The world of Tzu Chi October 2020 (Vol.127)

TZU CHI 127 47 hand in times of need. “Whenever my husband’s crutch needed repairing, I’d ring her and she would get it repaired. That’s a great help to me,” gushed Santhyee. Gratitude is not mere lip service. In 2013, Tzu Chi volunteers in Malaysia initiated the “Million Bodhisattvas” drive to rope in more people for good causes. The couple resonated with the philosophy of “a little kindness goes a long way” and recruited some 20 Indian donors. In September 2014, when the volunteers visited an Indian community near Subarminium’s to advocate recycling and amass kindness, he happily shared his story to introduce Tzu Chi so that more Indian friends would come to know and join the organization he so loved. Despite his impaired vision, Subarminium longed to be a volunteer, but it was not possible due to his health condition. Santhyee on the other hand, never forgets to tell her son to reciprocate the kindness of Tzu Chi when he grows up. She quipped, “I don’t know how long I can live, but I always teach my son to do good. Whether he is rich or poor in the future, I hope he remembers how much Tzu Chi has helped us and remembers to repay Tzu Chi’s kindness.” Tzu Chi volunteers have become like treasured family members to the couple. Subarminium has even requested the volunteers to take care of his funeral arrangements and make it a simple and quiet one for him. In the forgotten corners of society where the lonely and vulnerable dwell, one finds the enduring footprints of selfless volunteers reaching out with a love constant through all the seasons of life. Subarminium learnt to use his crutch to navigate the stairs, differentiate blind brick tiles and avoid obstacles.