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The winter sun in Toronto doesn’t peek out until nearly 8:00 AM. In January’s fickle cold, volunteers left their homes in the dark, treading through the snow to reach the Tzu Chi Jing Si Hall in Eastern Canada to attend the first Commissioner and Faith Corps cultivation-and-training course of 2026. As early as mid-December, the training team had thoughtfully planned the curriculum and flow so that volunteers could start the new year with diligence, keeping step with Tzu Chi’s lineage and path.
A New Team, Carrying On and Advancing
After a holiday season filled with drifting snow and freezing rain, volunteers from various districts returned to the Jing Si Hall for joint study. Twenty staff members arrived early to prepare; the registration team arrived at 7:00 AM, simply to light a warm, welcoming lamp for their Dharma family in the darkness. This session included thirty participants from five districts (including two joining online). The formal program began at 8:00 AM on January 10.
This year, the Eastern Canada Tzu Chi training team welcomed several new members. The training sessions serve as a great opportunity to learn and take on responsibility. Whether it was Coordinator Jing Yuan, Trainee Leader Shun-zhi Lin, Emcee Jia-qin Wu, or Curriculum Planner Ya-min Huang, all were excellent choices for their roles. The coordinator oversaw overall planning; the trainee leader guided diligent practice; the emcee bridged the segments with a gentle voice and calm demeanor. Curriculum planner arranged a balance of static and dynamic lessons, allowing everyone to draw in Dharma nourishment in a tight yet engaging schedule.
Today’s theme was “Medical Mission and Bone Marrow Donation.” While everyone is busy with Tzu Chi work in daily life, the “Life Wisdom” video reminded everyone that passing on the Tzu Chi spirit requires more than just working hard; it relies on mutual encouragement and guidance and setting examples for the younger generation. The Bodhisattva path is an eternal circle. Besides sharing Tzu Chi with others and forming good affinities in daily life, one must also remember to bring family members along to cultivate. This way, waves of Bodhisattvas will continue without interruption, linking the circle seamlessly.
Love in the “Marrow,” Love Without End
Toronto volunteers are no strangers to the Tzu Chi family of senior volunteers Bing-Hui Lee and Yue-Xiang Lin, and the second-generation volunteer Zi-Ying Lee. In 2024, Bing-Hui Lee returned to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital in Taiwan for treatment after being diagnosed with leukemia, with Yue-Xiang Lin by his side throughout. Through the bone marrow matching process and cancer treatments, the care and companionship of their Dharma family made the journey less arduous, showcasing the moving strength of mutual support between the medical team and fellow volunteers.
The course connected with Taiwan via video link at 8:00 AM Toronto time (9:00 PM Taiwan time). Toronto volunteer Andersen Chu introduced the timeline, recounting the journey from early autumn 2024 when Bing-Hui Lee was diagnosed. He described how the family went from struggling to accept the facts, to the Eastern Canada Tzu Chi family members taking turns to care and help arrange the return to Taiwan for medical treatment. The retelling touched the heartstrings of everyone present.
Connecting from Hualien, Zi-Ying Lee shared a series of thank-yous: gratitude to the medical staff at Sunnybrook in Canada for their kind explanations; gratitude to Dr. Qi-Cheng Lee, Vice Superintendent of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for his careful guidance and rigorous standards; and gratitude to Dharma family members in both Taiwan and Canada for their companionship. She mentioned that after the transplant, Vice Superintendent Lee continued to follow up on her father’s rehabilitation, encouraging exercise and even making late-night visits. She also expressed gratitude for the love of the monastics at the Jing Si Abode who delivered meals, accompanying the family through difficult times.
Zi-Ying Lee also felt for her mother’s hard work, calling her the best wife in the world. During treatment, her father’s weight once dropped to 42 kilograms, and her mother learned psychological adjustment while caring for him. The family once made the hospital their home—spending Lunar New Year and even the Bathing the Buddha ceremony there—yet with close family and Dharma family by their side, the atmosphere remained warm.
Yue-Xiang Lin expressed her gratitude to the Canadian Dharma family for the care and assistance given to her despite her limited English. This included transportation provided by Toronto volunteer Yang-Ho Cheng and the relay of companionship from Mei-Ming Liao, Andersen Chu, and others. She felt deeply blessed, and was also grateful for Vice Superintendent Qi-Cheng Lee for his attentive care and for Master Cheng Yen’s teachings that accompanied her through the agonizing times.
