文： 張瑜庭 (培德女中十二年級)
小的時候，大人會常常問我：「長大以後想要做什麼啊？」我都會眼睛睜大大的，看著他說：「我不知道耶！」但是，過了十八年以後，我想我找到了。
他們來了！ Alisha（其中一位與我一起開始募款的好友）跑到大齋堂，當時的我還正在準備，恆音師不是說他們會遲到嗎？當我在想這些事的時候，我已經往聖城的辦公室跑去了。在路上，我的心跳得好快。這是真的嗎？他們真的從烏干達來了嗎？ 我的夢要成真了嗎？
當我一進到辦公室的時候，我看到了來自烏干達的人。那一剎那，我根本不覺得他們是陌生人，他們好像就已經在我的人生中陪伴著我好久好久……，有種似曾相識的感覺。於是，我就衝到前面去，開心的跟他們說：「嗨！」我看見了他們臉上的笑容。我突然覺得，我活了十八年，好像一切都好值得！
於是，培德中學的男女學生就輪流的上去分享聖城的由來、上人的事蹟，以及佛教的歷史。我看著在觀眾席坐著的烏干達朋友們，我們所跟他們分享的一切，對我們來說都是很理所當然的；但對他們來說，一切都好不可思議！之後，我們又到了農場和佛殿。在走路到不同目的地的時候，我剛好有機會與其中幾位烏干達朋友講話，當我們在講話的時候，我完全不覺得我們之間有代溝，我也不用特意去解釋我想要表達的，因為他們的眼睛告訴著我：「我懂，也了解你想要說的！」
之後，我們就和烏干達朋友們一同吃飯。其中一位名叫 Constance 的烏干達朋友就開始模仿 Hollywood 的一位明星，我們都笑得東倒西歪，雖然我們之後沒有猜出來他想要模仿的對象。但當我們一起聊天時，就感覺大家都是一家人，我們什麼都可以說，不用怕被評論或是質疑。
他們接著就去上了中文課。另一位烏干達朋友 Jane Nanfuka 就跟我說，她好喜歡寫書法，更喜歡講中文，他真希望趕快回去烏干達跟他的朋友分享！聽到這兒，我的心就好溫暖，因為他們喜歡中國文化的關係，讓我與他們又更近了。
當他們在準備表演的時候，我剛好與他們的領導人說到話。我現在只記得我和他手握著手，看著對方說了好幾次的謝謝，我們不知道該怎麼表達我們對彼此的感謝。但那時候，我真的想到「We are the world」這首歌。我們就像佛教所說的，都是一體的。而當我們因為一件有意義的事情聚在一塊兒的時候，那份愛就會變得好強大，而我們身旁的人就也會感受到那份愛，更會因為心理充滿愛的關係，而把這份愛與關懷傳下去。
節目一開始的時候是男女校精彩的表演。當大家都在看表演的時候，我就會一直看烏干達朋友的表情，在他們的眼睛裡，我好像看到了另外一個世界，對他們來說，男校的舞龍、舞獅和二十四節令鼓，以及女校的太極舞、劍舞、觀音舞，都是新奇的。
中場休息以後，烏干達朋友們的表演就開始了。當他們的舞者一走出來的時候，我的眼眶濕了。從我開始認識他們的時候，是因為他們每一個人不幸的故事而開始與他們有接觸的，但在那一刻，我在台上看到他們光鮮亮麗、又有自信的一面，我好感動。他們是這麼的堅強，這麼的有能量，他們能把「我」先拋在一邊，既認真又投入地表演了這一場節目。
對我來說，我只是個普通的高中生，我是多麼榮幸能夠見證他們有自信的那一面，我是多麼榮幸能夠讓大家一同跟我一起投入在烏干達朋友的舞蹈中。也就在那時候，我對自己說：「不管以後我成為怎麼樣的人，或是去了哪裡，我都要好好的將我一生奉獻給需要我的人，因為只有在那一瞬間，我的世界才是和平的，是和樂的！」
表演進入尾聲的時候，烏干達的朋友們，以及男校、女校的同學們就一同的唱他們的歌 Seed to sow。這首歌是在形容每個麼人都有一顆種子等著我們去種，去滋潤、去照顧。這也讓我想到了佛教所講的 Buddha seed。的確，我們都有一顆種子等著我們去種、去關懷。在那一刻，我的種子笑了、開花了，因為我的種子就是讓大家聚在一塊兒的種子。於是我就看看我身旁的朋友們，他們盡情的與烏干達朋友們隨著音樂搖擺，我也開始融入在其中。
到整個節目結束了以後，我就衝上前抱住他們團長，不停地說：「你們好棒！好棒！……！」於是他就握著我的手，沒有說話。但是，他的沈默在這個時候已經化為一種鼓勵，一種對我的鼓勵，他臉上的笑容更是告訴著我：「你做對了！」我看了看他，心想：「雖然手中的手是來自不同的種族，但是就是因為這麼多雙不同的手，這麼多顆善良的心，才能將這次的活動辦得這麼圓滿！」
到今天，我還是覺得一切就像是一場夢。在這場夢中，因為大家的投入，大家的歡喜心，讓我們一起前進，一起享受其中的過程。我想要謝謝恆然師、恆音師、恆聰師、恆足師、近宏師、近山師、近智師、近經師、 Dr. Yeh, Mrs. Yeh, Mr. Sterea 以及其他好多好多的老師……。謝謝這些老師的支持以及投入，謝謝他們的啓發，謝謝他們成就了這次的活動；謝謝男女校學生的用心以及努力，因為大家的善心，讓一切都很順利。
最後，我想要謝謝我最尊敬的宣公上人，上人無私的心，推廣教育的心，是這次活動最重要的幕後推手。因為上人的教導，讓每一個人都能將自己拋在一旁，與大眾一起因為一件事而去共同努力，去認真將上人所教導我們的，在日常生活中實踐。
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by Christine Chang (12th Grade of The Girls School)
When I was little, adults would often ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up. I would always stare at them with my eyes open widely and say, “I don’t know~”
