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 dead and injured
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$200 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 donated US$1 million to
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
Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
President
September 3, 2005
