Energy (2007)

"What can each of us, as an ordinary human being, do for others, for society?

 

Religion for the people, religion in the 21st century, must be an inexhaustible source of such awareness and the energy to carry it out.

 

                             Daisaku Ikeda"

 

this is the slogan on the wall of our sgi centre in sydney.

 

since i arrived in sydney in 2000, every thursday i went to the centre to do volunteer cleaning.  i vacuumed all floor areas, incl carpet and floor tiles,  mopped the floor, cleaned the kitchen, bench tops, tables, chairs, glass doors and partitions, and sometimes the toilet.  there is a total of about 250 sm of space to cover.

 

growing up in hongkong, where almost all working women hire maids to do their housework and cooking, i found it really really very hard to do the above.  not only did i not know how to do it properly, i also had no energy at all because my health condition was not good.

 

i practically had to stop, pant, rest, drink or eat every fifteen minutes to regain energy, and i took more than three hours to finish the work.  here, i have to state that no one, nobody, asked me to do anything at all, it is completely out of my own free will to contribute my time (which i had had plenty)  and effort to help.

 

 while having lunch, i always looked at the motto and thought: how i wish i have this inexhaustible source of energy to do what i want to do.

 

now in 2007, without my noticing, i do have a lot of energy .  not only can i finish my work in 1 1/2 hrs, half of the original time, everybody in the centre says that i have done a beautiful job and the centre looks sparkling.  at one time, a visitor even asked if i am a professional cleaner  .  at the end of the day, i always feel very very good, that i am able to contribute, and my health is getting better and better.

 

furthermore, to me, to be able to do this work regularly is a real blessing indeed, because i need the time, energy,  good spirit....

 

cheers

 

lydia