Written by Wendy Tsai, Siang Ying Goh
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Andrew Larracuente
Tzu Chi has been cooperating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for many years in the U.S. FEMA officials in Washington, D.C., visited Tzu Chi Greater Washington D.C. for the first time in 2023, hoping to work together to help more people in the future. On March 26, 2024, Tzu Chi volunteers from Greater Washington D.C., through the liaison of Debra Bourdeaux, CEO of Tzu Chi USA Headquarters, were invited to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction classes for federal employees who often work in high-pressure environments, helping them relieve their stress, manage their emotions more effectively, and maintain a calm and positive work attitude in challenging environments by sharing the power of Tzu Chi’s Four Treasures of Health and the power of Jing Si Tea Zen’s mindfulness.
Jing Si Tea to Calm the Mind
Together on the day, Tzu Chi USA Headquarters CEO Debra Bourdeaux, Tzu Chi Greater Washington D.C. Executive Director Hank Chi, and Tzu Chi volunteer Diana Kwok went to the office. Marcus Coleman, FEMA Director for the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Tzu Chi’s partners, who are regular contacts with Tzu Chi volunteers, greeted them.
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class was held in the quiet FEMA mindfulness room. First, Tzu Chi volunteer Diana Kwok led a Jing Si Tean Zen session, guiding the group to close their eyes and meditate. Afterward, the group shared the Jing Si tea and experienced the tea’s aroma and the humanity of Tzu Chi in a quiet environment.
Debra Bourdeaux, CEO of Tzu Chi USA Headquarters, shared that during a busy life, when one’s mind wanders, and one cannot focus, one can give oneself five minutes every day to meditate and regain one’s center.
Debra Bourdeaux also explained the power of Tzu Chi’s blessed red packets. When Tzu Chi volunteers provided disaster relief on Maui, Hawaii, the second largest island in the U.S., which had been ravaged by wildfires, the first thing that the survivors did was not to open the cash cards that they received but to read the blessings and Jing Si aphorism on the blessed red packets of Tzu Chi. The red packets, symbolizing the goodness of the seeds of precepts, determination, and wisdom, give the survivors a positive energy of calmness and optimism.
Looking Forward to Future Disaster Relief Cooperation
These FEMA partners often work in high-pressure environments in emergency response. Mindfulness helps them reduce stress, enabling responders to manage their emotions more effectively and maintain a calm, positive attitude in challenging situations.
Marcus Coleman, FEMA Director for the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, thanked the Tzu Chi volunteers for coming. Tzu Chi has a longstanding relationship with FEMA and the White House Administration. He was grateful for Tzu Chi’s leadership of the relief efforts in the affected areas and its continued and tireless focus on environmental protection during the post-disaster rebuilding phase, helping all think about the relationship between humanity and the Earth’s climate.
I look forward that in the future, we can continue to work together not only on disaster relief but also continue to find opportunities to learn from and interact with each other.
Incredible Connection
Tzu Chi Greater Washington D.C. Region Executive Director Hank Chi said that the class was a success, and the feedback from FEMA was quite positive: “I hope that we can go back and share with more federal employees how to use the teachings of the Master’s to relieve their daily stress.”
Hank Chi introduced that FEMA’s invitation to Tzu Chi Greater Washington D.C. volunteers to share the MBSR class began with an unbelievable connection. “Last year, officials in contact with the Tzu Chi volunteers visited the Tzu Chi Greater Washington D.C. and were left with a favorable impression. Because of the stressful nature of their work and life, this year, they were invited by Tzu Chi USA Headquarters CEO Debra Bourdeaux to give an MBSR class. We prepared an hour-long lesson under the Master’s teachings, including the Four Treasures of Health, Jing Si Tea Zen, and sharing the power of mindfulness.”
Live in the Moment and Reduce Stress With Mindfulness
In our busy lives, people’s minds are constantly on the go, their attention wandering, and their thoughts are often caught up in the past or future, unable to focus on one thing. When stress and negative experiences arise, they will unknowingly kidnap their emotions. Therefore, mindfulness stress reduction has become the mainstream, healthy way to reduce stress. Medical experiments have proved that stress relief can reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system, a form of physical and mental health care that can be carried out all the time.
Master Cheng Yen taught the Four Treasures of Health: sleep at ease, dine with joy, laugh happily, and do healthily, guiding Tzu Chi volunteers to reduce stress with mindfulness. According to Greater Washington D.C. Executive Director Hank Chi, the power of Tzu Chi’s mindfulness is to grasp the moment, be aware of one’s thoughts and actions from time to time, and return to the core values of gratitude, respect, and love. In addition to teaching people to do sign language and sit in meditation, there are many different ways to help people maintain mindfulness and relieve stress in their lives.
People often regret the past, worry about the future, and do not live in the present. Through this MBSR class, people are reminded that mindfulness is not just about sitting still and meditating; it can be done anywhere, anytime, whether it’s doing chores, going for a walk, or having a cup of tea. Just by taking a few minutes and focusing on one’s breath, one can have the chance to connect with the world and cultivate a sense of presence and gratitude.
