Date: April 23, 2008 (Wednesday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Sofyan said: “Since meeting Tzu Chi people, there is more meaning to my life. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if it were not for Tzu Chi especially since Father has passed away. I don’t know how we’d survive, if not for Tzu Chi.”
Indeed, anyone would find it heartbreaking to see a child like Sofyan. He was born into an impoverished family in Indonesia. (When our volunteers first saw him,) his face was all distorted and his right eye protruded because of a tumor on his face. It was truly heartrending to see. He was not able to receive medical care when he was young. It wasn’t until he was fourteen that we discovered him during one of the free clinics Tzu Chi held. On April 26, 2004, Tzu Chi volunteers in Indonesia accompanied him to Taiwan. During his treatment, he was at death’s door many times. However, this child truly has the capacity to withstand hardship. Coming to Taiwan to receive treatment, he was truly able to endure a lot of pain and was very considerate of his father. Every time he regained consciousness after surgery he would comfort his father, and whenever he saw our hospital volunteers or medical team, he was always full of gratitude. Very rarely would you hear him cry or complain. That was four years ago. Such self-discipline and resilience, and the way he accepts his lot in life truly makes our hearts go out to him.
He stayed in Taiwan for more than six months. When he returned home, Tzu Chi volunteers in Indonesia helped move him and his family to Tzu Chi’s Great Love Estate, and he has now graduated from the secondary school in our Great Love Estate. Last year, when he graduated, the tumor on his face, which had been continuing to grow all this time, was starting to impact his vision again. Back when he had had his first surgery, the doctor had already said that (as he was still growing,) the tumor would also continue to grow. So, Sofyan himself knew that it’d be hard to save what was left of his vision. Because of this, he asked to learn Braille, so that if he did lose his vision and became blind, he would still have the skills and means to support his parents. He truly has a great sense of responsibility. He is grateful to his parents for raising him, so he faces his illness with courage and is determined to learn a skill to support them. The first time he came for surgery in Hualien, he said he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up. This time when he came for surgery, it wasn’t his father who came with him because his father passed away last year from liver cancer. Before he died, he had said to his wife: He siad, “If you need to go with Sofyan to Taiwan for surgery one day, don’t be afraid. The Tzu Chi volunteers there are like family.” So, this time, his mother, together with our volunteers and Tzu Chings from Indonesia accompanied him here for the surgery. The surgery this time lasted thirteen hours before our medical staff were finally able to remove his tumor. It was a collaboration of doctors from six departments. This medical team was formed specifically for Sofyan. He is poor, so it was Tzu Chi that paid for all his medical and travel expenses, yet he was still given the same high-quality care. Yesterday, he was discharged from the hospital. Before that, he came to see me to say thank you. He also wanted to sing a song for me. I asked him, “Which song are you going to sing?” He replied, “We are Family.” The I said, “You can sing onstage and share it with all Tzu Chi volunteers.” He was very accommodating and said, “Okay” and he went onstage.
“I need your support to help me realize my dream. Your love has given me much courage...” (Sofyan sang)
Supt. Shi, Dr. Qiu, his mother, and our Tzu Ching accompanied him onstage. He truly sang the song very well. Yesterday, he came to see me again at the Abode, just before he was to leave for Indonesia. I asked him, “What are you going to do now that you can’t be a doctor because of your eyesight?” He said that he wants to be a psychologist. I am sure he can do it, because yesterday, (while at the Abode,) he already helped give “therapy” to a Taiwanese teenager. I’ve now recovered. Thank you, Master. I must also thank the doctors and nurses and thank you, Mom. Before, my wish was to become a doctor. But seeing as I can’t completely recover my eyesight, I’ve changed my mind. Now, I want to be a psychologist as then I will still be able to help others even without being able to see and can relieve people’s psychological suffering. Children in Taiwan truly live very blessed and fortunate lives and often do not know to count their blessings.
Yesterday was April 22, Earth Day. Supt. Lin of our hospital in Dalin led all the hospital staff in sweeping the streets and spreading the word about environmental protection. Not only yesterday, but in his daily life, Supt. Lin is a great advocator of vegetarianism. Nowadays, vegetarianism is the global trend. That’s right. In fact, this should have happened long ago since it can purify both our bodies and this Earth as there’d be less carbon emissions which would help to protect our planet. If we were to become vegetarian, it would be good for our health. It helps nurture moral character too. What people most neglect nowadays are proper care of their health and the nurturing of virtues. So, we should know that to lead a self-disciplined, simple, and frugal life, we should become vegetarian. We should refrain from eating meat just for the sake of a moment’s pleasure. We need to rise above this desire. Also, you mustn’t think: “What’s the use of just one person becoming vegetarian?” It truly does make a big difference. Yesterday (in view of Earth Day,) government bodies asked their employees to switch off their lights during lunchtime. By doing that for just one hour during lunchtime yesterday, all across Taiwan, 28,800 watts of electricity were saved. See, if every family could take measures (to save on electricity,) such as not keeping the electric water boiler plugged in all the time, or switching off the computer when you’re not using it, or not buying more food than you need and ending up having it all pile up in the fridge... Just buy however much you need. We must also discipline ourselves, and learn to not turn on the air-conditioner as soon as it gets a little warm. Don’t do that. I believe that if everyone could do their bit to save on electricity, that would help to reduce carbon emissions.
