Take a different path

Written by: Ming Meng (明萌)

Translator: Wu Jialin (吳家琳)

Reviewer: Tsai Yu-shan (蔡雨珊)

Proof reader: Georgia Frazer

Final Editor: Su Jihou (蘇紀豪)

In the lecture hall, the verse of praising the Buddha sounded, "In the heaven and earth nothing compares with the Buddha..." accompanied by two masters in the abode. Master Cheng Yen walked slowly to the podium, starting the year-end blessing ceremony.

Why didn't the Master walk directly into the venue from the second floor? The parallel floors were easier and more effortless to walk. Why did she take such an effort to walk downstairs slowly?  It is to let more people get closer to her and feel the positive energy of compassion. Therefore, even though she was dragging her vulnerable body, she still took a firm step forward.

Dharma Master Cheng Yen, took a different path. As a practitioner, she didn’t choose to "practice in a hidden world", but chose to lead her disciples around the world to walk through many corners of misery, and turn their sufferings into happiness.

When the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association was first established, the Master was struggling on whether to study in Japan! "If I study in Japan, the achievements only belong to myself, but if I stay in Taiwan and carry forward Tzu Chi, at least some elders, widows, and orphans can rely on me." After considering the two options, she decided to devote herself to Tzu Chi.

This decision made the Master very distinguished. It was like walking on a road of no return, a path of pure mind and altruism.

"Why did you get married so far away?" These words of sincere concern led to the 10,385-kilometer Master and apprenticeship.

Tsai Dailin, a beautiful girl from southern Taiwan, married in Mozambique because of love. Through serendipity she became a powerful promoter in changing Mozambique.

The round smiling face contains a persevering look. She is not tall, but gives people a kind of stability. Dailin also chose to take a different path, just like the Dharma Master Cheng Yen who she took refuge in.

In 2012, Dailin first met Tzu Chi through the introduction of Brother Yang Mingqin. In the same year, she returned to Taiwan to participate in the "Jing Si Life Camp". The three-day camp changed her outlook on life. She met the right master, and was touched by the two songs "Ask the Heart" and "Direction".

 "In the past, when I was in Mozambique, I had all kinds of anxiety entangled in my heart, because of differences in customs, culture, and social perspective." For example, the local people had no sense of time, when they were two hours late, they didn’t think they should apologize and said "You have a watch, but I have time!"

After being baptized by the Tzu Chi spirit, Dailin learned to use gratitude, respect, and accommodation to look at the people and things around her with a new mentality, and learned how to carry out Tzu Chi's four major missions in this poor country.

Do you want to give up when you encounter difficulties in promoting your mission in Mozambique? Dailin blinked her big eyes and said, "No! The Master taught us to keep an open heart and pure mind."

 In order to do good deeds, she was "invited" to the police station for interrogation, she was taken to the chief's office for interrogation. She was also questioned by friends about whether she had received any benefits, and even got kicked out of the house. All kinds of setbacks failed to change her mind to carry on the spiritual missions, she said firmly "To promote Tzu Chi in Africa, there is no way out, I must succeed!"

"Difficulties are only temporary, there is no mission that can be completed smoothly all the time." Dailin is grateful for the Master's teaching.  "On second thought, I can turn the situation around.” She engraved it in her heart, so whenever adversity strikes, she can always overcome it. 

One is the Master and the other is a disciple. Both of them have taken a very different path. The common cause between them is "compassion" and the goal is "great love".