The world of Tzu Chi May-June 2022 (Vol.141)

2022 • 06 36 eople By Sia Ah Tong Translated by Woon Xiao Rui Photo by Lai Sui Chin During his 57 years of life, he was kind and formed good karmic affinities with others. For his family, he gave himself entirely to be his wife’s Dharma companion and children’s mentor in life. Although he is gone, his selfless devotion remains an example for all. Truly Bodhisattva Walking the Path O n January 5, 2022, a text message on the passing of Tzu Chi KL & Selangor’s volunteer Yap Choong Lin, brought grief and tears to all who received it. The sudden news was hard to swallow, especially so when only just recently he was alongside with so many others in the flood relief efforts—cleaning up, carrying out assessments and caring for the victims. On that fateful morning, Choong Lin and family members left home as usual for their respective duties, with lunch boxes prepared by his wife, Kok Kim Tho. Then, around 9 a.m., Kim Tho’s phone rang. The caller ID showed it was Choong Lin, but a hurried voice of a stranger was heard. “There has been an accident. The victim is unconscious!” Sensing the severity of the situation, Kim Tho immediately rushed to the accident scene. At the same time, she notified the community group leader, Wong Pick Si and Choong Lin’s good friend, Toh Shea Sieng, of the distress call. Her hands could not stop trembling along the way. She became more uneasy when her youngest son, Jacky, who would have already reached the scene, did not respond to the anxious queries in the family chat group. After a long ten minutes, Jacky finally