April

April is coming soon is like 3 days. March went by so fast, so fast that I didn't even remember what I have done except for the few days in Puerto Rico.

There is another month before final exams. Yet, I have some much on my plate. Besides preparing for exams, writing my paper, doing experiments and thesis, I have to start packing up, decide on my departure date, plan for my parents' trips, and make my decision on grad schools. With 2 conferences and 1 Tzu Chi performance in the coming 3 weeks, I don't think I can get any of my works done during the weekends. I seriously need to start N.O.W.

But, putting the work aside, I would like share some thoughts. So, we had our first Tzu Ching informal gathering tonight after so many years. In the gathering, a friend who just came back from Haiti relief effort shared his experience there. Someone once told him that the Haitians are living in the hell and people in US are like living in the heaven. But, when they're satisfied with just a bowl of hot food and when we're unsatisfied of everything we have, who is living in hell, who is living in heaven?

This really made me think a lot.

I have been joining Tzu Chi since my freshman year. Although at first I joined Tzu Chi to fill up my free time, TC has somehow changed my perception of life. A Tzu Ching alumni once told me that TC is different from other charity organization that our mission is not only to help others but Master Cheng Yen encourages us to learn and grow up by seeing others' sufferings, in other word is to 知苦惜福. In the past 2 years, I have been doing translation for Daai TV drama. I used to hate it because of the workload. But, after what the TC alumni said, I started to view the translation job as a lesson, a lesson that teaches me to embrace and cherish life by watching others' stories. It made me realize that I'm one of the most blessed people in the world who are never short of love, education and all the basic necessity. And so, I should try to do many good things as I can. I think doing good deeds is like saving -- saving "blessings". We might not need it now because we're in the good shape, but we never know we might need it in the later day. Life is too short, we should start doing good now. Doing good thing doesn't mean that we have to do fundraising for the poor every now and then, but it is to incorporate the good values in our daily life. For example, using less plastic bags, switching off the light when we don't need it, eating less meat, those are definitely the good thing we can do for the earth. They are still many things we can do, I think I'll share it next time coz it's kinda late now. This is just some of my thoughts to pass on the Great Love from Tzu Chi.