True Value as A Human Being

A Report by Ryokyu Endo

An over seas member sent a YouTube video called “Pray for Japan”. It was made by a foreigner who was impressed by how the Japanese earth quake survivors act in a situation like that.

I also was impressed as well, and even more impressed because, those people in Tohoku area are helping others also holding own egos. I think in a situation like that, we show our true selves that might be hidden in a normal situation.

Some financial expert in the United States announced that Japan will become a poor country. It maybe true, but, I think if Japanese people help others with manners and respect as a human being, and indicate a richness of humanity, this is not poor at all; also it’s much better than “overflowing with material but poor in humanity”
Japan has to be changed through this situation. They need so much help materially and emotionally. They can’t live with only self-care, the ego has to be held.
I think Japan can’t recover emotionally without the people there caring for each other on the individual level, and really think that nuclear energy should be given up as a source of electric power, because the nuclear image gives us a fear of what happens if accidents occur, so not only environmental damage, they also give us emotional damage. If Japan takes this disaster as a turning point, and gives up the nuclear plants and at the same time replaces them with clean energy sources, based on a “giving and caring spirit”, it will become a great environment-care-taking-nation, which means the richest country on Earth!

Anyway, the best way to find everything out is by being there.

According to Mr. Hasegawa who has been there, there is no power in the disaster areas yet and no power source such as oil, while the snow and cold weather persist.

And, according to someone else, many of the people can’t even change their clothes, and are desperate to have a pocket body warmer, that’s why I brought a trunk full of body warmers. I didn’t bring my (clothing )changes at all when I heard how they are out there.

At late afternoon, I arrived in Sendai city. I met Hase san ( Mr. Hasegawa)  just came back from a shelter there and was on the way to Tokyo. He told me they may need some futons and washing machines more than small goods, because they all evacuated with empty hands which means they don’t have enough bedding and having very hard time to get to sleep every night, and missing  about 50 of them. How could I get 50 pieces of futon in this city ? How can it be delivered ? I had to think about it.

And, Hase San spent some time with people and finally they told him, that they have some generators, so, if we have some washing machines, it would be great relief because hand washing with cold water is not easy, but it maybe too luxurious. They are very humble to ask to have what they need.

There is a man who lost his house and shop---a consumer electronics shop--- in that shelter, and his estimation with maximum discount price for washing machine is about $3000 Euro which is almost same amount as European Tao Sangha  members donation. People in the shelters total is about 700, so if we buy 10 machines it would be good, and we still have some left over money, which is able to buy some other stuff. So, I discussed with Hase San, and decided to buy 10 washing machines.