A Chinese saying goes, "There is a drop of dew where there is a straw." It means that the existence of every form of life has value, and so every creature should receive the respect and recognition it deserves. We must respect the fact that a life exists and affirm its function. Furthermore, we must understand what we are and what our mission is. This is a process of learning. All the effort we have made or will make is to awaken our conscience that has been asleep for so long. Only when our conscience is awake can our talents be well guided and activated. The wisdom of Tzu Chi members grows at the same time that they help others to stand on their own feet. It is really true that to give is more blessed than to receive.

Those who live in luxury always take what they own for granted. They neglect or never notice that many people are still suffering in the dark corners of society.

When Master Cheng Yen first invited SisterHung-hsien to join the home-visiting work in 1974, she spontaneously answered, "There are no poor people in Taipei!" Master Cheng Yen said, "That's because you've never had a chance to meet the poor."

Not long after that, Sister Hung-hsien was told that a Mr. Wu had an emergency and urgently needed help. Sister Hung-hsien went with several other Tzu Chi members to visit him.

They learned that Mr. Wu had been sent to several hospitals for a bleeding ulcer. However, he had been rejected by the hospitals because he could not pay the deposit fee of NT$5,000 [US$200]. Seeing that the situation was urgent, Sister Hung-hsien and her friends helped Mr. Wu check into a hospital.

Because Mr. Wu had taken so long to get to a hospital and had lost a lot of blood, the hospital reported that he was in critical condition. Sister Hung-hsien stayed with him in the hospital without eating or drinking until 9:00 that night. When she got home, she knelt down before the Buddha and began to pray. "This is the first time I have tried to save a man's life. Please help the man make it through so that I may have the confidence to go on saving others' lives."

The hospital told Sister Hung-hsien that the medical fees would be 70 to 80 thousand dollars [US$2800-3200]. The hospital also found out that Wu had an old mother and three young children, one of whom was handicapped. They knew that Wu couldn't afford the hospital expenses, so they suggested that Sister Hung-hsien apply for poverty aid on behalf of Wu at the Taipei City government. She decided to apply right away, because an endangered life couldn't afford to wait.

Sister Hung-hsien and some friends hurried to the local government office to get a certificate which served as a proof of Wu's poverty. Then they went to the district office and the Taipei City government for more application work. When she explained to the officers how urgent it was and begged them to hurry up, she was teased that she was just poking her nose into others' business. She didn't get discouraged and she finally got everything done. The Taipei City Social Service Department approved a subsidy of half of the medical charges, and the Tzu Chi Foundation agreed to subsidize NT$30,000 [US$1,200].

When Mr. Wu woke up from his operation, Sister Hung-hsien expressed her gratitude. "You've made me realize there are still many people in our society who need our care. I sincerely hope you will recover soon and will help others when you are able to live on your own again." Mr. Wu was very moved. Deep inside his heart, he was especially thankful to Master Cheng Yen. After he was discharged from the hospital, he soon stopped taking the subsidy from the city government and began to make a living for himself.

From this experience, Sister Hung-hsien realized that one could obtain true happiness only when one rendered help to the needy. The efforts that she and other Tzu Chi members made to find a hospital for Wu so that his life could be saved became an unforgettable memory in her life. Of course, she would never again tell Master Cheng Yen that there were no poor people in Taipei.

Behind the masks we wear every day, there are always hearts eager to be loved and cared for. It is hard to take off the mask, but the resulting happiness is worth it.

Helping others with kind intentions does not always guarantee you a nice reward. If others think that one is only getting something out of it for oneself, then one might go away and forget the whole thing. But Tzu Chi members, who are nourished with the beliefs of contentment, gratitude, understanding and accommodation have different reactions.

In 1979, when Brother Wang Shou-rung was transferred by his company from Taitung (on the east coast) to Chiayi (in Southern Taiwan), he took the seeds of the Tzu Chi spirit with him. At first, he rode his motorcycle alone through Yunlin and Chiayi counties, visiting poor people. A handicapped man of about fifty years of age didn't show any intention of talking to him. He didn't believe that anybody, including Brother Wang, would be so good as to ride his own motorcycle to give him a monthly subsidy of NT$1,000 [US$40]. The man thought that Wang must be putting some money into his own pocket.

