“The ocean of suffering is immense, but if you
turn around, you can see the land. The seed of suffering in you may be strong,
but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be
happy. When one tree in the garden is sick, you have to care for it. But don’t
overlook all the healthy trees. Even while you have pain in your heart, you can
enjoy the many wonders of life—the beautiful sunset, the smile of a child, the
many flowers and trees. To suffer is not enough. Please don’t be imprisoned by
your suffering.” Thich Nhat Hanh.
Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh is an internationally known author, poet, scholar and peace activits. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Here are some stories that came my way via the internet
about people who chose to reach out to others to help ease their suffering
and in so doing created rich experiences of joy and community. Some of the stories have short videos that
are worth viewing. They will bring a
smile to your face and warmth into your heart. If you click on the headings, the link will take you to them.
College student, Rodney Smith Jr., started a free lawn cutting service for the elderly, disabled and single mothers. He saw their need and responded. Rodney quickly reached his goal of 40 lawns so he changed his goal to 100. Then he gained volunteers. He wants to teach young men that giving back
is cool. When he graduates he wants to
register his service which he calls Raising
Men as a non-profit. You can hear him talk about his experience by clicking on the heading.
At the Junior World Challenge in Japan, Barcelona`s Under 12 team
won against Japan 1—0. The Japanese boys
were crying while the Barcelona team celebrated. Once the Barcelona boys realized how their opponents were suffering, they began to console them with kind touches on the
face, hair ruffling and hugs. The short, yet incredibly touching video concludes that “compassion always wins.”
Monks from the Great Enlightenment Buddhist
Institute Society in Little Sands, PEI bought 600 pounds of lobsters from
fishermen across the island and then released them unharmed. They weren't criticizing the fishermen or people who eat lobsters. They did this to cultivate compassion for all
living beings. The monks reported that
the islanders including the fishermen supported their cause and the fishermen
found a better place to release the lobster so that they won’t be captured again.
Luis Escobar, the coach of a California high school cross
country team partnered with Stacy Silva, the community outreach coordinator for
an animal shelter. Escobar took the
students to the shelter to pick up shelter dogs to take them along for the
training run. The dogs and the kids
loved it and after posting it on Facebook, the shelter got more people
interested in adopting dogs. The team
plans to run with the dogs again. This simple yet brilliant partnering was a win, win, win. The video is of course heartwarming and very cute!
Justin,a boy from Boston gives his birthday money to the
hospital that took care of him when he suffered severed burns as a baby. When he was four he wanted to
take his birthday toys to the hospital to make the kids feel better and has done it every year for the past five years. Jon Sugden, a spokesman for the Shriner’s
Hospital said that he “views Justin’s generosity as being more meaningful than
some of these enormous gifts because it’s truly from the heart.”
These stories are all about simple acts that have ripples that go out into their communities, inspiring other people to be compassionate. They warm the heart because we are actually wired to be this way. Our hearts are wired to beat as one.
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