The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.109)

2019 • 04 28 pecial Feature was very far away, as he was concerned about the villagers needing to wait for a long time for the volunteers’ arrival. Thankfully, a kind villager gave him a lift mid-way. Without preaching, Teacher Su disseminated to us the spirit of Great Compassion and altruism. In fact, each volunteer gave selflessly and demonstrated his/her dedication that went beyond what a person could do. Acloser look at the villagers’ lives Things moved very fast throughout the course of the mission, and we had to cope with constant changes. For example, on the day we were supposed to go for home visits, we were informed that the village chief could not make it. However, due to the strong vow from the team, it was finally arranged.We visited a vast farmland with ripe mung beans ready for harvest, and learnt from the happy farmers that the yields from the mung bean seeds given by Tzu Chi were several times higher than that from the lower quality seeds they used to plant. We also visited an elderly woman, who was left with a daughter after losing her other children. She had to live alone after her daughter started working in the city. Like many houses in the village, her house was without proper walls, but we were relieved to hear that a relative had sent a young daughter to stay with her. Despite living in poverty, the villagers would keep an eye out for one another, and that was truly heart-warming. We also visited a very simple school nearby. The sun was blazing and the very basic “school” without walls seemed almost impossible for us to study in, yet the 14-year-old students were so attentive to their young teachers, totally unaffected by the heat. The younger children were considered lucky to study in a brick building without fans as the area has no electricity supply. The students’ endurance and passion for learning left us to reflect upon our lives – have we forgotten to cherish the comfort we enjoy and become less motivated in life? Arriving at the village chief’s home as the point of gathering, we were warmly greeted by the villagers. Their sincere reception moved us deeply. A villager even followed us on his motorbike when we left the village in single-cabin trucks. He also asked us to stop for a drink, which we turned down politely. But that did not stop him. He quickly bought a few cans of coffee when we stopped to wait for the connecting bus. The local volunteers later managed to ask him to join Tzu Chi, to which he responded with a “Yes!” without hesitation. Touching each other’s lives Deep inside, I believe the warm reception we received was due to Master’s wisdom and compassion, and the selfless efforts of volunteers, both local and overseas, which touched the hearts of the local people. While we were there extending our love and care to the local people, they inspired us with their simplicity and kindness. Due to the challenging road conditions, there were times we needed to change vehicles to reach the venue. Because of that, coupled with some unforeseen circumstances, we were late in arriving at the venues for certain sessions. Nonetheless, the farmers displayed their best smiles; some even came forward to help us with the set-up. Perhaps, from our “dusty” and concerned looks, they had guessed what we had endured to get there. The first round of rice seed distributions over the period of five days passed us by in the blink of an eye. It was tough for us to bid goodbye to the warm local people and fellow international volunteers. Yet, we knew that so long as we are in Tzu Chi, we will always be together, serving humanity with One Heart and One Direction, and upholding our conviction to emulate the Buddha’s Heart and take on Master’s Mission!