The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

01 TZU CHI 115 By Dharma Master Cheng Yen Translated by Max Siew aster’s Teaching As we recall history, we must all the more live with vigilant care and sincere piety, and share about them with the younger generation so that they too can learn from past events. We must also uphold life’s principles, follow the law of nature and revere Mother Nature so as to sow blessings for the world. D uring my month-long visit to the Tzu Chi premises in June and July, I had 156 sessions of heart-warming dialogues and Dharma talks with Tzu Chi people from all over Taiwan. The theme was “Never forget that particular year, the people involved and our initial aspiration to help others”. For half a century, whenever a disaster struck Taiwan, Tzu Chi people would arrive at the disaster zone within minutes. They would extend a helping hand and offer emotional support to the suffering. Everyone revisited the collectivememories, some of whichwere heart-wrenching. I am grateful to those who responded to the cries of help and gave of themselves in whatever they could without regret. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 1999 Jiji earthquake (also known as the 9/21 earthquake). In the aftermath of the massive quake, Tzu Chi people, without being told to help the victims, swiftly arrived in droves at the disaster zones. In the early hours of the morning, they were seen supplying hot meals and other necessities to the people impacted by the disaster. Besides that, they also initiated emergency aid programmes to help rebuild the survivors’ lives and set their minds at ease. Considering that people affected by the disaster should not live in tents for a long time, prefabricated houses were built. The main purpose of this programme was to ensure that the affected residents could stay in these houses for at least three years while rebuilding their homes. For this, Tzu Chi people across Taiwan worked in concerted efforts from leasing plots of land, planning and designing, to installing the prefabricated houses. Even the female volunteers climbed onto the roofs to fasten the screws, and slept on the floor after a day’s work. Although it pained my heart to hear what they had to go through, I was full of praise for their work, which made their lives meaningful and valuable. There was landscaping in the Great Love Village, and each of the prefabricated houses, though small, was partitioned into three bedrooms and two common rooms. The bathrooms and kitchen were also fully equipped. When the residents moved into the prefabricated Memories of Serving Mankind