Lee Jayin, 7, walked into Tzu Chi Foundation with her mother on 3 February 2007. She had in hand a comic book and a 50 dollar note. Here’s a story of a young little girl who isn’t shy to show her empathy for the less fortunate.

Jayin came to Jing Si Hall with her mum to present her donation to Tzu Chi.

Little Jayin shows the comic book she has read about Master Cheng Yen to Brother David Liu.

The comic book that Jayin brought along depicted a story about Tzu Chi organization, and the founder Master Cheng Yen.

“Is this the place build by the Master who encouraged housewives to save 50 cents a day for charity?” Jayin asked her mother curiously during their first visit to Jing Si Hall, when she recalled having read this story book.

It all began in 2005 when little Jayin got interested in a comic book that tells the stories about the Buddha and his friends. She visited some Buddhist temples with her mum thereafter in the same year.  Then in 2006, she bought a book entitled Champions of Kindness.  Among them is the founder of one of the charity organizations, Master Cheng Yen. It says how the Master, during the founding stage of Tzu Chi in 1960s, has encouraged housewives to save 50 cents a day out of their daily meals. These meager sum of monies were then accumulated to help out the sick and poor living in the eastern part of Taiwan in rural Hualien. 

When Chen Lily took her daughter Jayin with her to Jing Si Hall in September 2006, the 7-year-old noticed the logo outside the building, which looks similar to the one in the picture of her book. She was very curious and asked her mum whether this is the place related to the story that she has read about. After that first visit, Jayin comes to Jing Si Hall several times during weekends with her mum and aunt to attend the spiritual sharing sessions.

In December 2006, days of heavy downpour caused the worst flood never seen in a hundred years in our neighboring country, Malaysia. The video footage was shown on one of the sharing sessions. Images of towns and villages flooded with water up to the roof, and residents rushing to evacuate from their homes to seek refuge at the relief shelters; while seeing the volunteers dressed in blue and white uniforms scurrying to help the victims with food and emotional supports. The impact of these scenes moved the little heart of Jayin, and stirred her compassion within.   

Turning heartfelt compassion into action

Days later on one of the morning while on their way to Admiralty Primary School in Woodlands, where Jayin studies, Jayin seeks for her mum’s consent to take out the Edusave Merit Bursary (EMB) she has received from the Ministry of Education. The bursary, amounted to a hundred and fifty dollars, was actually an encouragement given to her for her excellent results in her exam last year. And she decides she’d donate one third of the money for charity.

Lily was stunned for a second. “I do not know if I should promise her. Although 50 dollars is quite a big sum to us, but Jayin seemed to take it very easily when she post the question to me.” She went on, “My consideration was half of the amount has already been used to buy textbooks and stationeries for her new academic year. She is left with only about 70 dollars. I told her to think it over before I seek advice from one of my friend.”

This friend of Lily has been encouraging her own son to save 30 % of his pocket money for future needs, such as giving to charity, and only spend the other 70% on necessities. “And Jayin seemed quite agreeable to this concept about money.”

However, I was most interested to find out from this little girl, why is it that she has not chosen to donate 20 instead of 50 dollars out of her savings, which most of us would usually do. Within a split of second, Jayin answered: “They would have needed the money more than me.” I guess she refers to people living in dark corners. And I could not agree more with her.

Tiny hands, generous heart

On the Feb 3, 2007, Jayin and her mum came to Jing Si Hall again. However, this time they have come with a purpose - to fulfil little Jayin’s wish.

Bro. David Liu, the CEO of Tzu Chi Singapore, personally accepted the donation money. He praised the little girl for having a kind soul at this young and tender age. Little Jayin blushed while she brings out the comic book that she brought along. She flipped to the page that tells the story about Master Cheng Yen, and showed it to Bro. David Liu. 

Jayin started to read the sentences aloud.  Through her fluent readings, we heard the word “compassion”, which is a word that is not commonly understood or came across by children of her age. When asked if she understands the meaning behind this story, she nodded her little head. She mentioned that the part of the story that has impressed her most was when Master Cheng Yen rejected the donation of 200 million Taiwan dollars from a Japanese businessman. For the Master hopes to see that more people can have the opportunity to help the needy.

Here is the girl who has dearly opened the door to this world of kindness and beauty as well as incompleteness. From her little kind act, she has tried to encompass all the people who need help, be it someone she knows or not.