29 Tzu Chings and their seniors and mentors presenting their closing item, “From Vow to Action”, onstage at the training camp (Photo by Cai Yue Guo)
“Unwaveringly holding our vows for countless eons;
Unwaveringly holding our vows for countless eons ……”
Their firm actions and words accompanied by music, 29 Tzu Chings (members of Tzu Chi Collegiate Association) and their seniors and mentors wore serious expressions as they presented their closing item, “From Vow to Action”, onstage during the training camp held from 1-2 August 2015 at the Jing Si Hall. Watching them, the audience could feel their unwavering faith, exemplified by the great Tang dynasty monk Venerable Jian Zhen, who made six attempts to travel to the east from China to Japan to propagate the Dharma.
Remaining Focused on the Way Ahead
What types of challenges lie ahead for a youth of the 21st Century? During the station games segment, participants of the camp experienced the travails of economic, environmental, and emotional challenges.
After graduation from university, career and financial planning issues put the minds of young people to test. The Tzu Chings were presented with a mock interview: they were given a choice of a high-paying job and a low-paying one, while having to consider their list of daily expenses. Additional stress factors were added to the mix: a sluggish economy, pay cuts and inflation; at this, doubts arose in the Tzu Chings as they wondered if they should cut down their expenses or seek help from other sources.
Singapore, too, faces environmental and climatic challenges and needs to pay a high price for its potable water; the camp participants were thus made to do star jumps and sit-ups to earn bottled water. Subsequently, the two groups of participants sent a representative each who took part in a finger-guessing game to determine which would be the “vegetarians” and the “non-vegetarians”. As the “non-vegetarians” had to consume a lot more water (due to livestock farming), their survival rate was dramatically decreased. In the face of insufficient resources, the Tzu Chings started to ponder over how they should make lifestyle adjustments, such as using bath cleansers made from fermented fruit skins, using environmentally-friendly washing powder, etc.
“What are emotions? What are the ways in which we can express our feelings?”
During the “Emotional Crisis” station game, apart from the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy, participants thought of different ways emotions are expressed, such as “tears,” “insomnia,” “getting into a dead end,” “sweating”, etc., which reflected the difficulty that youths had in dealing with their emotions.
Qiu Cai Ling, a social worker at Tzu Chi Singapore, guided participants in analysing problems through a discussion. “When we feel emotions arise, we do not actually have to suppress them. We should be aware of these feelings and accept them.” She encouraged everyone to take time to sit quietly in their daily lives, counting as they take calm breaths, so that they would be better able to cope with emotions that arise.
Youths Discover a Greater Purpose in Life
Though the future is full of challenges, yet there are young people who try to change society through their own quiet efforts. MediaCorp artiste Nick Shen Wei Jun and Chen Rong Yao were invited to share their journey of promoting traditional Chinese opera and environmental protection respectively.
The camp participants were also shown the video of a talk given by Joe Huang, a Tzu Ching senior now working at Tzu Chi HQ in Taiwan. “What can we, as modern youths, do (for the world)?” Huang reminded everyone that: “In this tumultuous age of great ignorance and calamity, disasters both natural and man-made occur frequently. Hence, “spiritual distance” and “words of wisdom” are especially important. However, even travelling at 10 times the speed of sound cannot shorten spiritual distance, and smartphones which can transmit messages in an instant cannot produce words of true wisdom.”
In 2010, Huang gave up his highly paid job at IBM in the US to accept a job offer at the Tzu Chi HQ in Jing Si Abode in Hualien, Taiwan, after a conversation with Master Cheng Yen. Since then, he has humbled himself to engage in many Tzu Chi international humanitarian missions, where he leveraged on the power of team to make a difference in the world.
Participant Li Zhen Ying from Nanyang Polytechnic has been introduced to Buddhism since she was young and has always wanted to help others although she did not know where to start. After viewing the video of Huang’s talk, she felt that Tzu Chi was a good platform to do so and said, “An individual’s strength is limited and persuading another to join in an act of good is also difficult. Yet, if we believe in ourselves and lead by example, we can attract others to engage in goodness together.”
Nepal Humanitarian Mission ─ a Basis for Spreading Dharma
On 25 April 2015, an 8.1 earthquake struck Nepal. Tzu Chi immediately deployed batches of volunteers to render humanitarian aid. Among those who went were Singapore volunteers Zeng Jin’e, Xu Xue You, Xu Zhen Hua, and Su Zhang Xing. They were all invited to give a group sharing at the training camp.
Zeng shared with the Tzu Chings how the Nepal youths picked themselves up after the disaster. “They followed us to make house visits to the needy and learnt (what they needed to know) very quickly.” Xu revealed that subsequently, Tzu Chi volunteers found out that the father of one of the youth volunteers had bone cancer. Xu was curious why he had not mentioned about his father’s condition and received this reply from him: “It is not only my father that suffers from the disaster; my father still has me to look after him.” Upon hearing that, Xu was filled with admiration at the youth’s selflessness. Unwilling to see him shoulder the burden by himself, she later arranged for help for his father.
After watching Master Cheng Yen’s Dharma talk before dawn on the second day of the camp, where participants received Dharma teachings, Li Zhen Hui was inspired by her friend Zeng Cui Yi and decided that she, too, would awake early to receive the teachings before dawn. “Modern day youths sleep late and have difficulty waking up early, so this is a good opportunity to get them to awake early. I will encourage my friends to do the same with me!”
