The life of the Buddha, from birth to Nirvana, is associated with four major sacred sites: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kusinagara. Lumbini, in Nepal, was his birthplace, Bodh Gaya is where he attained enlightenment, Sarnath is where he delivered his first sermon to the first five disciples, and Kusinagara is the site of his final Nirvana. The latter three places are in India. Each of these locations holds significance for Buddhist disciples to pay homage and reflect.

Tzu Chi has obtained approval from the Nepalese government to establish an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) in Lumbini, a noteworthy accomplishment. In Bodh Gaya, various relics mark the footsteps of the Buddha, including the Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi Tree where he meditated. The grand stupa constructed in memory of Sujata, the shepherd girl who offered rice milk to the Buddha, also has a history spanning over two millennia.

However, when Tzu Chi volunteer teams from Singapore and Malaysia ventured into the village where Sujata once resided, they discovered that many houses were in a state of disrepair, and the lower-caste villagers who lived in them endured challenging conditions. The volunteers initiated a series of charitable, educational, and healthcare initiatives to alleviate poverty and enhance well-being. This effort extended to the nearby village of Silaunja. These initiatives fostered close relations with the local residents.

Unceasing Compassion

Following the footsteps of the Buddha, on July 17th, volunteers from the Tzu Chi Foundation extended their outreach to the village of Jagdishpur, situated near the Tapovana. Looking up from this village, one can catch a glimpse of the austere meditation cave where the Buddha practiced, as well as the Tibetan-style red and white monastery. The landscape is dominated by volcanic rock formations, with little vegetation atop the peaks; lush greenery abounds at the base. Sheep leisurely graze among the trees, occasionally reclining on large stones, biding their time.

But what is life like for the villagers here? In stark contrast to the Sujata village, where litter and cow dung are ubiquitous, this place appears considerably cleaner. The surroundings, enveloped by numerous trees, exude an air of tranquility. Many villagers reside in brick houses, having availed themselves of government housing assistance after residing here for a period. This support also extends to education and healthcare.

Prior to their visit, Tzu Chi volunteer Vivek Kumar, from India, reached out to the village head, Dinesh Kumar, to assess the needs of elderly or impoverished families. Dinesh Kumar compiled a list of over forty names; Tzu Chi volunteer Lee Li-hua (李麗華) asked him to prioritize eleven households. With the village head's approval, the volunteers proceeded to visit each household one by one.

Upon visiting the first two homes, which happened to be adjacent to each other, the volunteers found that the living conditions were not as dire as anticipated. One elderly resident lived with family members;  however, the children or daughters-in-law were not adequately caring for the elderly individual. Another household accommodated three families, totaling over ten people, crowded into two rooms. Adjacent construction was underway -- so living conditions should improve upon completion.

Entering another home needed a slight stoop; the interior was unexpectedly spacious, with several rooms. Vivek Kumar engaged in a detailed conversation with them. Venturing further, the houses seemed constructed differently to the brick or thatch homes commonly found in the village. It turned out that these were built by foreign NGOs. A woman who had suffered a stroke rested on a bed woven from coarse rope, using a cane for mobility. Her daughter was also present; with proper care, their lives could be manageable.

As lunchtime approached, Vivek Kumar conferred again with the village head. He expressed their urgent need for a solution to the water scarcity issue; the village shared only a few water pumps among several households and they frequently ran short during the summer. The young people who accompanied the visitors said that the village's remoteness from the city center of Bodh Gaya made livelihoods challenging.

Three days prior, the volunteers had ascended the holy mountain and were approached by beggars and children as soon as they reached the trailhead. Even during the off-season, there are numerous beggars seeking compassion. It was disheartening to witness such destitution in a land revered as the Buddhist holy site.

Based on initial assessments, Vivek Kumar believed that addressing the water shortage was of paramount importance -- water is life itself. Furthermore, there were many arable fields in the area. If agriculture could be developed, enabling villagers to cultivate crops, basic sustenance would not be a concern. The villagers' health also demanded attention. Aside from issues with alcoholism, the elderly residents frequently reported feeling physically weak. Therefore, on the afternoon of the 23rd, healthcare volunteers Lin Jinyan (林金燕) and Chen Xiuzhu (陳秀珠), guided by Vivek Kumar, met the village head. They hoped to provide health check-ups for the villagers and were met with the village head's enthusiastic agreement.

