Photographed by Ming-Da Ou Written by Yu-Yen Lan
Translated by Mindy Chen Edited by: Anita Lee

“Tzu Chi has great combined strength. Being a Tzu Chi member has greatly changed me and added meaning to my life. What’s more, I have a broader view of the world than ever before; I even discovered just how big our hearts can stretch. I am proud of myself and feel grateful that I am a Tzu Chi member,” Dr. Wu said, her face beaming with joy.

My Brazilian name is Beleza. Its English meaning is “Formosa”, which means beautiful island and is also the former name of Taiwan. Dr. Xiu Ying Wu stated that the meaning of her name serves as a reminder that Taiwan will always be her birthplace, only that she immigrated to Brazil because of karmic affinities.

Wu moved to Brazil with her parents when she was one year old. Her mother was born in Chiayi and her father was born in Japan. Although she, half-Taiwanese and half-Japanese, can speak simple Taiwanese, her dominant language remains Portuguese and English. Wu has been a physician for 35 years and joined Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) 15 years ago.

 “I was 17, when I started medical school in Brazil. At our first gross anatomy class, in front of us was a cadaver, who was like a book waiting for us to read and explore. Some of my classmates were scared in the beginning but later started to make jokes in class. At the time, I felt their behaviour was inappropriate,” said Dr. Xiu Ying Wu. When she attended the lecture on Silent Mentors today, it reminded her of the gross anatomy course. During the lecture, she was moved when she saw that Silent Mentors were treated with great respect.

 “Tzu Chi University’s medical students are attentive, mindful and diligent. Although there are a lot of social problems at present, however, these students represent hope for the future, which is indeed great!” said Dr. Wu. She praised TCU for instilling the values of gratitude, respect and love in their medical students, who will become compassionate physicians in the future.

“I used to think there was no difference between my birthplace Taiwan and Brazil where I grew up. However, as soon as I came here, I feel that I am home. The Tzu Chi volunteers are just like my family. I also seemed to have picked up my lost language, Taiwanese, again,” Dr. Wu said with tears rolling down her face.

“Tzu Chi members in Brazil are also mindful and diligent. They care about society and are altruistic. I was deeply moved by them,” said Dr. Wu. She was impressed by Tzu Chi members the first time she met them. In the beginning, there were only Asian members in Tzu Chi and then more and more Brazilians gradually joined. She said, “In Brazil, we also teach kids sign language. We are like a big family working towards the same goal.”

“Many years ago, we immigrated to Brazil on October 2, which falls on the same date I returned to Taiwan,” Dr. Wu talked about the coincidence. After 57 years, she set foot in the country of her birth again, and in that moment, a wave of emotions welled up in her heart.

Dr. Wu is a Gynecologist. She also applies EMDR to treat patients with mental illness. She said, “Human diseases are usually caused by the brain and mind and the illness manifests on the outer body, while medicine simply suppresses the symptoms instead of treating it.” Dr. Wu stated that some patients couldn’t lift their hands because of chest pain but recovered after EMDR treatment; some patients took medicine for years because of pain and after EMDR, the pain disappeared without the patient ever having to take medicine again.

She said, “We meet at the Tzu Chi office every month and go to a place situated 60-80 km away from the Sao Paolo city center to visit families in need. We also visit areas which have been devastated by floods or mud slides.

Hustle and bustle characterizes city life in Brazil; there is also a large income inequality between the city and countryside. Once you drive out of the city, the income disparity immediately becomes evident. The areas we visited are always lacking basic necessities, especially medical resources, which are in great demand.

“Besides basic medical treatment, we also provide services including dental care, distribution of daily necessities and medicine, and moral education,” said Dr. Wu. Whenever she speaks of the contribution that TIMA members have made to the local people, her face lights up with a bright smile.

On the morning of October 3, Suzanne Chen, one of her group members, had a stomachache. Dr. Wu immediately gave her medicine, putting her skills and profession to good use on the first day of TIMA camp.

A volunteer walked towards Dr. Wu with a bunch of Jing Si Aphorism cards and asked her to randomly draw one. The Jing Si Aphorism she picked reads “The sunshine is too strong; the kindness of our parents is immeasurable; a gentleman shows great forbearance; a scoundrel lacks morality.” The volunteer explained its meaning to her in Taiwanese. The interpreting volunteer also translated it into English. Dr. Wu nodded her head in agreement and felt that although the sentence is short, it implies a deep meaning.

“Tzu Chi has great combined strength. Being a Tzu Chi member has greatly changed me and added meaning to my life. What’s more, I have a broader view of the world than ever before; I even discovered just how big our hearts can stretch. I am proud of myself and feel grateful that I am a Tzu Chi member,” Dr. Wu said, her face beaming with joy.

A volunteer asked Dr. Wu to randomly draw a Jing Si Aphorism scroll. The Jing Si Aphorism she picked reads “The sunshine is too strong; the kindness of our parents is immeasurable; a gentleman shows great forbearance; a scoundrel lacks morality.” The volunteer explained its meaning to her in Taiwanese, and the interpreting volunteer also translated it into English. Dr. Wu nodded her head in agreement and felt that the sentence is short but meaningful.