The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

TZU CHI 115 19 Five generations with Tzu Chi Narrated by Wang Shou-rong Written by Huang Hsiu-hua Photographs by Yan Lin-zhao Translated by Elizabeth Hsinyin Lee with modifications by Choo Suet Fun W hen I was little, my mother, HuangYu-nu, frequently recountedherfirst acquaintance with Master Cheng Yen at a Buddhist society in Taitung in 1961. Back then, the Master went by the name “Jing Si” and had yet to shave her head. My mother had never expected that a decade later, the Jing Si whom she knew had become the founder of Tzu Chi. The course of our karmic affinities is indeed inconceivable. My family has maintained close ties with Tzu Chi over five generations, from my grandmother Wang Mian to my grandchildren. We count ourselves fortunate. This is a result of the positive karma we have accumulated over several lifetimes. In 1973, Typhoon Nora wreaked havoc across Yuli in Hualien and Dawu in Taitung. Master Cheng Yen urged Tzu Chi volunteers to give their all to the disaster relief efforts. As a Tzu Chi volunteer, my father, Wang Tian-ding, helped to prepare the rosters of aid recipients. He was aware that Tzu Chi’s funds were hard- earned through mostly small donations, so he suggested extending financial aid to only about