The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

TZU CHI 115 17 farmer’s hat among the fields, she removed her hat to reveal a familiar face – she was indeed Master Cheng Yen. The Master utilized the funds collected for charity work in Hualien, followed by Taitung. Wu Fa was Tzu Chi’s first care recipient from Taitung. He was blind and lived in a cemetery by the sea. When I visited him with the Master one evening, I was overcome with trepidation as the house was dim inside and it was getting late. When we called out toWu Fa, he responded from inside the house. As we pushed open the door, we had a rude shock at the sight of his mouth stained bright red – perhaps he was feasting on tomatoes at that time. The Master insisted on helping Wu Fa restore his eyesight and even arranged for him to receive medical attention at Shalu. The prospect of regaining his vision filled Wu Fa with hope. Yet, he was informed by the doctor that chronic blindness is irreversible, even with surgery. My tears flowed freely as I was deeply saddened by the thought that Wu Fa would have to live the rest of his life with impaired vision. At the same time, I found solace in the Master’s compassion towards solitary seniors with no one to depend on. Since the damage to Wu Fa’s eyesight was beyond repair, the least Tzu Chi could do was to improve his quality of life. Tzu Chi was financially deprived, but remained adamant about raising funds for Wu Fa, who was not only Tzu Chi’s first charity care recipient in Taitung, but also a medical care recipient. This experience reflected the Master’s conscientiousness in conducting charity work. Giving our best In my early days with Tzu Chi over 40 years ago, I was inexperienced in assessing the eligibility of care recipients. Hence, I would write to the Master, describing the circumstances of prospective care recipients. Upon receiving the letters, the Master would arrive in Taitung and lead us in home visits. The Master guided us in evaluating the eligibility of potential care recipients, highlighting the factors to take note of. We dutifully prepared reports after each home visit and presented them to the headquarters in Hualien for approval. We gradually managed to grasp the ins and outs of care recipient selection and the framework of aid provision. The Master is indeed an admirable inspiration in our journey with Tzu Chi. Her indomitable spirit in overseeing Tzu Chi’s operations despite her frail health spurred us on to commit wholeheartedly to our work. Many were curious as to how Tian- ding and I persevered in our volunteer work with Tzu Chi amidst our heavy workload as educators. The answer was simple: We persevered because we were working for a meaningful cause we believed in. After completing the home visits, Tian- ding would customarily treat his fellow commissioners to a meal, often at a restaurant. On most occasions, he preferred taking a break under a tree, by the beach or in a resting hut to share a meal. One day, the rain poured as the commissioners were conducting their home visits. Everyone was anxious to return home for the day, but Tian-ding stood his ground and asserted, “No, not even in a rainstorm.” He exemplified the trademark traits of an educator: he was meticulous in caring for the care recipients and was not afraid of asking questions. He would also painstakingly Fifty Years of Tzu Chi in Taitung