A Letter from Master Cheng Yen -- Hurricane
Katrina Relief
Dear volunteers and staff of Tzu Chi chapters
around the world:
Life is impermanent and the world is fragile.
On August 29, Hurricane Katrina caused the most devastating
disaster in the last 105 years of US history. Fierce wind
and rain pelted the Gulf Coast like a ton of bricks, ravaging
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
The city of New Orleans received the hardest
blow. When the levees collapsed, over eighty percent of the
city, including two airports, became submerged in water. With
gas leakages leading to outbreaks of fire, power outages,
a water shortage, the collapse of infrastructure, and corpses
floating through its waterlogged streets, the city was forced
to shut down and declare a state of emergency. The Governor
of Mississippi even compared the hurricane aftermath to Hiroshima
after the atom bomb. The unimaginable scale of the disaster
has paralyzed US emergency services. They are unable to rescue
the survivors even as the number of casualties continues to
climb.
Listening to all this, I feel an indescribable
sense of pain and sorrow. In the world we live in, everything
is interconnected. Any minor changes to the environment can
ripple out to affect the whole. Where does a hurricane of
such magnitude come from? The role of global warming cannot
be denied, as scientific studies tell us. The disasters nowadays
are increasingly more severe, and in the future, given human
beings' wayward activities, the disasters will become even
more devastating. The small acts here and there may seem minor,
but very quickly we find upon us a calamity that tears apart
families and destroys cities. As a member of this global village,
how can we remain apart and take no action?
Tzu Chi members in the US have already
mobilized. Since the disaster area was closed off, they have
begun providing assistance to hurricane evacuees who fled
to Texas, especially to the elderly, the disabled, and low-income
families. They plan to distribute US$100 emergency gift certificates
to the victims in lieu of cash and offer other forms of assistance,
so the evacuees can immediately receive emotional and physical
support. Furthermore, TIMA (Tzu Chi International Medical
Association) members across the U.S. are preparing to provide
medical assistance at the refugee centers, while everyone
else prepares to kick off a nationwide fundraising drive.
Tzu Chi members in Canada have already brought together US$1
million for the relief efforts.
I earnestly hope that all of you will bring
forth your love and further inspire others to share the same
compassion; that you will contribute but also draw others
to join this global fundraising effort. At this time, we need
to unite everyone behind this campaign-to rally everyone's
love and inspire acts of kindness. The positive force created
from this goodness is the force of positive karma. It is a
force that can turn the tide of negative karma.
Just as Hurricane Katrina was forming over
the Atlantic, Typhoon Talim was forming over the Pacific.
While Hurricane Katrina swept through three states of the
United States, Typhoon Talim landed in Taiwan. Thankfully,
the Central Mountain Range helped to weaken the winds of the
typhoon so that Taiwan was able to escape heavy damages. Having
safely weathered the storm, we in Taiwan are filled with gratitude,
and are humbled to realize how unconquerable the forces of
nature truly are.
Indeed, those of us who are safe should
reach out to those who are suffering. The South Asia disaster
passed only eight months ago. Just when we were finally beginning
to see the victims settled down, with the groundbreaking of
the Tzu Chi communities in Sri Lanka and Aceh, Indonesia-suddenly
another catastrophic disaster struck. Deeply saddened as we
are, it is not enough just to feel sympathy. We should take
action to do what we can to offer help.
Faced with such a horrific disaster, we
must all awaken to its lessons. We must come to realizations
and adjust our own hearts, to pray for and reach out to disaster
victims with a heart humbled, sincere, and disciplined. At
the same time, we must recognize how human activities have
a hand in natural disasters, and do what we can to protect
our environment and be more eco-friendly in our day to day
living. While things may be safe and well for us, we must
always remain aware of potential crisis and live in a way
that can help prevent them.
We must quickly do good---doing good isn't
something to be put off for another time. Doing good creates
positive karma and sows blessings-bringing about good fortune
and averting disaster. So, we should encourage everyone to
exercise their compassion and carry out acts of kindness.
Disasters, both natural and man-made, are happening because
there is a lack of goodness and love in our world today. Karma
- the law of cause and effect - is a law of nature. As unrelated
as things may seem, a cause and effect relationship nevertheless
exists.
Everyone's actions, both positive and negative,
affect the state of the world. If people are moral and ethical,
then naturally the world will be safe and peaceful. When there
are disasters, it is the concern of each and every one of
us-we all have a responsibility to help. I hope you all will
do your part in motivating those around you to contribute
to humanity in a positive way.
We all live under the same sky, on the
same earth. We should treat everyone in the world as part
of our family and embrace their suffering as our own. Our
mission now is to inspire everyone to dedicate their love
and wisdom to helping the victims of the hurricane and easing
their suffering. Let us fully embrace this mission.
I sincerely hope that everyday you will
think good thoughts, speak kind words, and do good, so we
can help to purify people's hearts, bring peace to society,
and eliminate disaster from the world. I'm grateful to you
all, and I sincerely wish you happiness and wisdom.
Shih Cheng Yen
Founder
Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
September 2, 2005