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Sofyan said: “Since meeting Tzu Chi people, there is more meaning to my life. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if it were not for Tzu Chi especially since Father has passed away. I don’t know how we’d survive, if not for Tzu Chi.”
Indeed, anyone would find it heartbreaking to see a child like Sofyan. He was born into an impoverished family in Indonesia. (When our volunteers first saw him,) his face was all distorted and his right eye protruded because of a tumor on his face. It was truly heartrending to see. He was not able to receive medical care when he was young. It wasn’t until he was fourteen that we discovered him during one of the free clinics Tzu Chi held. On April 26, 2004, Tzu Chi volunteers in Indonesia accompanied him to Taiwan. During his treatment, he was at death’s door many times. However, this child truly has the capacity to withstand hardship. Coming to Taiwan to receive treatment, he was truly able to endure a lot of pain and was very considerate of his father. Every time he regained consciousness after surgery he would comfort his father, and whenever he saw our hospital volunteers or medical team, he was always full of gratitude. Very rarely would you hear him cry or complain. That was four years ago. Such self-discipline and resilience, and the way he accepts his lot in life truly makes our hearts go out to him.
He stayed in Taiwan for more than six months. When he returned home, Tzu Chi volunteers in Indonesia helped move him and his family to Tzu Chi’s Great Love Estate, and he has now graduated from the secondary school in our Great Love Estate. Last year, when he graduated, the tumor on his face, which had been continuing to grow all this time, was starting to impact his vision again. Back when he had had his first surgery, the doctor had already said that (as he was still growing,) the tumor would also continue to grow. So, Sofyan himself knew that it’d be hard to save what was left of his vision. Because of this, he asked to learn Braille, so that if he did lose his vision and became blind, he would still have the skills and means to support his parents. He truly has a great sense of responsibility. He is grateful to his parents for raising him, so he faces his illness with courage and is determined to learn a skill to support them. The first time he came for surgery in Hualien, he said he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up. This time when he came for surgery, it wasn’t his father who came with him because his father passed away last year from liver cancer. Before he died, he had said to his wife: He siad, “If you need to go with Sofyan to Taiwan for surgery one day, don’t be afraid. The Tzu Chi volunteers there are like family.” So, this time, his mother, together with our volunteers and Tzu Chings from Indonesia accompanied him here for the surgery. The surgery this time lasted thirteen hours before our medical staff were finally able to remove his tumor. It was a collaboration of doctors from six departments. This medical team was formed specifically for Sofyan. He is poor, so it was Tzu Chi that paid for all his medical and travel expenses, yet he was still given the same high-quality care. Yesterday, he was discharged from the hospital. Before that, he came to see me to say thank you. He also wanted to sing a song for me. I asked him, “Which song are you going to sing?” He replied, “We are Family.” The I said, “You can sing onstage and share it with all Tzu Chi volunteers.” He was very accommodating and said, “Okay” and he went onstage.
“I need your support to help me realize my dream. Your love has given me much courage...” (Sofyan sang)
Supt. Shi, Dr. Qiu, his mother, and our Tzu Ching accompanied him onstage. He truly sang the song very well. Yesterday, he came to see me again at the Abode, just before he was to leave for Indonesia. I asked him, “What are you going to do now that you can’t be a doctor because of your eyesight?” He said that he wants to be a psychologist. I am sure he can do it, because yesterday, (while at the Abode,) he already helped give “therapy” to a Taiwanese teenager. I’ve now recovered. Thank you, Master. I must also thank the doctors and nurses and thank you, Mom. Before, my wish was to become a doctor. But seeing as I can’t completely recover my eyesight, I’ve changed my mind. Now, I want to be a psychologist as then I will still be able to help others even without being able to see and can relieve people’s psychological suffering. Children in Taiwan truly live very blessed and fortunate lives and often do not know to count their blessings.
Yesterday was April 22, Earth Day. Supt. Lin of our hospital in Dalin led all the hospital staff in sweeping the streets and spreading the word about environmental protection. Not only yesterday, but in his daily life, Supt. Lin is a great advocator of vegetarianism. Nowadays, vegetarianism is the global trend. That’s right. In fact, this should have happened long ago since it can purify both our bodies and this Earth as there’d be less carbon emissions which would help to protect our planet. If we were to become vegetarian, it would be good for our health. It helps nurture moral character too. What people most neglect nowadays are proper care of their health and the nurturing of virtues. So, we should know that to lead a self-disciplined, simple, and frugal life, we should become vegetarian. We should refrain from eating meat just for the sake of a moment’s pleasure. We need to rise above this desire. Also, you mustn’t think: “What’s the use of just one person becoming vegetarian?” It truly does make a big difference. Yesterday (in view of Earth Day,) government bodies asked their employees to switch off their lights during lunchtime. By doing that for just one hour during lunchtime yesterday, all across Taiwan, 28,800 watts of electricity were saved. See, if every family could take measures (to save on electricity,) such as not keeping the electric water boiler plugged in all the time, or switching off the computer when you’re not using it, or not buying more food than you need and ending up having it all pile up in the fridge... Just buy however much you need. We must also discipline ourselves, and learn to not turn on the air-conditioner as soon as it gets a little warm. Don’t do that. I believe that if everyone could do their bit to save on electricity, that would help to reduce carbon emissions.
發表文章
沒有留言:
張貼留言