Nobody knows which will come first--tomorrow or death. All we can do is seize the moment and show good thoughts, good behavior and good speech. Let every seed planted in our hearts be a seed of kindness.

During the five-day camp, she remembered the intimate feelings she had with her mother when she was a little girl. She said, "I'm now seventeen, but I'm not as good as a six-year-old girl." In the camp, she went with other volunteers to the home of a sick person under the care of Tzu Chi, and she saw how two young girls looked after their comatose mother.

This young mother was sent to our Tzu Chi Hospital after a car accident about a year ago. She was unconscious for several days in the ICU. The doctors did everything possible to save her and her situation gradually stabilized. Unfortunately, it turned out that she would be a vegetable for the rest of her life. Her two little daughters learned from the volunteers how to clean her body every day with a towel. Both of them did such a good job that their mother never had any bedsores.

They were like butterflies, flying around her bed every day, singing to her, telling her stories and interesting things to please her. Although she never made any response, they still said to their mother, "Mom, please get well soon!" They did this for several months without stop.

Then the young mother went home, and our nurses and volunteers continued to give her home care. During summer vacation, the two sisters, eleven and six years old, played their roles as nurses. They took very good care of their mother. They said to the nurses, "We can rub mother with a wet towel. You don't have to come if you are busy. We can take good care of our Mom."

It has been more than a year now since the accident happened. Perhaps due to the love and filial piety that these two little daughters demonstrated, the mother has miraculously awakened. Of course, she still needs people to look after her. Her two daughters always stand by. During the camp, we arranged for all the high school students to go visit this family. The six-year-old girl said to the visitors, "Look, how blessed we are! Mom can smile to us now. She can even understand what I say."

Such words deeply touched everyone present including the girl that I mentioned above. When she shared with the group what she had witnessed in that home, she held her mother's hand tightly and said, "Sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to make you worry about me." They hugged each other with tears rolling down their cheeks. The mother told her daughter that she did not understand her very well, but she would try to learn. Such a touching scene of love between mother and daughter touched everyone there.


The unfortunate two sisters

Where is heaven? Where is hell? They are right in our daily lives. In the morning we chant the Earth Treasury Sutra, which describes many horrible scenes and instruments of torture. These are all retribution for the bad karma created by people out of greed, anger, delusion, arrogance and doubt.

If we indulge in greed--greed for prestige, wealth, sex and personal benefit--that means our minds are contaminated, and this contamination will bring us suffering.

Don't think you can enjoy whatever you get. Once greed arises in your mind, you will lose yourself. Maybe you can possess material gains for the time being, but you can never escape from the hell in your heart or the retribution in your next life.

Recently I watched a news report on TV--two sisters from Taiwan were assaulted in Canada and the older one was killed. My heart really ached when I saw this. Both their father, Professor Wu, and his wife are members of our foundation. Professor Wu often took his daughters to a Catholic nursing home to care for deserted children and make friends with them.

Although the younger sister is now safe, her mother is still very sad. Over the telephone, I consoled her by reminding her that she must bear in mind the Great Love of Tzu Chi people and encourage herself in the same way they encouraged those kids in the nursing home. All this is karma.

The power of karma is formidable. I frequently mentioned the story of Maudgalyayana, one of the top ten disciples of the Buddha. He was noted for his supernatural powers, yet he was stoned to death by a group of heretics. He knew his karma would eventually fall on him, so he faced it bravely and said, "I have to accept my karma."

The Buddha was very sorrowful. Taking this opportunity, he told his disciples how irresistible karma was. He taught them that they should accept the karma from their previous lives and be careful of what they were doing at present. He said, "You should eliminate bad karma as opportunity arises and never create any new karma." Whatever comes to us, we must face it with a peaceful mind. In the meantime, we must watch out not to do any more wrong deeds.

Those who love others will always be loved by others. Professor Wu issued a public letter through the help of the press. In that letter, he explained that he had already asked his daughters to forgive the persons who had attacked them. He also said that he would deal with this unfortunate matter with the spirit of accommodation practiced by all Tzu Chi people. He showed his broadmindedness and magnanimity as a Taiwanese and won the respect of the Canadian media and society.

We all know that life is uncertain. Some of us live longer and some shorter. Death is not something to be afraid of. What is fearful is the loss and torture of the mind. Once our minds transcend our exterior circumstances and feel at ease at all times, that is the bodhisattvas' Pure Land.


Just do it

Hsieh Ching-mu of our Tainan chapter was killed in an accident on July 17. The day before he died, he was laying bricks at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital. Before returning to Tainan, he cordially waved goodbye to everybody. Who would have known that the car he was driving would collide with a taxi the next day and he would never wake up again?

The four missions of Tzu Chi were what he loved and cared about the most. He devoted himself to them wholeheartedly. He was a long-term volunteer in charge of all general affairs in our Tainan office. Every day he went there to look after the grass and flowers, and he helped to maintain clean and fine surroundings. Such a graceful life leaves an indelible memory on us all.

The vice-superintendent of Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital and other Tzu Chi members went to Hsieh's home. When they came back, they told me that his visage still looked very peaceful and dignified. Yes, when he was alive, he always did the best he could to help others. At the very moment of the accident, he was calm. Once his breathing stopped he was emancipated, and he left an everlasting memory to us all. Whoever is so well remembered by so many people after he passes away is a worthy being.

Life is impermanent. We are born onto the stage of life with a script and we have to be mindful how to play our roles well and how to get off the stage.

When there is birth there is death, and death initiates new life. We pray sincerely that Hsieh left us with an enlightened mind and that he will be reborn to the Tzu Chi World with the karmic seeds of a bodhisattva.

In sum, nobody knows which will come first--tomorrow or death. All we can do is seize the moment and show good thoughts, good behavior and good speech. Let every seed planted in our hearts be a seed of kindness.