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Dharma Master Cheng Yen, the spiritual leader
of Tzu Chi Foundation, teaches Tzu Chi volunteers
to be grateful to those we serve, for only with
the existence of those that suffer, can there
be good deeds to be done. Only by doing good deeds
can there be good people. Indeed, great disasters
test our loving and compassionate spirit.
In September 2005, opportunity knocked, and Ming,
a man in his 30s, took one week off from his busy
engineering job to join his local Northwest Regional
Office team to support the Tzu Chi Houston relief
efforts. It was his first time doing relief work
but like many others, he quickly grasped the true
spirit of relief work.
Here are the afterthoughts of his trip:
I was very fortunate to be part of the Katrina
relief team, and gained a lot of valuable knowledge
and experiences. During my stay in Houston, I
had opportunities to chat with many of the evacuees
from New Orleans. From these conversations, I
learned many things about New Orleans that I never
knew before.
I was amazed to learn that many of the New Orleans
residents in their 30s, 40s, or even 70s, have
lived there all their lives. Some of them have
never even set foot outside the city. Not only
did their immediate family live there, but also
their close relatives. Their family roots in southern
Louisiana dated back to many generations. So,
when the Katrina hurricane hit, they had no one
outside of Louisiana that they could go to. They
stayed in New Orleans and supported each other,
while witnessing their home of many years being
destroyed and their possessions floating away.
When they were evacuated to Houston, they felt
lost, insecure and helpless. Many of them were
eager to go back home but unable to do so because
they were financially broke, mentally depressed,
or for other reasons.
To further complicate the situation, some were
separated from their family during the evacuations.
Depending on the time/wave of evacuation, some
were relocated to Northern Louisiana while others
to various locations throughout Texas. To them,
locating and reuniting with their family was the
first priority. However, without any money in
their pocket it was a very challenging task.
I remembered a lady I spoke to who got separated
from her two daughters. Because she had been staying
in the hospital, she was evacuated to Houston
Texas during the first wave. Her two daughters,
who were staying in the Superdome, were later
evacuated to Georgia after Katrina arrived. The
mom had made travel arrangement to meet with the
daughters. One could see the disappointment in
her eyes when she found out that her flight was
cancelled, and her chance to meet up with her
daughters was delayed indefinitely. One could
see the excitement in her face when she heard
of Tzu Chi's Emergency-Cash service.
I was really happy that we had the opportunity
to help. With the love and care from people around
the world, we were able to provide some immediate
financial support to those in need. With the love
and care from the volunteers, we were able to
touch their hearts, and provide some comfort.
It may appear that they were the ones that benefited,
but the truth is we all benefited.
"We should have a gratuitous
mindset when serving as a volunteer, for only
a volunteer who is grateful can be happy. Real
gratitude is portrayed through our actions."
Still Thoughts by Master Cheng Yen
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