We all have dreams we wish to fulfill in our lives. But dreaming alone is not enough. We must be determined to realize those wishes; for if we do not, they will be easily forgotten once the circumstances change. Live up to the vows we pledge in our lives and never waver. Moreover, be determined to act as bodhisattvas. Let us undauntedly pave a path of hope for the world with Great Love.

On May 27, 2006, an enormous earthquake devastated Yogyakarta, Indonesia, injuring and killing thousands of people. Tzu Chi doctors and nurses from Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia voluntarily rushed to the disaster scene soon after the calamity hit. The speed with which they sprang into action, along with the love and care they demonstrated, clearly indicates the high respect they feel for human life.

At that time, the weather in Yogyakarta was extremely hot and aftershocks still rocked the region. Yet our medical workers, undaunted, wove their way through unstable buildings and ruined roads in order to carry out free clinics and distribute relief, to give care and treatment to the bereaved, the injured, and the homeless.

How moved I am by such selfless bravery in enduring such hardships to bring Great Love to the needy!

The beauty of Tzu Chi lies in this sincere display of love--to see all suffering souls as our family and love them earnestly and unconditionally. I believe this kind of love is the most precious thing in the world.

Vows of doctors

The main reason why many people feel inspired to become doctors in the first place is to help save lives. What in this world could be more precious than the gift of human life? Therefore, as a doctor's main purpose is to save lives, it is perhaps one of the most sacred and noble missions that any human being performs.

It is said in a Buddhist scripture: "The compassionate Great Healer provides treatment with supreme wisdom." Conscientious doctors not only have good skills, they also carry great compassion and wisdom. Therefore they are able to treat all sorts of illnesses, be they caused by age, sorrow, or worry. They can help patients to rid themselves of both physical pain and mental afflictions. Conscientious doctors are similar to buddhas, so they are also referred to as "Great Healers."

A scene still plays vividly in my mind.

About a year ago, Dr. Wu Kun-ji of Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center journeyed with a Tzu Chi medical team to Sri Lanka to treat patients wounded in the great tsunami of 2004. He saw a girl whose legs were terribly injured and festering. Her wounds attracted many flies, and the foul smell the wounds emanated kept many people at a distance.

Dr. Wu's heart went out to the lonely girl. He and a volunteer went to her with a bucket of water, some brushes and nail scissors. Then he squatted down before the girl and placed her skinny legs upon his knee. He could have just nursed her wounds, but he did more than that. With great care, he cleaned her legs, which were covered with dirt, and cut her long, thick nails one by one.

The respect with which he treated the child touched me to the core. He cared for the little girl as if she were one of his family or best friends. He felt her pain with the whole of his being, and he tried his best to make a lasting difference in her life.

Mr. Wu, an overseas Chinese from Thailand, learned of Dr. Wu's kindness and traveled all the way to Taiwan in order to seek his care. A few days before his operation, an earthquake suddenly hit Yogyakarta. Tzu Chi promptly formed a medical relief team and Dr. Wu volunteered to join. Despite the interruption, Mr. Wu said he was willing to wait for the doctor's return. Mr. Wu watched the Tzu Chi TV news every day when the doctor was in Indonesia to see if he could spot Dr. Wu on the footage. He wanted to know if the doctor was safe and if the quake victims were coping well after the disasters. It was as if Mr. Wu's heart had gone with Dr. Wu to Indonesia in order to give love to the suffering.

On June 10, Dr. Wu returned to Taiwan. The following day, he performed the operation. Mr. Wu recovered well after the surgery because he put his full trust in his doctor. He felt the wait was well worth it. What a heartwarming doctor-patient relationship theirs was!

The bond formed between a doctor and a patient can be long-lasting. After our medical volunteers left Yogyakarta, their hearts still stayed behind in the disaster area and they continued to worry about the follow-up care of the quake survivors. These medical professionals embraced the spirit of living bodhisattvas because they did not distinguish between race, nations, or social position. Their vast love transcends all borders.

The meaning of compassion is to give wholeheartedly, to relieve people of their suffering and to aim to provide them with a sense of well-being and happiness. If every one of us can put true compassion into action, the world will be a very warm and loving place.

Vows of recycling volunteers

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty says, "To achieve a noble goal, the poorer one is, the more steadfast one should be; the more advanced in age one is, the more enthusiastic one should be." It means that we must all have lofty aspirations, even if we are poor. We must hold firm to our commitments, maintain our integrity, and put our hearts and souls into realizing our vows. If we can do so, we will not stray from the right path. If we can do so, even if we are aging physically, we can still continue to broaden the scope and expand the horizon of our lives.

In Tzu Chi, there is a large group of seniors engaging in recycling and environmental protection duties. They are living examples of "The older one is, the more enthusiastic and strong one should be." These volunteers' minds are broad and their desires are few. By dedicating themselves to recycling, they have expanded their lives, brought out more love in themselves, and led healthier lives.

One example is Zhan Wang-song, a 93-year-old grandmother, who was widowed when she was young and had to raise six children on her own. All of her children lead fairly successful lives. Zhan does not want to grow old in an idle existence, so for the last six years she has dedicated herself to collecting recyclables.

