At the bustling Chong Pang Market & Food Centre, volunteers promote Jing Si products to neighbourhood residents at the temporary stall in front of a spectacle shop. (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
“Want to try some healthy five-grain cereal? It’s a natural food product!”
Without the use of microphones and wearing their neat Tzu Chi uniforms, volunteers introduced their wares to passers-by with beaming smiles as members of the public stopped to hear what they had to say.
Every fourth Sunday morning of the month, two teams of approximately ten volunteers will head to the Bangkit Road Market and Chong Pang Market & Food Centre, where they will set up a small stall displaying natural and healthy Jing Si food products, such as five-grain cereal powders, additive-free instant rice, biscuits, and other vegan products, all neatly laid out on tables covered with dark blue cloth.
These two locations are familiar with the north zone volunteers as they have organized many street fundraisers there before. In fact, half the stallholders in the Bangkit Road market are Tzu Chi’s donating members, and there, acts of good to benefit society have been taking place continuously. When the 2014 Tzu Chi Auspicious Seventh Lunar Month prayer event was approaching, north zone volunteer leader Zhang Yu Rong saw the opportunity in the bustling location and took the bold step of setting up a stall to promote Jing Si products; at the same time, volunteers could spread the word about the prayer event. In this way, volunteers could encourage others to make healthy food choices and be environmentally-friendly as well.
The small Jing Si stall, set up on 20 July 2014, is situated in front of a timepiece store. Liao Qi Ming, the owner of the store, cheerfully shared that the space was originally meant to be rented for Chinese Tuina (massage) services, but the business owner decided to let Tzu Chi have the space upon hearing that they were looking out for a place. Liao took the opportunity to praise the contributions of volunteers: “I really admire the personal efforts of Tzu Chi volunteers in extending international humanitarian aid. For example, the rebuilding efforts after the Typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines.”
Delicious Instant Rice Borne From Compassion
“This Lemper (nonya sticky rice) is delicious!” Volunteer Zhu Yue Er shared the method to whip up the little rice ball that had earned such compliments: “Soak the Tzu Chi instant rice in hot water for 20 minutes, then add in the vegetarian meat floss and other ingredients, and there you have a nutritious and mouth-watering meal!”
As the Tzu Chi instant rice could be readily used to create different types of dishes while saving on water and electricity usage, it is suitable for busy city folks. Come every such Sunday of the month, volunteers would take turns to prepare different types of food using Jing Si products for members of the public to sample.
They also take the opportunity to share the origins of the Jing Si instant rice: During a winter distribution of supplies for the needy, Tzu Chi discovered that one recipient did not cook the rice she received. Upon asking, they realized that she had no means to cook the rice at home. Master Cheng Yen was pained to hear of this and asked her volunteers if there was a way to produce (pre-cooked) rice which only needed the addition of water to be ready for eating. One of the Master’s monastic disciples, Master De Han, took two years of research and came up with the Jing Si instant rice. Today, the rice plays an important role in Tzu Chi’s international humanitarian aid missions; in conditions lacking water and electricity supplies, the needy can still count on the rice to quell their hunger.
Taking a Pulse for Health
“What type of food should gout sufferers eat?” asked a middle-aged “auntie”. Tzu Chi volunteer Dr. Guo Lian Cai, a TCM physician, immediately stepped forward to understand her condition and give appropriate advice. Dr. Guo lives nearby and is an experienced physician who has never missed the chance to be on duty at the Jing Si stall. He explained that it was necessary to understand a person’s constitution before suggesting appropriate foods to take. For example, persons with “cold” body constitutions should not consume Job’s tears powder. He also observes the faces of volunteers for signs of ailments and gives health advice to them.
“I read about Master Cheng Yen from the newspapers; her contributions to charity and medical care are deeply moving. Seeing that Jing Si products are available, I came over to find out more and give my support.” Madam Huang Ming Zi tried out the different flavours of cereal blends and finally bought the “22 flavoured five-grain cereal blend” for her two-year-old grandchild, as well as the mustard greens flavoured vegetarian seasoning powder.
Like her, Madam Huang Mei Er found out about Tzu Chi from the newspapers and bumped into her Qigong classmate and Tzu Chi volunteer Luo Shu Fen. Luo invited her to visit the stall and she bought a few items after hearing the product explanations from volunteers. Satisfied with her purchase, she expressed her intention to return for another visit next month before leaving.
