Loving Purpose of International Relief

Master Cheng Yen says that the main purpose of Tzu Chi's international relief is not to give material aid, but rather to spread the spirit of Tzu Chi:

"No matter how much material aid you give, it is still limited. Only great love will bring immeasurable strength."

"It would be more appropriate to say 'settle the lives of the disaster victims, stabilize their society and fortify their spiritual culture' than to say 'provide disaster relief.'"

"Matter is limited, but spirit is eternal." In the footsteps of Tzu Chi's swift international relief, the seeds planted with gratitude all over the world are now budding.

Eternal Gratitude

During the Spring Festival of 1995, Master Cheng Yen received a phone call from Chuanchiao County, Anhwei Province, mainland China. The speaker said, "Grateful, we are really grateful. Do you remember that on this day in 1991, the Taiwanese compatriots came to help us?" It had already been four years, but gratitude was always in their hearts.

After the Spring Festival, Tzu Chi received a letter from Kushih County, Honan Province. The first thing the writer mentioned was also gratitude. "In 1991, we received quilted coats, bed comforters, rice seeds, fertilizer, and New Year gift money from the hands of Tzu Chi people. The money will be spent, the rice will be eaten, the coats will be worn out and the comforters will become old. Only one thing will last forever: our gratitude." The writer continued: "It is very cold these days. Every night when we lie on beds covered by warm comforters, we all say, 'Thanks to Tzu chi for giving us these comforters.'" The writer also said that everyone who had received aid from Tzu Chi was very grateful.

Learning from Tzu Chi in Cambodia

"The love of Tzu Chi people is contained inside each grain of rice," said Master Cheng Yen delightedly. On April 22, 1995, General S. E. Hosok, deputy minister of the interior of Cambodia, came to the Abode of Still Thoughts to visit Master Cheng Yen and present to her a sample of rice. It had been reaped from rice paddies that had been saved from drought with water pumps donated just in time by Tzu Chi in 1994.

Gen. Hosok came to Taiwan on behalf of Cambodia's prime minister and people to express their gratitude to Tzu Chi. He said: "On this trip, I have learned from Master Cheng Yen and the Tzu Chi brothers and sisters about the loving concern and sincere care they give to each other. This has made me deeply feel that only kindness and love can move and influence people. A country will never become successful if only one person works hard. We have to inspire all citizens to love each other and to be independent. Then each family will thrive and the whole country will become prosperous."

Deputy Governor Serei Kosal said: "Since I have made the acquaintance of Tzu Chi brothers and sisters, I have tried very hard to imitate their good deeds and to act with a loving heart. I've learned that when Tzu Chi decides to provide aid to a certain country or territory, they want to see personally what the people of that area need. This is a very effective and practical principle that we Cambodian officials should follow. We must know exactly what the people need, what kind of help we can give them, and whether the relief will be delivered into the victims' hands. If we don't know what people really need, then we might give the wrong kind of aid."

Mr. Kosal said that during the aid distribution, he saw Tzu Chi brothers, sisters and even nuns all working together, regardless of their seniority, to help the elderly or wounded carry their rice to the gate of each distribution station. "As a deputy governor, if I put on airs, how will the victims dare to approach me and tell me what they really need?"

The Pursuit of Peace

There are about 600,000 people living in Soshanguve, near Johannesburg, South Africa. Before Tzu Chi came, they frequently used violence against one another and the clashes among them were endless. In April 1995, Tzu Chi sent 15 containers of used clothing to South Africa. Together with the clothes was the Tzu Chi spirit. Those people were deeply touched by the love from Tzu Chi.

At a gathering one day, a parliamentarian read to his audience a letter from Master Cheng Yen. In that letter, she mentioned the "Three No's": "There is no one I would not love, no one I would not trust and no one I would not forgive." The parliamentarian also conveyed a message of concern from Taiwan, and concluded, "About 40 to 50 years ago, people in Taiwan also received aid from other countries. Now they have the ability to help us and other countries. This is because the Taiwanese are united and they cooperate with each other." he urged all South Afraicans to learn to stand on their own feet, come together in unity and take care of each other. The villagers were so touched that they shouted unanimously "Viva Tzu Chi!" Some white people said, "If you want to learn skills, we can train youto be tailors, hair-dressers, electricians, plumbers, civil enginerrs..." Hearing this, everybody felt happier. They came together and held a candlelight vigil for peace.

