Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

[Life Wisdom]
2012/05/15 Working in Unity to Display the Beauty of Religion

On May 13, Tzu Chi volunteers around the world celebrated three important events – Buddha’s Day, Mother’s Day and Tzu Chi Day.

Dharma Master Cheng Yen said: “They truly deserve our praise. What they did was indeed very touching. As long as we are mindful, there's nothing we cannot achieve. When we are determined to do something, one person alone cannot do it. We need the joint efforts of many people who share the same aspirations and work together with a single heart. Only when many people are united with one heart can we make a concerted effort to complete a task.”

In the Philippines, the volunteers held four events on May 13—a street was renamed Tzu Chi Street, a Mother's Day event, a rice distribution and a Buddha Day ceremony for over 10,000 people, the largest number to have participated in this event in the country. Volunteers began rehearsing many months ago. After the ceremony, volunteers held a distribution of rice to more than 9,800 families; the rice was a loving donation from Taiwan.

In Melaka, Malaysia, the Buddha Day ceremony was held for the first time in the city’s International Trade Center, with a total of 6,000 people taking part. Of these, 1,632 made the shape of four bodhi leaves.

In Durban, South Africa, more than 300 local volunteers prepared for the ceremony with care and sincerity. It was the same in the 34 countries around the world where the event was held. Everyone rehearsed for a long time to ensure that they moved in perfect harmony, to display the beauty of Buddhism.