The world of Tzu Chi March 2020(Vol.120)

01 TZU CHI 120 By Dharma Master Cheng Yen Translated by Ho Joo Lim aster’s Teaching Go to those in need of help and extend a helping hand. With a clear direction to lead a worthwhile life, we will have no regrets but peace within. T he annual Year-end Blessing Ceremony is an occasion where we joyfully wish everyone a good year ahead. At the same time, it also signifies the end of another year, filling us with a sense of loss, wondering if we have maximized our innate potential and lived out the value of our lives, despite not having control over our lifespan. Some of you may have been learning the Dharma diligently and have understood the concept of impermanence, but are you really able to let go of attachments and embrace life with an open heart? It is a familiar scene that some elderly people bring their grandchildren to me, hoping for me to bless the young ones by touching their heads. The love of the elderly for their descendants is sincere. In fact, children are not only the hope of a family, but also future pillars of society. However, will they grow up healthily and safely as their parents and grandparents have wished, and contribute to society and humanity? Children who are born inTaiwan are endowed withmuch blessings, in the sense that the country enjoys a good climate and is populated with many kind souls who are contributing towards the greater good. But around the world, natural and manmade disasters seem to strike every now and then, and we have received countless requests for help from the international community. For over half a century, Tzu Chi has been giving its best to extend aid to those who are in need of help worldwide; and we never wait until we have sufficient funds to respond to the cries for help. Moreover, since the early days, we have been encouraging everyone to save even as little as 50 NT cents (approximately 5 sen in MYR) daily for charitable causes. This enables us to carry out our charitable work without disrupting the lives of the donors while constantly evoking the kindness in them. Blessed are those who have the ability and capacity to help others. As the saying goes, a virtuous and generous family is bound to reap abundant blessings. Hence, we must keep sowing blessings for ourselves and inspire others to perform good deeds, as well as care for our Mother Earth while purifying our minds, so that we and our future generations can have a peaceful life. AClear Direction towards a Worthwhile Life