新加坡岁末祝福 Singapore Year End Blessing

聚善缘 接福慧 风雨不阻会众岁末感恩

‘岁末祝福’是慈济人非常期盼的年度盛事。每年，证严上人将智慧产权所得，化作一封封饱含祝福的福慧红包，承载着上人对全球慈济人与十方善士的无限感恩，以点滴捐献来成就慈济志业。

今年岁末祝福的主题是“力行环保福满乾坤，净化人心风调雨顺”。放眼天下，灾难频仍。证严上人恺示，天灾始于人祸，人类对地球索取无度，影响整个大乾坤。天下灾祸连连，人心是关键。

慈济环保志业步入二十周年，通过资源回收，人人惜福爱物，让大地休养生息。上人恺示，做环保是当今一大事因缘，天下大事由天下人来做，环保做得好，则四大调和；人人开启心门，自我净化，自然风调雨顺、国泰民安。

◎ 风雨考验 善念更凝聚

今年，慈济新加坡分会的岁末祝福典礼首次移师到静思堂以外的场地举办。这是因为本地慈济人多年来积极经营社区，身体力行将环保理念带到各个社区，全岛14个环保点应运而生，为慈济在社区开了一扇门。

民众从环保而加入慈济，志工和会员人数日愈增长，参与岁末祝福的人数也相应递增，座落于巴西立的静思堂已不敷使用，分会于是将活动迁移到交通方便的牛车水人民剧场举办。

12月25日圣诞节，慈济新加坡分会一连举办四场岁末祝福典礼，包括上午志工场，下午到晚间的三场会员大德场，广邀社区民众前来虔诚祈福。各个社区除了以慈济列车（巴士）载送会员大德，还有许多会众共乘汽车及搭公共交通前来。四场共超过四千人与会，志工与会众亲手接受上人的祝福，人人脸上挂着幸福的笑容。

这一天气候阴霾，断断续续下起阵雨，志工们列队撑伞，接力迎接会众。傍晚雷声隆隆，志工们不由得忧虑起来，若会众临时缺席该如何是好？随着大雨倾盆而下，但会众不减发心与虔诚地莅临。志工们撑伞的撑伞，唱欢迎歌的唱欢迎歌，完全不顾自己被风雨打湿，会场一片温馨、士气高昂。最后一场出席人数犹胜前几场，会众们珍惜上人祝福的心念实在很让人感动。

首次与会的何作缵医生被现场的温馨气氛和师兄姐温馨招呼所感动，对慈济的大爱精神表示赞叹，希望能抽出时间参与慈济的义诊活动。他虔诚祈愿：“世界和平，各国没有宗教的冲突，也期许每个人都以尊重，平等的心对待他人。”

◎ 剪发传法 环保生活化

参加志工场过后, 沈水云师姊回到社区环保点，当起车长带领三十多名会员和家属来参加岁末祝福，其中有不少是跟着她做环保的会员。

沈水云与姐姐水月共同经营家庭式美发院，举凡是家里、美发院或走在路上，只要看到废置的资源就随手捡起和整理。邻人见之赞叹：“你很好心。” 沈水月说：“不是我好心，是地球要珍惜啦！”

在家庭式美发院的大厅里，摆着各种慈济刊物和剪报，其中一间房整齐地存放回收物资。两姐妹积极向顾客们说慈济、说环保。有顾客时；一边剪头发一边传法，接引了了顾客开始做资源回收。没顾客时。理发的手变成做环保的手，整理顾客和邻里收集回来的报纸、瓶瓶罐罐，分秒不空过。

沈水月上会员的家收功德款，再远再晚都去，她说：“别人的慧命不能断。” 两姐妹心宽念纯地默默耕耘，会员加起来超过百人。妹妹说：“我在理发，也跟他们讲（慈济），沟通了他们就做会员，做会员了他们觉得上人的理念不一样，然后他们回家就跟家人讲，带动家人一起参加慈济功德会。”

