From donation drive, to public speaking, to the spirit of giving

Human tragedies continue to hog the headlines, proving once again that homo sapiens, despite wondrous technological advances that have been lulling us into a false sense of security vis-a-vis the might of Nature, are still at the mercy of the “whims” of natural calamities. While the carnage brought about by the 2004 South Asian Tsunami and the devastation wrought by the 2004/2005 Hurricane seasons in US have hardly receded into the recesses of our memory, 2008 has shaped up to be a particularly difficult year so far, with catastrophes charging out of the gate one after the other: Cyclone Nargis sweeping through the lowlying coastal plains of the Irriwaddy delta, Myanmar, the 7.9 earthquake in Sichuan, China, and the recent havoc in the wake of the tornadoes whirling through the US midwest.

Especially in Myanmar and China, rescuers are on a frantic search for survivors in hard-to-reach places while international aid organizations are mobilizing resources, be they manpower, materials, equipment, or financial, to pour into the affected regions. Donation centers have been set up, both physically on the ground and virtually through the Internet. To facilitate donations from folks on the street, small teams of volunteers have also been deployed at commercial facilities to collect donations from patrons making their weekend grocery trips.

Tzuchi Foundation, a Buddhist Compassionate Relief headquartered in Taiwan, has again initiated such a street-level donation drive effort at locales throughout the US. And we were honored to be called upon to help out in such a drive held in Tampa today. Our destination: The MD Oriental Market on 1106 E Fowler Avenue, one which we frequent on a nearly weekly basis. Our team of Linda, Wify, and yours truly was assigned to the second day (the first day was yesterday), the first shift running from 11am to 1.30pm, followed by a second shift ending at 4pm where our fellow volunteers from the Tzuchi Foundation in Tampa would take over.


The day was mostly sunny, except for several brief anxious moments when dark clouds loomed atop momentarily but eventually drifted afield, leaving a few drops on my head in the process, sparing us the deluge that would have hampered our effort but not dampen out spirit. As it were, even the weather seemed to be on our side on this day marked by compassion all-round.

After setting up the poster announcing the purpose of the donation drive at the entrance, and putting on a vest bearing the emblem of Tzuchi Foundation (Linda was in the familiar white long pant and blue T-shirt, a signature outdoor attire for Tzuchi volunteers affectionately termed “Blue Sky White Cloud”), we positioned ourselves on both sides of the entrance, but at a discreet distance away so that we would not block the direct path of entry into and exit from the Market, each holding a donation box in our hands.

We greeted the patrons warmly, and inquired politely whether they would like to make a donation to help the earthquake victims in China, after which we thanked them. We also bade them “have a nice day” on their way out. We abided strictly to the instructions from Tzuchi Headquarters not to be seen as exerting pressure on patrons; nor should we disrupt the smooth running of the business of the establishment. Prior to going ahead with the donation drive at the premises, the team leader is to consult the proprietors to seek their blessing for the effort. So we were that because of their good office and for that Tzuchi Foundation is thankful.

We used a combination of Mandarin and English for obvious reasons. Of course sometimes we did err on being presumptuous because not all Chinese looking people speak Mandarin. And they were graceful enough to overlook our oversight and happy to donate all the same.

Initiating a conversation with a complete stranger can be intimidating, let alone asking for a donation. I can recall times during my younger days when I was prone to being tongue-tight among strangers, preferring to merge into the background as much as possible. I still remember vividly a high school class debate when the night before I was agonizing over the things to say, the way to say it, and so on. I think I hardly slept, constantly turning in bed and dreading the arrival of the morning. When the moment came, I remember standing up, looking straight ahead, the mind drawing a blank, a complete one. I might have stammer a few words, but the pin-drop silence engulfed me, totally. After a seemingly interminably long time, in silence, I think I felt my teacher motioning to me to sit down, and the rest of the day just went by in a daze. That definitely wasn't me in there on that day, I rationalized, because I had won several elocution contests in my days at the elementary school levels. But my classmates never mentioned a word of my anomalous behavior that day after that, not to me directly anyway. And I was thankful for that.

I was forced to overcome my stage fright after I joined the work force during which I had been called on occasions to deliver talks and briefings. Now even though I still have butterflies in my stomach before an audience, I have never failed to speak, whether it was well delivered is another matter all together. Now I realize that as long as I make myself audible, intelligible better yet, people will always listen before they shut you off. They don't like to laugh at you, unless you yourself make it irresistible for them. I think it's the letting go of the pressure, and the assurance that comes from knowing the substance of the message we are about to deliver. Of course knowing that we are doing it for a good course helps tremendously.

