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

TZU CHI 117 55 was saved by a group of passersby. After talking to Amer, we realized that his suicidal tendencies seemed understandable; any teenager experiencing the emotional turmoil he was going through would have been tempted to seek the easy way out. Amer fled to a relatively peaceful country that is supposed to offer refuge from the political turbulence of his homeland, yet his safety remains at stake – he had been attacked by a band of delinquents about ten months ago. He started tearing up as he recalled his encounter with his “enemies” and showed us photos of his swollen face. He also confided to us that the delinquents would chase after him every time they see him! When we met Amer for the first time, his face was shrouded in a mix of bewilderment and frustration; he appeared as if he had completely given up hope. We sat down on a grassy patch in the park under the scorching sun as he asked warily, “Are you here to help me? Or are you only here to make me happy and never come again?” We engaged in conversation for the next two hours, during which Amer recounted his fears of living in a foreign land with no one to turn to, of being bullied, of losing contact with his family and friends in Afghanistan and of slowly losing memories of his loved ones as they fade into a vague blur in his mind. I enveloped him in a loving, lingering embrace and requested his promise to stay strong through this ordeal. “No, I cannot promise that,” he responded. My maternal instinct took over and I hugged him even tighter in return, refusing to let go until he promised me that he would stay strong. “No matter how cold and cruel the world seems to be, you must love yourself and never give up. You deserve all the love in the world!” I reassured him. He reminded me of my own child and I could only imagine the pain he endured. As a mother myself, I empathized with his mother’s predicament. Before parting ways with Amer, we left him copies of Jing Si Aphorisms and shared our insights on some of the Aphorisms in hopes of encouraging and motivating him. I have observed the effectiveness of the Aphorisms in boosting one’s morale; I introduced them to a Somalian family, whose members would gather and share their favourite Aphorisms with each other. The mother even regarded a copy of the Aphorisms as a precious heirloom and wrapped it securely in cloth! Another family treated their copy of the Aphorisms with as much respect as a holy text. Chuen, a young law graduate who had recently joined Tzu Chi, has volunteered with