Although Zhan is physically old, she makes the effort to remain presentable every day. Be it spring, summer, fall, or winter, be it working at home or outdoors, she always wears a pretty mandarin gown. Every morning she sorts through recyclables after tending to her vegetable gardens. She easily squats down to fold newspapers, pick up plastic bottles, and flatten aluminum cans under her feet. She can even pull a cart full of recyclables with agile movements. She looks to be a picture of well-being and good physical shape.

When asked how she maintains such an erect posture and why she is so strong even though she is over 90, she replied, "If we want to stay healthy, we must lead an active life. People die from illnesses, not from hard work." Thus, to remain active, she devotes herself to sorting recyclables. Moreover, her mind is free of worries, and this also contributes to her good health. Obviously, the key to a healthy life is to think wholesome thoughts and to steer clear of undue worries and desires.

In order to bring up her children, Zhan worked in a lot of jobs. Although life was hard on her, it did not harden her heart. She is content with her lot and thus can enjoy peace of mind. She commits herself to protecting the earth as long as she lives on it. Her spirit is truly something which young people can learn from.

In Suao, northeastern Taiwan, there lives an 82-year-old man named Chen A-qiu. Every morning at three, he drags a cart to pick up recyclables on the streets. He is able to collect one to two tons of recyclables in three to five days. If he is invited to go on a trip or to visit his children for longer than five days, he refuses to go. For him, it is a "no" for anything that takes more than five days, because his whole heart is set on providing environmental protection by collecting recyclables. How sweet his commitment is!

These recycling volunteers are all well advanced in age, but they are still so full of spirit, so nimble and agile, and they lead such happy and healthy lives. They have truly lived out the values of their old age.

Vows of teachers and media workers

In June, I attended the commencement ceremonies at the Tzu Chi College of Technology and Tzu Chi University. As the graduates went onstage one by one to have the tassels on their graduation caps moved, I gave each of them my sincerest best wishes. May they enjoy a future that is as bright and promising as ripe grains of golden-colored rice.

There is no end to learning in life. People at different stages of life need different kinds of guidance. Young children are like blank sheets of paper--they need to be taught ethics, morality and discipline, and have the pure love in their hearts activated. Thus kindergarten teachers must be like gardeners and mindfully irrigate the young hearts and pull up the weeds within them. High school prepares one for adulthood, so teachers should help students develop their true potential and discover their interests. At university, a teacher's mission is to impart professional knowledge and skills, strengthen students' sense of morality, and guide them to make the best of their abilities and to continue on a path that sets right apart from wrong.

Only when we abide by these moral principles will we be able to keep to the right path and refrain from doing things that are dishonest or immoral. The Tzu Chi mission of education emphasizes the importance of nurturing in our students a distinct sense of morality and ethics in the hope that they will grow into good-hearted, modest, well-mannered people. It is also our wish that in the future when they enter society, they will repay the world with love and become models for others to follow.

The mission of a doctor is to protect lives; the mission of a teacher is to nurture minds and souls; and the mission of a humanitarian worker is to safeguard ethics and morality.

Take a look at today's society: Many people are emotionally fragile and cannot withstand the slightest setback. Some people resort to extreme measures when life presents them with just a little difficulty. Such a life is truly sad. The media can play a crucial role here. If it can function as the promoter of goodness and produce wholesome programs to display examples of good character, then viewers might be inspired to walk on the right path. When people have a clear sense of what is right and wrong, they will be impervious to bad influence.

When we are caught in the traps of fame, self-interest, wealth, and desire, we can easily forget the good vows we once made. If we fail to hold firm to our commitments, we can so easily lose our way, deviate from morality, and go astray.

The cause of pain is desire. To protect ourselves from desire and greed, we must abide by the Buddhist precepts and our vows to be as compassionate as bodhisattvas. Through these vows, our minds will become clear and tranquil and we will not be easily tempted by worldly cravings--this is what we call wisdom. Once we attain wisdom, we will have peace of mind and be liberated from worries.

Only when we make a firm resolution to carry out our vows is it possible for us to realize them. If not, we will easily waver in our determination and allow ourselves to be influenced by our swiftly changing surroundings.

In Tzu Chi, many people have multiple vows--they vow to be conscientious doctors, good teachers, responsible media workers, recycling volunteers, or humanitarian workers. But most important of all, they vow to be bodhisattvas--those who can constantly help the needy and the poor.

To be a bodhisattva, one must keep one's mind pure. If our minds are tainted by interpersonal disputes, self-interest, and thoughts of personal gain and loss, we will be beset by all sorts of worries. Only when we have no desires can our hearts be filled with serenity, peace, and ease. If we can accept our lot in life and perform our duties well, then worries will not create havoc in our minds and we will reach the supreme realm of tranquility.

The Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings teaches us that "The minds of all bodhisattvas are calm, clear, and committed to help the needy. They remain in this state for eons. After all of the innumerable Buddhist methods have been revealed to them, the bodhisattvas then attain great wisdom and comprehend all things." Such is the mental state we should aim to attain. May everyone vow to be a bodhisattva, to be sincere, upright, and trustful, and fear no hardship. Together let us pave the road ahead with Great Love.