Preparing for Great Love Houses

Following a recent connection with the Jing Si Abode in Hualien, Taiwan, the Tzu Chi team from Singapore and Malaysia shared a report with Taiwan and revealed that forty households in Silaunja Village had obtained government titles. This indicated the feasibility of constructing Great Love Houses for them within the village. With the blessings of Master Cheng Yen, founder of Tzu Chi, "Just go ahead and do it!" resonated in response, prompting jubilation on-site in Bodh Gaya. The charitable group intensified its efforts, conducting a survey of sixteen households under the scorching sun on the 19th. On the 20th, they enlisted sixteen volunteers, dividing into three teams to visit the remaining twenty-four households, aiming to swiftly compile their household data for subsequent planning.

Under the blazing sun, each team of volunteers set out to assist in recording and communicating the household profiles. Compared to the homes surveyed the previous day (July 23), the residences in this region were notably more spacious. Though the main houses remained low and dimly lit, many had courtyards, some featured small "ears" (extensions), and a few possessed private water pumps. There were even a few rare instances of enclosed toilets (without doors).

The volunteers asked the local volunteers why the houses were constructed so low, with some even resembling semi-subterranean dwellings. Given India's rainy season and the risk of floods, would it not be more prudent to build taller houses?

The response showed the financial constraints faced by villagers; they are forced to use local materials such as thatch, bamboo, straw, and tree trunks coated with mud or clay for walls and roofs. They would then reinforce these structures with plastic tarps to fend off wind and rain. Height was often limited by the available resources, making the idea of building taller structures unattainable. Another reason was that the low entranceways served as a reminder for individuals to bow humbly and practice humility. This perspective, too, holds merit for consideration.

Volunteers' Assistance

In terms of daily life, these villagers often cook their meals while squatting on the ground. A few households possess gas stoves or sewing machines. Two earthen stoves, each supporting a pot of rice and a pot of "dal" - a lentil soup seasoned with curry and spices - make up a typical meal. Most contentedly eat two meals a day, usually not all at once, as they dine according to their individual schedules.

This posed a challenge for the volunteers, as families with numerous children required meticulous counting and recounting to ascertain the accurate household size. As the local volunteers laughingly conveyed some contradictory answers, even Amar, a local volunteer, could not help but chuckle.

The issue extended to age as well. Answers obtained yesterday and today often were different, highlighting the need for official documentation to confirm ages. Singaporean volunteer Chen Xiuzhen (陳秀珍), who was responsible for team administration, noted: "Due to varying levels of education, responses are sometimes unrelated or incomplete. Patience and detailed questioning are crucial to eliciting accurate information."

At least, the villagers had diligently preserved their property deeds. They proudly produced them for the volunteers to photograph as evidence, as all proceedings had to be conducted within legal bounds. The team also gained an additional ally, Vivek Kumar's sixteen-year-old cousin, Sneha Shah, who has completed the twelfth grade and is awaiting university placement. Her presence significantly facilitated communication and streamlined the survey process. She was delighted to contribute and become part of the team, stating: "I'm happy to be here with you all, assisting in collecting information about the villagers' household situations and documenting this data." Sneha Shah expressed joy at the prospect of improved housing for villagers with Tzu Chi's assistance.

Upon concluding the full survey, Chen Xiuzhen highlighted that these forty households possess government-issued land titles, indicating that their overall residency is secure. She pointed out that the main area needing improvement was the living environment, as kitchens and facilities were less than ideal. Drawing a comparison to Lumbini in Nepal, where she had been, she found the houses here in better condition. She said: "This time, we only inquired about household members and income, without delving into children's schooling matters, which we need to address in the future."

Beyond seeking to provide stable homes for each household based on family size, the team also assessed the possibility of constructing schools to offer children better education and thereby transform their future lives.

Chen Xiuzhen expressed gratitude for the assistance of several local volunteers who facilitated the successful completion of the survey. She admired the exemplary efforts of fellow volunteer Lee Li-hua, who learned the local language to interact with residents and make them feel at ease, enhancing mutual understanding.

The dedication, love, and actions of volunteers from Singapore and Malaysia have blossomed like lotus flowers from the ancient soil, "blooming heart lotuses" across this timeless land. Their sustained efforts in the land of Buddha deserve loud applause from each and every one of us!

A Jing Si Aphorism says: “We learn by doing and grow by giving of ourselves.”

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STORY BY CHU HSIU-LIEN | 2023/07/24