The world of Tzu Chi August 2020 (Vol.125)

01 TZU CHI 125 By Dharma Master Cheng Yen Translated by Goh Hwe Yong aster’s Teaching The passage of time has not reduced the suffering of people. Rather, worldly suffering seems to be the norm. Our volunteers stay true to their commitment, calming the minds of the suffering while fostering a stable and peaceful society. T he Covid-19 pandemic has been the focus of people the world over; lockdowns have been enforced as a measure against the spread of the disease. Freedom of movement is restricted. Social contact is discouraged, widening the distance between people. Currently, many countries have yet to return to normalcy. Thanks to the advanced technology of today, I am able to keep in touch with Tzu Chi volunteers from all over the world, in a matter of seconds. I am able to talk to all of them at the same time. They are able to see me, while my presence is felt in their homes. We have been able to engage one another in conversation and understand each other. Teleconferencing allows me to reach far and wide and gain insights into the responsibilities the volunteers have shouldered proactively, including distributing relief supplies to those in need and procuring much-needed protective gear for medical frontliners. The pandemic has become a mirror that reflects the great kindness, great courage and great compassion of these living bodhisattvas. Volunteers in the Philippines managed to obey lockdown rulings, yet at the same time overcame the obstacles in their way to promptly deliver protective equipment to the medical frontliners. Meanwhile, the volunteers also cared for the impoverished by conducting multiple distribution rounds and counting, benefitting a total of 100,000 households. Similarly, Tzu Chi volunteers in Thailand and Indonesia went to great lengths to help families who have lost their source of income and are struggling to make ends meet by providing them with adequate food supplies. The provisions are heavy to carry, but the recipients’ faces beamed with joy and relief, assured of sustenance. Compounding the worrying pandemic was Typhoon Vongfong, which lashed across central Philippines in mid-May. Tzu Chi volunteers came forward to offer relief, sympathizing with the suffering and destruction brought by the disaster. In more than half a century of Tzu Chi’s establishment, such happenings are common. The passage of time has not reduced the suffering of people. Rather, worldly suffering seems to be the norm. Tzu Chi volunteers in Myanmar distributed rice and cooking oil to nearly 20,000 struggling households throughout May and June. When I witnessed the scene online, a few village chiefs and villagers who contributed to the rice bank cherished the rice received from Tzu Chi and recounted the emotions they felt upon The Commitment of Benevolent Souls