The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.108)

When he was 15, Hao Zhe suffered extreme bullying to the extent that we had to lodge a police report and take him to the hospital for a body check-up. Following that, he had to follow up with psychological counselling in the hospital. The school was worried that I would contact the media, but I told them I would not. Instead, I requested for the school to implement some moral education reform. When I was depressed, I remembered these Jing Si Aphorisms : “When things go smoothly, there should be a consideration for the impermanence of all states of being; when things are rough, consider the karmic cause and effect,” “Turn bad affinity into good affinity” and “Forgiving others is to be kind to oneself.” These were my biggest support. I am grateful that brothers and sisters from Tzu Chi were there to accompany Hao Zhe every night. At the same time, they brought Hao Zhe to the recycling centre to volunteer. Although he could not help much, the warm atmosphere at the recycling centre calmed his heart. From selfish love, to selfless love, the world is so, so big! Master once said if we only educate our own children, but other children are not properly educated, our childrenmay still be harmed anytime, like the meat in the tiger’s mouth. I started participating inTzu Chi’s home visits and Happy Schooling Scheme since 2011, hoping to support the children from disadvantaged families and allow them to study peacefully; and more importantly, to inspire them to not only love and help themselves, but also to love and help others. The hope of society is with our children, and the hope of our children is through education. If we could impact 3,000 students in a school, the impact could then be extended to 3,000 families. Later, I transferred Hao Zhe to a special needs school in Putrajaya. There, Hao Zhe seemed a lot happier. He had the opportunity to put on the Boy Scout’s uniformand participate in camping. He also participated in the school’s sports day and received his very first medal. I would also bring Hao Zhe with me whenever I volunteered at Tzu Chi, hoping that I could lead him onto the Bodhisattva Path. In 2011, I was in Taipei, Taiwan, for the Global 4-in-1 Cadre Training Camp.After sharing Hao Zhe’s story, I prostrated and knelt before Master, who then reminded me to “Be grateful for Hao Zhe.” I heeded Master’s advice. Twenty-two years ago when Hao Zhe came into my life, I asked God helplessly: Why me? Today, after 22 years, I am grateful: Why not? Your arrival must have been a good cause. Thank you, child. Because of you, I learnt about contentment, gratitude, understanding and tolerance. Thank you, child. Because of you, I learnt about theSixParamitas,whichare, giving, precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi, and wisdom. Child, I will always love you. Family portrait of Koh Yean Ping during a trip to Bali, Indonesia, in 2015. [Photograph courtesy of Koh Yean Ping] TZU CHI 108 59