The world of Tzu Chi Nov-Dec 2021 (Vol.138)

TZU CHI 138 41 Lim Whey added. “Many people said that I have changed a lot since I joined Tzu Chi. Whenever I am on the brink of throwing a tantrum, I will remind myself that Tzu Chi is an organization that aims to cultivate our minds, so I will manage my emotions and handle conflicts sensibly,” Kon Loy said. Happiness is a journey Since the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, most Tzu Chi activities have been held online. This posed a challenge for the couple as they had to learn how to use their phones to join online spiritual cultivation sessions. “This is the first time I learnt how to use a phone properly. With just a touch on the screen, we can watchMaster ChengYen’s Dharma talks and attend book clubs with other volunteers,” said Kon Loy, adding that the best thing he has learnt during this pandemic is how to video call his great-grandson who lives in China. Wisdom comes with age, and the much- mellowed Kon Loy has gained a lot from Tzu Chi training sessions. Being humble and adopting a positive outlook keeps him happy. “I feel very blessed and accomplished. I may look old, but I am young at heart, I feel like I am a young person keeping up with the times. If we put our 50 years into the ‘Treasury of Age’ 2 , we are, in fact, only in our 20s. Since we are so young, we should be more involved in Tzu Chi,” Kon Loy said. In 2018, he escaped death in a car accident, and he saw this as a life reminder. “I was driving one day and suddenly a taxi crashed into me. My lorry flew across a ditch and landed on the opposite side of the road. I was lucky I got away with minor injuries. That led me to think that my life was spared because I did many good deeds in Tzu Chi, so I vowed to do more to accumulate more blessings,” Kon Loy recalled the terrifying moment. Looking back at their journey with Tzu Chi, the couple sees themselves as pieces of a big puzzle that complete each other. Kon Loy jokingly said that Lim Whey is a firewoman who would always ‘extinguish’ his distracting thoughts while Lim Whey sees Kon Loy as her best chauffeur who keeps her on the Tzu Chi Bodhisattva path. “For us, the path of Tzu Chi is a path of no return! We will continue to be involved in Tzu Chi until our last breath,” the couple said emphatically. When they engage as a couple in the activities, they are driven by one common direction and interest. Undeniably, their charitable involvement has developed them as more wholesome individuals. 1 After the establishment of Tzu Chi Junior College of Nursing in 1989, Master Cheng Yen appointed several female volunteers to form the “Yi-Te Association”, which aimed to reinforce moral values among the students. In 1999, the college was established as the Tzu Chi College of Technology, and subsequently opened its doors to male students. Hence, male volunteers were recruited, paving the formation of the “Tzu-Cheng and Yi-Te Association”. Volunteers involved in the Association are fondly called “Tzu Chi Mums and Dads”. 2 Master Cheng Yen encourages older volunteers to extract 50 years of age and put it into the “Treasury of Age”, and the remaining age will be their mental age. Older volunteers are encouraged to be young at heart and to continue to do good by giving back to society, and in the process, gain wisdom and expand their horizons.