirituality at the same time. Eradicate ignorance and delusion. If we did something wrong yesterday, we should rectify it today. Don’t ever repeat the same mistake, and do the best to keep the heart untainted and Living Each Day with a Heart of Cultivation