◎ 环保净心 启发感恩心

这天，林容师姊邀约了二十位会员大德来参加岁末祝福，杨金明师兄是其中一位。来自马来西亚的杨金明的家人都是慈济人，兄姐也都是慈青，但因为性格较为叛逆，一直徘徊在慈济门外。直到来到新加坡，因缘巧合，在林容师姊的陪伴下，从社区环保中找到了人生的方向。

很多年轻人在圣诞节，选择彻夜狂欢，刚刚穿上灰衣的杨金明却邀约了七位好友一起来岁末祝福聚福缘。“参加慈济让我真正学习到感恩，我的父母也因为我参加慈济而更放心。”

杨金明的好友在典礼后，异口同声地说慈济所做让他们感动，都要成为慈济会员，布施行善，感动之余立即行动领取竹筒，让自己天天都能行善，更期盼随同杨金明参与慈济活动。

◎ 社区环保 自度度人

荧幕上的分会志业回顾影片，播放着志工刘丽卿师姊在自家门前整理回收物的画面，台下正好就有她本人和受她影响加入环保的邻居和会员。其中张丽明、丽云两姊妹就是一对‘有力助手’。

刘丽卿说她在推动社区环保时，这对姊妹给她很大的帮助，不但全家都是慈济的会员也是环保菩萨，还向亲朋好友介绍慈济，让她很感动也很感恩。

张家共九人出席了岁末祝福。妹妹丽云表示他们很喜欢参加慈济的活动，因为志工做事实在，态度亲切，尤其是浴佛大典与岁末祝福的场面跟其它道场很不一样。姊姊丽明说：“做环保很开心，那种欢喜唯有亲自投入才能感受到！”

福田一方邀天下善士，环保就是这一亩良田，让新加坡的慈济人落实社区，落实人间菩萨大招生。原本见面只是点头打招呼的邻居，因为做环保有了共同的话题，邻里互动增加了，人人的爱心被启发了，更展现了守望相助、天下一家的精神。

◎ 科技环保 爱的结合

配合环保主题，会场摆设了‘大爱感恩科技产品’摊位，展卖回收宝特瓶再生产品，吸引了许多会众的目光，人潮不断。各类环保餐具、环保衣物等皆获得热烈反应，几乎一扫而空。

“哇！太多种类了，环保回收的宝特瓶能制造成这么多的物品！”尹雪瑜老师赞叹产品种类繁多、品质好，更重要的是能够回收再利用，保护环境，是‘环保教育’的实在教材。尹老师马上请购了产品，准备带回学校让学生们亲眼看，亲手摸到这些环保再生产品，把肤慰地球的理念传递给下一代。

在送旧迎新之际，众人皆以虔诚心念，祈求来年世界平安吉祥、无灾无难。分会执行长刘济雨师兄欣见岁末祝福活动圆满、道气充盈，勉励志工团队继续精进不懈：“这几年来分会举办各项共修会及健全四合一架构之后入法有成，也印证了干部们传承静思法脉及宏扬慈济宗门效果显著，令人无限欣慰与感恩。”


变数中考验智慧 各组志工竭诚圆满任务

慈济新加坡分会2010年度岁末祝福有别于往年。随着会员、志工人数与日俱增，静思堂已不敷使用，于是今年岁末祝福首次移师到牛车水人民剧场举办。12月25日一天内举办四场岁末祝福，每场都有近千人与会，一起共沾法喜。

这消息一宣布，年年都包办场地布置的萧明兰师姊可说是喜忧参半。喜的是，会员人数的增加，代表新加坡慈济志业的成长；忧的则是，大家都没有在静思堂以外的场地举办岁末祝福的经验，不免有点担心，接下来会面对什么考验？

首当其冲的是布置组的前置工作安排。种类繁多的布置道具如心灯、琉璃佛雕、供座、布幔、屏风等，都没办法在活动前一天先行设置，租赁来的剧场只有活动当天才开放使用。在变数中考验智慧，萧明兰师姊一改往年‘人员精简’的作风，召集了二十几人，首次成立布置组，希望“为将来的户外大型活动训练人才，同时也把布置这块福田开放给更多有兴趣的志工。”