Bing-Hui Lee, a man of few words, shared that although he felt unfamiliar with leukemia and panicked upon his diagnosis in Toronto, his long years of volunteering with Tzu Chi helped him gradually find peace in impermanence and live with conditions in ease. He also expressed gratitude for his “second birthday” (May 8, 2025, the fifth day after the transplant).
Bone Marrow Transplant: Tzu Chi’s “Number One”
Vice Superintendent Qi-Cheng Lee, a key force of this bone marrow donation, described Bing-Hui Lee’s transplant case as “Tzu Chi’s Number One” from both medical professional and Tzu Chi humanistic perspectives. Bing-Hui Lee was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia complicated by pneumonia in September 2024. At the time, Canadian physicians strongly recommended staying there for treatment; however, his will was firm. Accompanied by his daughter, he returned to Taiwan and went to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for care.
Vice Superintendent Lee was grateful for this supreme affinity. During the treatment, several monastics from the Jing Si Abode, radiant in virtue, came to visit and care for him. With their blessings, the transplant process proceeded smoothly to completion. He also expressed gratitude to Master Cheng Yen for establishing the Tzu Chi Bone Marrow Registry, creating the conditions to save lives and wisdom-life. He was further grateful to a 33-year-old male donor who not only donated marrow but also hand-wrote a letter encouraging the patient to be strong, blessing him with the hope that lay ahead and looking forward to meeting in five years.
May 8, 2025, was the transplant day, marking Vice Superintendent Lee’s first bone marrow transplant for a 75-year-old elder. With all good causes and conditions, everything went safely and smoothly. Bing-Hui Lee recovered quickly and was discharged on May 23 of the same year; before discharge, he even visited other wards to encourage other patients.
Vice Superintendent Lee further explained why Bing-Hui Lee’s case is hailed as “Number One” in the history of Tzu Chi bone marrow transplants: First, he is the oldest recipient of an allogeneic bone marrow transplant; Second, after engraftment was confirmed on the 10th day, he was able to leave the isolation room on the 15th day, making him number one in recovery; Third, he practiced and cultivated his mind daily during the transplant, making him number one in spiritual practice; Fourth, this affinity inspired two families to practice Buddhist teachings diligently, making it number one in virtue.
The Lee family is harmonious and supportive of one another, serving as a model Tzu Chi family. In Hualien, they also expressed in person their gratitude to Master Cheng Yen, thanking Master’s compassionate heart for bringing about the blessed affinities everyone enjoys today. Their daughter, Zi-Ying Lee, gave back to the hospital by donating double units of platelets and personally wrote a thank-you card to the marrow donor, with every word filled with love and gratitude. From the difficult test of diagnosis, through hardships and breakthroughs, to recovery and discharge, this relay of Dharma family hand-in-hand care validates the Jing Si Aphorism: “Those who sow the seeds of blessings shall harvest plentiful blessings.” It is a beautiful story witnessing Tzu Chi’s good affinities —one worth sharing.
Q&A on Bone Marrow Donation
Taking advantage of the rare presence of an expert, volunteer Andersen Chu seized the opportunity to ask Vice Superintendent Li questions about bone marrow donation, bringing a timely and precious health education session to the participants.
Regarding the question, “Why must donors and recipients wait five years before they can meet in person?”, Vice Superintendent Li explained that a bone marrow transplant requires five years to be considered truly successful, with an overall success rate of about 50%. Still, the process itself is extremely precious. Even if the outcome is not successful, the hospital will still arrange for the family to meet the donor to express gratitude, and he hoped Bing-Hui Lee could join a reunion in the next four years or upon returning to Hualien.
Vice Superintendent Li further explained that in the early days, bone marrow donation required extracting marrow with long needles. With advances in medical technology, donors now only need to donate blood (peripheral blood stem cells). Medication is used to drive bone marrow stem cells into the bloodstream for collection. Therefore, bone marrow donation does not harm the body, yet can save precious lives – he urged everyone not to be deterred.
Regarding matching, Vice Superintendent Li pointed out that while a 100% match yields the highest success rate, advances in medications and techniques mean a 90% match can have good results; even with only an 80% match, transplant technology is becoming increasingly mature. Among siblings, a 50% match can also proceed with transplantation.
In addition, the age limit for healthy donors can be up to age 70, though there are specific regulations for non-relative donations, which typically require donors to be under 55. Vice Superintendent Li appealed to everyone, when returning to Taiwan, to visit a Tzu Chi hospital to give a blood sample for the registry, seize the opportunity to join the ranks of marrow donors and light up hope for the continuation of life.
