The world of Tzu Chi Sep-Oct 2022 (Vol.143)

02 2022 • 10 Kiat Beng, a volunteer from Malaysia, happened to pass a household in Lumbini and see a little boy, lying on his stomach, squirming on the ground trying to reach a nursing bottle with only his mouth so he could feed himself. Sadly, he was not having much success. Feeling deeply for the boy, Dr. Tang cradled the child’s head with one of his hands, held the bottle in the other, and patiently fed him the milk. The physician and other volunteers later discovered that the boy’s parents both suffered from disabilities. The mother was blind, and the father had mental issues. The latter made a living by doing odd jobs on nearby farms. The boy’s sister was old enough to go to school but did not because the family was too poor to afford it. This is often how a vicious cycle of poverty is perpetuated. Deprived of an education due to poverty, children grow up to be illiterate. As a result, they can only find low-paying jobs and struggle to get by. Such a situation is not uncommon in this area. Our volunteers reached out to the family after seeing their plight. They provided food for them and arranged for the girl to attend a nearby school. It is thanks to karmic affinities that our volunteers and the family were brought together. If, due to our volunteers’ help, the family’s lot improves, then they are truly blessed. I am happy that their paths crossed, and I wish the family the best. The Buddha was born into this world for one great purpose—to inspire people to relieve suffering in the world. More than 2,500 years later, we must seize our karmic affinities with Buddhism and try our best to emulate the Buddha’s heart. We are all capable of the same love and wisdom as the Enlightened One. Let us take it upon ourselves to work for Buddhism and all living beings. Let us see it as our responsibility to improve the welfare of mankind. Without action, nothing will happen. If, after learning the Buddha’s teachings, we do not live them out, then we are getting nowhere. I have never stopped calling on everyone to bring forth the love in their hearts and put it into concrete actions, but I need your help to spread the message to make a bigger difference. I hope everyone practises gratitude and contentment, allows their love to grow, and opens their arms to embrace all living beings. May we have the karmic affinities and strength to create innumerable blessings for the world and deliver all needy people from suffering. * Reprinted with permission from Tzu Chi Bimonthly. aster’s Teaching