The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.110)

TZU CHI 110 41 regained consciousness and Gunasunderi could finally lay down her burden. Gratitude towards the staff of the Intensive Care Unit replaced her initial bitterness. Gunasunderi could smile again. Transforming suffering into merit Little did the volunteers expect that under their influence, Gunasunderi was fast becoming a willing helper herself. On her own initiative, she had started taking care of an elderly neighbour who had fallen down and became immobile. Despite the old lady’s eccentricities, Gunasunderi agreed to help with her daily chores until she got better. Now, whenever the volunteers visit Gunasunderi, they will drop by with her to visit the old lady. At home, Gunasunderi also does her part in protecting the environment.When she has gathered sufficient recyclables, the volunteers would collect them from her house. More importantly, Gunasunderi is committed to cleansing her mind, the inner environment. She had wanted to move out of the house after some conflicts with her sister- in-law but on volunteers’ advice, she decided to work on mending the relationship. Over time, Gunasunderi and the Tzu Chi volunteers have become like a family. She calls them whenever she encounters any difficulty and they chat like old friends. This unlikely friendship began when the volunteers helped Gunasunderi with her application for government aid after experiencing repeated rejections. Thereafter, Seh Kit Chien, a volunteer, would buy soy milk and traditional Indian delicacies from the night market for Gunasunderi’s family. A photographer by profession, Kit Chien often gave Gunasunderi the pictures she took of the latter and her family. To her, the relationship is not just a linear case of one party giving and the other receiving. They have grown together and supported one another through the years. Seeing the suffering of the care recipients has also helped Kit Chien transform her mind. “Everyone has Buddha-nature, even if he or she is financially-challenged or has strong negative habitual tendencies. The bamboo bank is the key to this Buddha-nature,” said Yean Ping. From Gunasunderi’s perseverance in donating to the bamboo bank, Yean Ping saw that all sentient beings are essentially equal. Even those in a weaker position will always have the opportunity to give. In giving, one’s bad habits are chipped away slowly but surely. Being a Tzu Chi care recipient does not stop Gunasunderi from doing good. On the contrary, she is now an active community case reporter in the neighbourhood, informing Tzu Chi of anyone who might need extra help. Gunasunderi’s life now reads like a page from the Bodhisattva’s stories – from supporting the bamboo bank to recycling to actively caring for her neighbours, her actions give form to the noble wish in her heart – to become a Tzu Chi volunteer one day. Gunasunderi (front row, far right), Seh Kit Chien (far left) and Koh Yean Ping (back row, far right) with other Tzu Chi volunteers.