Flood disasters hit many provinces in mainland China, wave after wave, which gravely affected the livelihood of the people. The merciful Master has been compassionately directing the relief team to render the quickest and most practical aid to the disaster victims. As implored by the victims, She has further donated 163,400 RMB yuan to the relief fund. Many of our fellow practitioners in Japan are overseas students from China, so they were anxiously hoping to help their compatriots in need. Knowing that Master had already allotted money, and assigned a relief team to launch a series of relief operations, they immediately responded by raising a contribution of 100,000 Japanese Yen (8,600 RMB yuan). Their contribution, together with HK$108,000 (115,500 RMB yuan) from the Hong Kong fellow practitioners, amounted to a total of 287,500 RMB yuan, and has been taken by fellow practitioners from Hong Kong to the relief team in China, who are to supporting the ongoing relief work.

Since the middle of August, fellow practitioners from Shenyang and Anshan in Liaoning province, and Changchun and Jilin city in Jilin province, as instructed by Master and with the company of a Quan Yin messenger, have helped sixty disaster-stricken villages in Liaozhong and Haicheng in Liaoning province, and Huadian city and Panshi county in Jilin province. The total number of families helped was 10,097 (about 50,485 people) with the distribution of a total of 67,100 jin (2 jin 1 kg) of rice; 14,020 jin of dry noodles; 13,940 jin of biscuits; 3,500 jin of potatoes; 19,060 bags of instant vegetarian food; 450 mosquito nets; over ten types of emergency medical supplies worth 12,793 RMB yuan; 217 blankets; 150 pieces of rain cloth; and over 2,000 pieces of old clothing.

Besides this, not long after the flood-water subsided, fellow practitioners from Changchun and Jilin cities went into the disaster areas again to distribute rice, noodles, blankets, fresh vegetables, daily necessities and so on. The total aid to the two provinces amounted to 242,094 RMB yuan (Liaoning 191,593.50 RMB yuan and Jilin 50,500.50 RMB yuan). The relief materials contributed by the fellow practitioners from Changchun and Jilin cities in Jilin province totalled 30,000 RMB yuan.

The disaster relief activities were centered around Anshan city. During the relief process in Liaoning, fellow practitioners from Anshan also met with Lang Ying, the Deputy Mayor of Anshan city. After Deputy Mayor Lang heard about Master's relief activities to the various flood disaster areas on the mainland this year, he was very moved. 

While working in disaster areas in Jilin, the most remote place we reached was Yaojia village, a severely affected area of Panshi town, more than 200 kilometers from Jilin city. To save time, fellow practitioners from Jilin and Changchun started to load the relief materials onto trucks before 5:00 am. When the second phase of relief activities in Jilin province began, the climate in the Northeast had turned cool. As a result, cold weather materials were needed most. Thus the relief team had blankets and rice sent to the disaster areas.

At the end of August, fellow practitioners from Changchun and Jilin cities in Jilin province, went for the second time to the severely affected flood disaster areas of Huadian, Tonghua, Beishan, Dehui, Huinan and others to help the victims. A total of 4,100 jin of rice was distributed. The areas were very remote and very mountainous. Many areas required more than ten hours of journeying by car. 

The disaster victims lived in very vastly diverse areas. To reach some areas, we needed to walk for several hours. But fellow practitioners were not afraid of difficulties. While they were distributing rice to the victims, they also disseminated the news of Master's love for them. The disaster victims received the most precious spiritual relief of all in this world and all felt very moved about the kindness of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who are trying to rescue all sentient beings.

When we reached the severely affected area of Dongweizi village near Huadian city, the village was still besieged by the flood-water and many houses had collapsed. At the time, the relief team only knew that 156 peasant families lived there. Only after having finished distributing the various kinds of relief materials, did we realized that there were 41 more fishing families also affected.

