The homeless/ Charles Chuang

The homeless/ Charles Chuang Every morning I passed by Honolulu Zoo, several sheet wrapped bodies lying under a small bus pavilion. They were the homeless at Waikiki Beach. The U.S. is so rich and yet, there are still starving poor. The nation and society attempt exhaustively to resolve the issue and yet, without very much success. The homeless cannot find time to pray and beg the almighty for help; they cannot burn the insane to seek any help from the Buddha, how can they hold the Buddha’s feet when they are in desperation? I also ran into many homeless people at Chinatown at downtown Honolulu. One morning before daybreak, a young father with a little kid girl asked and asked for a pardon, I encouraged him. He asked where was the soup kitchen hanging out free breakfast for the homeless. I swallowed my chilly breath and pointed at a right direction. I had seen an open ground nearby the tennis courts where the soup kitchen was. While on his way out of his city kingdom, Prince Siddhartha ran into the starving and sickness. He had had an insight and decided to give up his kingdom and became a monk to discipline himself. He encourage the donation to help the poor, in Buddhism called, Bodhisattva wheel or way. This is very much difference from the final step to help all live to sail to the eternity free of transmigration. This idea is too far away from helping the homeless, we cannot wait that long. It must be done by the help of a nation, a society and a family. A nation must increase tax revenue, of course the national budget must have a priority, F-35 fighter jet or the food stamps; a society must consult with the church and temple; there is a consciousness within a family, we should not let anyone in the family behind. I can only notice that the phenomenon of the homeless. I can judge the politician’s attitude, measure the desire of the religious leaders, and also my own decision. I must appreciate that my parents give me an able body to make this trip of the human life.