In Cambodia, Gen. Hosok also used the Tzu Chi spirit to deal with the Khmer Rouge. "I remember Master Cheng Yen's teaching, 'Influence people with kindness.' The same blood flows in Khmer Rouge bodies and ours. I don't want to stop bloodshed with bloodshed. I want to influence them with love. When there is a fire, we extinguish it with water. If we use oil, the fire will burn even stronger. If we revenge hatred with hatred, there will never be an end. If we love each other, won't that be ten thousand times better than fighting?"

Unselfish Giving

Businessmen who participated in Tzu Chi's relief work in Cambodia were astonished to see a vast area of land cracked and fissured due to the lack of water. Many people died of hunger during the drought, and members of whole families committed suicide together because they didn't have anything to eat. The Tzu Chi people were so saddened by the situation that they immediately donated money to the Cambodian government to buy water pumps for irrigation. Overseas Chinese there, watching their compatriots from Taiwan helping the disaster victims, also joined in the charitable activities by donating water pumps, clothes, etc.

The inhabitants of Chuanchiao County in mainland China, after receiving relief from Tzu Chi, repaid Tzu Chi by selling rice back at low prices for two years. Tzu Chi could then help victims in other places in China. This taking and giving of help is the best manifestation of the Tzu Chi spirit.

Some overseas Chinese businessmen in Bangkok, Thailand, learned from newspaper coverage about Tzu Chi's three-year project to aid refugees in Northern Thailand. They volunteered to join the relief program, and they solicited donations of winter clothing and more than 1,000 blankets. Together with the relief team, the businessmen personally went to refugee villages to help with the distribution. They became the first group of Tzu Chi members in Thailand.

To Give Is to Receive

After traveling thousands of miles and exploring the dark corners of the world to deliver warmth and care to suffering beings, Tzu Chi members often find out that they themselves are the ones who benefit the most from their good deeds. The following are some of the comments that Tzu Chi members have made.

"After witnessing the affluent life of a rich society and the bitterness and suffering of a poor one, I finally realize that the most important thing is to find a spiritual home for my soul, not a physical one for my body."

"In a world of ice and snow, at a temperature of minus 14 degrees C [+7 F], I saw a home that looked like it would collapse at any time. Then I realized what suffering really meant."

"When we do charity work at Tzu Chi, it seems that we are helping others. But if you look deeper, we ourselves are the beneficiaries." Victims and refugees personally reveal the reality of the human world and teach us to count our blessings and to treasure what we possess. Natural disasters and man-made calamities inspire us to cultivate hearts filled with compassion. Groups of Tzu Chi members pay their own travel expenses to join the disaster relief teams. Some members have to wait for years before they can join a team. Sightseeing is not their purpose for joining a team, nor do they want to explore the world. They simply want to experience a journey of soul. It is a chance to be re-educated, to experience the human condition and to comprehend human life.

Love Gives Life

In every corner of the world, from Mongolia to South Africa, Tzu Chi people give love to all peoples regardless of the color of their skin. Those with hungry stomachs or lonely hearts find the courage to live on because of love. All this is because Tzu Chi understands: love is the only hope of human life.

Combination of Compassion and Wisdom

Mr. Tuan-cheng Wang, vice CEO of the Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, has been engaged in disaster relief work for many years. At the Worldwide Tzu Chi People Spiritual Seminar in March 1995, he explained the principles of Tzu Chi's international disaster relief work. He says: "Compassion must be accompanied with wisdom. Following are our principles when we give compassion."

Timeliness: There is a saying: "A drop of water tastes like honey when one is thirsty." If we can quickly give people the help they need the most, even though our help is limited, they will cherish it as if they had found a treasure. Therefore, quick action will make relief more effective.

Directness: Tzu Chi people must distribute relief supplies personally, without going through an intermediate organization. By so doing, we can get to know the victims and directly convey our care to them.

Priority: There are too many people suffering in the world. All of them need help, but our strength and resources are limited. We can only choose those who are suffering the most and who need help the most.

Respect: Wherever we go to help, we have to respect the life style, the customs and the cultural traditions of that place. We are not superior to the victims. We should be neither obsequious nor arrogant. We help them as friends.

Conservation: All relief donations must be used properly. There should be no waste.