Date: April 28, 2008 (Monday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Truly, see how Bodhi seeds have been sown across the world and have taken root and grown into Bodhi forests worldwide. See, though we began with just one volunteer, we now have around 40 volunteers in Mexico.
The footage we saw just now was on the Mexico side of the U.S.-Mexico border. From the footage that we see, we can imagine what life must be like for this group of local Mexicans. How impoverished they must be and how arid it is there. Why are there so many impoverished people there? It’s because a lot of Mexicans are looking for an opportunity to try and cross the border to the U.S. illegally. People put their lives at risk trying to cross the border into the U.S. Some people climb a very high fence. It is a very high fence and very dangerous. If they are discovered, they’ll be sent back. Others dig a tunnel and crawl through it over to the U.S. territory. Just think how difficult it must be to dig and crawl through the tunnel. They take many, many risks for the sake of a better life, or just in order to earn a living. Since most of the people there are waiting to cross the border into the U.S., they only built very crude and simple residences for them to stay temporarily. Their living conditions are very difficult. Not only so, but they are surrounded by desert. Truly, words cannot describe what their life must be like.
In 1994, our volunteer in Mexico, A-rong, came to discover these people (in La Morita). After that, she kept thinking how she could help them. So, she began working with our volunteers in Los Angeles, California to provide free medical services and food supplies for them. So, Tzu Chi volunteers began by providing free medical services. At the same time, they also distributed food supplies and material provisions. Gradually, some people came to realize that crossing the border into the U.S. was not easy. While some people are able to make it across on their own, the women there are continuously bearing more children. The number of elderly, women, and children is also gradually increasing. Seeing this group of children, our volunteers’ hearts truly went out to them. So, in order to give them a better future, in 1995, our volunteers came up with a plan to build a school for them. Our volunteers in Mexico raised the funds for the school themselves. See how hard they worked to give the children hope. The school was completed in 1996, and now, there are close to 1,000 students attending the school, and there have been many graduating classes since then. For each class of graduate students, you’d see how much hope and promise they hold. Such hope and brightness radiates from them. There is truly much hope for their future. The children there are very hardworking and can withstand hardship. Now, we have even inspired many locals to serve as our volunteers.
Of the 39 volunteers we have in Mexico, close to half are locals. We can see that the Bodhi seeds we sowed have sprouted and grown into small trees. Next, in order to bring peace and harmony to society and people’s hearts and minds, we have been continuously recruiting volunteers. How have they been doing this? It is truly very moving to see--- By going door-to-door, our Tzu Chi volunteers visit every household to give out fliers that were very simply designed. Their fliers are not like small posters, no. They collected the paper others threw away and used the blank side to provide the information they wanted to get across to people. But most of the locals are illiterate. Even some of our volunteers can’t read Spanish. So, when they got the fliers, our volunteers would turn it round and round as they couldn’t tell which way the right side up is. Out of our non-local volunteers, only A-rong can speak Spanish. So, they have to rely on the local volunteers to spread the word. This is because this year, our volunteers are spreading the word about the Buddha Day ceremony. Most of the locals are Roman Catholics. It is truly very difficult to get them to celebrate Buddha Day. But, if you talk to them about Mother’s Day, they’ll understand. Or if you talk to them about Tzu Chi Day, they also feel grateful to Tzu Chi. This is because many families are without a father, since in many cases, the father disappears and no one knows his whereabouts. So, many are brought up by their mothers. So, we’d talk to them about Mother’s Day, and then tell them about Tzu Chi Day before letting them know that Tzu Chi is a Buddhist organization and that celebrating Sakyamuni Buddha’s birthday is like celebrating Christmas. So, it doesn’t get in the way of their faith, and all they have to do is to show their respect. To do that, our volunteers went door-to-door to spread the word.
We also saw that our volunteers went to promote recycling at a primary school that we built. Our volunteers explained to the students how PET bottles can be made into blankets as well as our reusable bags, etc. We explained everything in great detail to them. The principal and the teachers all understood, so they led the children to do recycling. At the same time our volunteers also led the local people to become familiar with recycling. Seeing that, I was very moved. Truly, I see that our Bodhi seeds have been scattered worldwide, and no matter which country it is, these seeds have all sprouted and have grown into a forest of Bodhi trees. They all originate from the same seed--- the seed from Taiwan. See, how much hope there is.
In view of the climate nowadays and how the Earth is continuously being destroyed, we need to take action urgently to purify people’s hearts and minds as only then can we save the Earth. We need to be humbly pious and sincerely prudent. Everyone, we have sown these seeds of love everywhere across the world. It is my wish that every single one of these seeds can be scattered farther and wider, and the Bodhi seed in everyone’s heart can sprout and grow into a tree so that there will be a forest of Bodhi trees that can further bear more seeds that will scatter far and wide across the Earth so that the globe is covered with Bodhi trees. That is what we hope for. All in all, I’m truly very grateful. Even in the most impoverished of places, our volunteers are able to offer hope and promise to the people living there. For that, I’m truly very grateful. Our volunteers in Mexicao are cultivating both blessings and wisdom, and turning the Wheel of Dharma together, I thank them.
