The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

2019 • 12 28 pecial Feature determination to travel to Taiwan for the certification ceremony was so intense that she planned for her absence from work a year in advance, enabling her to request for eight days of leave to make the trip happen. Before leaving Hualien, a senior volunteer presented Jia Wei with a cluster of rice dumplings which she instantly understood as an analogy for the forces that drive Tzu Chi’s work. The dumplings allude to the tight-knit community of Tzu Chi volunteers, whose hearts are bound together by the Jing Si Dharma Lineage, represented by the strings holding the dumplings in place, ending in a knot that symbolizes the spiritual core of the Tzu Chi Path that unites the volunteers. The leaves encasing the dumplings are only supple enough to be used as wrappers after being thoroughly cleaned and soaked in boiling water – a metaphor for the volunteers, who develop a resilient spirit after weathering various challenges in their line of work, shaping them into more competent volunteers with a greater capacity for forbearance and tolerance. Jia Wei cherishes the gift of rice dumplings as a reminder to defend the Jing Si Dharma Lineage by serving diligently. A promise to the Master Kim Yean admitted that he had never envisioned himself becoming a certified Tzu Chi commissioner during his time with Tzu Ching. Rather than committing to the volunteer training regime mandatory for prospective Tzu Chi commissioners, he was content with volunteering on a casual basis and listening to the occasional lecture by Master Cheng Yen on the teachings of the Dharma. After graduating from university, work obligations occupied most of his time, yet he maintained ties with Tzu Chi through his involvement in small- scale activities on weekends. However, Kim Yean changed his mind after attending a Tzu Ching camp in Taiwan two years ago, motivating him to rally as many Tzu Ching alumni as possible to participate in volunteer training sessions and embark on the journey to becoming a Tzu Chi commissioner. After much dedication, he was finally granted the opportunity to meet the Master up close during the certification ceremony. He admired the Master’s insistence on personally awarding the certification to each and every newly- qualified commissioner despite her frail health. “We often aspire to share Master Cheng Yen’s burden, but I have gained deeper insights into Tzu Chi’s missions throughout my progress from a novice volunteer to a certified Tzu Chi commissioner, making me realize that such a pledge is easier said than done. Nevertheless, I’ll persist against all odds in walking the Bodhisattva Path with a heart as benevolent as the Buddha’s and a conviction as steadfast as the Master’s,” Kim Yean affirmed. He also The Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association (also known as Tzu Ching) was founded in Taiwan in 1992 as an avenue for tertiary students to cultivate compassion and wisdom as well as build character, encouraging the involvement of youths in voluntary community service at university campuses worldwide.