In this summer vacation, a group of 19 members from the Service Education Section of Taiwan Chang Jung Christian University embarked on a 7-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia hoping to gain greater insights to the countries’ community services. One of their stops in Singapore is the local branch of Tzu Chi Foundation. Picture: The guests from Chang Jung Christian University posing in front of Jing Si Abode (the spiritual home of Tzu Chi people) mural with the Singapore Tzu Chi volunteers.

Sister Xu Xue You sharing what she gained from Tzu Chi’s home visits to the care recipients.

Li Gui Man mentioned that it is rather difficult to attract youngsters to do voluntary work, but she hopes her presence could bring happiness to the activity participants.

Lin Zhen Xian, leader of the Service Education Section, presenting the school souvenir to Brother David Liu.

There's an old Chinese saying: "It's better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books."

In this summer vacation, a group of 19 members from the Service Education Section of Taiwan Chang Jung Christian University (CJCU) embarked on a 7-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia hoping to gain greater insights to the countries’ community services. One of their stops in Singapore is the Tzu Chi Foundation as the Foundation’s experience in exploring community services according to local needs appears to be a learning point for them.

In order to encourage young people to care more about the society, Taiwan universities have incorporated compulsory community services into the school curriculum. Under this programme, students are required to attend lessons on community work and go through practical hands-on sessions. 

To this, Li Gui Man, one of the officers of CJCU Service Education Section and a year four student from the Department of Sports and Recreation Management, mentioned, “Young people today enjoy having independent thinking and rarely have the habit of waking up early. Some are reluctant to get up early to do voluntary work……I hope my service could bring happiness to others.”

Visiting Jing Si Hall

The group paid their visit to Tzu Chi Singapore branch office in the morning of 16 July. Tzu Chi volunteers ushered and guided their way around the simple yet self contained Jing Si Hall, where most Tzu Chi activities such as sharing sessions, cadre meetings, blood donation drives, caring day and humanity classes were held. The building, dubbed by the Branch CEO as “a small but versatile training hub for living bodhisattvas”, has witnessed numerous charitable acts being accomplished.

After years of hard work and diligence by the members promoting the missions of Tzu Chi in the areas of charity, medicine, education, culture, bone marrow donation, international relief, environmental protection, and community volunteerism, the Foundation is glad to have received increasing support from the public and the local government.

During the video session, the group learned about the endeavors of Tzu Chi Singapore in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami, and later intensely engaged with the sharing by three experienced Tzu Chi volunteers.

Sisters Wu Jia Zhen and Xu Xue You shared their experiences of counseling the families under the care of Tzu Chi. Both felt that they have learnt to be more grateful that they are blessed with the ability to help others and should continue to lend their hands to those in need.

Another volunteer, Qiu Jian Yi, who had been involved in promoting Tzu Chi medical mission, shared that “Singapore already has an excellent standards in medical technology, and so the role of Tzu Chi is to promote a culture that emphasize on the ‘sense of giving’ among the medical professionals.”

Seeing that Tzu Chi volunteers are so enthusiastic in their duties, the group members can’t help feeling curious: How do Tzu Chi people acquire their sense of vocation?

Tzu Chi Singapore branch CEO, Brother David Liu, explained, “Every volunteer got started in Tzu Chi with a different reason, some were touched by Master Cheng Yen’s kind acts, while others were moved by the warm ambience in Tzu Chi.” He continued by saying that every Tzu Chi volunteer learns and improves himself while being involved in activities. “With that change, one may be able to influence his family or even the community he lives in.”

Recycling was another topic that the group was interested in as the Section itself is responsible in promoting recycling programme in the university campus. Brother Liu further shared that besides environmental recycling, even the body and the mind could be recycled – meaning to alter unwholesome thoughts into kind thoughts and actions through exposure to positive influence; while adopting a vegetarian diet is a good move to a healthier life and eco-system.

Before departure, everyone in the group received a booklet of Jing Si Aphorism from Brother Liu. It seemed that the three-hour visit was still not enough as some of the students went forward to consult the volunteers on doubts and queries.

Lin Zhen Xian, the leader of the group expressed his gratitude towards Tzu Chi, and further commented that the visit had indeed planted a seed of love in every student’s heart - not forgetting to be filial to their parents and also to serve the society.