Members of the public pray for safety and prosperity in the coming New Year at the Year-End Blessing event. (Photo by Chua Zhen Jia)
The Year-End Blessing ceremony is an annual event for Tzu Chi volunteers to get together and thank those who have supported Tzu Chi over the years. More than 1,700 Tzu Chi volunteers and members of the public watched the Year-in-Review videos together and witnessed the acts of great love from 2022. Attendees also joyfully received the Red Packets of Blessings and Wisdom by Master Cheng Yen and prayed for world peace together.
At the entrance of Jing Si Hall, one was greeted by the simple yet solemn decorations in the lobby, which were imbued with a strong ambience of Tzu Chi's humanistic culture. The bamboo coin bank zone, Jing Si humanistic culture zone, prayer zone, and medical consultation station were all crowded with people. A vegetarian dining area was set up in the backyard of Jing Si Hall for volunteers to serve delicious vegetarian meals to welcome the crowd and make them feel more at home.
With a bamboo bank zone, a Jing Si humanistic culture zone, a prayer zone, a medical consultation station, and Jing Si products stalls, the entire first floor of Jing Si Hall is filled with people during the two days of the Year-End Blessing ceremony. (Photo by Chan May Ching)
At the back of Jing Si Hall, a dining area is set up for volunteers to serve sumptuous vegetarian food to members of the public. (Photo by Lee Lang Cheng)
Achieving Many Good Deeds with the Donations collected through the Bamboo Coin Bank
At the bamboo coin bank zone, a member of the public Lu De Fa poured two large bags of coins down a large ceramic pot, creating a clattering sound that attracted the attention of onlookers. Mr Lu only earns a little working as a school janitor. After getting to know Tzu Chi ten years ago, he has been bringing his bamboo coin bank every year for the Year-End Blessing ceremony.
Mr Lu said that he took a bus to Jing Si Hall because the coins were heavy. He placed the coins in a plastic bag and had to drag them in a suitcase.
He shared: "I am still living a decent life, and saving some coins every day can help people who need it more than me. This is more meaningful!"
Member of public, Goh Poh Lee is a Tzu Chi member who brings her bamboo coin bank back to Jing Si Hall every year. This time, she brought back ten bamboo coin banks and it took a while to empty all of them into the large ceramic pot.
Ms Goh said: "These four comes from four families; the other six are mine."
Ms Goh shared that she had some health issues a few years ago and was extremely depressed. With the care and guidance given by volunteer Chua Hoe Lock, she managed to gradually walk out of her depression.
Although Ms Goh cannot volunteer with Tzu Chi at the moment as she is occupied with her family business, she has told her family about Tzu Chi and also asked them for donations. And they’ve done so vigorously by regularly saving their small change in the bamboo coin bank. She hopes to transform herself to influence her family and obtain the approval of her family to let her become a Tzu Chi volunteer in the future. She said: "I really want to help people just like you all!"
Tzu Chi member Goh Poh Lee is taking quite some time to pour the coins from ten bamboo coin banks into the large ceramic pot. (Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)
New service at the interactive zone
The medical consultation station situated in the lobby was a fresh attempt at the Year-End Blessing event. Many people were attracted by the free service and came forth to seek consultation. Tan Siong Ing, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, said the Tzu Chi International Medical Association had not provided free health consultations to the public for a long time due to the pandemic. This free consultation was a good opportunity for TIMA members to start giving back to society again.
Be it Western or Chinese medicine, the physicians listened attentively to the questions posed by members of the public and advised them accordingly.
Ms Tan said: "After the consultation, I would teach them how to massage their tendons in the simplest way so that they can do some health maintenance at home and improve their physical fitness. Most importantly, everyone should only eat 80% full and help others with the 20% saved. It’s good to help others! If you don’t overeat and are willing to donate to others, you will be healthy physically and mentally.”
The medical consultation station, which is launched for the first time, has attracted many people to seek consultation from doctors and TCM practitioners. (Photo by Goh Shoo Weng)
Next to the medical consultation station, there was the prayer zone where a wishing tree covered with green leaves and red apple cards was set up.
