My first thought each morning when I wake up is always one of gratefulness. I’m grateful that I’m still alive, that I can think clearly, and that I can move my hands and feet freely.
My second thought is always to seize the day and live it with pious sincerity.
My first thought each morning when I wake up is always one of gratefulness. I’m grateful that I’m still alive, that I can think clearly, and that I can move my hands and feet freely.
My second thought is always to seize the day and live it with pious sincerity.
I’m grateful that I was able to live through the year in peace and safety.
I’m also grateful that so many people around the world have dedicated themselves to serving others and making the world a better place.
However, Over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and beyond. Millions more are displaced inside Syria and, as the war continues, hope is fading fast.
Millions of Syrians have escaped across borders, fleeing the bombs and bullets that have devastated their homes.
Since 2014, Tzu Chi volunteers in Turkey have been providing help to the refugees, in the cities of Sultangazi and Arnavutkoy.
They have been giving long-term help and care to the Syrian refugees in Turkey.
In Sultangazi, there are more than 6,000 Syrian families and in Amavutkoy more than 1,200 Syrian families, of whom 695 have been receiving long-term help from Tzu Chi.
However, there are still thousands of families who were unable to receive any help.
To ease their suffering, the foundation decided to hold a large-scale distribution for them in Sultangazi starting from 2015.
From the news, we see groups of Syrian refugees stranded outside European countries as the borders have been closed to them.
Outside of the border fences of the steel fences, children cried hard out of cold and hunger while their parents begged to cross the border and enter the country.
It was rainy and icy cold, but the fences had prevented them from reaching a safe shelter.
See, aren’t their life paths full of hardship? They really are.
In my Dharma talk this morning, I shared with everyone that we came to this world alone, but we suffer together
In life, when we give rise to unwholesome thoughts and delusion, we’ll do wrong and create much negative retribution, bringing about disasters to our world.
Just look at how extreme climate conditions have become!
On top of natural disasters, there are also manmade ones, Isn’t life suffering?
It really is, When a country is in turmoil, people’s lives are shattered, Take Syria for example, After the civil war broke out, even those living a good life in Syria had [a]to flee to other countries.
See how a trained dentist in Syria fled to the U.K. and can now only make a living by washing dishes.
The future [b] is truly unpredictable.
Even if we live in a wealthy country, it doesn’t mean that we’ll enjoy peace and safety forever.
Now that Syria has an ongoing civil war, not only the rich fleeing [c]to other countries, even citizens in southern Syria left their farm to seek refuge in Jordan.
For the people of Syria, their future is bleak. So, even though it’s winter, Syrian refugees still move persistently forward to a safe shelter. They’ve truly suffered a lot.
Life is filled with suffering.
Some say that there is always next year. However, that may not be true. None of us knows for certain if we will live to see tomorrow. The most precious thing in life is time.
We cannot predict how long we will live, but we can make the best of our time by contributing to the greater good.
The value of life lies in seizing time to do the right thing and good deeds.
In many places around the globe, demonstration and protests have arisen as a result of peoples’ deluded thinking, leading to social unrest and even war.
Families have been torn apart and lives have been lost. I hope that everyone can keep their mind broad and pure to resolve disputes and conflicts.
When people can nurture peace in their hearts, follow the right principles, and do good to help others, families will be able to live in harmony and society will be able to enjoy stability and peace.
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