"They look so angelic, so lovely." "I feel so sorry for them. They're just like my children." "I'll be back to see them again."

A group of Tzu Chi members talked of their feelings about visiting female prisoners in Hualien Prison for the first time. For them, the visit was not to see old friends as the other experienced members did. On the contrary, it made them nervous, even though everything had been well prepared. After all, not everyone can get permission to visit a prison.

Passing through six iron doors, they came to the Buddhist chapel. Taking their shoes off and entering a wood door, the Tzu Chi people finally met the female prisoners face to face. The inmates had been expecting their visit, but some showed hostility and wariness. The atmosphere became frozen .

Master Te Tzu talks about the "bad old days" at Hualien Prison. As soon as Master Te Tzu opened with "Amitabha," the unpleasant situation softened. "Let's warm up, and pray together," she said. The sound of "Namah Bodhisattva" flowed softly around the room.

Later, Master Te Tzu was asked to tell about the "bad old days" when the Tzu Chi nuns were very poor and lived very austere lives.

"I was so afraid that the grocer would refuse to buy our potatoes," she said. "On the way to the shop, I fell down and dropped the potatoes a couple of times, and they broke to pieces. I just wanted to run away before he could refuse to buy them. No matter how low the price was, so long as we were able to make money, we could live." If one paid attention, it was not hard to imagine that that little amount of money meant so much to those nuns at the Abode of Still Thoughts.