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Truly, see how Bodhi seeds have been sown across the world and have taken root and grown into Bodhi forests worldwide. See, though we began with just one volunteer, we now have around 40 volunteers in Mexico.
The footage we saw just now was on the Mexico side of the U.S.-Mexico border. From the footage that we see, we can imagine what life must be like for this group of local Mexicans. How impoverished they must be and how arid it is there. Why are there so many impoverished people there? It’s because a lot of Mexicans are looking for an opportunity to try and cross the border to the U.S. illegally. People put their lives at risk trying to cross the border into the U.S. Some people climb a very high fence. It is a very high fence and very dangerous. If they are discovered, they’ll be sent back. Others dig a tunnel and crawl through it over to the U.S. territory. Just think how difficult it must be to dig and crawl through the tunnel. They take many, many risks for the sake of a better life, or just in order to earn a living. Since most of the people there are waiting to cross the border into the U.S., they only built very crude and simple residences for them to stay temporarily. Their living conditions are very difficult. Not only so, but they are surrounded by desert. Truly, words cannot describe what their life must be like.
In 1994, our volunteer in Mexico, A-rong, came to discover these people (in La Morita). After that, she kept thinking how she could help them. So, she began working with our volunteers in Los Angeles, California to provide free medical services and food supplies for them. So, Tzu Chi volunteers began by providing free medical services. At the same time, they also distributed food supplies and material provisions. Gradually, some people came to realize that crossing the border into the U.S. was not easy. While some people are able to make it across on their own, the women there are continuously bearing more children. The number of elderly, women, and children is also gradually increasing. Seeing this group of children, our volunteers’ hearts truly went out to them. So, in order to give them a better future, in 1995, our volunteers came up with a plan to build a school for them. Our volunteers in Mexico raised the funds for the school themselves. See how hard they worked to give the children hope. The school was completed in 1996, and now, there are close to 1,000 students attending the school, and there have been many graduating classes since then. For each class of graduate students, you’d see how much hope and promise they hold. Such hope and brightness radiates from them. There is truly much hope for their future. The children there are very hardworking and can withstand hardship. Now, we have even inspired many locals to serve as our volunteers.
Of the 39 volunteers we have in Mexico, close to half are locals. We can see that the Bodhi seeds we sowed have sprouted and grown into small trees. Next, in order to bring peace and harmony to society and people’s hearts and minds, we have been continuously recruiting volunteers. How have they been doing this? It is truly very moving to see--- By going door-to-door, our Tzu Chi volunteers visit every household to give out fliers that were very simply designed. Their fliers are not like small posters, no. They collected the paper others threw away and used the blank side to provide the information they wanted to get across to people. But most of the locals are illiterate. Even some of our volunteers can’t read Spanish. So, when they got the fliers, our volunteers would turn it round and round as they couldn’t tell which way the right side up is. Out of our non-local volunteers, only A-rong can speak Spanish. So, they have to rely on the local volunteers to spread the word. This is because this year, our volunteers are spreading the word about the Buddha Day ceremony. Most of the locals are Roman Catholics. It is truly very difficult to get them to celebrate Buddha Day. But, if you talk to them about Mother’s Day, they’ll understand. Or if you talk to them about Tzu Chi Day, they also feel grateful to Tzu Chi. This is because many families are without a father, since in many cases, the father disappears and no one knows his whereabouts. So, many are brought up by their mothers. So, we’d talk to them about Mother’s Day, and then tell them about Tzu Chi Day before letting them know that Tzu Chi is a Buddhist organization and that celebrating Sakyamuni Buddha’s birthday is like celebrating Christmas. So, it doesn’t get in the way of their faith, and all they have to do is to show their respect. To do that, our volunteers went door-to-door to spread the word.
We also saw that our volunteers went to promote recycling at a primary school that we built. Our volunteers explained to the students how PET bottles can be made into blankets as well as our reusable bags, etc. We explained everything in great detail to them. The principal and the teachers all understood, so they led the children to do recycling. At the same time our volunteers also led the local people to become familiar with recycling. Seeing that, I was very moved. Truly, I see that our Bodhi seeds have been scattered worldwide, and no matter which country it is, these seeds have all sprouted and have grown into a forest of Bodhi trees. They all originate from the same seed--- the seed from Taiwan. See, how much hope there is.
In view of the climate nowadays and how the Earth is continuously being destroyed, we need to take action urgently to purify people’s hearts and minds as only then can we save the Earth. We need to be humbly pious and sincerely prudent. Everyone, we have sown these seeds of love everywhere across the world. It is my wish that every single one of these seeds can be scattered farther and wider, and the Bodhi seed in everyone’s heart can sprout and grow into a tree so that there will be a forest of Bodhi trees that can further bear more seeds that will scatter far and wide across the Earth so that the globe is covered with Bodhi trees. That is what we hope for. All in all, I’m truly very grateful. Even in the most impoverished of places, our volunteers are able to offer hope and promise to the people living there. For that, I’m truly very grateful. Our volunteers in Mexicao are cultivating both blessings and wisdom, and turning the Wheel of Dharma together, I thank them.
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