Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

On January 2, students in three schools in Lumbini, Nepal each offered a cup of tea with both hands and bowed at 90 degrees to thank their teachers for their grace and kindness. They became more aware after serving the tea.

Serving tea to elders to express gratitude is a virtue in Eastern culture. In Nepal, Tzu Chi volunteers from Singapore and Malaysia have brought this virtue to the local areas, teaching Lumbini students to serve tea to their teachers to express their gratitude. This not only deeply moved the teacher, but even the students themselves felt very honored.

Feel Honored

Student Anuska said: "Today I am the first student in line to serve tea to the principal. I feel very honored and I respect my principal very much."

Encouraged by the Tzu Chi volunteers, tea-serving ceremonies were held at Siddhartha Primary School, Shree Gautam Buddha Lower Secondary School and Shree Balrampur Secondary School. The children of each school expressed their gratitude to the teachers through their actions.

The teachers found that the tea-serving made the children's discipline much better.

Gratitude

Thanks to the full support of the schools, Tzu Chi has been able to distribute materials to needy students smoothly in the last two months. Therefore, volunteers also specially prepared warm jackets for the teaching staff, thanking them for their great help.

Teacher Bimot said with sincerity: "As a teacher, we cultivate talents in the school, so it is my honor to take up the mission of education."

The students each gently held the teacher's palms with both hands, and put their foreheads in the teacher's palms to express the highest respect for the teacher and cherish his or her selfless dedication to education.

Hope Lies in Education

One Jing Si Aphorism says: “To take good care of ourselves is the way to repay others’ kindness. To dedicate ourselves in doing good is the way to express gratitude.”

Master Cheng Yen, founder of Tzu Chi, values education very much. She often said that the hope of parents lies in their children, and the hope of children lies in education; the hope of society lies in talents, and the hope of talents lies in education. Without education, society will have no hope.

Through education, Tzu Chi volunteers try their best to help Nepal become a better country.

Join Tzu Chi. Let us make the world a better place together.

Story by Cheah Chen Yee, Yong Mun Fei, Unish Khyaju from Nepal