What makes matters worse is that the age of those who commit suicide is getting dramatically younger. A junior high school student jumped out of the window of his condo a few weeks ago simply because his classmates suspected that he had stolen their ballpoint pens. No wonder teenagers in Taiwan have been dubbed "strawberries"--quite appealing in appearance but extremely vulnerable and fragile in essence.

Still, in our big family at Tzu Chi we can find quite a few brave people who have tenaciously chosen to face and conquer all the seemingly insurmountable difficulties and challenges in their lives. These people are entitled to be deemed our role models. One of them is mouth painter Hsieh Kun-shan (facing page).

Struck by high voltage electricity when he was 16, Hsieh lost both arms and one foot. He later lost sight in his right eye. Hsieh could easily have become both mentally and physically disabled. However, refusing to be a burden to his family, the young man started learning how to paint with a brush in his mouth by auditing a class taught by painter Wu Ah-sun at the National Art College in Taipei.

Attending classes and studying painting were not easy for Hsieh. Once on the way to school, he broke his artificial leg. Another time when he was fixing the canvas with thumb tacks in his mouth, he broke his two front teeth. He participated and failed in national art contests again and again, and it was not until the seventh time that he finally made it.

His story is so touching and inspiring that he has been invited to numerous schools, prisons, and youth reformatories to share what he has been through. Needless to say, he has attracted many admirers. At the age of 29, he even married Lin Yeh-chen, who was of course one of his greatest fans.

Hsieh, now 46, often goes to our Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital to encourage disabled people, and he has met with Master Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzu Chi, several times. The Master, bothered by Taiwan's high suicide rate on the one hand and impressed by Hsieh's determination in coping with difficulties on the other, instructed the Tzu Chi Great Love TV station to adapt Hsieh's story for a TV serial in February 2003. The program aims to boost viewers' willpower in dealing with hardship and frustration. Under the Master's persuasion, Hsieh stars as himself from the point when the character in the story turns 26 years old. Another big challenge for him! The serial, composed of thirty 50-minute segments, began airing on the Tzu Chi TV Channel in April of this year and was well received by local audiences. I asked my colleague, Wu Hsiao-ting, to cover the production of the program. Her report can be find in this issue on page 4.

From Hsieh's extraordinary story, we can draw three significant points which will certainly help us relieve suffering and gain happiness if we can humbly bear them in mind:

The less you think of yourself, the happier you will be. One of Hsieh's famous quotes is: "Don't look at what is missing, but at what is still owned!" Refusing to mourn for his incomplete limbs, he chose to earn his living by holding his brush in his mouth to paint. He has thus led a very dignified and rewarding life.

Keep a smile on your face whenever possible. The radiant smile on Hsieh's face has become one of his trademarks.

Appreciate what you have and try to create more blessings by doing good deeds. Hsieh has always treasured what he has: his wife, two daughters, and all his friends who support him. Furthermore, he has never shown any sign of arrogance towards other people even after becoming famous in Taiwan. When he managed to lead a normal life, he immediately pitched in to help others by sharing his invaluable experiences in dealing with troubles and setbacks.

The brave Hsieh is our role model indeed!