Low Sai Kian, a teacher from the Teachers’ Association said: “We hung many ‘leaves’ of Jing Si Aphorism on the tree so that the members of the public can take away one leaf after hanging their apple card on the tree with their wishes written on it. Eventually, the tree will ‘grow’ into a big tree filled with ‘fruits’."
Member of the public Chia Soon Fong picked up one Jing Si Aphorism that reads: “Do everything willingly and accept everything happily", and that amazed her. She reflected on how she had been calculative with her family members and demanding of her children.
She shared: "It turns out that you can't always seek to obtain something from others. You have to give selflessly in order to feel joy."
Little children carefully hang their written apple cards on the wishing tree. (Photo by Chua Zhen Jia)
Susheela Devi was invited to the Tzu Chi Buddha Bathing Ceremony in May and she was very touched by what she saw and heard at the event. She then brought her mother and a friend along for the Year End Blessing ceremony.
Ms Susheela, who is also a Buddhist, said with tears in her eyes: "The Buddha was once a prince who gave up everything to seek the truth. So, it is even more important for us to do our part for society and humanity, and to love and care for all beings because we are one family."
Ms Susheela and her family and friends were so moved that they each collected a bamboo coin bank and also wrote down their wishes. They said they would do their part by donating for the greater good and cut down on meat consumption.
Ms Susheela (second from the right, front row) was deeply moved during Tzu Chi Buddha Bathing Ceremony in May and decided to bring her mother and friends to attend this year’s Year End Blessing ceremony. (Photo by Chai Yu Leong)
Awakening Wisdom with Compassion
The Global Year-in-Review was broadcasted on the big screen at the Buddha Hall with many scenes of emergency distribution in Ukraine and charity relief in Nepal. Many could not contain their emotions and shed tears of sadness.
Some of the audience were heard saying: "War is so terrible, children are so innocent! Fortunately, there is Master Cheng Yen and direct aid relief from Tzu Chi volunteers that warmed the hearts of the refugees.”
Member of the public, Pang Seuw Yan visited a Buddhist site in Nepal in 2018. Ms Pang was shocked when she heard Master Cheng Yen mention about giving back to the Buddha's homeland in the video.
She shared: “I don’t know why I was so shocked by that.”
She said that while most people would think of repaying the kindness of their parents or the country, Master Cheng Yen wanted to "repay the kindness of the Buddha and this is an enormous wish”. Ms Pang was very moved on this day and said that it had strengthened her confidence in choosing the Tzu Chi Bodhisattva path.
Many are saddened and touched at the same time by the scenes of disaster relief shown on the big screen. (Photo by Chua Teong Seng)
In the video, innocent little children clearly said that going vegetarian means not killing, and that vegetarianism is the best way to care for our earth and co-exist with all living beings.
Having listened to what the children in the video said, Ms Rekha, an English teacher at Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool said: "If you want to be a caring person, how can you bear to eat the flesh of any living beings?”
Ms Rekha and her family are devout vegetarian Hindus. She used to be distressed that she had to feed children meat dishes every day as the preschool she previously worked at does not provide vegetarian food. She also said that God has given mankind the most natural plant-based food to nourish our bodies, but external factors have made many foolish enough to kill other living beings to satisfy their appetite for meat.
Ms Rekha joined Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool as a teaching staff six months ago and felt that there is so much love there besides it being a fully plant-based centre.
“It's my dream workplace!" said Ms Rekha.
Ms Rekha said that listening to the Master's teachings often touched her deeply and brought her to tears. Love is the medicine for the soul, and she hopes that all people in the world will be loving and that she will one day be able to meet Master Cheng Yen in person.
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool teacher, Ms Rekha, at Jing Si Hall for the Year End Blessing ceremony together with her family who are all Hindus. (Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)
The audience prays together for the purification of the mind, a harmonious society and a world free from disaster. (Photo by Chua Teong Seng)
Volunteers share Dharma Joy
Tzu Chi volunteers nurture compassion through giving and develop wisdom through overcoming hardship. At each of the seven sessions of Year-End Blessing ceremony, different volunteers shared with the members of the public how inspiring and joyful it is to be a Tzu Chi volunteer. There were Tzu Chi families that practise the Bodhisattva way together, and community leaders who shared about passing on legacies and sustainability. Everyone is creating a meaningful life together on this Bodhisattva path.
