Tzu Chings convened at Jing Si Hall Singapore to share about “Global Tzu Ching Day and Overseas Tzu Ching Officer's Training Camp”.
On 18 January 2020, Tzu Chi Youth Collegiate Association (Tzu Ching) held a sharing session in Jing Si Hall to share about the joy and experiences they gained from the “Global Tzu Ching Day and Overseas Tzu Ching Officer's Training Camp” held in Taiwan end of last year. The purpose of holding such a sharing session is to instil positivity in other Tzu Chi youths.
The sharing session started off with an icebreaker where each person had to draw a smiley face on a piece of paper cut into circle and decorate it. After everyone has done their artwork, the emcee collected all the smiley faces gingerly inverted the paper. Immediately, it portrayed a sad emotion.
“Do we often get caught up with organizing activities to the extent that we forget our initial intention of joining Tzu Chi?” asked Tzu Ching Annie Chua to the attendees, which made everyone pondered and waited eagerly for an answer.
“As long as there is Dharma in our minds, our thoughts would be positive irrespective of our mood. Positive thoughts would lead to the right expression on our faces, naturally, we would have a smiley face,” said Annie as she continued to share about how she came about joining Tzu Chi. Annie hoped that young people could be tougher in taking challenges in life, so that they can be the pillars of the future generation, as per what Master Cheng Yen has aspired.
In the subsequent sharing sessions, five Tzu Chings shared about their different maiden attempts in participating the camp. Some of them have attended the camp for the first time, some became organizing committee members for the first time, while some got to know Tzu Chings from other countries for the first time.
Tzu Ching Khoo Ying Ger became a small group leader even though it was her first time participating in the camp. When asked about the session which she finds most beneficial to herself, she shared about the realization she gained during the “calm and reflect” session.
“When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror?” Khoo asked herself. She hoped to live by this motto to regain the self-confidence and find her true self. Khoo also encouraged everyone to be a friend who brings positivity to others. She believed that the only way to overcome our own negativity is through providing warmth and joy to others.
Khoo Ying Ger (1st from right) sharing about what she gained during the “Calm and Reflect” session.
Tzu Ching Gooi Ming Hong on the other hand, shared about his experience with a tinge of embarrassment. Gooi used to be a Tzu Shao* in the past but he left Tzu Chi after graduating due to worldly distractions. He did not participate in any Tzu Chi activities until he was recently invited by his friends to rejoin Tzu Ching at the end of last year. At the Overseas Tzu Ching Officer's Training Camp, he repented for not cherishing the affinity he had with Tzu Chi when he was younger. Now that he is back in the organization, he seizes the time to contribute and learn more at Tzu Chi.
After listening to some sharing onstage, the attendees shared their experiences among their group members in the following group sharing session. Tzu Ching senior, Li Zhen Hui shared about her first time attending the Overseas Camp where she gained a lot of knowledge and witnessed the influences Tzu Chi has around the world. Her initial impression of Tzu Chi was an organization that is committed in doing good, but after the camp, she gained a deeper understanding of Tzu Chi after learning about the foundation’s Four Missions and Eight Footprints**. She was very touched by Tzu Chi’s efforts in bettering the world, and this was also the reason that motivated her to agree to become one of the Overseas Camp’s committee.
Tzu Ching and Tzu Ching seniors sharing about their experience in the camp.
Speaking of being in the committee, Tzu Ching Kenisha Tan had mixed feelings about being part of the committee. This was the fourth time Kenisha, who is an Indonesian Chinese, has attended the camp in Taiwan. She was one of the committee members of the Secretarial Team at the Overseas Camp. She has self-doubt over her Mandarin proficiency and was worried of becoming the burden of the Secretarial Team to the extent that she had regretted taking up this position. However, after the camp, she realized that everyone faces challenges in life, but there is no need to give up hope. She managed to complete her tasks under the guidance and mentorship of Tzu Ching seniors, with that, she encouraged fellow Tzu Chings to have courage in trying new things.
Lee Wen Jie joined the Tzu Chi family at the age of 10 where he grew up from a Tzu Shao to a Tzu Ching. Finally at the end of last year, he fulfilled his wish to participate in the Overseas Camp in Taiwan. Besides being a small group leader, he was also tasked to lead the Singapore Tzu Ching contingent to the camp. He received a lot of love and care throughout his journey in Tzu Chi, therefore, Lee felt that he wanted to pay the love forward to junior Tzu Chings. He added, “This journey back to Taiwan was like a pop quiz to test if our roots in Tzu Chi were deep enough.”
It was also the first Overseas Camp for Tzu Ching senior, Tang Min Hui who joined Tzu Ching when she was in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. She currently works in Singapore after graduating. Tang had the chance to witness the beauty of mentoring juniors during the camp where she became closer with the junior Tzu Chings during the camp and felt very touched by the care and concern she received from her juniors.
“Because of this senior and junior mentorship in Tzu Chi, the path in Tzu Chi is never a lonely one,” said Tang and she vowed to continue mentoring and guiding Tzu Chings after witnessing the growth and development in Tzu Chings post camp.
Towards the end of the sharing session, everyone held hands in a circle to sing a Tzu Chi song “Stand by You”. With everyone connected to each other, it conveyed a message that “In Tzu Chi, we are never lonely.”
“Now, do you feel more self-worth when you listen to the Dharma and contribute to others? If yes, then you have gained something instead of letting life pass by without meaning. If you have contributed, it means you have left behind positive footprints in life and these are valuable marks in life.” The words spoken by Master Cheng Yen in the “Life Wisdom” have etched deeply onto everyone’s minds.
*Students of Tzu Chi Teenagers’ Class
** Tzu Chi Foundation’s “Four Major Missions” consist of Charity, Medicine, Education, and Humanity. Furthermore, considering ongoing efforts in Bone Marrow Donation, Environmental Protection, Community Volunteerism, and International Relief, these eight concurrent campaigns are collectively known as “Tzu Chi’s Eight footprints”。
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