 | Continually putting into action Master Cheng Yen’s philosophy of "purifying hearts and harmonizing society", Tzu Chi Philippines initiated a string of projects and activities to be held at the Tzu Chi Great Love Campus this year. One of these is the Da Ai Mama (Da Ai is a transliteration of Chinese words that mean Great Love) Program, which sprouted from the basic intention to educate society. The twice-a-month sessions would run for 3 months, with about 45 volunteers working together. Being the first time this type of activity is held, it was encouraging to see about 160 people, ranging from 25 to 77 years of age, registering to join the classes. Many of the participants were new to Tzu Chi, and they were delighted to get to know the organization for the first time. It was also a comforting experience for them being warmly embraced into the Tzu Chi family. Every session, there would be sign language lessons and presentations that set a nice atmosphere. The Tzu Chi volunteers then show videos or picture presentations as they share about Tzu Chi’s relief missions, projects, special assistance cases and other efforts in the Philippines. Of course, each session wouldn’t be complete without the stuff that women love --flower arrangement, tea appreciation, handicraft making, cooking, etc. Once in a while, senior Tzu Chi Commissioners either local or from overseas would be invited to share some of their insights and experiences. Towards the end of each session, there would be time for small group discussions, opening an avenue for group leaders and their participants to communicate and share their feelings and insights with one another; after which some of them would come up on stage and share with the whole class. After each session, participants would be presented with handmade bookmarks that volunteers painstakingly made, each with a Still Thought or Jing Si Aphorism inscribed.
During the 1st session, a well-loved Tzu Chi Commissioner from Taiwan was invited to be a guest speaker. Ji Mommy as she is fondly addressed, basically spoke about how she transformed her relationship with her mother-in-law, which used to be difficult. She talked about how she now gets along very well with her in-laws. Further, she has become a generally well-loved person. She is a good speaker, captivating, humorous and filled with deep insights. Whatever the age, status, or position they have at home, the women can relate to her experiences. As a wife, a mother, a daughter-in-law, how can one change one’s own mind from pessimism to optimism, from having bad thoughts to wishing everyone blessings? A participant shared, "Sometimes, incidents happen that I don’t know how to handle. After hearing Ji Mommy’s talk, it suddenly dawned on me how I should face and deal with my problems." Ji Mommy’s talk untangled a lot of the afflictions and inner conflicts that the participants encounter within themselves.
The 2nd session was on "Entering the Heart through the Language of Flowers". That day, our special guest speaker was Sister Rosa Pena who is a Tzu Chi Commissioner, has her own flower shop in Quezon City and who simply adores flowers. She loves flowers so much that she’s always willing to share her knowledge about the techniques in maintaining beautiful flowers and explaining the art behind flower arranging. Later on, participants willingly volunteered to try it out, using their own imagination and creativity in arranging the flowers in the bamboo tubes, and bringing out their apparent flare for good taste.
In the process of arranging flowers, one participant suddenly realized the essence of life for her. Because the two sides of the bamboo tube was unequal in weight, the tube kept falling off balance after she arranges the flowers. Thinking hard, and trying to do it this way and the other, she finally figured out a way to arrange the flowers so that the bamboo tube would stand balanced. She thought, "One should not be perennially unstable and swaying side to side. When the right direction has been found, one should march forward courageously, toward a bright and promising path."
On the 3rd session, Brother Edward spoke about the Footsteps of Charity. He shared the story of how Master Cheng Yen went against tradition and left her home, wanting to live a simple life and immerse herself in Buddhist cultivation. He also shared the "Pool of Blood" story that inspired Master Cheng Yen’s vow to raise funds and build a hospital to help the indigent who are sick and helpless. That was actually the origin of Tzu Chi Foundation. These days, one could find a Tzu Chi branch office in many countries and places in the world. Under Master Cheng Yen’s guidance, volunteers gather in carrying out Tzu Chi’s four major missions, actualizing the Buddhist ideology of "one vision as the vision of a thousand, when one hand moves a thousand hands move."
During one Da Ai Mama cooking class, a Tzu Chi Volunteer taught the participants how to make Mochi, a sticky rice dessert with sesame or peanuts in the center, which is well-loved by people in Taiwan, Hongkong and China. Only by actually doing it hands on did the participants realize how complex the process was-- mixing, kneading, steaming, molding and wrapping. Everyone busied themselves then excitedly tasted the flavor variations they came up with. Some held back and saved what they did, wanting to bring their masterpieces home to share with their families. A bite of Mochi, a grain of affection, loads of sweetness and sentimentality sticking onto one’s heart. "his Day Yearly" is a Tzu Chi song that reminds us that one’s birthday is remembering the day of our parents’ greatest suffering. ■this day yearly, right before you blow your candles, make a wish inspired by this love■
There are people who look forward to each Da Ai Mama session, people who continually feel grateful for its existence. There’s a participant who half-jokingly said, "Coming to Da Ai Mama sessions, I don’t feel like a mother, neither do I feel like a wife, and much less do I feel like a daughter-in-law. Sitting here, I have my own self, I recovered a part of my persona that lives not only for my family, but for myself as well."
One of the Tzu Chi group leaders shared a story about a participant who kept staring at her. "I saw her and thought she looked familiar. In the end, I found out that she was my classmate from 50 years ago■ Funny how years could make people old, produce wrinkles on our faces, turn a head of black hair strands into white, and give us blurry eyesight that in a second could not immediately distinguish a person from another.
One middle-aged participant said, "Ever since I joined Da Ai Mama, it’s as though I was spellbound. Daylong I would hold myself back, as I impatiently waited for the next of the twice-a-month class." She then suggested if maybe we could hold it once every week instead of having them wait two weeks before the next class.
There are a lot of well-off families within the Filipino-Chinese community. There are also a lot of housewives who are used to living with ease and comfort, those who spend most of their time in luxury -- shopping, eating, gossiping, among others. For many of them, Da Ai Mama sessions have become sort of a refuge for the spirit. From the start, it has been this program’s intention to bring more meaning into these women’s lives, a guided new direction in life and spiritual growth from going back to the basics and realizing the stuff that matters. Along the way, it has also helped them regain their self-identity and identify their own needs and abilities that have been overlooked. We firmly hope that Tzu Chi’s great-love-inspired efforts can reach more people and bring them to recognize the basic values that matter and achieve wisdom. |