The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

2019 • 10 46 Lim Siew Hwa (left) and fellow volunteer Ng Mee Hong (right) worked together to handle the logistics for a Tzu Chi event. eople effort for them to load the long tables, ceramic tableware and bamboo banks onto the truck. Wiping beads of sweat from their forehead, they chorused breathlessly, “Women work as hard as men in Tzu Chi!” before turning to each other with a knowing smile. “I’ve endured hardship and toil. I adapt well to change too. But life is tough,” Siew Hwa confessed. “In Tzu Chi, I’ve learnt that there is strength in unity. Even seemingly difficult tasks could be accomplished when working together as a team.” Letting go Buddhist prayer rituals have long been a part of Siew Hwa’s routine. After joining Tzu Chi, she began diligently attending the Master’s lectures at dawn and group study sessions, besides installing Da Ai TV at home. Engaging with the teachings of the Dharma gradually changed her outlook on life. “After learning about the workings of karma, I came to understand that my experiences in lifeare the result of thekarma I’veaccumulated. Karmic retribution is an inescapable fate, so I started to leave the past behind and let the pain heal with time,” she shared. Occasionally, Siew Hwa would be tempted to skip volunteer training sessions. Whenever she is lured astray by restless thoughts of giving in to idleness, she would consult the book of Jing Si Aphorisms to solve her dilemma. Once, she incidentally landed on the page that contained the aphorism “Problems are inevitable in life. Resolve to set aside the fear of problems in order to accomplish a task. Without fear, no obstacle is too difficult to overcome.” In the end, she decided to attend the lessons, which proved fruitful. Volunteer enrichment courses have now become an indispensable part of her life.