After Zhou (left) gamely took on the role as a sign language facilitator, she accompanied and patiently guided the elderly volunteers in their journey, allowing them to experience the joy of Dharma. (Photo by Lee Kwong Seng)
Though Zhou Chun Hua is already 64 years old, age has not dampened her zest for learning. Her unfamiliarity with the Chinese language did not stop her from taking on the role as a sign language facilitator to guide others either. With a sense of urgency deeply ingrained in her being, Zhou has chosen not to lead a leisurely life after retirement. Instead, she actively participates in volunteer activities, such as those related to the “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation. Since 2012, Zhou can often be been seen taking part in various sign language practice classes, rehearsals and meetings.
Age is no Barrier
“Seeing the frequency with which disasters occur around us, I deeply feel the urgency behind the words when Master says that “time is running out,” and I hope to do my part and contribute to the effort to purify the hearts of people, bring harmony to society and mitigate disasters. ”Zhou speaks frankly of what made her decide to be a sign language facilitator.
Though her mind was firmly made up, taking on the role was not easy for Zhou as she had hearing difficulties and had never received formal Chinese lessons. After some initial hesitation, she drew encouragement from the story of Liang Cai Li, a Malaysian volunteer who was suffering from serious visual impairment. From her story, Zhou realized that there is nothing that cannot be accomplished with determination.
To better fulfil the needs of her role, Zhou planned to buy a hearing aid. In Singapore, a hearing aid can cost up to $3,800, but Zhou did not directly use her retirement funds, choosing instead to employ the concept of “consuming 80% and saving the rest” to help her accomplish her aim. Over a year, she accumulated the savings from switching to a vegetarian diet as well as the savings from transport fare discounts for senior citizens, before finally being able to get herself a hearing aid.
Zhou also signed up for a senior citizens’ Chinese class in the community in order to read Chinese. To learn the various Chinese characters, she first started off by learning their pronunciation with the help of hanyu pinyin (the phonetic system used in romanizing Chinese pronunciation). Zhou’s diligence did not go unnoticed, and she was praised by the class instructor for being the oldest, yet most hardworking student.
Though she could not understand every word in the lyrics of the“Dharma as Water” stage adaptation, Zhou employed the use of hanyu pinyin to aid her in memorizing the songs. She would also humbly ask for help from others if she could not catch the rhythm of the songs. Zhou laughs as she describes how she would sneak a peek at those standing beside her for cues if she lagged behind. Seeing how every volunteer had been so patient and kind with her, Zhou is extremely grateful.
From the numerous English explanatory notes scribbled all over the Chinese sign language instruction manual, one can tell that the English-educated Zhou Chun Hua has great enthusiasm for learning. (Photo by Susan Ong Soh Chin)
Zhou was able to buy herself a hearing aid with savings accumulated from a frugal lifestyle. (Photo by Susan Ong Soh Chin)
Family and Volunteer Work are Equally Important
After accepting the role of facilitator, Zhou not only benefitted from learning the Dharma, she also had the opportunity to form many positive affinities with elderly volunteers and members of the public. However, she also had family commitments that were equally important to her. Zhou is very close to her sister in Malaysia, who is already more than 80 years old. In the past, they would call each other on a daily basis to ensure that both were doing fine. After Zhou accepted the role of facilitator, she would inadvertently reach home late every day and miss the chance to catch up with her sister over the telephone.
In August this year, Zhou’s nephew went on a holiday overseas and coincidentally, her sister’s birthday also fell during that period. Worried that no one would be around to care for her sister, Zhou invited her over to Singapore and requested for two weeks off from the activities of the stage adaptation team. However, her sister showed great understanding and advised Zhou to cherish the opportunity to engage in Tzu Chi’s worthwhile endeavours, exhorting her that it was imperative not to lag behind the team.
“I was busy taking care of my sister and being involved in Tzu Chi activities, but I feel very grateful that I could manage both. This incident also reminded me that I need to spend more time with my family，”says Zhou who is single and stays with her adopted daughter’s family.
Here, Zhou shares her personal experiences with other volunteers before the start of the chorus and sign language practice sessions, inspiring those who had thoughts of giving up to persevere on. (Photo by Yeoh Kuan Seong)
Zhou regularly participates in blood donation drives. With the attitude that “saving lives cannot wait; the blood banks cannot run dry,” she zealously encourages members of the public to donate blood. (Photo by Yong Keah Pei)
A Quick Temper Hurts While Gentleness Heals
Zhou used to have a quick temper and had the habit of raising her voice when agitated. She likes her environment clean, and once, discovering that no one had cleaned up the house upon her return, loudly demanded to know the reason why. In return, her family pointed out that the moment she stepped foot in the door, she had started scolding them. This made Zhou aware of her negative habituations and feeling remorseful that her temper had hurt others, she was moved to apologise immediately. These days, if something annoys Zhou, she tries to ensure that she calms down first before she approaches others.
“The Master once said that we should first ensure that our families are well-taken care of before undertaking volunteer work. In a similar vein, I have to pay attention to my family’s feelings first, or else, however well I treat other people, it can never be a compensating factor.”
Now, even if she is just teaching her grandchildren not to waste food, Zhou employs a gentle demeanour. In the past, she would have lost her temper and chided them loudly. Relating how a gentle approach can work just as well, Zhou explains to her grandchildren that every mouthful of food is the result of a farmer’s backbreaking efforts before coaxing them to eat.
In addition, Zhou borrows a verse from the stage adaptation, encouraging those around her to “speak good words gently, like lotuses emerging from the mouth.”Just as Master Cheng Yen says, what we say will be accepted as truths by those we have built good affinities with; for those whom we do not share good affinities, our words will not carry any weight.
Zhou’s favourite sentence from the “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation goes : “As the sun rises from the east to dispel the dark, so the prodigal son finds his way home……”She says that to err is human, but in quoting the Master, everyone has an innate Buddha nature and as long as we repent publicly and do not repeat our wrongs, we can return to our intrinsic pure nature.
Zhou’s own“Dharma as Water” journey has not been easy, but she is determined not to give up. She has used her own example to inspire those around her to carry on. With full confidence, she says :“This journey is definitely worth our while; I guarantee that all of us will be grateful to Tzu Chi, and all of us will rejoice that we sdid not give up half way.”
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