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Winnipeg, located in the province of Manitoba, is about 2,300 kilometers from Vancouver, British Columbia—a drive of roughly twenty-three and a half hours. The local ethnic Chinese population is not very large, consisting mostly of people from mainland China and Hong Kong. For this event, Tzu Chi volunteer Chi-Lung Saw, who had moved his family to Montreal, made a special trip back to participate.
Chi-Lung Saw shared, “Although I’ve moved away from Winnipeg, I will always take any opportunity to come back and gather with everyone. These senior volunteers in Winnipeg have always been on my mind. While there aren’t many Tzu Chi activities due to the geographic distance, these senior volunteers seize every chance to participate and have supported Tzu Chi for many years. It’s heartbreaking to see them aging over the years. I hope I can accompany them more on this Bodhisattva path.”
A Responsibility Begins — Taking on a Role
“We live under another’s sky and walk on another’s land. We must give back to the place from which we receive.” Volunteer Tien-Hua Huang holds this saying from Dharma Master Cheng Yen firmly in his heart. In July 2023, Tien-Hua Huang took on the role of coordinator for the Winnipeg volunteer team. He expressed that there is no time limit to Tzu Chi’s work; wherever there is a need, he will step up to take on the responsibility. From now on, his goal is to build good relationships and inspire more volunteers to join.
Volunteer Li-Fen Lin offered her workplace, a daycare center, as the venue. Everyone worked together to transform the daycare into a simple, elegant, and warm space. The two-and-a-half-hour event concluded successfully, leaving everyone filled with joyful Dharma. This strengthened Tien-Hua Huang’s conviction to inspire more “Living Bodhisattvas” with a sincere heart.
Li-Fen Lin, who, like Chi-Lung Saw, is also from Malaysia, has known about Tzu Chi for fourteen years. Starting in 2010, she began voluntarily providing her daycare center as a venue for Tzu Chi events.
“Without a venue, how can we recruit a multitude of Bodhisattvas?” Li-Fen Lin said with a smile. “If you don’t have a place for an event, it’s no problem. Welcome to my daycare!”
Li-Fen Lin shared her memorable experience of visiting the Jing Si Abode in Hualien, Taiwan five years ago, where she was deeply impressed by the kind resident masters, the serene architecture, and the tranquil, tree-lined avenues. She reflected emotionally, “Meeting people is all about karmic affinity. Everything has a cause and an effect. If we didn’t plant the cause in a past life, we wouldn’t have this result today.”
“Knowing Tzu Chi brings great joy!” was her summary of the day’s event.
Prayers and Blessings — A Heartwarming Gathering
Attending a Tzu Chi event for the third time in ten years, attendee Yi-Tzu Huang was deeply moved while watching a “Grassroots Bodhi” video titled “Happiness Is Right Beside You,” which showcased the unconditional giving of Tzu Chi volunteers.
Yi-Tzu Huang, who identifies with Tzu Chi’s charitable missions, said, “Tzu Chi helps people through action. Its charity reaches across the globe, and its good deeds can be seen all over the world. I am truly impressed.” She plans to join Tzu Chi’s ranks to do good deeds after her work commitments ease.
There was Chi-Lung Saw, who came all the way from Montreal to help; Li-Fen Lin, who provided the venue; and friends who specially arranged to take time off work to attend. Even more special were the Cantonese-speaking attendees who overcame the language barrier, using their “hearts” to understand and listening “quietly,” undeterred by language. Although their legs were weak, they insisted on standing throughout the chanting of the “Prayer” song, holding their Wisdom Blessing Lamps to pray for world peace.
Volunteers prepared delicious vegetarian meals, sharing the benefits of how “a healthy vegetarian diet can also protect the Earth” while using the tea gathering as a chance to recruit more volunteers. In support of Tzu Chi’s promotion of vegetarianism, Mei-Hua Huang, a skilled cook, brought homemade vegetarian turnip cake and mugwort rice cakes to share, giving friends from Taiwan a taste of home.
During the event, the youngest participants, one-month-old Janson Huang and his two-year-old brother, Jamison Huang, were calm and quiet with their parents instead of fussing. The warm atmosphere around them created a natural and heartfelt connection to the Dharma.
Although it was a “mini prayer gathering” with only fourteen attendees, it was also a most heartwarming one. Looking to the future, Tzu Chi volunteers hope to guide everyone in taking the steps that were paused by the pandemic, walking together toward a hopeful and better future, accompanied by love.