“Spiritual SPA” and Home Visit SOP
Tzu Chi volunteer Mei-Ming Liao has been involved in home visits (charity work) for many years and has accumulated rich practical experience. She believes that a “Spiritual SPA” is a way to convey positive messages in a simple and easy-to-understand way, helping people find support, warmth, and encouragement during low points, reigniting hope in life. Therefore, home visits are not just about material giving, but a deep spiritual comfort. She also systematically organized the SOPs accumulated from years of visits into a handbook for visiting volunteers to share with everyone.
During the session, Mei-Ming Liao shared two cases. She looked back at the story of volunteer Tian-Xiu Liu and the visiting team going to Sunnybrook Hospital years ago to visit leukemia patient Yu-wei Wang (Raymond) and Xiang Mai. Although this case happened many years ago and Yu-wei Wang has since passed away, the entire visiting process remains valuable for learning. Mei-Ming Liao first played a video, guiding the volunteers and trainees to reflect from three directions: What did you see? How do we provide care? What is the wisdom in “Compassion requires Wisdom”?
The video showed the figures of many volunteers engaging in home visits when they were younger; some of whom have since passed away. Visiting involves not only going into hospitals but also deep into the clients’ homes, and even accompanying clients on outdoor activities.
Xiang Mai was injured in 2009 when a large sign fell on him, leaving him completely paralyzed for seven months. Even after treatment, he remained disabled in his lower body. Yet with Tzu Chi volunteers’ long-term care and companionship, he regained his confidence, believing Heaven gave him a unique opportunity to help others – allowing him to sing from his wheelchair, accompany other patients, and continue to pass on the love.
After watching the video, the groups not only admired the perseverance of the senior volunteers but also shared their own insights. Everyone agreed that as visiting volunteers, one should start from the other person’s standpoint, shifting the perspective to the recipient. At the same time, one must help care recipients see their own value, transforming from being helped to becoming someone who gives.
Compassion must be paired with wisdom, knowing how to discover the care recipient’s strengths and reignite hope. Just as Xiang Mai increased his lung capacity through singing, it was not only rehabilitation but also giving that benefits others.
Mei-Ming Liao then explained five principles of home visits: Direct, Focused, Practical, Timely, and Fully Respectful. For example, if during a visit, the home environment is found to be messy, volunteers must first obtain consent before helping to tidy up. They should also value teamwork and division of labor, going in pairs at minimum – one person interacting with the client and the other observing. In addition, religious views should not be imposed on clients; their beliefs must be respected.
She emphasized that the most important part of home visits is guiding a cycle of kindness, encouraging clients, after emerging from gloom, to gradually participate in giving – at least understanding the spirit of the “Bamboo Bank of Love.” In short, in Tzu Chi, everyone is a visiting volunteer and should present care that encompasses the whole person, the whole family, and the whole process. Only by walking among the suffering multitudes can one learn the Dharma in every case, realizing that “infinite Dharma doors are revealed right before us.”
Sign Language: Warming the Heart
To break the dullness of the bleak winter, the training team specially arranged a 45-minute “Hands Bloom Like Flowers” (Sign Language) session — uplifting spirits with the Faith Corps Team Song and warming every trainee’s heart with “The Garment of Gentleness and Patience.”
Volunteer Ya-Min Huang taught “The Robe of Gentleness and Patience,” a title derived from Chapter 10, “The Teacher of the Dharma,” in the Lotus Sutra. Drawing on its meaning, the Master encourages Tzu Chi commissioners to treat people around them with a gentle attitude, cultivate their intrinsic nature, and constantly remind themselves to be gentle and patient, broadly forming good affinities.
Ya-Min Huang first introduced the artistic conception contained in the song, then demonstrated and broke down the movements one by one. She then divided the seventeen volunteers present into groups to practice in preparation for the closing presentation. With fingers moving to the flowing music, everyone carefully experienced the selfless dedication of generations of commissioners—coming through water and fire, gentle yet steadfast at their posts.
Meanwhile, volunteers in the “He Xin” (Unity) group gathered downstairs in the Gratitude Hall to learn the Faith Corps Team Song under volunteer Andy Wang. In the early days of Tzu Chi, initiated by thirty housewives, the mission was mainly carried out by female commissioners, with men mostly supporting behind the scenes. It wasn’t until 1990 that the Faith Corps (Tzu Cheng) was established, with male volunteers beginning to observe precepts, identify with Tzu Chi’s ten regulations, and join the ranks of the mission. Faith Corps members come from all walks of life and can be called the Dharma Protectors (Vajra Guardians) of Tzu Chi, helping the organization operate more quickly and efficiently.
