The world of Tzu Chi Nov-Dec 2021 (Vol.138)

01 TZU CHI 138 By Dharma Master Cheng Yen Translated by Teresa Chang aster’s Teaching Out of the nearly eight billion people in the world, more than 800 million suffer from chronic hunger. What can we do to help? It would only take ten of us eating a little less to save enough to feed one hungry person. Working for the Common Good of the World T he Covid-19 pandemic started more than a year ago. Many countries have experienced lockdowns, which have in turn taken an economic toll on countless people. Tzu Chi has responded by giving aid to the vulnerable. In the Philippines, for example, our volunteers have extended a helping hand to jeepney and pedicab drivers. They have been among those most affected by the pandemic. Many drivers, grateful for our help, pasted stickers on their vehicles to help us promote vegetarianism. They also took Tzu Chi coin banks home to save money to help other needy people. A profound sense of gratitude rose in my heart when I learned what the drivers had done. I am thankful to them for spreading messages of goodness and giving what they can. They may not be materially rich, but their hearts are rich with love. They reminded me of how Tzu Chi started 55 years ago—how 30 housewives, each saving a little money in a bamboo coin bank every day to aid the needy, helped launch our foundation. We built our foundation from scratch, and today we have volunteers in over 60 countries and areas serving the needy. Without these living bodhisattvas, Tzu Chi would not have been able to reach so many people over the years. Living in this day and age, we have technology right at our fingertips to help us see what is happening around the world. People in rich countries live in abundance. In fact, they live in such abundance that they throw away perfectly edible food and serviceable goods in large quantities. In sharp contrast, people in poor countries do not even have enough to eat. Food insecurity is an issue they wrestle with day to day. Even though most of us have technology at our fingertips to see the world, few see the large number of people around the globe struggling to feed themselves day in and day out—or they choose to look away, as though it is not any of their