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• Alice Wijaya : Keeping In Mind the Early Determination

_{When Master Cheng Yen's Jing Si Aphorism flashes through my mind, I will contemplate and correct myself. Sometimes it is very difficult, but when we are able to overcome such difficulties, then that is true patience.}

_{Being the eldest of seven siblings, I hardly ever feltl the word “suffering”. However, at the end of 2002, I got the information that there would be a social organization formed in Medan. Overwhelmed with curiosity, a few weeks later, I, along with Lina Gozali (now a Tzu Chi volunteer committee - Red), came to the designated shop that was going to be the gathering place for the organization. From there, I understood that there was a non-profit organization from Taiwan called Tzu Chi that worked in the field of humanity. I was interested in joining.}

_{In my early time as a Tzu Chi volunteer, I was invited to survey the homes of people who asked for help from Tzu Chi. This experience made me understand the meaning of suffering. This activity encouraged me to give more. Every Sunday, we collected clothing items from donors. Then, we sorted and washed them again. If, there was a tear or missing button we’d fix them. So, what were these clothes for? If, there was a fire or flood disaster, the clothes that we have cleaned will be distributed to those in need.}

_{Then, I became a charity mission volunteer and accompanied the Tzu Chi patients to hospitals. That's when I learned a lot of things, especially when the patients that were taken under our care were healed. That made me so happy. That feeling of happiness has driven me to be more active in Tzu Chi. In the early year of 2003, I was inaugurated as the Blue White Tzu Chi volunteer.}

_{In that same year, for the first time, Tzu Chi Medan held a medical social work at Cemara Asri complex serving about one thousand patients. This experience also made me interested in joining in another medical social work held by Tzu Chi Medan. Then, in the late 2004, a major natural disaster struck Aceh. The terrible tsunami devastated the province. I was invited to contribute by helping to care for the disaster victims. At that moment, It was very sad to see so many victims. However, for the sake of helping others, we were not afraid even though the conditions were still unsafe.}

_{Since then, I always joined any medical social works. I felt that, besides helping others from their illness, this social work also helped myself. Why? Because, it gave me a better understanding about the meaning of life.}

_{I really loved the health mission, especially when there’s a social work for cataract surgery. Seeing a person freed from the darkness was an indescribable happiness. With so many patients took part in this Tzu Chi’s event, I was thinking, volunteers should also help the medical team. So, on June 1, 2017 I invited doctors and nurses to teach volunteers to use the Biometry and Tonometer, so later during the social work, everyone was able to help each other and work together.}

_{Being a volunteer does not mean I don’t have problems in my life. When I encounter problems, I always remember Master Cheng Yen's words, "Building determination is easy, but it's hard to keep it. If we only talk of determination without doing self-coaching, we will not be able to understand the real truth and not be able to apply the teachings of Dharma in everyday life”. "When Master Cheng Yen's Jing Si Aphorism crossed my mind, I would reflect and correct myself.  It was very difficult, but when we were able to overcome such difficulties, then we’d know the meaning of true patience.}

_{Since I know Tzu Chi, there were also many good changes in me. I used to be the kind of housewife who likes to buy branded goods.  Now, I have left behind that kind of lifestyle. I think, why wasting money when there are still others that are in suffering. And from Tzu Chi, I now know the world of health, medicine, and humanity. Hopefully, I can always contribute and  keep my initial resolution.}

_{As told to Nuraina Ponidjan (Tzu Chi Medan)}

_{Translator : Veranica (Tzu Chi School)}

_{Editor : Wida Maryani (Tzu Chi School)}

Being the eldest of seven siblings, I hardly ever feltl the word “suffering”. However, at the end of 2002, I got the information that there would be a social organization formed in Medan. Overwhelmed with curiosity, a few weeks later, I, along with Lina Gozali (now a Tzu Chi volunteer committee - Red), came to the designated shop that was going to be the gathering place for the organization. From there, I understood that there was a non-profit organization from Taiwan called Tzu Chi that worked in the field of humanity. I was interested in joining.

In my early time as a Tzu Chi volunteer, I was invited to survey the homes of people who asked for help from Tzu Chi. This experience made me understand the meaning of suffering. This activity encouraged me to give more. Every Sunday, we collected clothing items from donors. Then, we sorted and washed them again. If, there was a tear or missing button we’d fix them. So, what were these clothes for? If, there was a fire or flood disaster, the clothes that we have cleaned will be distributed to those in need.

Then, I became a charity mission volunteer and accompanied the Tzu Chi patients to hospitals. That's when I learned a lot of things, especially when the patients that were taken under our care were healed. That made me so happy. That feeling of happiness has driven me to be more active in Tzu Chi. In the early year of 2003, I was inaugurated as the Blue White Tzu Chi volunteer.

In that same year, for the first time, Tzu Chi Medan held a medical social work at Cemara Asri complex serving about one thousand patients. This experience also made me interested in joining in another medical social work held by Tzu Chi Medan. Then, in the late 2004, a major natural disaster struck Aceh. The terrible tsunami devastated the province. I was invited to contribute by helping to care for the disaster victims. At that moment, It was very sad to see so many victims. However, for the sake of helping others, we were not afraid even though the conditions were still unsafe.

Since then, I always joined any medical social works. I felt that, besides helping others from their illness, this social work also helped myself. Why? Because, it gave me a better understanding about the meaning of life. 

I really loved the health mission, especially when there’s a social work for cataract surgery. Seeing a person freed from the darkness was an indescribable happiness. With so many patients took part in this Tzu Chi’s event, I was thinking, volunteers should also help the medical team. So, on June 1, 2017 I invited doctors and nurses to teach volunteers to use the Biometry and Tonometer, so later during the social work, everyone was able to help each other and work together.

Being a volunteer does not mean I don’t have problems in my life. When I encounter problems, I always remember Master Cheng Yen's words, "Building determination is easy, but it's hard to keep it. If we only talk of determination without doing self-coaching, we will not be able to understand the real truth and not be able to apply the teachings of Dharma in everyday life”. "When Master Cheng Yen's Jing Si Aphorism crossed my mind, I would reflect and correct myself.  It was very difficult, but when we were able to overcome such difficulties, then we’d know the meaning of true patience.

Since I know Tzu Chi, there were also many good changes in me. I used to be the kind of housewife who likes to buy branded goods.  Now, I have left behind that kind of lifestyle. I think, why wasting money when there are still others that are in suffering. And from Tzu Chi, I now know the world of health, medicine, and humanity. Hopefully, I can always contribute and  keep my initial resolution.