Returning to the Roots of the Jing Si Dharma Lineage
As Tzu Ching cadres, the participants needed to have a good understanding of Tzu Chi’s Jing Si Dharma lineage. Tzu Chi volunteer training committee members Xu Dun Ying and Yang Guan Xiong shared about Master Cheng Yen’s benevolent aspirations and the Four Missions of Tzu Chi. Xu recounted to her audience how Master Cheng Yen had come from a comfortable family background and at the age of 21, was driven to search for the truth in life upon the sudden passing of her doting foster father, whom she had a close relationship with.
“Do people all have to pass their life in this manner……study, find jobs, start families and give birth to children?” Xu asked her audience.
“The seemingly simple question gave me lots to ponder over,” said participant Chen Wei Li. It was in 2011 that Chen first knew of Tzu Chi but he did not actively immerse himself in the organization till his participation in the “Profound Parental Love” musical last year. It was then that he decided to return to the fold of the organization and rediscover his initial enthusiasm in becoming a Tzu Ching. During the camp, Chen learned more about the four Tzu Chi etiquettes and Ten Precepts and vowed to take on more responsibilities in the days ahead.
“The Tzu Chi missions embody universal compassion for all sentient beings, feeling for their plight as we would for ourselves.” Yang explained the spiritual philosophy behind Tzu Chi’s Four Missions and also shared his experience helping out at a nursing home for leprosy patients to prepare participants for the second day’s trip to the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.
Acting on One’s Spiritual Aspirations
During the camp, a team of participants could be seen making use of small pockets of time during the breaks to practise for the presentation, “From Vow to Action”, which is an enactment of Venerable Jian Zhen’s voyage to Japan to spread the Dharma. A week earlier, Tzu Ching senior Dai Ming Han had shared video clips of the story of the monk Jian Zhen and his many attempts at making the journey to Japan. At that point in time, less than 10 people were present. But with the hard work that went into spreading the word and recruiting others to join in, the full team of presenters was finally assembled just a day before it was due to be presented.
Tzu Ching senior Cai Wen Qian lives two hours away from the Jing Si Hall but was committed to turn up for four rehearsal sessions. Whenever she was asked why she bothered to tire herself out in this manner, she would reply that it was fine as long as she planned her schedule well. She explained that even if she felt tired, she was filled with the joy of Dharma after each practice session. Inspired by the lyrics in the presentation which illustrates the spirit of how when one’s heart is determined, one’s actions will naturally follow, she expressed that youths with their abundant energy should step out and contribute to society.
As the presentation required the actions of kneeling and bending of the upper body which was hard on the knees and waist, Dai who had previous experience in a 2012 overseas Tzu Ching camp and in the same presentation done in 2013 and 2014 respectively, coached the presenters one by one. While sharing his experience as the campus contact person over the past half year, he broke off midway as he was overcome by the intensity of his emotions. Continuing after he had recovered, he urged everyone to continue striving forward by amassing strength from all.
Zhang Yu Jia is a third year student of the Nanyang Technological University and was often filled with doubts about her own ability to lead her peers. However, after she was tasked with responsibilities and helped out at a few activities, she found out that things were not as difficult as they seemed. During one of the camp’s segment where she was taking part in a simulation of the missing passenger plane incident, she had a deep realization of impermanence in life. Now, she treasures the opportunity to make a contribution in any way she can with the mentality of viewing every single day as the last day in her life. With the encouragement of her seniors and mentors, she agreed to take on the responsibility of being the new contact person for Tzu Chings in her campus.
Over two days, the camp helped strengthen the faith of participants in Tzu Chi’s Jing Si Dharma lineage. The disaster simulation exercise brought forth their sense of urgency towards their aspirations, while the visit to the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home illustrated the lesson of actualizing their vows; the final takeaway concisely summarized as actions driven by the power of one’s aspirations.
The two-day and one-night camp opened with the camp song “Colorful Wings.” (Photo by Chua See Siew)
Four Singapore volunteers (from left) Zeng Jin’e, Xu Xue You, Xu Zhen Hua, and Su Zhang Xing shared their experiences helping in the Nepal humanitarian aid disaster. (Photo by Zhou Zheng Hao)
Camp participant Chen Wei Li (front row, second from left) found renewed enthusiasm as a Tzu Ching after contemplating the question posed by Tzu Ching senior Xu Dun Ying: “What is the value of life?” (Photo by Zhou Zheng Hao)
During the first night, the Tzu Chings and their seniors and mentors engaged in conversation on the joys and challenges of taking on Tzu Chi responsibilities by the canal outside the Jing Si Hall. (Photo by Cai Yue Guo)
On the second day, participants filed into the prayer hall early in the morning before dawn to watch Master Cheng Yen’s Dharma talk live via video conferencing. (Photo by Cai Yue Guo)
The lyrics of a song sung during the camp inspired Cai Wen Qian (left), and she felt that youths of today should make meaningful contributions to society, too. (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
Dai Ming Han (centre), the contact coordinator for this year’s Tzu Ching camp, encouraged everyone to achieve the sincere aspirations they have made through collective strength. (Photo by Cai Yue Guo)
Li Zhen Ying from Nanyang Polytechnic (left) received the Tzu Ching uniform from CEO of Tzu Chi Singapore Mr Low Swee She and expressed her wish to lead by example in influencing her school mates to engage in charitable undertakings. (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
Participant Zhang Yu Jia from Nanyang Polytechnic (right) used to doubt her ability to influence others to achieve common goals but after taking on responsibilities in a few activities, she realized that the task is not as difficult as it seemed. (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
At the closing of the camp, Tzu Chings make their aspirational vows. (Photo taken by Yu Zheng Hui)
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