"Once, when my husband came home drunk, he saw me and started hitting me, leaving bruises on my eyes. He went into a drunken rage and splashed cooking oil all over the floor. I've seen how other people’s husbands would take care of the family. I've never seen one like my husband.”
Kwek Jin Tai endured the fear for thirty years, she said, "I put up with it for the sake of keeping my family intact."
Halfway through Ms Kwek’s sharing, the host called out the “bad guy”. Out stepped a big, strong, kind-looking man.
"Mr Bad Guy" said with embarrassment on his face: "I'm sorry to my mother and wife for not taking care of my family when I was young."
The turning point for Lee was a trip to Taiwan. During their stay there, he came across a Da Ai TV programme and got startled by Tzu Chi’s concept. After returning to Singapore, he immediately gave up drinking, smoking and gambling, and joined Tzu Chi as a volunteer.
Domestic shame should not be made public, Hence, Lee Teck Hock did not want to talk about his past to the mass.
However, during a trip to Jing Si Abode to meet Master Cheng Yen, she said to him: "When you returned to Singapore, you have to be a benefactor to others, share your story to inspire people."
Ms Kwek said gratefully: "I am grateful to Da Ai TV for transforming Brother Teck Hock and also thankful to Master Cheng Yen for “saving” my husband.”
Over the years, both husband and wife have been actively involved in Tzu Chi activities and have also donated their hard-earned money to the Honorary Board to support Da Ai TV, hoping to pass on more messages of beauty and kindness to transform more lives.
Lee Teck Hock (second from left) and Kwek Jin Tai (second from right) travelled to Taiwan and inadvertently came across the Da Ai TV channel in their hotel, where the Life Wisdom by Dharma Master Cheng Yen programme changed his life completely. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
Evaluate one’s life value and pass on legacies to future generations
In this year’s Year-End Blessing ceremony, Master Cheng Yen encouraged everyone to “lead life with compassion and wisdom to pass on legacies to future generations”. Everyone sincerely accepted Master Cheng Yen’s blessing in the form of the Red Packet of Blessings and Wisdom and aspired to treat Buddha’s wisdom as a Dharma treasure in dealing with worldly matters and also to pass on the wisdom to future generations.
Despite her young age, Tzu Chi youth Chua Qi Qian had already participated in the Year End Blessing event seven times. She usually keeps the Red Packet of Blessings and Wisdom in her purse and carries it with her.
"The red packets symbolise auspiciousness and safety, so I feel safe when I carry one around with me," she said.
Having received the red packets for 21 years, senior volunteer Tan Phek Har treasures her Dharma bond with Master Cheng Yen. Ms Tan said that if she had not come across Tzu Chi, she would have lived her life in ignorance. It was Tzu Chi that has helped her find the meaning and value of life, leaving her with no regrets. She and her partners have pledged to serve others so that in the future, even if she is no longer physically able to do volunteer work, she can still return to Jing Si Hall to look after this “home".
Chua Wee Chong and his wife Chong Chee Sia, have already collected 13 Red Packets of Blessings and Wisdom and were most impressed by the ones they received at Jing Si Abode in Hualien a year before they were certified as commissioners. After becoming certified, the couple has been making great efforts to promote environmental protection in Tzu Chi.
Mr Chua made a sincere vow to share about Tzu Chi whenever he can in the future. Ms Chong, who works at Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool, even made a vow to inspire kindness and love in children.
She said: "Tzu Chi is about passing on love and kindness to the younger generation. We have to set an example and touch the hearts of those around us."
Tzu Chi Singapore CEO, Loh Swee Seh (right) handing out Red Packets of Blessings and Wisdom to the public, wishing them an abundance of blessings and wisdom every year. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
Master Cheng Yen said that a truly wise thing to do is to pass on "virtues" instead of wealth to the future generation. She hopes that everyone would evaluate the value of their life while serving others. The seven sessions of the Year End Blessing ceremony came to a successful conclusion. It is hoped that the ripples of love would continue to expand. And may every family remain safe, society remains harmonious, and the world be free from disaster.
Share 