团队成型，接下来要掌控布置时间。这天的四场岁末祝福，第一场将在早上九点半开始，这表示所有布置工作必须在这天清晨短短两个小时内完成！

12月25日清晨五点多，布置组、机动组、总务组、接待组等等，一早来到会场。几十位志工把三辆货车上的布置道具迅速卸下，配合无间，动作利落。六点半，剧场大门一开，志工们一刻也不懈怠，负责挂布幔的、负责架上琉璃佛雕的、负责拉电线的、负责设置灯光的、负责摆列心灯的……各项工作的次序及人员配置，各就各位，一如训练有素的专职人员。

原来布置组组员早在一个星期前就在静思堂进行了一场模拟演习。为了让演习更趋近现场实况，他们还搬出同样的一批道具，花了几个小时，在静思堂搬搬抬抬，而且针对任何可能出状况，共同讨论解决方案。

萧师姊对组员们的认真颇为赞叹：“上人说，用心就是专业。用心就可以把不可能化为可能。这次布置组二十几个人的团队，就像菩萨从地涌出一样，模拟演习时用两个小时，现场一个小时就完成了，真的很令人感动！”

萧师姊也说，这次动员如此有效率，是慈济在社区落实四合一架构的成果。各功能组的协调组长各司其职，跟组员开会、讨论，让每一个人都清楚自己的岗位，而组员们也都发挥高度配合的精神。

在每一个功能组背后，有一群默默付出的志工，为各组备妥所有工具器材，他们就是总务组。总务明细表从一支笔到椅子桌布，林林总总，物品超过百种。总务组志工根据长长的明细表逐一张罗，工作繁琐，借调和点收都必须有条不紊。

“明细表整理出来后，我们还会打电话去确认这些物品是真的需要。我们也会另外准备一些不在明细表内，但被志工们忽略的用品，如电池、衣架，甚至绳子。我们都会准备一个总务箱，以备不时之需。有些急需品，还要想办法采购，尽量做到有求必应。”总务协调陈莲玉师姊憨憨地笑着说。

这是莲玉师姊第一次承担总务协调，她不讳言过程面对许多挑战，总务勤务繁琐又费心，但在团队的协助下，使命必达，完成任务。

岁末祝福最具代表性的物品就是福慧红包。福慧红包的制作，从剪稻穗，到粘稻穗和‘欢喜有缘纪念币’，负责把福慧红包分派给各区志工制作…… 确保福慧红包完整地送到与会的志工与大德手中，都是总务组的责任。

当总务组从台湾本会收到福慧红包与制作材料后，第一件事情想到的就是要赶紧剪稻穗。这门工夫听起来，似乎只要手起刀落，干净利落，但是却非常考眼力。因此总务组号召了几十位慈青同学和他们的朋友，于12月4日来剪稻穗。年轻人眼明手快，不消半天就把稻穗剪好。

接着，总务组平均将材料，包括金币与红包分给社区志工进行制作。今年分会要做5200封福慧红包，其中的500封是要送到斯里兰卡与当地会员与志工结缘的。

莲玉师姊透露，制作好的福慧红包，总务组要逐一检查，比如稻穗的位置，纪念币是否稳当，发现有部分不能通过，于是又动员了三区总务干事与志工，花了两天的时间，才把所有的福慧红包做好装箱。

莲玉师姊从事居家清洁工作，记得三年前加入慈济时，就是在岁末祝福总务组帮忙，后来顺理成章地承担了互爱总务干事。“很喜欢在总务组付出，让我学习很多，第一就是学习如何做策划，被逼学习如何用手机打简讯、送简讯。”

这天可能是第一次担任总务协调，莲玉师姊的身体有点状况，声音沙哑，但还是在后台忙进忙出，确保福慧红包与礼包如数整齐摆在桌上，还有活动后物品的归位等。

17人的总务团队，如期完成任务，迎接他们的，是2011年一月的新春素食义卖会。到时除了一些常用物品外，还有更大宗的年货、年饼等，总务志工们，大家‘幸福’啦！


Huge Turnout for 2010 Year-End Blessing despite Heavy Showers

The Year-End Blessing is the most anticipated annual event among Tzu Chi people. Each year, Tzu Chi's founder, Master Cheng Yen, will utilize her only income derived from the copyright proceeds of her books for distribution of the "Blessing & Wisdom" red envelopes to volunteers and donating members of Tzu Chi Foundation worldwide as an expression of her gratitude for their support and contribution during the year.

