Julliane Moira S Sy-TIMA 2011
21 Sep 2011
When my parents asked me if I wanted to go to Taiwan this summer, I immediately said yes.I haven’t been to Taiwan and was making rough plans to go with my aunt just a week prior to that. The birthmark on my right heel predicting my many travels must feel vindicated. My globetrotting screeched to halt when I entered law school two years ago. I haven’t exactly been dormant since my regular flights home (Philippines) are still halfway around the world from university (UnitedKingdom). Nevertheless,Ihave long taken a break from seeing the world outside the legal chambers and thought it best to break the trend in 2011.
My parents are generous and supportive, but they do not offer to send me on international trips out of the blue either. What’s up? They said they’ve been invited to attend a medical conference with a Taiwanese volunteer group called Tzu Chi. I quickly inquired how I could participate and volunteer if my medical qualifications did not exceed an expired First Aid certification. They reckon I could help in other ways and that I wouldn’t be the only non medicattendee. They expounded that TzuChi is a Buddhist organization and proceeded to show me Buddhist tokens, chopsticks and other paraphernalia. I was admittedly apprehensive. I am Catholic and have been working hard on my faith since the beginning of this year. My exposure to diverse cultures and religions had gradually challenged my Christian upbringing and I was extra protective of my new found relationship with God. I enjoy reading the Dalai Lama’s teachings but have no plans to pursue Buddhism further than this.
My apprehension grew as I received further instructions regarding the trip. Being a vegetarian of four years, I am supportive of TzuChi’s vegetarianism, but I was very skeptical of the clothing and ethical guidelines. I also have not been very successful with my law summer reading and did not find it helpful taking a week off to attend a Buddhist medical conference! Despite this, I found myself continuously saying yes every time my parents would confirm my attendance to the TzuChi Medical International Medical Association (TIMA) Conference . I truly believe that God transforms our experiences into beautiful platforms for His plans in the most unexpected ways.
I spent my first daysin Hualien trying to conform to the strict rules of living in TzuChi grounds. For example, I didn’t realize how hard it was to refrain from crossing myl egs after spending most of the day sitting down in conference halls or that I even had such a strong habit of doing so .In contrast, the Buddhist Dharma Master Cheng Yen made sitting still look like the most natural position. I started wondering whether my tensed physical state is a reflection of my inner state.
The most difficult struggle was not physical but mental. I didn’t mind the back pains from sleeping on the floor or spending less than six hours of sleep. The tight schedule made me feel like I had lost my freedom. On the second day, I excused myself from the conference and briskly left the hospital building. Freely breathing the fresh air outdoors, I day dreamed my escape to Taipei on a train. Although this was done in jest, I realized this implied how much control I always had on my time. It was an unwelcome change to strictly follow a schedule someone else made for me. I thought about how lack of freedom may be manifested in different forms.The modern phenomenon of migration is probably a subtle form of slavery. Migrant workers who do not have a real option to stay in their country of origin are essentially working in voluntarily because of strong economic and financial pressures. Truly, we realize the value of something when it is taken away from us.
The conference was a medium for medical volunteer sacross the globe to share their experience lending theirprofessional skills to those in need. Following the teachings of TzuChi, service was done in a holistic manner. Doctorsdidnot focus on the physical ailment by simply prescribing medicine and performing operations but extended their help in other areas of the patient’s life. I saw videos of volunteers bathing patients and lifting the crippled. The medical volunteers sincerely discussed how they could improve their service after the conference and offered advice on difficulties they have previously encountered. Some of them highlighted the importance of communicating with local medics prior to doing a medical mission. They have even trained local doctors to better sustain the availability of medical treatments in rural areas. They go both ways; penetrating the personal needs of the patients and dealing with social issues in the world today.
I also observed this extraordinary dedication from volunteers running the conference. Everybody was working doubly hard to ensure that we felt welcome and that the schedule was running smoothly. They woke up earlier and slept later than the participants. Our team leader showed exemplary patience and organizational skills. Most volunteers gave up prolific careers to dedicate their time and abilities to the mission. Although it was unnecessary, volunteers would always line our paths to greet us day and night. It was always the extra effort that made the organization standout.
I thought I’ve had enough exposure to the concept of service, having come from a family that is service oriented and being educated in schools that emphasized giving back and helping others. It was a pleasant surprise that Tzu Chi gave service an even better meaning. I realized I subconsciously viewed helping others as one of several aspects of my life. I’ve always wanted to help, but it was something I could switch on and off or limit to times when it is convenient to me.
If I’m going to be honest I don’t think I am fully prepared to exercise giving in the manner Tzu Chi prescribes. Yet it is enlightening to know that the practical extent of volunteering is wider than I have envisioned. They showed that helping could be universal and wide encompassing. Tzu Chi makes giving more accessible and more possible by setting the example. When I left Taiwan, I became more aware of opportunities to help others everyday. It is not noticing what people obviously need that makes the difference, but taking the further step of thinking about their needs that are not as evident. The opportunities to help others multiplied and the task of deciding to help has become more challenging.
Tzu Chi is doing a remarkable job of practicing compassion in the difficult setting of modernism. The diversity of culture, religion and beliefs has led the majority to regard morality as subjective. What is good for human beings depend on our personal conception of the good. The public realm is made value-neutral as much as possible, preferring to useless controversial terms like rights and justice. This moral skepticism and division of public and private morality pose threats to what Aristotle calls eudemonia, roughly translated as human flourishing. Modern moral and political philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre’s solution to the present state is the‘ construction of new forms of community within which the moral life could be sustained so that both morality and civility might survive the coming ages of barbarism and darkness’. I think the Tzu Chi movement touches on MacIntyre’s morally rich community. Living a good life centered on values does not have to be limited to monastic traditions. Master Cheng Yen has found a way for ordinary citizens to participate in these communities without abandoning the present world.
Comprehensive moral doctrines aspire for nothing less than the truth. While religious doctrines may be internally rational, they are inevitably incompatible with each other. After witnessing the passion of Tzu Chi volunteers and the sincerity of M aster Cheng, I find it hard to believe that Buddhism or this movement does not contain at least part of the truth we are all searching for.
It isn’t that love and compassion is a new concept to me. God reminds me everyday that loving Him equally requires loving my neighbor. It is finding Jesus in even the most difficult people I encounter and practicing the love that I always offer Him in my prayers. I started by considering the Buddhist nature of the conference as a hindrance to my developing faith. In fact, it has made me a better Catholic. Tzu Chi taught me that religious plurality is not necessarily a bad thing if religious organizations teach us to be value centered and to lead lives in accordance with human flourishing.
My trip to Taiwan did not simply add to the list of countries I’ve visited – I have stopped making this list anyway. It is the experiences that count, not the number of marks on my passport. Despite the physical and emotional limitations, I now find the conference surprisingly liberating. The responsibility of deciding how I spend my days again is daunting. I am comforted knowing I will make decisions and face challenges with better wisdom. And for this I am eternally grateful to God and everyone who contributed to my TIMA experience.