Wang tried the best he could to explain his simple intention to help. In order to let the man understand that there was no hanky-panky, Brother Wang even showed him his correspondence with the Tzu Chi Foundation. He finally won the man's trust. The man could finally talk candidly about his past. He once was a capable young man from the Penghu Islands who worked as a salesman in Kaohsiung. He used to go out in nice suits. His beautiful calligraphy won him a good reputation. However, the good times didn't last long. When he was injured and couldn't work, his life lost all meaning. Whenever he talked about the good times, his eyes shone with joy, but when he was brought back to the fact of his handicap, he cried, "It's no use." In the man's house, there was a wooden pole which he had set up so he could hang himself at any time.

Wang himself learned a lot from his contacts with the suffering man and from seeing the effects of the sudden change in his life. "Now I see that life is impermanent," Brother Wang said. "I realize why the Master wants us to be grateful to those we are trying to help."

When you give, you also receive. Those who are willing to help others will also be helped in time of need.

In fairy tales, there's often an episode in which a poor old man gives all he has to a starving old woman. The woman immediately changes into a beautiful young fairy and rewards him with a lot of treasure. This is just a fairy tale. In real life, however, we can find a lot of touching stories like this.

Once upon a time, Sister Ching-yin solicited donations for Tzu Chi in the markets in Hualien. One day a street vendor, Mr. Chen, heard her talking to someone about the Tzu Chi Foundation and he told her that he would like to become a Tzu Chi member. After that, he donated NT$20 [US$0.8] every month. At that time, only a well-to-do family would be willing to donate this amount of money. Mr. Chen was not rich at all. On the contrary, he was quite poor. He didn't have his own house. What he had was a bunch of children to raise and a troubling, painful stomachache. His stomachache turned into a gastriculcer due to overwork. He certainly couldn't afford to receive medical treatment. After learning about this, sister Ching-yin turned to the Tzu Chi Foundation for help. With financial aid from Tzu Chi, Chen was sent to a hospital.

While Mr. Chen was recovering, he was again troubled by his embarrassing financial situation. He thought of raising some money among friends to start his own business. His friends and relatives turned him down when they saw his weak physical condition. They worried that they might never get their money back. Sister Ching-yin turned again to Master Cheng Yen for help. Seeing Mr. Chen struggling so hard to stand on his own feet, the Tzu Chi Foundation decided to give him a hand. Mr. Chen got a subsidy from Tzu Chi to start his business.

His business was a big success. He now owns two bakeries in Hualien. In order to show his appreciation to Tzu Chi for getting a chance for a new life, he became a Tzu Chi member again. He quit smoking and drinking and donated the money he thus saved to help many more people.

"You can never help others without helping yourself," said Sister Ching-yin. Mr. Chen's case is the best example.

Society will be peaceful only when everyone's consciousness is purified. Being members of society, we should all bear this social responsibility.

What Tzu Chi people are doing today is only their own duty. They are not trying to obtain praise or prestige for what they have done. After winning affirmation from the general public, they hope to light up the torch of kindness by activating the love in everybody's heart.

Mr. Wu, who receives Tzu Chi's long-term care in Taitung, had indulged in drinking for a long time. Since he was usually unconscious, he would relieve himself right on his bed. This poor man was only taken care of by his blind, 90-year-old mother. She could do some housework, but it was extremely difficult for her to keep the house clean.

Tzu Chi members started to come to their messy home to clean up the filth, bugs and worms in the house. Since there were no faucets in the house, they had to borrow water from the woman next door. The neighbor saw what the Tzu Chi members were doing and was impressed. "You're really great. You've done something even close relatives wouldn't do for these two poor people." After the woman's youngest son got married, her daughter-in-law took over the caring work. They gave the old couple food, helped wash them, and cleaned up their house. The kindhearted neighbors have also become Tzu Chi members. They realize how important it is to get everybody to work together to help others.