In this sign language session, the Faith Corps Team Song’s lyrics fully displayed the robust spirit of the Faith Corps: valuing organization, emphasizing discipline, and being brave and diligent. As there were two trainees needing English translation, Andy Wang specially explained the lyrics’ meaning in both Chinese and English and broke down the movements so the trainees could clearly understand. Eight volunteers focused intently on learning, preparing to become seeds of the Faith Corps and, at the closing, present an image of courageous diligence and dignified bearing.
Cultivation Drill: Restoring Demeanor
Volunteer Jia-Ling He led new and existing volunteers in reading together the sections on “Clothing” and “Living” etiquette in the cultivation handbook, demonstrating the Tzu Chi family style. She explained that Tzu Chi are standardized by those sold through the Uniform Department. She used pictures to demonstrate the overall etiquette for the Faith Corps and Commissioner uniforms across seasons, specifically reminding everyone of details that are easily overlooked.
For example, name tags should be clipped onto the pocket with a piece of cardstock placed inside the pocket to make the appearance more upright; the length of the Faith Corps tie must also be moderate. These seemingly small details are key to displaying a refined humanistic demeanor.
She also explained the principles of uniform coordination: A Commissioner’s blazer can only be worn with the Qipao or the “Eightfold Noble Path” attire and should not be mixed with the general volunteer vest; a zipper jacket must be worn with the “Blue Sky and White Clouds” attire. These details, which even current commissioners occasionally overlook, provided a good opportunity to review, refresh, and recalibrate their demeanor.
The course also specifically shared the etiquette of “Living.” It is particularly important for trainees to keep up with the group’s rhythm and display the humanistic spirit within the dormitory when returning to Taiwan for camps. To this end, the cultivation team used existing blankets instead of quilts to demonstrate the actual method of folding bedding—for example, stacking from bottom to top: the quilt (cover blanket), the mattress pad, and the pillow. Through hands-on practice, trainees will no longer be flustered when participating in cultivation camps in Taiwan, allowing them to integrate into team life with more composure and confidence.
Hearts in Sync: A Spiritual Feast
Leaving warm beds in the early winter morning to attend training requires firm perseverance; however, the meticulously arranged curriculum by the training team and the guidance of professional lecturers made the trainees feel the trip was well worth it. In the afternoon, everyone shared the day’s inspirations; exchanges among groups were lively, with lingering enthusiasm. But due to time constraints, each group representative only had two and a half minutes to share.
Wei-Ping Yu from the He Xin (Unity) group shared in English. He mentioned that during volunteer Tian-xiu Liu’s return to Taiwan in 2014, he personally participated in visiting Yu-wei Wang (Raymond), forming a connection with him for two months until his passing. That experience left Wei-Ping Yu especially moved by the case, and he deeply appreciated the unceasing dedication of the visiting team led by Tian-Xiu. As he shared, genuine emotion surfaced, and he repeatedly choked up and shed tears.
Ling-yu Zhou from the He Qi (Harmony) group shared that she felt immersed in a “Spiritual SPA” all day. She was deeply moved by the continuous and sincere interaction between the visiting team and the clients, accompanying them from their most vulnerable moments to becoming self-reliant. She realized that Tzu Chi truly puts the Dharma into daily life. The Tzu Chi Bodhisattvas’ teaching by example and by words are models for her learning; only by awakening through learning can the path of practice go further.
Bao-yu Wang from the Hu Ai (Mutual Love) group is an exchange student from Tzu Chi University and already holds considerable understanding of Tzu Chi values. She expressed gratitude to Andersen and Momo for the ride, allowing her to participate in this training. She learned more about the depth of the Tzu Chi spirit and further understood the true meaning of “witnessing suffering to realize blessings.” She also specially praised the delicious lunch and shared that while she used to find Tzu Chi’s etiquette rules complicated, she now understands that it is precisely because everyone follows shared guidelines that a unified and solemn humanistic presence can be expressed.
Also in the Hu Ai group, Chun-ying Zhang from China shared that this course enabled her to deeply feel the inconceivability of “causes and conditions” (affinity) and to understand that “helping others” itself is something to be grateful for—no wonder Tzu Chi people always keep “gratitude” on their lips. She also learned what true “wisdom” is, realizing that helping people requires methods and skills, and that love, too, must be adapted to the person and applied just right.
In January, darkness falls early as dusk gradually descends. Amidst the sound of prayers, the emcee warmly reminded everyone to drive carefully in the winter. With bodies and minds filled with Dharma joy, it was time to wave goodbye; a day of diligent cultivation concluded perfectly with the trainee leader’s caring reminders. Everyone shouldered their bags and set off home, looking forward to meeting again at the next diligence session.