This is our third time doing a street-level donation drive for Tzuchi Foundation, the first and second times being for the 2004 South Asian Tsunami and 2005 Hurricane Katrina Disaster Reliefs, both at the Oceanic Market several years back. Just like then, I found the experience to be a humbling one, and a heart-warming one as well.

People will always have a soft spot for human tragedies, irrespective of where it occurs. And they will always respond positively to kind words and polite requests. The readiness with which they came forth with donations that I witnessed today is a clear testimony to the humanity that resides within each of us. And as long as compassion and the spirit of giving are not in short supply, we will always be able to triumph over adversity, and render help to those in need, in whatever capacity each of us is best equipped to handle. And it was with this conviction that we handed the donation drive over to our successors of the day comprising the trio of Yu Huei, Adina and Lulu.

Complementing Compassion with Wisdom

My wife received an email from a friend, inviting us to visit the Chinese Phoenix TV website. While surfing the website, I came upon an article that admonishes us to complement compassion with wisdom, via the example of a noble act, releasing life. I find it worthwhile to translate it into English to share in this blog. So here it is.

Releasing Life: We Must Complement Compassion with Wisdom
July 11, 2007 09:28 Life Forum

“Hey, boss, how much for the birds?”

“Three bucks each,” replied the pet shop owner. And when I pointed to another cage with a larger bird, the owner said, “Sorry, that’s not for sale. It has been reserved.”

“How come business is so good?”

“Because next week is the celebration of the birthday of Guang Yin [the Goddess of Mercy]. A lot of people have made their bookings, numbering in the thousands. So business is brisk indeed.”

My heart sank upon hearing the mass booking of live birdies. I and my friend bought some cicadas, small birds, and small frogs. Then we adjourned to the isolated riverside to release them. Small frogs are favored by anglers while fish aficionados feed crickets to their prized aquatic collections. The released crickets jumped onto the trees, incessantly devouring the leaves, a testimony to their famished state. The emaciated frogs frolic by hopping around, immensely enjoying their new-found liberation in a free environment they have been denied to for so long.

As a matter of fact, whenever the birthday of Guang Yin, or the First and the Fifteen of the lunar month is pending, those with vested interests are always busy hunting for these so-called hot items, the animals and the birds, for releasing life activities. Then they congregate at temples to sell their catches for quick profits. They always drive truck loads of these captured items and place them on parade at the temples nearby my house, their owners peddling to a captive market. Obviously some of these do not survive the trip. In this regard, both the sellers and the buyers are equally ignorant, and it is sad that both groups would have to shoulder some of the blame for the misdeed, and hence, suffer the karmic retribution.

A purely compassionate approach to releasing life is inadequate. It needs to be supplemented by wisdom. Then only then can any potential post-event harm be diminished. Making bookings for animals from pet shops for releasing life activities lacks wisdom. And compassion without wisdom is wasteful compassion. Just think about it. Pet shop operators will do their best to source for all kinds of animals to satisfy the demands and hence, maximize their profits. Thus, those doing the booking of these animals, albeit for a noble cause of releasing life, are indirectly abetting those performing the actual capturing. Would you consider this kind of releasing life as generating good merits? Maybe the birds are all screaming in their hearts: we all have to lose our freedom simply for people to act out their hypocritical rites of releasing life, and if such an expedient behavior is rewarded with good merits, where then is the natural justice in all this charade?

This is precisely why Venerable Master Lian Chi always stressed that we have to change the time, the place, and the animals in releasing life activities regularly, expressly to prevent those with vested interests from going on a catching spree in order to satisfy the demand. Those who subscribe to eating the three kinds of kosher meats (not killed because of me, the killing not seen by me, nor heard by me) are not supposed to make the booking. Instead, they should only buy those off the shelf, i..e, those already dead.

Of course, provided we adhere to the principles as laid down by Venerable Master Lian Chi, any untoward consequence after the event is clearly beyond our control. Regardless of whether there is any ready buyer, those who catch animals for a living will still engage in their daily business, the only difference being in the quantity. If there is a seasonal demand, and the market for certain animals is good, they will definitely catch more.

