Bin, a standard 3 boy and his standard 2 sister, Wen seldom participate in their district’s Junior Division activity. But they never bring the things that their PICs asked them to bring. No matter if it’s the art props, books, or even a water bottle, they just never bring them to the meeting. The PICs have done their best to even write them little notes, but still they attend the meeting with nothing.

Sometimes there are more tools for them to share with the other kids, but there are times where the tools are really insufficient too. This time, Bin will snatch the tools from the other kids, and it is quite often that he would get what he wants in a quite violent way. Whenever this happens, Wen will start crying out loud. Speaking of Wen, she’s really a quiet girl, sometimes too quiet. The only answer you’ll get from her is ‘I don’t know’.

Soon enough, Bin has become a bad kid to everyone. All of the people got so relieved when the two of them weren’t there at the meeting.

One day, a new JD PIC, Yong has been switched to this district. When he first met the two of them, he knew something was wrong with the atmosphere.

Yong: Could you tell me more about Bin and Wen?
PIC: It’s them? Oh I tell you, they’re odd. And they’re nothing more than troublesome kids that brings nothing more than troubles!
Yong: Is it their problem? Or us not knowing how to care about them?
PIC: Well… Errr… they’re just not that easy. You’ll know it when you get to know them.
Yong: Are you denying their potential? Or are you denying President Ikeda’s guidance?
PIC: What? Are you one of them? Coz you sounded weird too you know?
Yong: Well let me ask you something. What kind of people are their parents?
PIC: If I’m not mistaken their father fell sick for years, and their mother’s working in the wet market.
Yong: Why are you saying ‘If you’re not mistaken’? How about the PIC who’s responsible to bring them to the meeting?
PIC: It’s me! I’m the only noble one who’s willing to bring them to the meeting. They’re living in ‘far far away land’!
Yong: So have you home-visited them? Have you met their parents?
PIC: Nope. There’s a dog in their house! I’m too afraid to enter. Plus their mother looked so busy, I don’t want to ‘kacau’ her.
Yong: Well then let me drive them home after the meeting today.
PIC: Are you ok with that? You’re still new to this area.
Yong: I’ll figure it out myself.
PIC: Ok then.

After the meeting, Yong figured out the way to their home and off they went. Along their journey…

Yong: Hi Bin, I’m Yong. How do you feel today? Was it fun?
Bin: Same old, boring…
Yong: I think so too. It was boring. If only you could perform a song for us at the meeting.
Bin: No, I hate singing. Ask Wen to sing it. Even the crows will drop dead when she started singing. (Wen smiled for a little)
Yong: Well how do you feel then Wen?
Wen: I don’t know.
Yong: You’re saying you don’t know whether the crows will drop dead when you started singing?
Wen: No.
Bin: Haha.
Yong: Wow, look at the two of you, you look like a charming prince and princess when you smile.
Bin: ‘Your head’ (Smiling)
Yong: What? My head looked like a charming prince?
Wen: You praise yourself charming. Haha, I’m gonna throw up.

And so they laughed and talked. But when they got near to their house, the smile on their face just faded away and the atmosphere turned quiet again. Yong curiously asked for the reason that they stopped smiling.

Right before they even enter the house, someone started yelling “Why are you two back so late!? Where have you been!?” Before the sentence even ended, a housewife with a cane on her hand emerged. But she immediately turned embarrassed when she saw an outsider. Then Wen went to hide behind Yong and kept on saying “I don’t know… I don’t know….”

Yong: Hi, I’m Yong, a new PIC here. I’m still new to this area so, I got here a little late. Please don’t blame them.
Mother: Oh…
Yong: Madam, is it convenient for you if I enter your house and talk with you?
Mother: Oh, I don’t think so. The house is a little messy. What’s wrong? Did they give you any trouble?
Yong: Oh, no. They were fine. I just want to understand and know them more. I won’t mind if you’re house if messy, not to mention my house being even messier.
Mother: Oh really?

And so, through the dialogue with the mother, Yong found out the reason they don’t bring their tools to the meeting. He even found out that their father got the XXX illness, which will be easily affected by bacteria brought from outside. Thus, their father just stay in the room and they’ve never seen their father for a year! For their safety, they can’t bring anything out. If it were to be brought out, then it should never be brought back into the house again. For the same reason, their mother has to go to a relative’s house to clean herself before going back home from the wet market.

Their mother blamed herself for not knowing how to teach her children, and so she used the old fashion way that her parents had used on her, which was to scold and cane. There was once her daughter sneaked out to play. Her mother caned her after she told the truth. Therefore, she used the words “I don’t know” to protect herself since then. As for the son, he inherited the father’s violence. The mother was lacking of time to care for him which has caused him to be that way.

She kept on blaming herself, but still she did her best to teach her children, and to support the family when her husband fell sick. What an amazing mother. Since then, Yong has discussed with the leaders in that district for that the WD to have dialogue with the mother. Other than that, Yong still visit the two of them quite often. He even prepared the tools they need to use in the meeting, which was temporarily being kept by Yong. Plus, he also shared some of the guidance of teaching the children from President Ikeda.

After a year, with the help of the members’ daimoku, their father got well. Their mother even took up the faith and became a leader. Since then, two of the kids have become two little happy angels.

This story reminds us that there’s only one magical speech, which is nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo. There’s no other words or sentence that could change a kid’s life. It’s all about hard-work from every aspect, and also with the help of President Ikeda’s guidance, to enrich ourselves and meet, have dialogue, home-visit, and also our prayers.

From the story above, we learned a few important points:
• When we encounter some children that weren’t that ‘easy’, we would probably judge them as ‘bad’ kids. But why don’t we think about ourselves who don’t know how to care and teach them?
• If you let them go their way alone just like that, then you’re nothing more than denying their potential, buddhahood, and also President Ikeda’s guidance. If the children were living in an unfortunate and unhappy surroundings, they will lost their faith. If this persists, they would give up on themselves and might even do something that will hurt themselves or some other people.
• The important thing is still to understand them through dialogue and home-visit. The children are all good and well-behaved. We just haven’t found that out.
• Most of the parents still use the old fashion way that their own parents used on them, which was to scold and cane. Hence, we need to share President Ikeda’s guidance with the parents to spread the idea of humanism. The more we share, the more we could comprehend and practice.
• Don’t think that you could change a child’s life just by saying a word or two. The job of educating is a lifetime occupation and challenge. So please don’t just do it for the sake of doing. Children are treasures of the future. They’re the suns that shine through the future. If this sun was ever to fall in the deep valley of sorrow and unfortunate, then there won’t be any bright lights in the future.


Boys Div. Chief, Foo Keh Chong.

Labels: f. thoughts of chief