Ching-Chun Lin, Hsiu-Lien Chu
A Long-Awaited Journey
On October 17, the Malaysia Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) members– including Dr. Boon Hock Ong, Dr. Soh Kiat Tan, pharmacist Shi-Ni Lin, and Dr. Verna Lee – arrived in Bodh Gaya, India, after a long journey from Kuala Lumpur with a layover in Bangkok. Exhausted yet eager to serve, they checked into their hotel, only to discover that rooms were delayed due to peak tourism season. Finally, around 3 p.m., they received word that they would meet with the Singapore TIMA members to travel together to the soon-to-be-completed Tzu Chi community center in Silaunja village, where they planned to hold medical consultations over the coming days.
The mission of TIMA this time was clear: provide free medical care in the rural villages surrounding Tapovana on October 19 and 20. Earlier that day, they prepared the Uruvela Forest Meditation Vihara, where the main medical camp would take place, cleaning the site and setting up. Now, they would take a brief pause from logistics to visit the local village and witness the love that blossoms in Bodh Gaya.
An Open-Air Clinic
Arriving in Silaunja, the team was greeted by the sight of wooden beds being delivered as housewarming gifts for village residents. During a visit to the home of Pyari Devi, the sixth family set to receive a Tzu Chi house, Dr. Verna Lee was invited by nurse Kim Yan Lim to start consultations right there, transforming the outdoor bed into an open-air clinic. As the women covered the bed with a blanket, Jayanti Kumari, a trusted community contact, took a seat and asked Kim Yan Lim to check her blood pressure. With a quick check, Kim Yan Lim assured her in simple English, "You good. No doctor." Relieved, Jayanti left the impromptu clinic to give others a chance to see the doctor.
As the clinic opened, Dr. Lee came across two women sharing the same name. Without hesitation, nurse Kim Yan Lim offered a clever solution: identify them by their husband’s names. Through her suggestion, Dr. Lee and her team were able to keep their records organized.
Limited English is spoken among the villagers, so most communication took place through the medical team’s local volunteer interpreter, Endrajeet Paswan, who translated Dr. Lee’s instructions and village residents' responses between Hindi and English. Within just over two hours, the team saw seven patients, with one having to leave early. Each consultation was a unique experience for Dr. Lee, who, as a family physician, was used to in-depth, private conversations in consultation rooms back in Malaysia. Now, in an unfamiliar environment, with no table or privacy, she adapted to diagnose and treat patients, aware that even her questions required translation.
While she encountered common complaints such as body aches, Dr. Lee was surprised by patients seeking help for depression and infertility – conditions that would normally require extended consultation. The lack of time and language limitations made it challenging to provide the deep support she wished to give.
Lighting the Way to Compassionate Care
As the day neared its end, darkness quickly fell over Bodh Gaya. Though it was barely past six in the evening, the rural village was cloaked in shadows. Yet, villagers still waited patiently to see a doctor. When faced with dim lighting, Dr. Boon Hock Ong and pharmacist Shi-Ni Lin used their phone flashlights, allowing Dr. Lee and nurse Lim to continue caring for the community. With phone lights illuminating the blood pressure gauge and records, the medical team pushed forward to help each patient.
One resident needed traditional Chinese medicine, but Dr. Ong decided that the lack of proper facilities made acupuncture unfeasible. To accommodate, Lim proposed returning the following morning after a visit to the Mahabodhi Temple, where the team planned to chant the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. This flexibility enabled the team to serve villagers in conditions that otherwise would have limited their care.
Building Health, Building Trust
For over a year and a half, nurse Kim Yan Lim had dedicated herself to the people of Silaunja, working door-to-door to build trust. Her personal mission went beyond healthcare; she educated villagers on wellness, organized seminars, and even encouraged alcohol abstinence. With her efforts, Tzu Chi volunteers could enter homes and understand the villagers' living situations. Over time, Lim observed that many villagers distrusted the government health system, preferring costly private doctors or relying on over-the-counter medications. Determined to help, she found a local pharmacy with government subsidies, arranging to buy and return unused medicine, reducing the program’s expenses and ensuring access to necessary treatments.
Ultimately, Lim hopes to establish long-term volunteer medical support in Bodh Gaya, with Tzu Chi doctors and nurses regularly serving the villages. Her vision is a compassionate network of local health professionals who will provide continual care, making health support more consistent.
A Journey of Selfless Service
Dr. Boon Hock Ong described his team as united by a mission to serve wherever needed. "We’re here in this land where the Buddha attained enlightenment, learning to let go of our self-interests and work with joy," he reflected. Despite long layovers and fatigue, the team embraced the physical and emotional demands, adapting to challenges with resilience.
Their visit left Dr. Ong deeply admiring the dedication of Tzu Chi volunteers toward Bodh Gaya’s residents. "They have left their own homes and countries to serve those in need here,” he observed. "We are here to contribute in a small way to fulfill Master Cheng Yen’s hope to bring care to the Buddha’s homeland."
Dr. Ong has volunteered widely, supporting disaster survivors in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, traveling to Nepal, Cambodia, and remote parts of East Malaysia. “We approach this work with a heart of compassion, inspiring love wherever we go,” he shared. His hope is that Tzu Chi’s work will spread awareness and encourage more people to embrace a compassionate life.
As he gazed at the villagers gathered under the moonlight that evening, Dr. Ong was reminded of his commitment. In a place touched by hardship, he felt grateful to be a “blessed person” who could walk forward into a life of meaning. For him, true happiness lies in entering places of suffering and bringing light to those in need.
