Rescue Work At The Sampoong Department Store Disaster In Seoul
By the Seoul Center, Korea (Originally in Korean and Chinese)
It was the last Thursday in June, and everyone was looking forward to an enjoyable weekend when terrible news about a disaster arrived from Seoul -- the Sampoong Department Store had collapsed! Thousands were injured or killed. While the fellow practitioners in Seoul were still discussing how to render help, Master called on the telephone directing them to launch relief actions immediately. The most important item on the agenda was providing timely spiritual comfort and help to the victims, who had suffered enormous trauma, especially those who had been severely injured, and whose families had lost their vital support. Master ordered that as much financial help as possible should be given to them, and grateful to Her for the proper guidance, fellow practitioners started their relief work in high spirits.
A banner bearing Master's name was erected at the scene of the disaster to indicate our service area. Thousands of rescue workers, police, and military personnel worked persistently on the rescue day and night. Observing that they were extremely hungry and exhausted, fellow practitioners quickly prepared sushi meal boxes, and delivered them to the scene each morning and evening for several days. The Police Special Task Force and the 119 Rescue Team were most grateful to the fellow practitioners for their sincere service. They were also thankful for the practical and prompt assistance rendered by the Suma Ching Hai International Association. In return, they promised to help our group promptly should we need assistance in the future. Of course, the efficient performance was a result of Master's arrangement.
Fellow practitioners visited some twenty hospitals in Seoul, extending comfort to over three hundred injured victims. They also conveyed Master's deepest consolation, and presented flowers, cash, and nutritious food to each of them. Using the relief fund sent by Suma, fellow practitioners gave cash to the more seriously injured patients or to those with financial problems. According to the degree of their injury, each received 100,000 to 500,000 Korean dollars. They also hired nurses' aids to look after patients whose relatives could not attend to them. Fellow practitioners even took turns caring for patients who had no designated nurses' aids. As a result, several critically injured patients recovered very quickly, which amazed the people around them. All fellow practitioners understood that it was Master's tremendous love that had healed their bodily and mental traumas in such a short time!
Many incredible incidents occurred during the rescue operation, which made the fellow practitioners deeply appreciative of Master's love and almighty power. Upon receiving an encouraging message by Her, they were again touched by Her boundless love. Here are some touching stories gathered while visiting the victims.
One person was so grateful to Master for Her love and the relief money, that he called the local center to express his appreciation. Another patient expressed his longing to receive materials about Master. Seeing Master's photo, his relatives were deeply impressed by Her magnificence and majesty.
The only Chinese person among the dead was the Director of the Overseas Chinese Society in Seoul. At the onset of the disaster, without regard for his own safety, he anxiously warned his colleagues in the restaurant to flee. Consequently, he could not escape in time and was killed. The Korean news media covered this touching story of self-sacrifice for the sake of saving others. Hearing the news, we immediately presented flowers and condolences to his family.
A female victim could not open her eyes because they were swollen with congested blood. Observing her agony, the fellow practitioners could not help shedding tears of deep sympathy. Standing nearby was her senile old mother, who was totally helpless under such a heavy blow. When they received Master's spiritual consolation, wordless gratitude was shown on their faces.
In the hospital, an infant only a few months old was lying in bed with a fractured lower leg, and was the youngest of the casualties. The infant's elder brother and mother were also injured, but to a less serious extent. On the bed sat a consolation flower basket from the fellow practitioners. Suma Ching Hai's loving spirit thus shined and blessed both the mother and her children. Fellow practitioners sincerely wished that they would soon recover both in body and mind.
One of the casualties was a student of a fellow initiate. When the department store collapsed, he was completely covered by rubble, and fell unconscious. He recalled that as he was being buried, his body seemed to be flying. After some time, he regained consciousness and saw a beam of light. Slowly he crawled in the direction of the light, which eventually led him to the way out. He made it to the exit, and was discovered and rescued. However, those buried with him were all dead. He said that he had read Master's sample booklet before the disaster, and that as he was being buried, he clearly felt a power protecting him, and helping him to survive. This was a great blessing to him in the face of this incredibly unfortunate disaster!
Photo by: The Washington Times
By the Virginia Relief Team, Virginia, U.S.A.
When we received Master's instructions to help relieve the Virginia flood victims, it happened to be a few days before the U.S.A.'s national holiday, the 4th of July. The whole country was already in a festive mood. Following Master's instructions, disciples from several states on the East coast promptly organized rescue teams to start the relief work. People who arrived there first were divided into two teams. When they went to inspect the afflicted areas, they learned that the heavy rain, which had lasted for a whole week, had caused severe damage to the middle and western parts of Virginia. All of the area's large and small rivers were flooded. Torrents of water had rushed down the mountains and destroyed many houses, farms, and roads. Several people were injured or killed and the damage amounted to several million U.S. dollars.