The targets of the releasing life activities are those fish, frog, turtles, cows, goats, chicken, duck, etc. destined for immediate consumption; and the juvenile fish, worms, cicadas, lizards, and small frogs in the pet shops. Then there are the birds caged in captivity. We buy these animals to be released into the wild precisely to eliminate their doomed fate because all animals and human beings are equal, endowed with Buddha nature, and hence have the potential to achieve buddhahood. They all can feel pain and are fearful of dying just like we all are.

We must always be mindful of the fact that just because they have their backs skyward, animals are not God’s gift to us as food. If such is the case, then animals should feel happy to serve our gastronomic needs. But the truth is worlds apart. There are reports of cows shedding their tears come slaughtering time, as if they could sense their immediate demise and are begging for mercy. In the wee hours of the morning, the shrill cries from pigs in a abattoir can make you stop eating pork for the rest of your life. As Confucius put it succinctly, hearing the sound alone is enough to move you to not eating the meat.

We can go to any pet shop, an aquarium, or a market, to buy animals for the purpose of releasing life. But we should not set our sight on a particular shop for that purpose, nor should we request for a particular kind of animals. All we have to do is to look at the quantity and assess our capacity to pay. Never place a booking. Otherwise we will bring suffering upon the animals, and upon ourselves (through the tenet of causality).

The Essence of Dharma: Compassion and Wisdom

Tuesday, i.e., yesterday, arrived with anticipation. And when it’s all said and done, it became a night of fulfillment and blessing, not only for those who turned up for the occasion at our home, but hopefully for all sentient beings as well.

Our home was graced by Venerable Hwei Chen last eveing, who has flown in from Taiwan to attend his commencement after completing the requirements toward a doctoral degree, accompanied by his mother. Many of our Buddhist friends made this possible: Sister Yu Huei picking up Shifu and his entourage from the Tampa International Airport, Sister Connie cooking vegetarian dishes, with others chipping in with their delicacies, and my wife and our S setting up the venue (me and our D were at work and school, respectively).

We first met Venerable Hwei Chen more than two years ago when we attended his Dharma talk held at USF. Then our paths crossed a few more times, one of which led to a Releasing Life outing at Clearwater, a year ago almost to the day, it being on May 7, 2006. I know that because I managed to locate photographic proof as shown to the right, right under the same date stamp in my digital album kept on my PC. How uncanny.

It was most opportune that the Tampa Buddhist Group (an informal gathering of like-minded Buddhist practitioners living in the Tampa area) was able to arrange Tampa to be the Florida landing point for Venerable Hwei Chen’s trip and above all, has kindly agreed to have our new home as the venue for his Dharma talk.

After partaking of the sumptuous vegetarian dinner (the main force behind it all, Connie, seen here standing next to my wife, both basking in the culinary offerings that would soon delight our taste buds. As several of the attendees remarked, the color, the aroma, and the taste, the three elements that a dish is judged by, were all present), Venerable Hwei Chen first conducted a blessing ceremony for our new home with sutra chanting by the attendees. Thus blessed, we then seated ourselves to listen to the Dharma talk by Venerable Hwei Chen, under the benevolent gaze of the image of Buddha hung high on the wall behind him.

Venerable Hwei Chen started off by first relating a remark that his colleague at Florida International University (FIU) where he was a guest lecturer, made: US needs Dharma. It seems that with all the technological advancements that cater to their material needs, people here are still in need of spiritual guidance, and in search of a moral compass for overall wellbeing, the attainment of which is fraught with vexations and afflictions.

Venerable Hwei Chen leading the blessing ceremony.

Citing the senseless killing at the Virginia Tech campus, which was precipitated by its own unique set of causes and effects, and conditions, Venerable Hwei Chen proffered the two keystone elements of Buddhism that would help ameliorate this aberrant manifestation of inhumane and inhuman behavior: compassion and wisdom.

These two character traits that everyone should cultivate also constitute the spirit of Dharma, forming its core that we all can relate to in terms of understanding. But practicing and actualizing them could prove formidable. In this respect, Venerable Hwei Chen would like to suggest two ways for each that could facilitate embracing, internalizing, and infusing them into our daily life. After all we are all creatures of habits, and naturally the right ways would imply cultivating good habits.

Venerable Hwei Chen enthralling an attentive audience with his ensemble of
personal anecdotes that illustrate the application of the teachings of Buddha.

