Ruthless Floods Tamed by Infinite Love

By the Hong Kong News Group (Originally in Chinese)

In early September 2004, several days of torrential rainfall triggered severe flooding in large areas of China's north-eastern Sichuan Province. During the disaster, the heaviest of its kind in two centuries, hundreds of thousands of homes were submerged. After learning of the flood, out of Her great compassion, Supreme Master Ching Hai made a generous contribution to the victims and dispatched fellow initiates from Hong Kong to provide relief in the affected regions.

As soon as Master's instructions came, the Hong Kong disciples formed a relief team and began gathering information on the flooded parts of Sichuan. To ensure that the entire disaster-stricken area was covered, the team set out in three groups to conduct operations in Dazhou City and Kai, Qu and Xuanhan Counties, with support from local initiates.

Kai County

Homeless victims in Zhonghe, Kai County receive rice, quilts and moon cakes

Kai County to the north of Chongqing was one of the areas hit hardest by the flooding. On the early morning of September 5, water levels climbed rapidly, submerging many villages and the larger part of the County's older urban district. Water rose to the third story of many buildings, causing severe devastation. In local villages, most of the houses collapsed and the fields were buried in mud, depriving residents of their means of livelihood. The initiates arrived in Kai County on September 17 and promptly surveyed the disaster area. Blessed by Master's love, they were in excellent condition and in just one day established contacts and made arrangements at six locations before smoothly completing their purchases of the relief supplies needed by the residents.

Food being transported to Sanhe in Kai County	Supplies of rice and cookies being provided to residents of Jingquan Village, Kai County

Then, working throughout the night of September 20, the initiates individually filled and sealed bags of candy and included a photo of Master in each one. Early on the morning of September 21, the initiates next delivered the supplies to the eight most heavily affected villages in the County, including Sanhe, Zhonghe, Fengle and Zhuxi. In just one day, a total of 630 50 kg sacks of rice, 550 kg of noodles, 500 kg of cookies, as well as moon cakes and candy were distributed to needy households. Many of the flood victims were touched, and even tough-looking men wept on receiving Master's gifts, for they had never dreamt that anyone would brave the rough, muddy roads to come to their aid. For their efforts, the Zhuxi government honored the initiates with three certificates bearing the following words of thanks: "The floods are ruthless, but there is wonderful love in this world. Your great compassion and generous contributions have touched the victims' hearts."

Dazhou City

For the relief team, the top priority upon reaching Dazhou was to survey the affected area, determine the victims' needs, and then place orders for relief supplies with local wholesalers. When the city's shop-owners learned of the initiates' purpose, they offered them discount prices and provided various forms of assistance. Everywhere, human sympathy prevailed.

ellow initiates listen to flood victims' stories about how the disaster affected their lives.

Victims in Jinlong Village, Dazhou are overjoyed to receive Master's love and relief materials.

The relief workers were particularly impressed by a cotton quilt vendor who initially recommended low-priced items made of artificial fibres, which were rejected on the grounds that they would not adequately protect people against the cold. Instead, the initiates chose quilts that would keep the victims warm through the winter, and also bought the best towels available. The vendor and his staff were deeply moved by the initiates' sincerity, and with tears in his eyes, the shop owner lowered the price and helped pack the goods. At that moment, the disciples felt that they were truly in God's loving embrace! The following day, the vendor served as a buyer's guide for fellow initiates from other counties and cities, working with them all day long and even missing his lunch. The relief operation thus provided an opportunity for compatriots from Hong Kong and China to work together, and for the seeds of love to sprout and grow in the hearts of the Chinese people.

On September 23, when the team members arrived in Jinlong with the relief materials, they were warmly greeted by the villagers and the local party secretary. The locals were overjoyed as the initiates shared with them all that God had bestowed in an intense atmosphere of love. The party secretary then accompanied the brothers and sisters to two other villages to distribute the supplies. Everything went smoothly as the relief team members shared their love with the people and all hearts were linked in warmth and solidarity.

 

Qu County

On the afternoon of September 19, the relief team arrived in Qu County and immediately visited residents in the affected area. In Yuanbao, they learned that water levels had risen above the second story of the region's buildings and several farmhouses had been washed away. Fortunately, however the local Red Cross had already distributed the most urgent relief provisions to the villagers. Early the next morning, the disciples rented a chauffeured car and proceeded to Baocheng. As they travelled, the car was repeatedly trapped in thick mud and debris, and it took them more than two hours to reach their destination, where they learned that twenty-two farmhouses had suffered severe damage and thus some families were in financial difficulty. Before leaving the area, the relief team recorded the victims' contact information for future reference.

Preparations get underway to distribute relief materials at a marketplace in Baocheng.