Meeting Up for a Tasty Treat
After the success of the Bangkit Road stall, volunteers set up the Chong Pang stall in November 2014, sponsored by the owner of a spectacle shop and long-time friend of Tzu Chi volunteer Shen Xi Zhou, who was an entrepreneur himself. At that time, Chen Bi Hui, a community volunteer leader of Tzu Chi, had felt that the Yishun area lacked volunteer manpower. She took the opportunity to invite some members who had not participated in Tzu Chi activities for a long time to help out, thus giving them the chance to meet once every month.
Pan Xin Jing, a Tzu Chi volunteer who helps with promoting Jing Si products, was usually tied up with work and hardly had the chance to meet up with her fellow volunteers. However, she seized the chance to introduce the manufacturing process of the Jing Si products. The monastics at the Jing Si Abode (Tzu Chi’s headquarters in Hualien, Taiwan) handpick the grains and laboriously go through a repetitive routine as they firmly adhere to the principle of “No work, no meal” every day. They treat the process as a Zen practice for the mind and thus every step of the process is replete with their blessings.
“We do this joyfully as this is an opportunity for us to interact with the masses,” said Pan. She recounted that in 2014, the volunteers responsible for promoting Jing Si products attended a retreat in Taiwan and personally observed the manufacture of various Jing Si products. During the trip, she learned that every single Jing Si product was produced with sincere purity of heart and uncontaminated natural resources, and she began to see that every person could do more to cherish and protect the earth. Every month, through tea gatherings, the Jing Si volunteers would learn more about new products and share their Dharma joy in contributing, hoping to promote greater awareness and usage of the Jing Si range.
To come up with different types of food made with Jing Si products, volunteers buy the products with their own money and spend effort to come up with different recipes. They make use of the community volunteer meet-ups to get other volunteers to taste-test their creations and tweak the recipes further. Once, volunteer Zheng Mei Fen hurt her leg and had to rest at home for three months. Yet she prepared Chinese buns from the five-grain cereal powder the day before the Jing Si stall opened on the weekend, so that members of the public could get to sample them.
Recruiting More Kind Hearts with Doorstep Delivery
In January 2015, the Tzu Chi stall at Chong Pang temporarily stopped its monthly sales as volunteers were tied up with the street fundraisers for Malaysian flood victims. A member of the public circled the area where the stall was usually set up in the hopes of buying the Jing Si products, before finally spotting volunteers at the fund raising venue. Volunteers immediately arranged to have his order taken and even personally delivered the items to his doorstep after the fundraiser ended.
Sometimes, when the products are out of stock, interested buyers will leave their contact numbers with volunteers, who will specially deliver the orders to their home. “Some people are very touched by this sincerity, and they become Tzu Chi donating members,” said volunteer Sang Mei Hua.
The Jing Si stall closed at noon, after four hours of operation and volunteers quietly packed up to leave for home happily. Close to a year of hard work, community volunteer leaders Luo Shu Fen and Wang Li Fang have hopes of bringing the Jing Si products into the lives of more and more people. They wish to see the day that everyone living in the community will know of Tzu Chi, and will themselves be enthusiastic to do their bit for others, too.
At the small Bangkit Road Market stall, packets of cereal powder, cocoa powder, biscuits, and vegetarian seasoning powder were neatly laid out on display. (Photo by Lin Meng Cai)
Volunteers take the initiative to approach the neighbourhood residents and introduce the philosophy and benefits of Jing Si food products. (Photo by Lin Meng Cai)
Dr. Guo Lian Cai (right), a TCM physician, first tries to understand each individual’s body constitution before suggesting an appropriate type of food and method of cooking for them. (Photo by Lin Meng Cai)
Huang Ming Zi (right) listens earnestly to the volunteers’ introduction and bought the five-grain cereal product for her two- year-old grandchild, together with the mustard greens flavoured vegetarian seasoning powder. (Photo by Huang Fu Shun)
To bring different varieties of Jing Si products to the wider public, volunteers first taste-tested the food among themselves before inviting others to try. (Photo by Lin Meng Cai)
Volunteer Liu Mei Shen was helping out for the first time at the Jing Si stall and even successfully introduced the products to a few Malay customers. (Photo by Lin Meng Cai)
While members of the public were buying Jing Si products, volunteers also allowed them to pick a Jing Si Aphorism (words of wisdom by Master Cheng Yen). (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
Share 
