Although life at the hut behind Pu Ming Temple was very hard, everyone embraced the conviction to "work willingly and accept the results happily." They were busy, but their lives were fulfilling. Starting 1964, Master Cheng Yen lectured in the evenings on the Four Books,the Lotus Sutra and the Lament by a Liang Dynasty Emperor. She taught a text one day and expected the nuns to recite the same text from memory the next day.
After
the lectures, everyone strolled under the dim streetlights, murmuring
the texts. They worked in the fields during the day and studied at night.
Sometimes their studies were interrupted during busy farming seasons.
When Tzu Chi was established in 1966, the studies had to be stopped altogether because of the busy schedule. This photo was taken when Master Cheng Yen's mother came to visit from Taichung during the off-season, and the whole group went for an excursion to Tienhsiang and Taroko Gorge.
From left: Ching Chih's mother, Master
Te En, Ching Tzu, Mrs. Chuang, Master Te Jung, Mrs. Wang (the Master's
mother), Chen-Jung, Master Cheng Yen and Master Te Tzu.
| 7/11 |