Two days later, fellow practitioners from Jilin city had 1,230 jin of rice ready and went to Dongweizi village again. When they arrived at the home of the village Chief, they discovered that his wife and some villagers were reading Master's books. Even illiterate villagers could not bear to part with the book. The villagers were pointing at Master's picture and told the village Chief, "Material things do not matter to us. Please lead us to learn from this Master!"

When the fishermen in Dongweizi village saw our fellow practitioners returning to distribute disaster relief rice, they were moved and said, "When you were giving rice to other villagers, it was just like giving to us. To be able to receive one of Master's sample booklets is enough."

Also, in the heavily affected area in Anhui Province, over a dozen villages in Anpin, Tong Ning County, were all devastated. The situation there was the most serious in the province. Guided by enthusiastic villagers, the relief team took a boat to the devastated area. As the boat embarked, the fellow practitioners climbed to the top of the dam and found that the whole village was immersed by the flood. No houses could be seen; only a few protruding chimneys dotted the water's surface.

The residents were living in tents pitched on the top of the dam. With the cooperation of the village Chief, the relief team quickly calculated the number of households affected. Having found out the most urgently needed items, they promptly went to purchase rice and medicine, and then delivered them with the old clothes given by people from various places.

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Insights From Relief Work

Thoughts From Disaster Relief Activities
By Fellow Initiate Chi, Macao

After living for thirty years I did something that I never even dreamed that I would ever do - participate in disaster relief activities to convey God's boundless love to disaster victims.

When one bag after another of snow white rice was delivered into the hands of the villagers in the disaster affected area, and when photographs of Master came before their eyes, the entire village was overflowing with sounds of joy and laughter. It was bathed in God's omnipresent love and beauty. I will never forget that scene as long as I live!

I used to be a very lazy person. I thought that I was doing great, and had very little consideration for others. Having made quite a large amount of money in my business, I wilfully indulged in wine and socializing. I never thought of the people who were suffering in wars, disasters or famines and who desperately need the help, concern and love of others. When I occasionally saw these kinds of scenes on television, I merely felt pity for those people, and never thought that their lives bore any relation to mine. I thought that their lives and mine were entirely two different matters.

As my soul began to wake up, and when the time was ripe, I received initiation from Master and started a brand new life. Our great Master teaches us by using real life examples, and makes us understand that life is ephemeral. Lesson after lesson made me appreciate that all of creation is interrelated. With Her loving power, which is impossible to describe with words, Master blesses and shows me how to perceive and learn.

From this experience I have come to understand that a person practices spirituality not only to benefit themselves, but more importantly to benefit other sentient beings. I realise that the deeds from my old way of life need to be cleansed through earnest practice, and that my behaviour and what is around me are not two separate matters. Only when we have generated enough love to give to others and to help them, can we truly make progress on our spiritual path!

Master, I have not lived the past thirty odd years fruitlessly because I have found You, and You give me eternal love and blessings. There are still many things that I could not think of doing, even in my dreams. I beseech You to give me more opportunities to do work for You, thus erasing some of the very deep guilt caused by my past behaviour, and to use Your boundless love to take me Home soon!

By the way, I would like to tell everyone that one never gets tired when doing Master's work!

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Relief Operations in Liaoning, Jilin, China

 

 

Income & Expenses of Mainland Disaster Relief

Item	Income	Expense	Balance
Supreme Ching Hai Disaster Relief Fund For other disaster areas of China Balance C/F	﹩134,000.10RMB
Supreme Ching Hai's New Contributions	﹩ 163,400.00RMB
Contributions from Fellow Practitioners in Japan	﹩ 8,600.00
Contributions from fellow practitioners in Hong Kong	﹩ 115,500.00RMB
Contributions from fellow practitioners in Jilin, China	﹩30,000.00RMB
Aid to Liaoning, Jilin, China		﹩154,328.50RMB
Total	﹩451,500.10RMB		﹩297,171.60RMB

P.S. Disaster relief activities are still going on.