The most severely flooded areas were Madison and Rockbridge Counties. Learning that disaster relief centers had already been set up by the government, we quickly contacted the coordinator of the centers, explained our purpose, and conveyed Master's concerns about the flood. We also inquired about the state of the disaster and what kind of manpower or material aid was most needed. The coordinator was very grateful for our concern, briefed us on the flood situation, and informed us about the most needed materials, cleaning tools, and the like.
At the Madison County disaster relief center, charitable organizations such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army had already sent in needed clothing and personal cleaning materials. But in Rockbridge, there was only one relief center, which had just been set up by the Red Cross. It was short of many necessary materials. Very early the next morning, fellow initiates immediately purchased cleaning supplies. Also after visiting victims and considering the views of relief center coordinators, they found that the most needed materials were indeed cleaning supplies. For the benefit of the flooded areas, we tried to purchase everything locally as much as possible. We all understood Master's usual way of doing things: when others are hungry, She feels hungry too; when others are sinking in the water, She suffers as if She is sinking too. We all hoped that the victims' suffering would immediately be eased.
Thanks to Master's subtle arrangement, a cleaning supply company was holding a half price promotion sale at the time of the flooding. In addition to offering lower prices than regular wholesalers, customers who bought one item got one free. The company also made free deliveries to the Virginia Meditation Center for distribution. Aware that we were helping out in the flooded areas, some companies also tried to accommodate our time schedule. Usually in the U.S., when large orders are placed, delivery is seldom made on the same day. But with Master's incredible power, the impossible became possible. Fellow initiates made use of the July 4th holiday to gather and put Master's picture and name on all the cleaning gloves, wanting to provide an opportunity for the victims to get a glimpse of a living Master so as to obtain blessing from adversity. Accompanied by Master's Buddha chanting tape, a dozen disciples completed the job unwittingly. Shovels and detergents were also delivered to the Virginia Center, and were distributed as soon as some family was found to be in need of them.
The relief workers visited a few seriously afflicted families, giving them relief items and Master's love. In their door-to-door visits, they gave solace and relief materials, and at the same time, provided Master's materials for the spirit, such as sample booklets and News magazines. The victims were grateful and interested in Master's booklets. Fellow initiates tried their best to deliver the relief directly to the victims and the remaining items were given to the Red Cross and other relief and charitable organizations. Thanks to Master, we had this opportunity to learn and share our love. We deeply experienced the dictum: "To help others is the primary source of happiness."
<< Relief Work Anecdotes >>
A Bad Thing May Not Be All Bad
Because of the flood in Virginia, many people in that region got a chance to know Master. The areas most affected by the flood were the middle and western parts of the state. Being in the countryside, they were far from metropolitan areas, which took hours to reach by car. Since the flooded places were quite a distance from the Virginia Center, it would never have occured to the disciples in Virginia to go into that hilly countryside if no disaster had occurred there. Because of the landslides caused by the heavy rains, disciples communicated Master's love to this thinly populated area so that the victims got their share of Her great love. Besides distributing cleaning supplies, fellow initiates also gave Master's sample booklets and News magazines to the victims.
After distributing the supplies, on our way back, we saw the victims enthusiastically reading Master's books with full attention. We were really happy for them because they had obtained blessings through this disaster. After reading Master's sample booklet, an elderly woman told us that its contents were truly enlightening. We hoped that Master's love and blessings would give her enlightenment as soon as possible. We also hoped that the spiritual seeds that Master had sown among the victims would grow quickly.
Blessings From God
As we visited the families in the disaster areas, the first words we said were always "God bless you," because our great Master had already bestowed God's blessing on the hearts of each victim. People always asked us what kind of organization we were; how we were different than the Red Cross. We told them that in terms of material aid, we were not different. Nevertheless, what we offer is not limited to material items alone. More importantly, it is spiritual aid that we offer.
When we worked jointly with other relief organizations, we also encouraged each other. Members of these groups were happy to receive and read about Master's teachings. Their goodwill and wholehearted devotion to the relief work also moved us.
Concern For The Flood
Nepal, a Kingdom in the Himalayas, was recently hit by destructive mountain currents and landslides caused by heavy rainfall. The currents flushed away many houses in the country. There were many casualties, and those who were missing had little hope of being rescued. The situation was most serious in the southern province of Khotang.
As the news of the disaster broke, Suma Ching Hai immediately instructed the headquarters' staff of the Suma Ching Hai International Association to send a consolation telegram to the royal government of Nepal. The Association wished to know more about the development of the disaster, and probed for possible channels to provide relief. Upon contacting the Foreign Ministry of Nepal, the responsible official, Mr. J. B. Singh, told us that information about the disaster was available from the Nepal Social Welfare Council. The Council provided us with detailed and accurate information on the number of victims, materials urgently required in the affected area, and other factors, which helped us to gain a better picture of the disaster.
While communicating with the Welfare Council, according to its representative, the Suma Ching Hai International Association was the first international organization to have provided aid for the disaster, for which they were very grateful. Suma Ching Hai instructed that a remittance of US$5,000 be sent as a badly needed relief fund for purchasing materials for the victims. She also conveyed Her condolences in writing to the King of Nepal, extending Her deepest sympathy and blessings.
