讀後心得

Ms. Chen Hui-Yu, a hospital volunteer, devoted herself to volunteer service after being diagnosed with cancer, selflessly contributing her limited life and touching countless patients. Volunteers are representatives of public welfare, transcending religion and politics, and bringing people closer together. In Taiwan, the number of volunteers exceeds 1.1 million, with Tainan City having the highest proportion of volunteers relative to its population. To promote the spirit of volunteerism, the text mentions several outstanding volunteer stories, such as hearing-impaired volunteer Chen Yi-Jia, who actively participates in public welfare activities after overcoming difficulties, and the selfless contributions of centenarian environmental volunteer Lin Yong. They demonstrate the power of kindness, which deserves our respect and admiration.

After being diagnosed with cancer, hospital volunteer Chen Hui-yu began to devote herself to volunteer service, demonstrating an infinite spirit of dedication with her limited life. Her empathy, patience, and love have touched every patient she encounters.

The role of a volunteer is a common one, belonging to the public welfare sector. Public welfare can transcend the boundaries of religion and politics; regardless of differing beliefs or political positions, public welfare is always a common ground for people, capable of shortening interpersonal distances. We have witnessed the dialogue between Master Sheng Yen and Cardinal John Baptist Wu, and although they have different faiths, their concern for human society is consistent. They discussed love and dedication, both of which are part of public welfare. Whenever disasters occur, firefighting volunteers come forward to help, while hospital volunteers focus on healing pain. They never ask about the political affiliations of disaster victims but treat everyone equally, which is the precious aspect of public welfare.

In Taiwan, the spirit of public welfare is flourishing, with the number of volunteers exceeding 1.1 million; on average, one in every twenty people is a volunteer, making this a significant group. Among the six municipalities, Tainan City has the most active participation of volunteers, with over 100,000 people—almost one volunteer for every twenty residents. The volunteer ratio in this city ranks among the highest in Taiwan. If the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan is its people, then the most beautiful scenery in Tainan is these volunteers.

In order to promote the spirit of volunteerism, a friend invited the author to collaborate on a book project, organizing a team that included writers, photographers, and planners. Over the course of a year, we visited Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, interviewing over a hundred volunteers and selecting forty, with the author documenting approximately 100,000 words and the photographer capturing the exciting moments of these volunteers, compiling these stories into a book.

During the interviews, several volunteers left a deep impression on the author. For instance, hospital volunteer Chen Hui-yu was diagnosed with cancer in April 2007. To live without regrets, she embarked on her volunteer journey, treating each day as if it were her last. She has served in the hospital's cancer center and palliative care ward for seventeen years, often comforting patients using the "Four Aspects of Life," reminding them to be grateful, to love, to apologize, and to say goodbye. Her compassion and love have moved many patients.

Another volunteer, Chen Yi-jia, was bullied as a child due to her hearing impairment and once contemplated ending her life. She has persevered with incredible courage for over twenty years, finally being able to hear after receiving a "cochlear implant" surgery. Now, she is a university student and active in volunteering, supporting public welfare activities and advocating the concept of "adopt instead of buying," promoting the idea that every life deserves respect and kindness.

Additionally, there is the centenarian environmental volunteer Lin Yong, who has been helping to clear weeds in his village even after retiring from farming. He cuts grass by himself for up to two hours, inspiring family members and friends around him to join in volunteering. Through my interactions with them, I felt profound kindness. Although these volunteers may not be well-known, they live their lives with a kind heart, contributing to society. As a famous saying goes, "Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see." The kindness of volunteers deserves more encouragement, and we should be grateful to every volunteer, as each contribution they make is a priceless treasure for society.