The theme of this year's Year-End Blessing encapsulates the earnest call to everyone to conserve the environment and to purify our own mind to give rise to a favourable weather amidst this disaster-stricken era. As Master Cheng Yen often points out, the frequent disasters looming our Earth now originates from mankind's lavish exploitation on Earth's resources; the solution is to get everyone to adopt simple and environmentally-friendly lifestyles for the sake of a healthy environment for future generations.

Tzu Chi's environmental mission is in its 20th year this year. During the past two decades, scores of Tzu Chi recycling volunteers and supporters have been advocating recycle, reuse, and reduce to help lighten the burden of the planet. Master Cheng Yen has been stressing lately that recycling is the most important responsibility of humankind as only when the environment is taken care of will the Four Elements be in equilibrium, and social stability and prosperity be possible.

Weather challenge tests hearts

In recent years, many residents became acquainted with Tzu Chi through its recycling activities and as they became more committed, the number of volunteers and donating members too expedited, making the space of Tzu Chi Singapore's Jing Si Hall insufficient to accommodate more participants. Hence, unlike previous years, the venue of the Year-End Blessing ceremonies is shifted to Kreta Ayer People's Theatre at Chinatown this year.

Falling on Christmas Day this year, the four blessing ceremonies – one in the morning dedicated for volunteers and three in the afternoon and evening for donating members and families – saw flocks of people arriving to pray for a safe and good year ahead. Shuttle service was provided to escort residents in various communities to the venue; many other carpooled or took public transport, all but to do their part to reduce carbon emissions.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating in the first afternoon ceremony. The volunteers quickly formed a sheltered path under the drizzle holding umbrellas for the guests.

When evening fell and thunder rolled, the volunteers began worrying “what if our guests decided not to come?”

Fortunately, the donating members and their families were undeterred by the heavy rain. The volunteers was very delighted at their appearance; no one bothered about getting wet under the slanting rain; everyone held tight to their umbrellas and sang the welcome song even louder than the rain to show their appreciation.

Mr He Zuo Zuan was one of the participants who were touched by the ceremony’s warm atmosphere and the hospitality of Tzu Chi volunteers. The doctor was full of praise of Tzu Chi’s Great Love philosophy and expressed his wish to volunteer with Tzu Chi’s free clinic service. Mr He also wished for world peace at the blessing ceremony and prayed that “there will be no more religious strife and every human being would treat one another with respect and equality”.

Community volunteers leading by example

After the volunteers’ session, Sim Chwee Hoon headed back to her community to escort more than 30 donating members and their families to Chinatown. Many among them have been following her to do recycling for a while.

Sim Chwee Hoon and her elder sister Chwee Guat run a family-style hair saloon together and are both Tzu Chi volunteers. Be it at home, in their saloon, or walking on the streets, the sisters make it a point to pick up and segregate recyclables whenever possible. When their neighbours commended their deeds, Chwee Guat simply replied: “It's nothing really. We’re simply doing this for the Earth. We have to cherish our Earth, don't we?”

The living room of their family-style saloon is always full of various Tzu Chi’s publication and news clippings while one of the rooms is set aside for storage of tidied recyclables. When there’s business, the sisters find pleasure in promoting Tzu Chi and the concept of recycling while serving their customers; when there’s no customer, they would sort the old newspapers, bottles, and cans brought in by neighbours and customers. Hairdressing and recycling simply became the most interchangeable part of their live.

When it comes to collecting monthly donation for Tzu Chi, Chwee Guat makes it a point to visit her donating members regardless of distance and time. “I just couldn’t bear to see their affinity with Tzu Chi stops,” reasoned the volunteer.

