Tzu Chi Jakarta Volunteer: Chia Wen Yu
Tzu Chi's The Place That Changed Me
“I know this is all about humanitarian”
Is there any Tzu Chi volunteer who does not know Wen-yu? It seems very rare, even if they did not know the name of this woman who was born in Padang, 40 years ago, at least they would have known her tall figure well. Wen-yu’s exposure to all volunteers is due to many of her appearances as an MC in Tzu Chi events. The length of time Wen-yu joined Tzu Chi Indonesia is the same as the age of Tzu Chi Indonesia itself.
Back then, Wen-yu wasn't much different from the average company employee. Her position as a secretary of the conglomerate Eka Tjipta Widjaja, the owner of the Sinar Mas Group, made her very close to the lives of the elite groups of society.
|
This luxurious environment inevitably contributed to Wen-yu's lifestyle. "Previously, when I received my salary, I immediately thought, what bag to buy, what clothes to wear, why do I really want it," recalls Wen-yu, "but after Tzu Chi's 'work', we just didn't see other people to eat. From there I changed a lot.” Even though until now, Wen-yu, as a woman who pays attention to this appearance, still likes to shop for clothes, but she no longer spends her money on expensive clothes.
In the first month of her effort in raising donations, Wen Yu managed to collect Rp 20 million donations. The amount was a considerable sum of money at that time. Wen-yu admitted that she used her networks at work to support her donor-raising efforts. In raising funds, Wen-yu is highly persistent, no matter who she is dealing with. "I am that willful because I know this is for social purposes and charities," said the woman who likes to read books.
|
 |
She persistently did all things that she can to contribute to Tzu Chi until one day she had the opportunity to go to Hualien, Taiwan with her mother and a friend. At that time, she met Master Cheng Yen for the first time. “Master never talks about religion, instead Master always reminds us that Buddha's teachings must be applied in our daily lives so that we care for others, care for society, care for the earth. This is why I love Master so much,” said Wen-yu recalling her first meeting with Master Cheng Yen. Therefore she firmly continued to walk the path of Bodhisattva Tzu Chi. In 1996, she was appointed as one of the Indonesian Tzu Chi committees, along with Liu Su-mei, Chun Ing, and Pao Chin.
A Gate to a More Meaningful Life
 |
“If it wasn't for Tzu Chi's 'work', as a working person (employee), when would I have time to enter Tangerang, enter Serang (Tangerang and Serang are places where Tzu Chi found a number of TB cases that needed to be handled)?" Wen-yu said. She does not deny that various information can also be obtained through magazines, television, or other media, but those are different from experiences gained from witnessing and giving help in the actual situation with the sufferings of the people. |
“I have always thought that even though Indonesia is poor, it must have plenty of water, its nature is fertile. I didn't expect that in Serang, which is still in the Jakarta area, there wasn't even a drop of clean water. Meanwhile, when I wash my face, I open the tap, then I wash my face slowly while looking at the mirror, while the water continues to flow,” Wen-yu said. This incident has made a deep impression that she remembered until now. She always drinks with her own drinking bottle to make sure that she will not waste a single drop of water. A valuable lesson Wen-yu had learned from the principle of 'directly' giving help to those in need, giving her the opportunity to see how lucky she was compared to those people.
“Master Cheng Yen Says …” As a well-known host or MC in Tzu Chi activities, be it training, rice distribution, inauguration, or other Tzu Chi stages, her loud and energetic voice makes even a mediocre event seem lively and exciting. Being elected as an MC in Tzu Chi was also not something to be questioned as apparently since graduating from Taiwan Cheng Chi University, Taipei, Wen-yu, who majored in journalism, has often been asked to host events at alumni gatherings, this might be due to her cheerful and talkative character is the right fit for this role.
