The Ten Precepts are like small wires that support and shape a bonsai banyan tree. They grow with each Tzu Cheng Faith Corps member, rectifying his bad habits and stubborn prejudices. The real trick is to reach a stage in which one is neither attached to the precepts nor violates them.

A bonsai banyan tree still looks like a tree, only miniature in size. Its trunk, branches and twigs are so small because the cultivator bound the tree with small wires. With the passing of time, it grows into a very pleasing, attractive display.

Among all the Tzu Chi organizations, the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps is also an attractive presentation. The members look very impressive whether they are standing still or moving about. Their uniforms are neat and tidy and their actions are uniform without being rigid or mechanical. The men are as disciplined as soldiers, yet at the same time they are gentle and modest.

The members come from all walks of life. They have different backgrounds and grew up in different surroundings. How could the behavior and character of so many people have been elevated to such a level? Their special quality of strength tempered with gentleness has undoubtedly been influenced by the personal example of Master Cheng Yen and by Tzu Chi. Above all, they were cultivated by Master Cheng Yen's standard of behavior--the Ten Precepts of Tzu Chi.

It all depends on you

"Men have too many bad habits." Even some men themselves admit this. Habits are formed over a period of time and become very difficult to change. It is said that before some members joined the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps, they responded to their friends' admonitions to take refuge in the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha by joking, "Cigarettes, alcohol and betel nuts are my Three Treasures." One person even boasted, "I have no bad habits except smoking, drinking, gambling and cheating." Because of the prevalence of traditional male chauvinism in Taiwan, plus the influence of friends and colleagues, such bad habits are easy to acquire and difficult to get rid of.

One man came to Master Cheng Yen and asked her to bless him so that he could quit drinking. He said he wanted to be a Tzu Cheng Faith Corps member. "Since you are willing to change, I give you my blessing," the Master said to him. "However, whether you quit drinking or not all depends on you." Many people would like to rely on others to help them quit their bad habits, but in fact it all depends on their own determination.

Kao Cheng started smoking when he was in junior high school, forty years ago. Before he joined the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps, he hesitated between smoking or becoming a Tzu Cheng Faith Corps member. He knew that some members had the intention of doing both--quitting smoking slowly while doing Tzu Chi work at the same time. However, this notion was overruled by Master Cheng Yen, who said to them, "If you want to quit slowly, it's better that you don't quit at all."

After Kao made up his mind to follow the Master, he was surprised that he didn't need chewing gum or peanuts as substitutes for cigarettes. His desire to smoke was completely gone. That experience proved to him that all the methods of quitting smoking were just excuses for those who didn't want to quit. Those who are determined to quit will quit without any hesitation. The determination to quit is in itself the best method.

A sincere commitment provides the momentum for quitting. Touched by Master Cheng Yen's personality and great vow, Chen Ching-fa immediately quit drinking and became a vegetarian the day he met her. "Whatever I do, I have always done it well. Since I decided to join Tzu Chi, I had to completely abide by the rules of this organization. I could never become a burden to it." Chen always maintains the highest quality, even as a Tzu Cheng Faith Corps member.

Transformation

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, the usurer Shylock demanded that Antonio repay his money at a certain place and time, or else he would cut one pound of his flesh. However, the judge told him that he could only make one cut and the flesh must be exactly one pound, no more and no less, as described in their contract. Shylock finally had to give up.

Usury is a dishonest business that may ruin people's reputations, cause the breakup of their families, and even cause them to commit suicide. It also violates the precept of "no gambling," since usury is a kind of speculation.

Kuo Ting-jung, deputy commander of the Northern Battalion, used to be a loan shark. He is no longer in that line of work, but has a regular business instead. He closed his underworld business not because of The Merchant of Venice, but because he was worried about a nice woman. His sister once wanted to donate a sum of money to Tzu Chi. Kuo was not familiar with the foundation at that time and he was afraid that she might be getting swindled, so he went with her to check it out. They happened to see a meeting of the Honorable Board Members' Association, where a street sweeper was donating a large sum of money that she had saved up. Moved by her generosity, he decided to join Tzu Chi.

At first Kuo was still in the usury business. He just wanted to get back the money he had already lent out, along with the interest. He figured that as long as he did not lend any more money to people, it would be all right. Every day, underworld friends came to his office to drink and gamble with him. Whenever he won any money, he donated it to Tzu Chi. However, his wife said to him, "The money you won from gambling is tainted. The Master won't be happy with that."