The two sisters now have more than 100 donating members altogether. “When I dress my customers’ hair, I’d tell them about Tzu Chi’s work, and many of them are willing to join Tzu Chi as donating member,” added Chwee Hoon. “With these continued contacts, they came to understand our Master’s philosophy and further shared it with their family members and even got them to join the line.”

Volunteering induced sense of gratefulness

Another Tzu Chi volunteer, Lim Rong, brought 20 of her donating members to the blessing ceremony. A young man named Yeo Kim Ming was among the procession. Yeo’s family members in Malaysia are all Tzu Chi volunteers while his elder brother and sister are members of the Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association. Yeo, being in his early youth, has been rebellious until he came to Singapore and met Lim Rong who brought him to volunteer at one of Tzu Chi's recycling points, where he found his life purpose.

Many young people would prefer to hang out late with friends on a Christmas Day but Yeo, who just completed volunteer training and got his grey Tzu Chi uniform, invited seven of his friends to attend the blessing ceremony with him instead. “Being with Tzu Chi taught me about gratefulness. Moreover, my parents are not so worrying about me knowing I’m part of Tzu Chi now.”

After the ceremony, Yeo’s friends expressed with one voice that they’re touched by what Tzu Chi has done and they intend to donate regularly to support its cause. The group of youths even adopted a bamboo coin bank each, hoping to remind themselves to save money for charity every day. They even decided to join Yeo to volunteer in future Tzu Chi activities!

Inspiring friends & neighbours in community

Up on the screen, volunteer Low Siang Kheng was featured in the video recap of Tzu Chi Singapore’s activities in 2010, showing her doing recycling in front of her house. Off stage, Low was seen sitting together with her neighbours and donating members whom have been following her in doing recycling. Among them were her capable assistants Teo Lay Beng and Teo Lay Hoon.

The two sisters were very helpful to Low while she promotes recycling in their neighbourhood. Furthermore, the entire Teo family not only contribute to Tzu Chi monthly through donation and recycling work, they also introduce Tzu Chi to their friends and relatives, which touched Low deeply.

There were nine Teo family members who attended the blessing ceremony that day. Teo Lay Hoon, the younger sister, said that their family loves to participate in Tzu Chi’s activities because Tzu Chi volunteers are “very amiable and down to earth” and that the Buddha’s Day ceremony and Year-End Blessing ceremony organized by the Foundation are unique compared to other Buddhist organizations.

Her elder sister, Lay Beng, added, “Tzu Chi's recycling work is truly enjoyable to be part of. You'll know what I mean when you get down and do it yourself. ”

Indeed, community recycling has been an ideal "fortune field" that attracts people from all walks of life to come forward for the common good of the society and environment. Neighbours who previously only greeted one another with nods now share common topics on environmental conservation; with the increased interactions, everyone is no longer shy to show their loving-kindness with the sense of neighbourliness and unity gradually formed.

Bonding technology and humanity

Outside the theatre, guests were responding well to the promotion of eco-friendly and easy-to-bring utensils as well as eco-fabric products made from developed by Da Ai Technology Co. Ltd., a company established and ran in Taiwan by five Tzu Chi entrepreneurs with profits channelled to Tzu Chi’s charitable work.

"There's just so much variety! It's really surprising that recycled PET bottles can be reproduced into yarns to make these fabrics!" exclaimed a teacher named Wan Suet Yue who thinks that the creations are perfect teaching materials to inculcate environmental awareness amongst students. Ms Wan was very impressed by both the assortment and quality of the products and immediately purchased a few to bring back to show to her students.

As the New Year is approaching, the assembly of each blessing ceremonies prayed in unison that may all minds be purified, may the society be propitious and peaceful, and may the world be free of disasters and conflicts in the year ahead. Mr David Liu, CEO of Tzu Chi Singapore, was happy to see the huge turnout and harmonious ambience amidst the ceremonies. He commended the effort of all of the Singapore Tzu Chi volunteers and urged all to spur one another on towards upholding the spirit of Jing Si Principles and walking the path of Tzu Chi diligently.