Peter (second from right) with his brother and sister-in-law participating in a Buddha Bathing ritual for the first time. He prays for good health and wishes everyone happiness and peace. (Photo by Foo Chai Chiwn)
With a caring heart, volunteers from the East District brought the required tools and items for the Buddha bathing ritual to a care recipient's house on 28 May 2023. 64-year-old Peter is a Eurasian who used to do engineering work in the army. Due to poor health, he is currently unemployed.
Peter started receiving dialysis treatment in November last year but had difficulty paying for the high cost of dialysis and transportation. With the hospital's referral, he managed to secure the government's subsidy for his dialysis expenses, while Tzu Chi subsidises his transportation expenses so that he could continue to receive treatment.
Peter and his family are all Christians, but many of his friends are Buddhists, which gives him a very good impression of Buddhism. When he learned that Tzu Chi would be holding the annual Buddha Bathing Ceremony on 15 May this year, he looked forward to it and was eager to participate as a formation volunteer.
However, noting that Peter had just started undergoing dialysis treatment not long ago, volunteer Tan Siew Kiak had to politely decline his request as she was worried that he might be physically weak to do so. And when Tan Siew Kiak shared with Peter later about Tzu Chi's mobile Buddha Bathing ceremony, he immediately agreed to participate.
The volunteers set up a simple yet elegant Buddha bathing corner in Peter's home. Peter, his brother, and his sister-in-law paid attention as Tan Siew Kiak explained the significance of the Buddha bathing ritual. Although Peter could only communicate in English and Hokkien and could not understand the Mandarin verses and prayers, he put his palms together during the ceremony and fulfilled his wish of bathing the Buddha under the guidance of the volunteers.
Tan Siew Kiak fondly recalled her first visit to Peter's house. She noticed that Peter and his two elder brothers who stay with him were not well educated and seemed a little awkward when interacting with others. For example, when volunteers visited, Peter told his elder brothers in Hokkien, "The vegetarians are here!"
Upon hearing this, Tan Siew Kiak felt that such an expression might not be the most polite, so she patiently guided them and shared some positive stories and experiences of interacting with others. After some time, Peter and his brothers became more mindful of their gestures and choice of words and communicated with people in a more polite and respectful manner.
Peter shared that undergoing dialysis treatment made him feel terrible, and he deeply understood the pain and helplessness arising from having an illness. However, the mobile Buddha Bathing ceremony held at his home comforted him and gave him peace of mind. He prayed that his health would improve and everyone would enjoy good health and peace.
The mobile Buddha Bathing ceremony has connected the volunteers to the community and allowed care recipients with disabilities to enjoy Buddha's grace at home, repay parents' kindness, and pray for the physical and mental wellness of their families, allowing everyone to feel the Dharma bliss as such kindness spreads widely.
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