Community: myeducationmission
Branch: 馬來西亞分會
To mark the auspicious occasion of Tzu Chi’s 60th anniversary and the combined celebration of five significant festivals, the Penang Education Center held the April session of its Senior High School Life Education Youth Class on the afternoon of April 18. A meaningful and heartwarming longevity peach (shoutao) making activity was specially arranged, allowing students to give through their own hands, and to learn gratitude, blessings, and respect through relaxed interaction—naturally integrating wholesome values into daily life.
The session was held from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Penang Education Center and Jing Si Hall dining area. It aimed to guide students from being “participants” to becoming “givers,” encouraging growth through action and experiencing the joy of giving.
The session began with an interactive teaching segment led by Senior Volunteer Zhuang Weifeng (affectionately known as “Daidai”). Using news media and social platforms as entry points, he guided students to reflect on the influence of good and evil. Through examples such as newspaper reports, misinformation, and social phenomena, he engaged students in discussing how to discern right from wrong and safeguard inner goodness in an age of information overload.
During the discussion, students realized that although society is filled with negative information, goodness still exists all around them—in hospitals, religious venues, charitable organizations, and community care corners—where countless individuals quietly contribute and spread warmth.
Zhuang Weifeng also shared that Tzu Chi was founded with the intention of creating more platforms in society to inspire goodness, encouraging people to do good deeds, speak kind words, and make positive vows. He reminded students that while one person’s good intention may seem small, collective efforts can become a powerful force for social change.
The program also included an introduction to the Tzu Chi Batu Kawan campus, helping students understand its origins and significance. They learned how Tzu Chi has overcome numerous challenges since its early difficult days, gathering small acts of love to build what it is today.
Through these sharings, students came to understand that Jing Si Halls, education centers, and dialysis centers are not merely buildings, but important spaces that inspire goodness and accompany personal growth. Each student is also a future steward, carrying the responsibility to continue this mission of goodness.
Starting at 4:00 PM, students moved to the dining hall to participate in the longevity peach making activity. Under the guidance of the instructor and accompanying volunteers, they worked through every step—from preparing ingredients to following procedures and collaborating as a team. Each stage was filled with joy and mindfulness.
Students kept in mind Weifeng’s reminder: to create with respect, to knead with gratitude, and to complete each piece with blessings. Every longevity peach symbolized a heartfelt wish, and every pair of hands gathered countless good intentions.
Throughout the process, students learned cooperation, patience, giving, and supporting others, while also experiencing the meaning of expressing love and care through action.
At the end of the session, group discussions were conducted under volunteers’ guidance. Students reflected on their learning and considered how to bring these insights back into their daily lives, practicing kindness within their families and schools.
What the students created today were not just longevity peaches, but seeds of goodness planted in their hearts—hoping they will grow to be grateful, willing to give, and joyful in helping others.
As Tzu Chi approaches its 60th anniversary, these high school Life Education Youth Class students are spreading love through their hands and shining through their actions, bringing more warmth and hope to society.
