A Dialogue of Compassion

The Dalai Lama and Master Cheng Yen Recorded by the Still Thoughts Library
Translated by Hu Po-chun
Photographs by Wang Chih-hung
Reprinted with permission of Rhythms Monthly The 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of Tibet, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Since he fled from Tibet in 1959, he has lived in exile in India, Nepal, and other countries. With his country and home lost, the Dalai Lama has gone through a lot of difficulties and tribulations. But the experiences have not soured him--he has the heart of a child and has always been known as friendly, warm and outspoken. He braves the hardships that stand in his way with infinite compassion and wisdom. During a visit to Taiwan, the Dalai Lama met Master Cheng Yen at the Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital. After Superintendent Lin Chin-lon briefed him in English about Tzu Chi's four missions and the hospital, the Dalai Lama, speaking in Tibetan, carried on an inspiring dialogue with Master Cheng Yen through a translator.

　

Dalai Lama: We are grateful to you for carrying out the great missions you have dedicated yourself to. You are truly a model for us to learn from.　

Master Cheng Yen: Thank you for your encouragement. As long as the Dalai Lama thinks that we are heading in the right direction, we will work harder.　

Dalai Lama: I just saw that mural ["The Buddha Cares for the Sick" in the foyer of the hospital]. When the Buddha was alive, he cared for an ailing monk who was too sick to clean up his own urine and excrement. The Buddha sprinkled water on him while Ananda bathed him. This is a true story. According to a Tibetan Buddhist sutra, when a monk is too poor to afford medical treatment, he is allowed to sell his personal belongings to pay for it. This is a special permission granted to monks and nuns.　

Dalai Lama: Master Cheng Yen, ladies and gentlemen:

I am delighted to see Tzu Chi undertaking so many great missions. I was just talking to the Master about the story recorded in a sutra which describes the Buddha washing a sick monk.

In Tibet, there was a Buddhist master named Domtonpa. He devoted himself to caring for the sick, especially lepers. Generally speaking, the Buddhist teachings encourage us to help and care for the sick. In Buddhism, donations can be divided into three categories: money and property, the Buddha's teachings, and encouragement and relief.

Devoting ourselves to society and caring for the sick belong to the third category. We need to practice giving encouragement and relief in our daily life. I often talk to Tibetan monks and nuns about the contributions Catholics make to society. Compared to them, we have done too little.

In 1967, during a visit to Thailand, I met with the Dharma King there. Bringing up the above-mentioned matter to him, I said that Buddhists do not seem to have done enough for society. Today I have the pleasure to come to Taiwan and see for myself the philanthropic efforts of Master Cheng Yen. I really appreciate what the Master has done for all living beings. What is even more valuable is that she does everything with compassion and love. Her loving heart makes her achievements even more commendable.

Why should we help people who are in pain and in need of help? It has nothing to do with religion, race or nationality. It has to do with the fact that they are our fellow human beings. Therefore, Master Cheng Yen's compassion, which transcends all borders, and the persistent efforts she makes in helping people fill my heart with respect and joy.

I am really happy to see what the Master has achieved. I understand Tzu Chi has done much for our environment. Some people think that the issue of environmental protection is not important, but I don't agree. And I fully support everything Master Cheng Yen has done so far. I hope that she and all Tzu Chi people can keep up the good work.

Master Cheng Yen: I am grateful for your kind comments. We are both honored and grateful to have the Dalai Lama with us here today. We are grateful to Your Holiness for bringing blessings to the people in Taiwan. I know your schedule is very tight, so I asked Superintendent Lin to directly brief you in English on our Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital. Even though it was a short briefing, it covered the four missions of Tzu Chi.

Certainly, if we wanted to talk about Tzu Chi in detail, it would take several days. Tzu Chi, established in Taiwan, is already thirty-five years old. I'd like to report to Your Holiness that many Buddhists here are devoted to helping the needy, so please rest assured.

You can find Tzu Chi members in many countries. Whenever there is a natural or a man-made calamity, Tzu Chi members who live near the disaster area immediately extend their supporting hands. Tzu Chi originated in Taiwan, and those who have received our help all know that we are Buddhists from Taiwan.

There are around one hundred thousand Tzu Chi volunteers on the island, including community volunteers, Tzu Chi commissioners and Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members, who devote themselves to social work every day. They visit and care for lonely, elderly people in different communities. There are many Buddhists in Taiwan who lovingly give of themselves.

When I founded Tzu Chi, it was to help the poor. But later I found that poverty was the result of sickness and that sickness caused a great deal of suffering. So we built a hospital in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, where medical resources were scarce. Dalin used to be an area that also had few medical facilities. That was why we built another hospital here.

In contrast, Taipei has lots of medical facilities and abounds with medical information, so many doctors and medical college students receive their education in Taipei.

Therefore, we plan to establish a large teaching hospital in Taipei. The Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital is newer and larger than the Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, so we arranged for this visit here. If the chance should arise in the future, we will be more than glad to receive Your Holiness in Hualien. Thank you so much.