Love In Action
Ruthless Floods, Human Love

[Report From Hong Kong] Continuous torrential downpours have brought on the worst floods of the century in many areas of China, leaving the Heilungkiang area in the northeast, the middle and lower basin of the Yangtze River, and the southern Fujian Province devastated by the raging waters in the past two months.

Just as many people had begun to feel an indifference toward the annual rise of the rivers above the danger mark, the lives and property of 200 million people came under serious threat from relentless floods that grew to be the worst in Chinese history. As one flood crest closely followed another and the water level rose with no sign of receding, states of emergency were declared in region after region.

Receipts from the Hong Kong Red Cross and the Salvation Army for donations from Hong Kong initiates for the China flood relief work.

Moved by the unfortunate situation of their compatriots, the Hong Kong initiates, despite an economic slowdown, launched a series of fundraising activities for these suffering souls. Initiates raised HK$78,190 (about US$10,000) and contributed it to the Hong Kong Red Cross China Relief Fund.

The Hong Kong Center remained open twenty-four hours a day, allowing the initiates to attend, in turn, a non-stop meditation session to pray to God to soon lead their compatriots out of dispair. Many initiates who have attended this long meditation session have felt immense blessing from Master. Those who have sacrificed their sleep for meditation have found themselves more energetic and blissful without the need for rest. Nightlong meditation has filled them with bliss.

Initiates also sponsored a one day charity sale at a vegetarian restaurant run by fellow practitioners, calling for generous social participation in this "Ruthless Flooding, Human Love" campaign. The enthusiastic response kept many sister initiates busy in the kitchen as guests, several times the number that usually frequented the restaurant on a normal business day, invited friends to a vegetarian meal as an act of charity. The kitchen served up delectable dishes and the guests savored each dish with loving hearts. Although the restaurant was packed and people had to wait to be seated, this did not dampen the spirit of cooperation or generous giving. On that day, the restaurant raised HK$20,000 (about US$2,500) and contributed it to the Hong Kong Salvation Army .

For the people in this prosperous city of Hong Kong, where the hectic lifestyle has turned them into strangers, this fund-raising activity has unearthed in them their original good and virtuous selves.