The world of Tzu Chi July-August 2022 (Vol.142)

2022 • 08 20 pecial Feature weekends and holidays. Being one who constantly learns the Dharma, Sau Hoon was also concerned about the mental wellbeing of the teenage orphans. As such, when they visited the orphanage, they would always share with the orphans about Tzu Chi and the Dharma teachings, hoping that this would help them face their circumstances with ease of mind. Sau Hoon stated smilingly, “I was so happy when I learned about the musical adaptation; it is the best time. With support from the orphanage head, we took the secondary students out of the Home, to give them more exposure to the Dharma, and also enable them to understand the significance of learning the Dharma.” Sau Hoon’s joy was not without reason. She was deeply moved by the solemn atmosphere that enveloped her at the “Dharma as Water” musical adaptation staged seven years ago at the Bukit Jalil indoor stadium. That has also deepened her faith in walking the Bodhisattva Path. “Memory of the magnificent Dharma assembly is still vivid. As such, I must grasp this opportunity. How many seven years are there in our lives? I am already 70 years old, and Master always says that we do not know if we will live to see tomorrow. So, my only thought is that I must participate, and get more people to participate in this Dharma assembly,” said Sau Hoon, her eyes shining with determination. Unshakeable by external factors In preparation for the musical adaptation, two book study sessions were organized every month to enable the participants to grasp the essence of the Sutra. Around 8 p.m. on June 16, PPR Padang Jawa was heavy with traffic of people going about their evening activities. Tzu Chi volunteers arrived at Tzu Chi’s tuition centre on the eighth floor, which has been doubled up as a venue for the book study recently. Verammal a/p Ramachandran was one of the volunteers who arrived on time. As the computer that the volunteers normally used for online sessions had broken down, she joined other volunteers to learn on a handphone. Occasionally, when she saw the Malay translation in the comment section of the online videoconferencing platform, she kept nodding her head in agreement while sharing with fellow volunteers in Tamil. She said, “Although I do not understand Mandarin, I participate in any activities because I feel very happy to be here. At home, I am alone, but here, I have friends. What’s more, I can listen to the sharing. So, I will always come when invited.” Verammal has gained most from the sharing on the “bamboo bank era”. Although she has heard about it before, she is still deeply touched every time she hears the story. It convinced her that with collective contributions, even ordinary people can illuminate and shine on the dark corners of society. The one who actively invited the Indian volunteers to participate in the book study sessions is Shanmugawalli a/pMaruthamuthu. This was their fourth session. She was not distracted by the noise from the electric trains passing by the nearby station. She remarked, “It is true that there is a lot of noise here, but we are used to it. If we focus on watching (the