The following day, the initiates purchased food, cooking oil, rice, quilts and other supplies for the flood victims in Yuanbao. Since the roads to Baocheng had been completely cut off, the villagers were informed by telephone to pick up their supplies at a nearby marketplace. The team then quickly proceeded to the next stop on their relief expedition, Xuanhan County.

Xinglong, Xuanhan County

On the morning of September 23, the relief team travelled to Xinglong, Xuanhan County to visit the region's two most devastated coal-mining villages, which were some distance away from urban districts. There, more than forty households were found to be living in miserable conditions so the initiates immediately made the two-hour journey back to the city to buy the required items, and then brought them back along a rough mountain road in a coal truck. It was dark when the sisters and brothers returned, and their clothes were black from riding in the truck. But happy to be of service, they unloaded their supplies of rice and quilts and distributed them to the victims.

Wubao, Xuanhan County

Wubao flood victims find temporary shelter in tents.

Beginning in early September 2004, many days of persistent, heavy rainfall eroded the mountains in Tiantai, causing huge portions of the slopes, including large amounts of mud and rocks, to slide into the river valley below. This rare disaster resulted in the formation of a 2.5km-deep dam, which blocked the roaring river and created a lake twenty meters deep in a very short period of time. Thus impeded, the river overflowed its banks for a length of twenty kilometers, wreaking havoc in four-fifths of Wubao's urban districts and villages. Fortunately, no casualties were reported as the area's 30,000 inhabitants had evacuated just before the incident. But many lost their homes. The government set up tents for the victims on the surrounding hills, and distributed food and cooking oil daily.

Fellow initiates brave the rain and wade through muddy streams filled with rock debris to inspect the flood-affected areas of Wubao.

On September 22, an eight-member relief team of initiates set out on a rough journey to the flood-stricken area. They drove as far as they could before wading through the muddy water filled with rock debris from the landslide to the newly formed lake. The 40-minute trek was followed by a 30-minute journey by motorboat to the affected area. According to the disaster command center, the most urgently needed necessities were quilts, cotton coats and shoes as it was already early autumn. Early the next morning, the initiates went to Dazhou to buy these materials, and then contacted the local relief transport team for help in delivering them the following day. The transport team had to make an eight-hour detour through circuitous mountain roads. While they were purchasing the relief supplies, the initiates' sincerity and love touched everyone they contacted, including drivers, shop owners and their staff, who all readily offered to assist in the preparations.

Work team members distribute relief materials in Wubao.

At 5:00 A.M. on September 24, the disciples loaded the relief materials, including 1,000 quilts, 1,000 pairs of shoes and 1,150 pieces of clothing onto five trucks. As the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, the initiates also prepared thirteen boxes of candy and biscuits, together with 3,000 moon cakes as gifts for students in the affected area. Despite heavy rain, the transport team set off at 7:00 A.M., while the initiates took a shorter route. The relentless downpour made it even more arduous to get through the muddy, rock-filled stream. At 3:00 P.M., the initiates reached the lake near Wubao and waited for a boat that was scheduled to pick them up. They were soaked, but their spirits were high, and their morale was further boosted when the command center called to say that the transport team had arrived safely and was waiting for them to distribute the materials.

After completing the distribution of relief goods in Wubao, the initiates arrived at the command center in such dismal physical condition that the center's working staff were deeply touched and immediately arranged transportation for their return journey. It was already half past five in the afternoon when the presentation ceremony arranged by local officials was completed and the supplies were unloaded. The initiates then began their return journey, hoping to pass the mud-filled stream before dark. Though it was still raining, through Master's love and blessing, they reached the highway just before dark, and were safely driven by a government-arranged car back to their inn.

Conclusion

For the initiates who participated in the 2004 relief operation in Sichuan Province, the truth that "it is more fortunate to give than to receive" was strongly driven home. The brothers and sisters also matured spiritually and realized the wonderful truth that God takes care of everything. Although not many disciples participated in the operation, God continually arranged the most suitable people to help them at precisely the right moments. Thus, under Hiers guidance they did their best to accomplish their tasks, with mutual trust, tolerance, a team spirit and cohesive strength.

The fellow initiates also became aware of the elevation of consciousness that has recently occurred in China. From pristine villages to urban areas, most of the people they met were pure and simple, and during the relief operation, miracles occurred frequently. In addition, the sisters and brothers realized more deeply that disasters sometimes befall us to awaken our compassion, conscience and awareness of the ephemeral nature of human life. Such events are a reminder that only through spiritual practice can we be truly elevated from suffering to bliss, and be able to discern our own God Nature.

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Formosa | Mainland China | India | Russia | Grenada | Jamaica | the Domincan Republic | Florida, USA | Panama | Japan | Expenditures for Global Disaster Relief Aid by The Supreme Master Ching Hai, September and October, 2004