| A Unique Chinese New Year | ||
| Text and photo by Liu King-pong | ||
My wife, Jeanny, and I were invited to celebrate the 2018 Chinese New Year with Master Cheng Yen—the spiritual leader for millions of Tzu Chi members—at the Jing Si Abode, in Hualien City, eastern Taiwan. We planned to arrive on February 15, but because an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit Hualien on February 6, we considered canceling our plans to attend. I called a friend, Carl Chen, who is a resident of Hualien, and learned that many buildings in the city were damaged, including four large buildings that had partially collapsed or were leaning precariously. As of February 11, 17 people had perished and 285 had been injured. Of the 17 fatalities, nine were from mainland China, five from Taiwan, two from Hong Kong of Canadian nationality, and one from the Philippines. We finally decided to attend the celebration. We had promised the Master that we would be there, and we felt it was a privilege for us to spend the Spring Festival with her. Besides, we had not visited the Abode in over a decade, and we didn’t want to miss this occasion. We arrived at the Abode at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 15. Although the disaster nine days before was still fresh in the minds of residents, an atmosphere of festivity permeated the air as the receptionists in the convent busied themselves with serving tea and snacks to visitors. We were warmly greeted by a nun we knew and were soon ushered into the Master’s living room. To our surprise, the Master and a group of core Tzu Chi members were having a meeting, discussing whether anything could have been done to improve the effectiveness of the relief efforts following the earthquake. I learned that Tzu Chi volunteers, led by Deputy CEO Scott Liu (劉效成) of the Tzu Chi Mission of Charity, began assessing the damage within just a few minutes after the disaster happened at 11:50 in the evening of February 6. Despite their prompt action, they forgot to do one important thing: to report immediately what they had seen and heard to the disaster response center provisionally established at the Abode. This is where the Master was eagerly waiting the whole night for information. It was not until five in the morning of February 7 that Liu and other volunteers finally arrived at the Abode to brief her with information they had collected regarding damage, injuries, and deaths. To improve the effectiveness of relief efforts in the future, the Master told the others at the meeting that she wanted them to report their findings concurrently with their assessment, or at least not as late as five hours later. Liu apologized to her and promised that he would include her request in the survey procedure in the future. However, he told the Master that he had also conveyed her three messages to the disaster-affected people over the last few days: First, the major earthquake was over, so there was no need to worry that more devastating temblors might hit soon. Second, Tzu Chi would try to help all victims to rehabilitate, both physically and mentally. Third, they were more than welcome to join Tzu Chi and offer help to other victims. The three points, especially the first one, were an efficient way for the Master to pacify uneasy minds. Why? A reckless weatherman had announced on TV that more severe earthquakes would strike Hualien soon because the underground energy had not yet been completely released. As would be expected, this inappropriate remark stirred up panic among residents, prompting some of them to flee to other cities. The Master’s words served to dispute the weatherman’s nerve-racking remark. The meeting ended at 11:30. The Master chatted with Jeanny and me briefly, and then we proceeded to the dining room to have a substantial hot-pot lunch together. The weather was so gorgeous that day that the Master took a stroll in the compound of the Abode in the afternoon to meet with visitors. Everyone joyfully greeted her with a smile. I felt it had been the right decision to go visit the Abode, and I was glad we hadn’t canceled our plans. Because I was there, I was able to witness the Master and Tzu Chi members working to help victims of the earthquake, even during their Chinese New Year holiday. Seeing so many people diligently working during a time of celebration left me impressed with their committment to allieviate suffering and serve others even without regard for their own interests. It was truly a unique and unforgettable Chinese New Year for us!
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