At the Bedok Stadium parking lot, vehicles lined in queue to receive their goody bag from radio 95.8 presenter. (Photo by Alvin Tan Cheng Hwa)
To commemorate its 20th anniversary this year, Tzu Chi Singapore has planned a series of activities to promote Jing Si Aphorisms to the public, hoping to share the wisdom of Master Cheng Yen with more people and to foster closer relationships in the community.
In collaboration with Capital 95.8, a popular local Chinese radio station with a long history and a large listener base, Tzu Chi shared Jing Si Aphorisms through programs, such as on-air interviews with volunteers on their experiences of learning Jing Si Aphorisms, and having talk show presenters share the aphorisms, etc. In addition, Tzu Chi volunteers also gave out Jing Si Aphorism car decals to the public at a few different locations.
On May 21, the first distribution of the car decal kicked off at the parking lot of Bedok Stadium, where the 47th Tzu Chi Anniversary cum Blessing Ceremony was recently held. That day, at about 6pm, many vehicles started streaming into the car park. The vehicle owners received gift packs containing the decal from a radio presenter. Then, Tzu Chi volunteers assisted them in pasting the decals on their vehicles.
Volunteers helped to place Jing Si Aphorism car decals on vehicles, hoping that the wise sayings can reach more people on the road. (Photo by Zhang Mou Sheng)
Useful and Helpful Teachings
Mr. Wong, who works in the aircraft maintenance industry, was the first to arrive at the venue. He is an avid listener of Capital 958. When he heard the radio interview with volunteers Zhang Zheng Chang and Chen Zi Rong, where the two shared the practical use and benefits of Jing Si Aphorisms, he was inspired and came forth to support the campaign.
A volunteer helped Mr. Wong paste the decal on his car. The aphorism on it said, "The more we do, the more we gain; the less we do, the more we lose," and he could not agree more. "We need to do more good deeds. If we don’t, it will be our loss. This is so true!" remarked Mr. Wong. He said that the verse would serve as an encouragement and a reminder for him to do more good deeds.
Saha, a Malay resident, was doing some exercise at Bedok Stadium, and out of curiosity, he went to check out the crowd at the car park. He received a decal that said, " Getting angry is actually punishing yourself with the mistakes of others.” He agreed with the saying and said that anger would indeed create disharmony, and thought that the aphorism is a good teaching.
With a volunteer’s assistance, Mr. Chen Dong Hua, who brought his children with him to the car park, put up the aphorism, " The greater our generosity, the greater our blessings will be " on the rear windscreen of his car. "We should enhance our wisdom by getting in touch with good sayings more often," said Mr. Chen. He also takes his children to a Buddhist organization to learn the teachings of Confucius and sometimes, he will participate in Tzu Chi activities. He said that if drivers on the road could broaden their hearts, then there would be less incidents of road rage.
“Getting angry is actually punishing yourself with the mistakes of others” , Saha, a Malay resident, felt that the Jing Si Aphorism he received was a good teaching. (Photo by Alvin Tan Cheng Hwa)
With assistance from a volunteer, Mr. Chen Dong Hua has the car decal “The greater our generosity, the greater our blessings will be” pasted on the rear windscreen of his car. (Photo by Zhang Mou Sheng)
Towards a More Gracious Society
Singapore is a small and crowded city-state where many live in affluence but have limited living space. This has caused increased stress among people. On May 15, the local newspapers reported that “Singa,” a well-known courtesy campaign mascot in Singapore has “tendered his resignation.” This indicates that relationships among people in society are increasingly becoming more tense. Singa’s resignation thus serves as a reminder for everyone to show more courtesy towards one another and work towards a more gracious society.
At the one-hour event, a total of 140 vehicle owners came to receive the Jing Si aphorism car decal, many of whom were taxi drivers. Mr. Shen You Cheng was one of the early birds. Not only did he put up the aphorism, "Speak kind words, have good thoughts, and walk the right path," on his vehicle, but also took some stickers back to share with his fellow drivers.
"We are on the road every day. Sometimes the road conditions will make us feel pressured and we’ll get irritated. Hopefully, these aphorisms will serve as reminders to us to be more patient and tolerant while driving so that we will all drive more safely on the road," said Mr. Shen.
Media personnel Mr. Xu Fu Gang and his wife were also present at the event. The aphorism they received was: "Remain soft spoken and forgiving, even when reason is on your side” Mr. Xu said, "We must remain calm even when we are right, especially when we are living in a highly competitive modern society. Only when we are calm and peaceful will there be more warmth and harmony in our society.”
Mr. Xu also commented that by putting Jing Si Aphorism car decal on vehicles, many people on the road will be able to see and read them. They may be inspired to self-reflect and reform themselves, and this will bring about more harmony in society.
In a fast-paced city where many people lead stressful lives, it is hope that through sharing Master Cheng Yen’s words of wisdom with more people, we will be able to help bring purity to people’s minds. The Jing Si Aphorisms on vehicles can serve as timely reminders to drivers and help promote road safety, so there will be more harmony among people.
Mr. Xu said that many people on the road would be able to see and read the Jing Si Aphorism car decal placed on vehicles and be inspired to self-reflect and reform. (Photo by Lim Chwee Lian)
Share 
