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It was the third day of entering into the tsunami affected
region, as well as the last day of 2004. This was a
very meaningful day of the year for all of us, the members
of the Tzu Chi disaster relief team, as the medical
relief efforts finally started on this day after busy
preparations the past two days.
At 6:50 a.m. we headed to the disaster region. We were
thankful to the health minister, Mr. Graetian, and Anil
de Silva for helping us communicate with local people
and offering assistance. We were able to rent a small
hut with six rooms inside; although the area was far
from big, it was enough to accommodate our medical facilities.
And we were even able to have a small kitchen and restroom,
which were considered "luxury" in our past
disaster relief experiences. At 7:35 a.m., we reached
the medical post and started work for the day.
A total of 280 victims treated on first day
The doctors did not rest once during the day. At noon,
there was a power shortage, and everyone had to continue
working with no electricity and bad ventilation. When
it was dark, doctors continued working, using flashlights
to treat the patients.
As time passed by, there were more patients visiting
the free clinic. When the free clinic closed at 7 p.m.,
267 patients had been treated. Dr. Yang Chih-kuo and
Dr. Chang Chia-ning made home visits with the disaster
assessment team. It was estimated that the total numbers
of patients treated were over 280 for the day.
Besides holding a free clinic, the relief team, under
the leadership of Brother Stephen Huang, wanted to further
understand the situation of the hard-hit areas. Master
Cheng Yen always tells us to see the victims with our
own eyes, and to hear them speak. This is the only way
that we can truly understand their needs.
Life is impermanent
It was the sixth day of the disaster, and the odor
of decaying bodies was overpowering. Pedestrians on
the streets had begun to wear masks. Many were still
around their toppled homes, some hoping to recover bodies
of their loved ones, while others were looking for usable
things in the debris. During the trip to the disaster
area, we had discovered a half-toppled building with
the body of a man inside. He was lying face-down as
though crawling upwards. His body was already starting
to decay and there were many bugs biting his body. Images
such as these bring true sadness. Before the disaster,
people had families, careers, and with a large wave,
all of that had been diminished to shadows of a dream.
We bowed and paid our respects to those passed away,
hoping their deaths were painless.
A link between the tsunami and Taiwan
When the tsunami hit, it was exactly 9:21 a.m. There
were clock towers with"9:21"frozen in time
forever. Coincidentally, Taiwan suffered a devastating
earthquake in 1999 on September 21, which was dubbed
the"921 Earthquake."It makes one wonder the
things man faces.
In the evening, Brother Stephen Huang led the relief
team to visit the local government official again, hoping
to receive accurate and more detailed information regarding
victims, including their needs. The official told us
that food and shelter were needed. We immediately showed
photographs of home-style tent houses and permanent
housing Tzu Chi had built for quake survivors in Turkey
and El Salvador. The official's eyes immediately lit
up as he saw the images, and seemed to be touched. He
said that if Tzu Chi could provide tents it would be
of great help. It was agreed that 300 tent houses would
suffice.
When we boarded the bus to go back, the sky had already
darkened. On our trip, we witnessed victims praying
for the deceased. National days of mourning also ended
this day, along with the year 2004. Everyone had formed
a circle, many candles had been lit, and people were
passing them to each other. We stopped to take a look
and further understand the feelings of the victims.
They were praying for the peace of the souls, for the
living to feel at peace, and furthermore, for the end
of disasters on earth.
During the two days of work in Sri Lanka, we had experienced
the friendship, simplicity, and genuineness of the Sri
Lankan people. The most touching was Anil's company
employees. About 10-20 of his employees decided to help
with the free clinic.
Anil said that this is the first time in his 22 years
of marriage when he had not spent New Year's with his
wife, but he was happy with the arrival of Tzu Chi people.
If it weren't for Tzu Chi, he would not have had the
chance of directly helping the disaster victims. His
older brother and son had also come to be volunteers
and translators. This spirit was shared by all of the
company's employees.
Devout hearts
As we continued on our journey, we asked ourselves
the question on whether or not Buddhist temples had
been destroyed in this disaster. In the afternoon, local
citizens told us that not only temples, but churches
and many other religious places had been spared damage.
The purity and compassion in one's thoughts to help
others is among the teachings of the Buddha, and is
the common goal for all religions. In this disaster
of a century, this is truly a miracle. Master Cheng
Yen continues to compassionately remind us that we must
be devout, and it is the best way to realize peace.
After a busy day of work, many people received text
messages from Taiwan, wishing them a Happy New Year.
Everyone reminded each other that this was the last
day of 2004, and tomorrow will be a new year. It is
our deep wish that this pain and suffering end with
2004, and let 2005 be the start of an era of peace and
harmony!
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