On compassion, Venerable Hwei Chen recounted an encounter in a pet shop that affected him deeply. It was a scene we are all familiar with: the various animals, in cages/tanks, on display, and pegged at different prices. A rare pedigree could cost a bundle while some fish can be had for pocket change. Each is a life by itself, and in Buddhism, is considered equal and imbued with Buddha nature, intrinsically. In the material world, we are all being commoditized in a hierarchy of values, some lives being viewed as more “precious” than the others.

The above preamble is aimed at introducing one way to instill compassion: be a vegetarian. A central belief in Buddhism is rebirth (or samsara in the universal sense). The type of rebirth that arises at the end of one’s life is conditioned by the karmas (actions of body, speech and mind) of the previous life; good karmas will yield a happier rebirth, bad karmas will produce one which is more unhappy, grouped into six planes or realms. The Six realms are the six possible states of rebirth: a deva (the realm of bliss and pride, or the god-likes to distinguish them from the omniscient God in monotheistic religions and also from the next realm), an asura (the realm of the demigods), a human being (the realm of the homo sapiens), an animal (the realm of the nonhuman animals), a hungry ghost (the sentient beings who are unable to enjoy food or drink), or a being in Naraka (hell). [excerpted and recombined from the Wikipedia article, here and here.]

In other words, in our past lives we could be in any of these realms and, hence, be related to a “reincarnated” being in the present life in any of these realms, including animals. Viewed from that perspective, the chance of consuming an erstwhile relative does not seem remote as one would think.

Furthermore, we should always strive to maintain good relation with all sentient beings, regardless of what realm they are presently at. And that is easier to manage if we were vegetarians to begin with. Compared to vegetarians, meat eaters tend to be easily provoked, and less tolerant of dissenting views (Once upon a time I was too guilty of the same propensities. But advancing age is playing the role of being a vegetarian, you know, getting mellow with age. But I’m cutting down on my meat consumption and look forward to be a practicing vegetarian, full-time, in the not too distant future. As they say, habits die hard, especially the bad ones, I hasten to add.)

The second way to becoming a compassionate person is to speak no evil, only kind words. More people are hurt by mere words than resulting from physical action. And it takes much less efforts to deliver the former, and hence harder to restrain. If look could kill, word can totally annihilate. Conversely, word can heal too. And we should focus on the latter positive aspect next time we feel like launching a tirade.

In a nutshell, becoming a vegetarian and speaking no evil are the manifestation of compassion. And if we can do the latter beyond our circle of friends and acquaintances to strangers, that will be the epitome. Come to think of it, if we can practice compassion on those immediately around us, what so difficult about doing the same for others twice or even umpteen times removed?

Turning to wisdom, Venerable Hwei Chen let us in on one sure way to attain wisdom: become selfless. Who is “I”? The body? The Mind? Or is there a separate entity other than the body and the mind? Venerable Hwei Chen tried to provoke us into some kind of response. Essentially, to become selfless is to let go. We need to always contemplate, introspect, and ruminate on selflessness, on letting go, and on helping and facilitating others.

This introspection and reflection on being selfless is easier said then done, we have to acknowledge. So Venerable Hwei Chen recommends the second and easier way: chanting Buddha’s name. If you think about it, the flip side of chanting Buddha’s name is to bring us out of our consciousness by focusing on the chanting. So the two ways are mutually reinforcing, paving the way toward wisdom.

Buddhism values practice, and it is through constant practice that we can break out of our habits, our mold. Like shooting hoops, an analogy used by Venerable Hwei Chen, we can become compassionate and wise by infusing the four ways into our daily life, thereby transforming our daily grind into a life of compassion and wisdom just like shooting more hoops would likewise improve our accuracy.

Thus fortified, I approached my bedtime with clarity and equanimity. And today, I successfully negotiated my fork away from the meaty components of the dinner dishes (both breakfast and lunch were the vegetarian foods remained from yesterday). The not too distant future that I speculated above may just arrive sooner than I thought.

And if you still have doubts/reservations/qualms/skepticism regarding the practice of compassion and wisdom, I would like to leave these words by Chan Master Sheng Yen with you, taken from a pocket-sized pamphlet entitled Wake Yourself Up: Finding Inner Peace, which Sister Nancy brought last night:

“With compassion, one has no enemy; with wisdom, one has no vexation.”

Amitofo.

Venerable Hwei Chen interacting with some of the attendees after the Dharma Talk.

Venerable Hwei Chen catching up on some earthly matters, using the same tools just like us.