Story

Whenever Huang Yu-nu encountered a prospective care recipient, she would submit an application to the Jing Si Abode – delivered by mail across more than 160 km from Taitung to Hualien – for Master Cheng Yen’s approval.

Three days would pass between delivery of the application and the Master’s final approval. Yu-nu found the process time-consuming, hence after installing a phone in her home, she pleaded to the Master to equip the Abode with a phone for more efficient correspondence.

All she received was a noncommittal response from the Master. Sensing that her request had yet to be acted upon, Yu-nu again urged the Master to acquire a phone by using funds for the needy. This time around, the Master sternly retorted, “Although installing a phone helps in our charitable work and benefits all in the Abode, doesn’t funding a phone from donations equate to the misuse of public funds?”

The Masters at the Abode lived hand to mouth, dedicating themselves to their mission of helping the destitute. They strived to make an independent living, and maintained clear boundaries between funds for charity and daily expenditure. Installing a phone was the last concern on their minds.

In 1952, Master Cheng Yen’s mother was diagnosed with a ruptured stomach. An operation was in order, but the stakes were high. An anxious Master Cheng Yen sought blessings for her mother and vowed to devote herself to vegetarianism, besides offering to transfer years of her life to her mother to ensure her longevity. The powers above seemed to have been profoundly moved by the Master’s filial deed – her mother was spared from surgery and was cured by medication. From then on, the Master has committed herself to a lifetime of vegetarianism.