When Kuo decided to join the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps, he closed his usury business. Since he had no formal skills, he first found a job as a salesman. Later on he hawked cakes on the street, but he constantly had to dodge the police. In his first few years out of the usury business, he never stayed at one job longer than one year. His income was very unsteady and sometimes he could not make ends meet. Yet although life was hard for him, he never had any regrets.

Following the precepts

Everyone praised Kuo for the drastic change he had made. Friends even came to his home and asked him to help them quit their bad habits, especially drinking. Under his guidance, two of them have already become Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members and another one will be certified at the end of this year.

"I'll nominate you for the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps. But don't go to any training classes smelling of alcohol. You'll get kicked out, and I'll be blamed for bringing in an alcoholic. If you still want to drink after you have finished all the courses, you can just forget about our friendship." Kuo uses both carrot and stick to give people the chance to change their ways.

Generally speaking, smoking, drinking, gambling and chewing betel nuts are the common bad habits of Taiwanese men. But to Chang Wen-lang, the most difficult precepts are "observe the traffic rules" and "be moderate in speech and appearance." People often violate traffic rules when they are in a hurry. Maintaining a pleasant tone of voice or gentle expression is even more difficult. People often yell at others out of habit, especially when they are upset or are in a bad mood. Even senior Tzu Cheng members are still learning.

"However, I don't think that one has to keep all the precepts before one is allowed to join the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps," said Chang. The Ten Precepts can make one a better person, but it takes time since everyone has his own temperament and habits. As long as a person is willing to change, with the encouragement of his fellow members and the teachings of Master Cheng Yen, he will have no problem remaining in the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps.

Since he has visited poor families and taken part in international relief measures for a long time, Chang, who grew up in the country and used to be very conservative, has learned how to express his love to his parents. Although he was a good son, he just didn't know how to express his love before. Therefore, his sense of filial piety has been reinforced.

Precepts are not prohibitions. Although an individual may feel pressures and restraints from both himself and the group, they also have positive implications that he will appreciate when he has learned to abide by them.

Don't get attached to the precepts

Everyone makes progress in abiding by the precepts at his own rate. "I am over five feet tall," some members may say. "How can I give in to three-inch-long cigarettes?" So they quit smoking overnight. Others who are not so determined may need to see doctors and go on special diets and physical exercise regimes. For them, it is like curing a chronic disease. Even so they still need a strong will to succeed.

Kuo Ting-jung thinks that even if a person's bad habits have been kicked for the time being, it doesn't mean he will not be tempted to go astray in the future. As soon as external circumstances change, he may go back to his old habits. Kuo said frankly, "I have been with the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps for seven years, yet I can't claim to have observed the Ten Precepts perfectly. I don't violate the precepts in my behavior, but this is not the case with my thoughts. For instance, when I see someone driving a big sedan, I think 'It must be comfortable to drive a car like that.' This craving for luxury has to do with greed." How can you go about purifying your thoughts? Kuo believes that as long as you stay with Tzu Chi, your spiritual cultivation will come naturally.

Basing their behavior on the Ten Precepts, many members have been molded into good sons, husbands and fathers. Some consider their change a miracle. Just like the small wires binding the banyan tree, if one neither violates the precepts nor deliberately gets attached to them, it is a marvelous achievement.

"With the Ten Precepts, Tzu Chi provides us with the right directions for purifying our minds and making us strong," said Yang Chung-hsi. He said that it was inevitable for businessmen to drink, but when his clients discovered that he was a Tzu Chi member, they wouldn't force him to drink with them. That is a result of the affirmation people give to the foundation. The precepts serve as a shield for him. Without any excuses, he won the understanding of his friends. That is what Tzu Chi has contributed to him.

Yang believes all members should observe the precepts. "Otherwise, people will think we have a double standard. They might say, 'He is also a Tzu Chi member, so why doesn't he have to observe the precepts?' "

When we see how Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members can purify their original character, we can understand how mindful Master Cheng Yen was in formulating the Ten Precepts. Their personalities and their relationships with their families and friends have improved. They can even participate on behalf of Tzu Chi in activities sponsored by other organizations. If they cannot get rid of their own bad habits, if they remain in their original state, how can they save others from their suffering and purify their minds?

"The Tzu Cheng Faith Corps should emphasize quality instead of quantity. You should make yourselves good examples. Observing the precepts tests your perseverance and courage. Besides, tobacco and alcohol are harmful to your health as well as your will." Master Cheng Yen encourages Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members and at the same time makes demands of them.

Tzu Cheng members are just as obedient and disciplined as any regular soldiers. However, the Master pointed out that they should possess moral integrity and serve others with a sense of virtue. With their neat appearance and faithful observance of the precepts, they have become a positive influence on society. That is exactly what the Master expects them to be and why more and more people want to join them.