Condolences and Concern
Knowing that an earthquake had struck Aegion Greece, causing the deaths of over ten persons and injuries to more than a hundred, and that dozens more were missing, Suma Ching Hai immediately instructed the Headquarters Center in Hsihu to urgently contact the relevant international organizations, to find out whether manpower support was required. The news received was that the Red Cross in Greece had already despatched relief teams to manage the disaster area, and to distribute necessary items to the victims. To offer timely and warm concern to the disaster victims, Suma Ching Hai promptly directed a donation of US$5,000 to be used as a relief fund.
An amount of 36,000,000 Au Lac dong was donated by Suma Ching Hai of Formosa.
As instructed by Suma Ching Hai, an amount of US$40,000 was contributed by the Suma Ching Hai International Association; US$4,084 was contributed by Korean fellow initiates.
Canadian Letter
Note: A copy of this letter was also sent to Mr. Ronald J.L.Berlet, the Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei.
Note: A copy of this letter was also sent to Mr. B Lynn Pascoe, Director General of the American Institute in Taipei, Formosa.
Details Of Expenditures Of The Sampoong Department Store Disaster Relief, Seoul, Korea
Description Amount in Korean Won
Purchase of tents, blankets, clothing, food and other daily necessities 7,096,120
Money given to the injured victims 15,600,000
Money given to the families of the deceased victims 10,000,000
Total amount: 32,696,120 (US$44,084)
Breakdown Of Expenditures To Aid The Virginia Flood Victims, U.S.A.
Description Credit(US$) Debit(US$) Remark
Donations from the Boston, New York
& Pennsylvania Centers 4,251.88
Donation from Hsihu Center, Formosa 5,000.00
Purchase of shovels from INDUSCO Company 2,136.81 Appendix A
Purchase of detergent from National Pro. Corp. 3,228.00 Appendix B
Purchase of gloves from TransAmerican Ports Co. 728.00 Appendix C
Purchase of blooms, mops, sponges, buckets and other cleaning supplies from supermarkets 3,159.07 Appendix D
Total: 9,251.88 9,251.88
Suma Ching Hai's Donations And
Disaster Relief Activities In Various Countries
(From March to July, 1995)
Description Credit Debit Balance Demarks
Donation from Suma Ching Hai 414,199.88
Donation from Suma Ching Hai International Association 44,084.00
USA
Donation to the American Veterans' Association,
VA Medical Center, Loma Linda / JCHV 100,000.00
Donation to the American veteran's Association, VA Medical Center, West Los Angeles 100,000.00
Donation to the Gay Men's Health Crisis, New York 5,000.00
Donation to the Coalition for the Homeless, New York 5,000.00
Donation to aid explosion disaster victims, Oklahoma City 5,000.00 Appendix 1
Donation to aid flood disaster victims, Virginia 9,251.88
Chechnya
Donation to the UNHCR Fund Raising Division in
Switzerland to aid the refugees in Chechnya 100,000.00
Cambodia
Donation to build a school 10,000.00
The Philippines
Donation to “The Organization of God's Love for
International Children”, United Christian Church, Philippines 10,000.00
England
Donation to Fashion Acts Ltd., to help people
affected by HIV/AIDS 5,000.00
Bangladesh
Donation to aid flood disaster victims 20,000.00 Appendix 2
Formosa
Donations to destitute families in Formosa 7,620.00
Subsidiary fees for road construction
at the entrance of Hsihu Village 17,328.00 Appendix 3
Russia
Donation to aid earthquake disaster victims, Sakhalin Island 10,000.00 Appendix 4
Greece
Donation to the Hellenic Red Cross to aid
earthquake disaster victims, Greece 5,000.00 Appendix 5
Nepal
Donation to aid flood disaster victims 5,000.00
Korea
Donation to aid victims of the Sampoong Department Store
disaster, Seoul 44,084.00
Total US$458,283.88 US$458,283.88 0
THANK LEETTER
Letter of Appreciation
Chinh-Nghia Private Chinese School in Long Minh Village, Xuan Loc county, Dong Nai state, Au Lac, has received Au Lac Dong $36,000,000 kindly donated by Suma Ching Hai for two classrooms. Suma Ching Hai is asked to be the Highest Honorary Adviser of the school.
THANK LETTER
An Appreciation Letter From Cho Soon, Major Of Seoul, Korea
(Originally in Korean)
How are you? I'd like to express my deep thanks for your warm love that you extended to those who lost their beloved family members, and to whose who were injured by the sudden collapse of the Sampoong Department Store. We all felt at a loss and hurt but have been encouraged by the help of many people in Korea and from abroad. We will make every effort to comfort the victims' souls, to lessen the pain of the injured, and of the people who lost their beloved family members. Also we will do our best to restore the collapsed building, ensuring comprehensive measures for safety in order to prevent any possible disaster in the future. Your kind help and love will be of great hope and courage to the people at a loss from this accident. I would like to express my deep thanks to you again.
Cho Soon
July 7, 1995