Master Fajing:
Anytime and anywhere there was a disaster
or famine, Venerable Master Fajing was present
to provide food and relief supplies. One time the
famine was so bad that thousands were dying
from hunger. The situation was desperate and
miserable. With great compassion, he went
every place seeking donations and help, convincing
the government to release the emergency
grain reserve to feed the people. Unfortunately,
the number of hunger victims far exceeded the
quantity of food supplies. In the end, Venerable
Master Fajing decided to let the hungry people
consume parts of his body to survive. What an
incomparably fearless and compassionate spirit
he displayed!
Master Zhiyi “The Wise Man”:
Venerable Master Zhiyi was known for
releasing fish and turtles into many “rescue
ponds” he had built. He was also known to be a
devoted philanthropist.
In his biography, the following was noted:
“One time he received sixty types of different
offerings. Out of compassion and respect, he
immediately gave them away to the needy in the
hope that their happiness and welfare could be
enhanced and that the country and society as a
whole could prosper.”
Master Fachun:
During a famine, Venerable Master Fachun,
disguising himself in lay clothes, worked as a
laborer in villages and towns, and donated all his
wages to the poor and needy. He frequently
volunteered to clean the toilets and remove feces
and excrement. When the road was damaged, he
himself would undertake the reconstruction work.
He also encouraged neighbors and residents to
level and smooth out bumpy and dangerous
roads for the convenience of travelers.
Zen Master Tetsugan Doko:
During the Tokugawa Shogunate period in
Japan, Zen Master Tetsugan discovered that one of
the main reasons why Buddhism was not as
prevalent as it should have been was the shortage
of comprehensive collections of Buddhist
Tripitaka (Sutras). He vowed to raise funds to print volumes
of Buddhist sutras. After years of effort,
the amount of funds raised was close to the point
where the printing of the sutras could have been
started. Unfortunately, various disasters and calamities
hit the area and people were dying or
struggling to survive. Master Tetsugan immediately
donated his entire sutra-printing fund for
relief purposes. Later, he resumed his fundraising
activities for sutra printing. After all kinds of
difficulties and hardships, he was reaching his
goal again. But then a major flood came. Many
people were homeless and struck by diseases.
Again, he immediately donated all the money to
relieve for the flood victims. His unshakable
determination motivated him to continue his
fundraising activities despite all these setbacks.
On his third attempt, he finally accomplished his
wish to print the complete volume of Buddhist
Tripitaka.
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