Delivering Divine Radiance and Love
to the Country of Light

The December 2004 tsunami that struck southern Asia caused unprecedented damage to many countries in terms of lives and property. Following Master’s shining example of conducting worldwide relief activities, a group of initiates from Korea traveled to Sri Lanka to render aid after a relief effort by Formosan practitioners had been completed (please refer to the News #156 for details).

Members of the Korean relief team with their supplies	Loading relief materials brought from Korea before setting off for Matara

When the Korean brothers and sisters first heard of the tsunami, they immediately began to seek ways to help. Coincidentally, a Korean sister’s Sri Lankan co-worker had lost her family and home in the disaster and the initiates promptly gave her financial assistance. Then, when the co-worker’s friends in Korea and Sri Lanka heard that a group of Korean practitioners were going to Sri Lanka they suggested visiting their hometown Matara, one of the most severely damaged communities in the country. Moreover, the co-worker’s Sri Lankan friend volunteered to act as interpreter during the project.

The Korean government and airline companies reduced air fare by 75% for official relief teams working on the disaster, and the Korean initiates qualified for this discount. So on January 14, 2005, thirty-one practitioners, including a firefighter and pharmacist, set off for Sri Lanka with two tons of relief supplies, equipment and medicine.

A Smooth Beginning is Half the Mission

Before dawn on January 15, the relief team arrived at Sri Lanka’s Colombo Airport. Then, wearing yellow uniforms imprinted with the words “The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association,” the brothers and sisters claimed and collected the aid items at the Airport while being filmed by a video crew from Sri Lanka National TV, which later broadcast the footage to the country on five channels.

Deputy Minister Mr. Chandrasiri Gajadeera

From the early morning, representatives of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Housing & Construction had been awaiting the sisters and brothers, and upon their arrival a short welcoming ceremony was held. During the ceremony Deputy Minister Mr. Chandrasiri Gajadeera said, “Your relief team including monks came a long way from Korea and I thank you so much. Although it may be a bit inconvenient as it was hit by the tsunami, I will provide my house for you to stay in.”

Being very sincere Buddhists and pure vegetarians, Mr. Gajadeera and his coordinator were happy to know that the relief team members were also strict vegetarians. The next day, an initiated Swedish couple brought financial aid from the Stockholm Center and joined the relief team. Thus, from the beginning, the project progressed perfectly through Master’s arrangements.

To assess the damage in the region, the team visited many places with Mr. Gajadeera’s coordinator as guide. Except for the northern part of Sri Lanka, most of the country’s seaside communities had been affected. But to everyone’s surprise, nearly all the Buddhist temples remained unscathed.

Guided by the coordinator, relief team members inspect a tsunami-ravaged area.

For example, in one village the residents said that the area had been completely flooded, but the local temple was only filled with a few inches of water so all of those who had been praying to Buddha in the building survived the tsunami while many people outside perished.

On January 17, the recovery work began with a cleanup of debris in damaged houses and roads. Most victims were still in a state of shock and had no tools to clean up their homes. So they greatly appreciated the relief team’s devotion, and to reward them for their efforts, picked coconuts for the workers. For the Korean initiates, who had come from the Northern Hemisphere, coconuts were perfect gifts!

During the cleanup, Dr. T. Lekha Rathnayake, Director of the Health Office of Matara, visited the work site and said appreciatively, “In a situation such as this when everything is ruined, the people aren’t in the mental state to clean up and recover. Thus, your recovery efforts provide them with great power and vital energy.”

Bringing Laughter to the Sorrowful

Helping tsunami victims clean their homes

In the affected areas, many children had been deeply hurt emotionally after losing parents and siblings while still very young. So to help alleviate the children’s pain, the relief team organized an entertainment program, which was attended by approximately a hundred young people. One initiate-sister who works as a tutor in Korea amused the boys and girls with songs and dances and the Swedish brother on the team did a magic act with balloons, sang and played the guitar. The children were delighted with the program and became very spirited, with some even joining in the singing and dancing. After the performances, the initiates gave gift sets of clothing, cookies and toys to each child. Being touched by the innocent youngsters’ laughter and joy, all the villagers become happier and brighter since it was the first time their young people had laughed heartily after the tsunami. Also, feeling moved by the event, Mr. Gajadeera asked the initiates to hold more entertainment programs for the children and they agreed.

On the 18th, the relief team rented two bulldozers and four trucks with drivers. The bulldozers mainly cleared garbage and debris from the streets, and the initiates cleaned up nearby houses with handcarts and shovels. As they worked, more and more people became encouraged and began to clean and repair their homes on their own.

Despite the difficult toil involved in the cleanup, through Master’s blessings the initiates performed the recovery work with devotion and enthusiasm. For example, one brother from the Busan Center who is over sixty labored diligently, and his great vigor and eagerness to help others amazed the younger members of the team.

 

Rubbish Heaps and Bacteria Disappear

Heavy machinery operators wearing the Association’s yellow uniform continued to clean up the area, and as the rubbish heaps disappeared, the village became much cleaner and the atmosphere brighter. This change attracted reporters from SIRASA TV (the largest private TV station in Sri Lanka), who interviewed the initiates for a TV broadcast.

After the tsunami, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the spread of epidemic diseases such as typhoid, malaria and cholera in the disaster-stricken areas. So to prevent further problems, the initiates had brought along two high-quality fogging machines from Korea and hired local operators to run them.

On the afternoon of the 19th, the local community conducted a ceremony to present our relief items to the residents of Matara. During the event Mr. Gajadeera said, “Some of the medicines you brought from Korea are very expensive or unobtainable in Sri Lanka. Thus the Director of the Matara Health Office asked me to express her special thanks for these items. Also, Matara owns no fogging machine so we thank you for providing this precious equipment, which will help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In addition, I appreciate your cleanup efforts and entertainment program for our children.”

A ceremony offering medicine and fogging machines to local villagers and the Health Office of Matara

On January 20, the relief team visited Thotamuna village’s Jayamaha Temple, which housed many refugees, and amused the children with an entertainment program and gifts. Since the activity was conducted on an impromptu basis the size of the audience was unforeseeable. So it was a challenge to prepare the gifts and conduct the activity on time, but through God’s grace everything went smoothly.

As the initiates arrived at the Temple more than three hundred children had filled the hall but they were difficult to see due to the shortage of electric light in the large, dark building. However, as with the previous program, when the performances began the atmosphere warmed up quickly and the youngsters cheered loudly as they momentarily forgot their sorrow. Their parents watched the program through the Temple’s windows and were pleased to hear the young people laughing jubilantly. After the program, the sisters and brothers distributed gifts to each child, and upon seeing the touching scene the head monk said, “It’s the first time that a group has come to help us. I’m very thankful to you for playing with our children, giving them presents and making them laugh. The children and their parents are extremely joyful and happy.”

The relief team’s activities became so well known in Matara City that when their Sri Lankan interpreter went downtown, people told him, “We can’t communicate with them but please tell them thank you for all their help.” ~~Next Page

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