From the Tzu Chings' poignant, tear-jerking sharings to Shigu-Shibo's lectures of wisdom, I realized how short and impermanent life is. As a XueZhang said in his presentation, life is meaningful not by how long you live it, but how you live it. There are many things in life that we take for granted, let it be family, shelter, education, resources. But it's when we lose it that we finally realize its utmost value in our lives. As I learnt more about Tzu Chi, I started thinking about Master Cheng Yen and how great the vows she made when she established Tzu Chi. "To save the world, we must begin by transforming human hearts." It seemed almost an impossible task. But as I looked around the room and the videos of Tzu Chi chapters around the world, we were all united with the same heart of compassion and relief. It was possible and Tzu Chi has become one of the most influential nonprofits in the world. Seeing this meant a lot to me because Master Cheng Yen's actions taught me: "Don't underestimate yourself, for human beings have unlimited potential". The power of a single person's compassion is unimaginable.
Tzu Chi is about bringing hope when one is in despair, the way one single glow-in-the-dark Tzu Chi crystal bead brings light to darkness in a room. The retreat gave me strength and confidence to do the things I've always aspired to do for society, to help those in need not just in my local community but around the world.
Gan-en!
Written by Loritta Chan
