 | Life is short. When we deduct the time spent in ignorance during childhood and the time spent on receiving an education, we realize that there is very little time left for us to serve society.
The first few decades of life are meant to build a good foundation so that we can later contribute to society. How long can we contribute? Just when we begin to feel that we are making useful contributions, we find we are getting old. The time we can devote to helping others is indeed short. People who realize this will value their time and make the best of every minute and second to create a meaningful life.
A middle-aged man got drunk and started a fight with seven others. He had boasted to his friends that he was a hero who could single-handedly battle against seven others. Although the others were hurt, his own injuries were not slight either. But what hurt him the most was his anger – he often could not get along well with others, and had frequently been involved in lawsuits for attacking others. Even after a court settlement, the animosity in his heart (and that of others) was difficult to overcome. He had to be constantly looking over his shoulder in case others sought revenge. Because of his lack of understanding of the meaning of life he hurt himself, brought sorrow and anxiety to his family, and brought discord to others. This meaningless and pathetic kind of lifestyle is harmful to society.
Hospital volunteers frequently witness and learn from such cases. These cases are important pragmatic lessons in life, and they encourage us to contemplate and reflect. I believe that these salient lessons are deeply imprinted on our minds. Once we learn these lessons, we must ensure that we use them well in our daily lives.
Having seen many such cases, one young volunteer realized how fortunate his life had been. His mother, a Tzu Chi commissioner, had filled their home with love and wisdom, but he had become used to it and did not think it was anything special. It is like a person breathing: humans need oxygen to live, but in a well-ventilated space we may not feel any urgent need for oxygen to stay healthy and alive. Or it is like a fish swimming in water: the fish cannot survive outside water, but while it is immersed in water it does not feel how precious the water is. Similarly, things that are habitual become natural. Things that are generally most important are easily taken for granted. However, this is not a bad situation, as it is normal response to a healthy lifestyle.
We have to hold in our minds whatever lessons we learn from the cases we are exposed to. We have to constantly remind ourselves of these lessons until they become part of our lives and are no longer unusual or abnormal. Then, we can claim that we have succeeded. This is analogous to what the Buddha said: ”Doing spiritual cultivation, that is not real cultivation. But if we practice until it becomes a normal part of life, then that is real cultivation.
Let me give you another example. Why do patients place so much trust in the volunteers at our hospitals? Because the volunteers consistently take care of these patients and develop a good relationship with them. But are these volunteers friendly and helpful only when they wear the Tzu Chi volunteer vests? We should practice the volunteer spirit every day, until it becomes as natural to us as the air we breath.
If we can give others peace of mind or a shoulder to learn on, then we have truly lived meaningful lives. This is a measure of a meaningful life. The length of our lives is not important; what is important is how much we have benefited others.
Time flies by. Let us treat time like a precious diamond and not like dirt. This is respecting our lives. It goes beyond caring for others when they are ill and helping others when they are in trouble. Respect for our lives means that we make proper use of our time, that we value our time and use it appropriately in our work. We will gain the respect of others if our lives are meaningful. We should always be mindful and create a life that will shine like a diamond. |