Advice from the Master

One time when Yang traveled to Hualien, he asked Master Cheng Yen why there were so many conflicts in Zamboanga. The Master replied, "We haven't tried hard enough to make people love each other."

Yang was born in the Philippines in 1965. In addition to English and Tagalog, he also speaks some Chinese and he has learned the Master's words by heart. When he returned to Zamboan­ga, he started leading groups of volunteers to remote mountain villages where there were no medical facilities in order to provide free clinics. By September 2004,20 free clinics had been held and around 15,000 patients treated.

A 63-year-old man who had previously refused to have a hernia operation had suffered excruciating pain for decades. He did not want to have surgery because he worried that the expense would bankrupt his family. Whenever his intestines fell out of place, he would try to take care of it himself and with agonizing pain push them back into place with his own hands.

In September 2003, the old man received his hernia surgery at a free clinic. Yang explained, "Tzu Chi helps treat those who cannot afford treatment and frees them from terrible pain and suffering. These people can then go back to work again in order to support their families. To save a person is also to save a family."

"We take the initiative to look for patients in remote districts rather than waiting passively for them to come to us," Yang continued. Over the years, Tzu Chi volunteers in Zamboanga have distributed free medicine to more than 5,000 patients and promoted several medical subsidy programs to further help the impoverished.

Volunteers have also successfully worked in conjunction with the Zamboanga City Medical Center. Every week, the hospital grants two free operations to patients who are unable to afford surgery or treatment. Although this measure is valuable, it still falls short of meeting a far greater demand. Those who cannot pay for treatment are referred to Tzu Chi, which then takes care of the fees and even provides daily necessities for them.

Besides this, Tzu Chi and the medical center also work hand-in-hand to run an ophthalmolo­gy subsidy program for the poor. The program so far has helped over 900 patients with cataract and lens implants, over 250 patients with other ophthalmic surgeries and medication subsidies, over 200 patients with eyeglasses, and one patient with a corneal transplant.

When the Tzu Chi office was established, there were only three TIMA members, but now there are 43. At the free clinics, people from dif­ferent organizations or units such as local chari­ty groups, hospitals, civil administration units, volunteers from the Zamboanga City Medical Center, and owners of 4-by-4 vehicles all come together to provide help.

The rainbow always comes after the rain. A soldier who helps maintain security at the Tzu Chi free clinics explains the impact that the relief work has had on him. He says, "Seeing people of different races and religions working together to help those in need, to provide relief from such dreadful pain, is such a beautiful scene. It reminds me of the rainbow which, after the rainfall, hangs across the sky above."