Passing On Love

By Hu Hui-fen (胡慧芬)
Abridged and translated by Chang Yu Ming (張佑民)

Passing On Love

By Hu Hui-fen (胡慧芬)
Abridged and translated by Chang Yu Ming (張佑民)

It was a drizzling, gloomy night. Tzu Chi Dialysis Center in Penang, Malaysia, held a memorial service for Lee Yit Meng (李一銘), a dialysis patient and also a Tzu Chi recycling volunteer, who passed away due to a traffic accident a few days ago.

Hot-headed Youth
Before dialysis treatment, and before encountering Tzu Chi, Lee was very hot-tempered. His younger siblings were all afraid of him, and his mother had no idea what to do with him.

Lee was often detained by the police when he was working in Singapore. "I have been in and out of jail six times in Singapore. Whenever there's a quarrel, my fists start flying. I always threw the first punch. I had no idea where I got my bad temper from, I just couldn't help it," said Lee in one of the sharing sessions before.

Turning Point
When Lee was diagnosed with kidney disease, he started going to Tzu Chi Dialysis Center for treatments. This was how he got to know Tzu Chi. He loved to watch Da Ai TV during dialysis, and the teachings from Dharma Master Cheng Yen (證嚴上人) slowly seeped into his heart. He repented his wrongdoings and decided to change his ways. He wanted to use his hands to do good deeds instead, such as doing recycling work.

"I can help people, and the environment will be cleaner. When people throw away their rubbish, we will sort them, and the earnings from recycling can help people," said Lee. Whenever there was a recycling drive, Lee would always be there.

In 2008, Lee finally completed the first phase of volunteer training and was on his way to becoming a certified Tzu Cheng member of Tzu Chi. He told us, "I really regretted how I treat my siblings in the past. Why did I hit them? I'll never do it now, I'll talk to them. Tzu Chi has helped me a lot so I want to give back. Now that my health is better, I want to go out and help people."

Even though Lee's sudden departure left many in sorrows, tears were turned into blessings. "I wish that, I believe it's not just me, I'm sure all of us hope that he can walk on the Bodhisattva path life after life," said one of the nurses during the memorial service.

Spirit of Love Lives On
Fulfilling his final wishes, Lee's family signed the organ donation agreement for him, and he was able to donate his cornea successfully.

During the memorial service, Lee's sister said, "I'm grateful to everyone for being here today to send my brother off. He told us before that he would want to donate his organs when he died, so we signed the agreement for him after consulting his doctor. I hope everyone can join in on this kindness as well."

It was still raining when the service ended. It was as if Heaven was crying for Lee's passing as well. Life is unpredictable. Even though Lee has passed away, his selfless donation can bring new life to someone else, passing on the spirit of love.