The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.111)

57 TZU CHI 111 Master Cheng Yen: It is true that there are many similarities in the spiritual practices of Buddhists and Catholics. I have always admired Catholicism. In recent years, there have been many interfaith conferences involving Catholics and Buddhists. It is a very meaningful development and is also a great gospel to the world. I have always admired Mother Teresa. I will follow her example and work harder. Bishop Ti: You have wide support in the world. In the church, we respect you as much as we respect Mother Teresa because you are equally great and you benefit society in the same way. We have a convent in Xizhi where many elderly patients have been admitted for care. They can attest to this. We very often see Tzu Chi volunteers working there. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you for their service. Not only do they provide spiritual support to the patients and seniors, their actions also represent love and compassion as well as a spirit of service. They demonstrate that there are no boundaries between religions, so everyone can accomplish even more! I hope we have the opportunity to pray for the whole world together. Master Cheng Yen: This is what we should do. I have been to that convent once. The nuns there are very admirable. They take very good care of the seniors. When we went there, we did not feel there were any differences among our religions, either. Cardinal Shan: Even though we have different faiths, we can definitely work together to enrich people’s spiritual lives and advocate ethics and morality. Today’s society needs an adjustment in morality as well as an emphasis on values. We can guide society towards an ideal goal and urge people to develop a humanitarian spirit of sacrifice and service to save others, rather than pursuing only wealth and power for themselves. I hope our society does not become an ugly and stingy society. Master Cheng Yen: In Taiwan, we are working diligently and mindfully. We also work with many church groups towards that end. For example, we worked with a church in Hsinju’s Sharp Rock Village to rebuild their youth centre, and we even went carolling with them at Christmas. We do such things for society, education, and the purification of people’s minds. And when we went to help the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, our medical team also worked with the nuns there, providing them with medical equipment so they could help the injured and the sick. As long as the work truly helps people, many people will be willing to do it. We can definitely work together to achieve our goal of helping others. * The article is extracted from the book “Friends from Afar: Conversations with Dharma Master Cheng Yen”.