We want to call out to the whole world to repent our mistakes together, to love this planet and to care for all human beings. I sincerely hope that each one of us will invite our neighbors together to heal this world with love.

The word "heartbreak" does not adequately describe how I have been feeling recently. After Typhoon Toraji swept through Taiwan, I saw rocks piled up endlessly on a riverbed on the east coast. Some rocks were larger than a house.

The village headman told me that before the typhoon came, they had a forest with many beautiful trees on one side of the river, and farmland producing all sorts of crops on the other. However, the typhoon washed away the forest and the farmland overnight, leaving no trace of green in sight. A house was buried twenty meters [66 ft] below where we were standing.

Typhoon Toraji caused serious destruction to Taiwan's already fragile land, and the damage this time was as serious as that created by the September 21 earthquake two years ago.

Man-made disasters are horrifying

Natural catastrophes are terrible, but man-made ones are even more horrifying.

Our ignorance creates greed that slowly eats away at Mother Nature. For example, we have been endlessly developing the mountains. Some people dig out gigantic tree roots that are hundreds or even thousands of years old, and shape these roots into art objects or furniture. All this torments my heart.

Mother Nature provides us with crops which our lives depend on. Nevertheless, we are ruining her--we are slicing away her skin, flesh and bone bit by bit. Right now, the mountains are exhausted and the riverbeds are rising every year. Thus, whenever it rains, we all have to worry about whether or not horrific mudslides will occur.

Saving the earth is as urgent as saving a life, and we must act fast.

Natural catastrophes are terrible, but man-made ones are even more horrifying. Natural disasters are over very quickly, but what I am most afraid of are spiritual and mental disasters.

No one can predict how serious a man-made disaster can be. When we look back at the past hundred years, we notice that the Second World War caused more damage than the first one. The misconceptions of a few afflicted the whole world. My heart really aches!

Since the 9-11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Americans, and many people in other nations, have not been able to live a peaceful life.

I saw on TV one day an Afghan who was asking why the United States was bombing his hometown and turning his countrymen into refugees. He was an ordinary man, and his question made me ask: Why do humans hate each other?

The Afghans are not suffering so much agony just because they are Muslims. All religions are good if they encourage their followers to do good deeds. It is just that the ambitions of a few fanatics may lead the followers of the faith in the wrong direction.

Loving caress

How should we begin saving the earth? We should start with human hearts. I have often said recently that we must get the message that all these calamities convey to us and become spiritually awakened. Then, we must fully repent of all the wrongdoings we have done.

Buddhists normally read the Repentance after they finish chanting sutras. It runs like this:

All the bad karma I have done in the past was caused by the greed, anger and delusion inherent in me since long ago.

The bad karma also originates from my malicious words, actions and thoughts.

Now I repent of all my mistakes.

In reality, greed and anger come from delusion, which makes us follow the crowds blindly and refuse to learn the truth of things in this world. Delusion is the most horrible illness, since it is the cause of every turmoil in our society.

With natural and man-made disasters occurring continuously, the only thing we can do is to bring peace to every heart. It is not enough for you and me just to repent. We should call upon the people of the whole world to join us in repenting the mistakes we have committed. Together, we should protect the earth and show our love and concern to all mankind.

I am worried about all the natural and man-made disasters, but I also admire the efficient mobilization of Tzu Chi volunteers when a disaster happens. They always go to console and be with the victims whenever a disaster occurs, in accordance with the concept of "caress and keep the victims company." Tzu Chi people don't just physically comfort and support the needy, they also caress them and help them spiritually by loving and caring for them. It is like when a child trips and falls: a parent will lift him up, caress him, hug him and then pat him on the back.

I want to emphasize the "caress" aspect. We don't just caress the needy; we should also accompany them. I believe all Tzu Chi commissioners and Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members can truly understand what that means. When the big earthquake struck Taiwan two years ago, how did Tzu Chi members caress those earthquake refugees? The refugees leaned on the shoulders of those Tzu Chi members so that they could express their grief and release the suffering from their hearts. Tzu Chi members accompanied them on the long path of rebuilding their homes.

Cleanse the mind through repentance

After the terrorist attacks in America, I produced a set of small cards and a CD of songs. Volunteers can give them to their neighbors as presents.

There are three songs on the CD. The first one is Heal the World with Love. There is a phrase in the lyrics that goes, "Compassion is the origin of Great Love." What the earth needs now is for everyone to have Great Love in their hearts. For example, many people's homes in Taiwan were flooded by Typhoon Nari, but they were able to put their self-centered "small love" out of mind for a while and help those who were in greater need. That was very touching indeed.

The second song, Prayer, aims to bring peace to every heart. The third song, The Three No's, tries to open our hearts to love everyone in the world. The "Three No's" refer to what I often say: "There is no one in the world I do not love, there is no one I do not trust, and there is no one I do not forgive." If we can follow the "Three No's," there will be no hatred in the world.

I sincerely hope these three songs can be circulated in every family, in society, and finally in the whole world. Therefore, the lyrics must also be translated into English, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, and other languages. In other words, I hope the songs will enter people's minds, bring them peace, and open their hearts. Then all people can repent of their errors and pray with utmost sincerity.

The set of cards, Heal the World with Love, has a picture of the Buddha silently gazing at our planet in the cosmos. The earth is being injured, and he is here to caress and take care of the earth. The earth is polluted, and he is here to cleanse it. Why are there so many buddhas behind this one? It means that buddhas from innumerable ages are also coming to help the needy.

Are the buddhas all very far away from us? No, actually, they are right here with us, inside our hearts. That is what Buddhism calls the "Three Intrinsic Treasures." Each one of us is a buddha if our minds are benevolent, loving and pure.

All religions, such as Catholicism, Christianity and Buddhism, have the notion of repentance. In Christianity, repentance means to wash away one's sins, but Buddhists usually recite a prayer of repentance after their morning and evening services in order to cleanse their minds. If we want to eliminate our delusion, ignorance and worries, we must do so ourselves. Besides repentance and prayer, we also need to give of ourselves with love.

Tangible contributions come from intangible love, so I'd like to solicit blessings and love from all of you. They will enrich our lives and make human nobility shine.

I'd also like to ask for kindness and goodwill from you. When the world is filled with your kindness and goodwill, the cycle of goodness will come full circle.

Let's heal the world with love

With so many disasters occurring around the world, all of us have to repent of our mistakes and pray with utmost sincerity. I hope that Tzu Chi members can go to each family to spread love. Moreover, Tzu Chi members should encourage their neighbors to make a vow: that each person will do a good deed every day so that disasters will stay away from us.

This is not a temporary event that will end as soon as it starts, but an everlasting activity. After experiencing so many mishaps, I hope each one of us can enthusiastically promote repentance within our families or offices so our minds can be purified.

We have often said, "A field of blessings awaits cultivation by all benevolent people in the world, and ten thousand lotus hearts of compassion create the world of Tzu Chi." Now, Tzu Chi people won't just cultivate the field of blessing; they will also cultivate the whole planet. Therefore, we need every Tzu Chi member to heal the world with love, patience and resolution.