The task of hosting the event is not as easy and simple as it seems, from Wen-yu's portrayal. Even if it's just talking on stage, this role demands a lot of hard work behind the scenes. “I think anyone can be an MC, but the main thing is we have to understand what Master Cheng Yen's spirit is, and what Tzu Chi Indonesia is doing. Only then we may talk,” Wen-yu also explained how she got the materials to present to the participants/invitations in Tzu Chi activities. Wen-yu added, "People sometimes see us talking (seemingly) easy, but actually we have to be prepared." The world of Tzu Chi, which is covering Tzu Chi programs hosted by Wen-yu, always filled with her enthusiastic remarks, "Ladies and gentlemen, Shi-siong (male volunteer), Shi-cie (female volunteer), Master Cheng Yen said...." which she then continued with a number of Master's teachings on loving-kindness which are practiced in various aspects of life, according to the topics discussed in the activity. Perhaps Wen-yu through her role as MC is one of the volunteers act to spread the philosophy of Tzu Chi to the wider community. But how could Wen-yu know so many things of 'Master Cheng Yen’s words’? Because she faithfully listens to Master Cheng Yen's lectures every day on Taiwan's Da Ai TV and also reads Tzu Chi books.
| The more we give, the more we receive. Wen-yu feels she still has a lot to gain, although being an MC also adds to the burden of responsibility. "If I didn't become an MC, maybe I wouldn't read that much either," she said. In addition, she also watched more Tzu Chi’s videos in order to make her duties smooth, especially those that would be shown in an activity, listened more seriously to the sharing of other volunteers in Tzu Chi activities, and many more. Wen-yu's sincerity in presenting the interesting Tzu Chi program can be seen from the way she prepares it. Wen-yu carefully takes notes every time she gets a lesson or a good word when she is reading a book or watching a Tzu Chi show so that she can use it at any time. Considering Tzu Chi's activities are increasingly being carried out in various cities, Wen-yu also hopes that Tzu Chi Indonesia can have more MCs. |  |
Vegetarians and Animal Lovers
Before joining Tzu Chi, since 1992 to be exact, Wen-yu, who has been a Buddhist since childhood, has chosen a different way of life from other people by becoming a vegetarian. Buddhism, which advocated avoiding killing and requiring respect for all living beings, not just humans, had prompted Wen-yu to stop eating the flesh of souls.
 |
She began to live with this choice gradually. First she stopped eating beef, then continued to stop eating pork, then chicken, and finally fish and other aquatic animals. At first, Wen-yu's own mother, who is also a vegetarian, was worried about her youngest daughter's choice. "My mother is afraid that I will become difficult to get along with," Wen-yu said, but in reality, Wen-yu didn't have any major problems with this choice. "As long as we respect our own way of life, others will respect it too," she stressed. Wen-yu's love for animals has strengthened her intention to become a vegetarian. “In my house, there is a cat and a dog. Everything I picked up from the road, " she added. Not only that, if she finds the body of a dog or cat lying on the road, she will arrange for the body to be buried. "We are all afraid of death, they (animals) are the same," she said. Wen-yu persistently trying to share the good meaning of being a vegetarian by sharing this understanding with her friends. But at all Wen-yu did, she does not force others to follow in her footsteps, "Everything must start from one's own intentions," she said. |
Becoming a 'Real Human Beings'
Tzu Chi consists of various people from different places and with diverse backgrounds, so differences of opinion and views are unavoidable. From Wen Yu’s tenth year experience of joining the foundation, the troubles she has faced and gone through are incalculable. She admitted that the former Wen-yu might have held her grudge for days when someone said something that hurt her heart, but “Now I'm past those times,” Wen-yu affirmed.
After witnessing so many people suffering during her Tzu Chi activities, she learned the open-minded attitude when she realized that life is impermanent. Moreover, at Tzu Chi she learned to establish good relations with everyone, by only giving one touch or one smile as long as it could give happiness to others.
| At the end of the conversation that lasted for about an hour, Wen-yu also shared that whenever she heard the news about a disaster or calamity experienced by other people, her reaction in the past was to be grateful that the disaster or calamity did not happen to herself or her family. But after understanding what Master has taught, that all humans in any part of the world are our brothers and sisters. She can now really feel sympathy for the suffering of others. "That's why I often say, I learned to be a real human at Tzu Chi." |  |
Perhaps, in the eyes of others, Wen-Yu had done a lot of things to help others for Tzu Chi, but that was not something she was proud of let alone boasted about. "Master said, helping the sick or poor are only doing our duty as human beings," she said. On the other hand, she also believes that in everything she does, it might seem that Tzu Chi volunteers have given a lot, but in fact, it is the volunteers who get (learn) the most.
As told to Ivana: Photo: Doc. Tzu Chi
Translator: Olivia Tan (Tzu Chi Volunteers)
Sitemap