Yet I think I have found the answer after eighteen years.
“They are here!” Alisha, who is also one of the friends who started the Uganda Project with me, ran to the Dining hall and yelled. “Didn’t Heng Yin Shr said that they will be late?” while thinking about this, I was already on my feet rushing to the office. While I was running toward my destination, my heart started to beat faster and faster. “Is this real? Did they really fly all the way here fromUganda? Does that mean that my dream has come true?”
When I stepped into the office, I saw a group of Ugandans. At that moment, I didn’t see them as strangers. It felt like they have been in my life with me for a long time… It felt like I knew them already. Then, I ran up to them and said hi to them. When I saw their smiles on their faces, I suddenly thought that everything in life seemed so worth it after living for eighteen years.
Next, the Girls Schoo land Boys School started to take turn to introduce City of ten thousand Buddhas, the history of Buddhism, and Venerable master. During the time, I looked at the Ugandans who were in the audience seats. Everything that our students were saying seemed to be so abstract and amazing to them, but those facts seemed to be so easy to for us to understand. Then, we went to the farm, then to the Buddha Hall. When we were walking to different places, I so happened to have the chance to talk to several of them. I realized that when we were chatting, there was no gap between us. I didn’t have to further elaborate on the things I was saying, because I knew that they completely understand me when I looked into their eyes.
While we were eating lunch with the Ugandans, one of them called Constance started to mimic a star fromHollywood. While she was mimicking, every one of us were laughing so hard. Although we didn’t guess the person who she was mimicking right, we were just like a family when we were talking. We were able to say things without being judged or criticized.
After lunch, the Ugandans went to Chinese class. One of them called Jane Nanfuka, told me that she loved Chinese Calligraphy a lot, and she also liked to speak in Chinese. She couldn’t wait to go back toUgandato share these with her friends! When I was listening to her, my heart was warmed by her words. I felt that I was even closer to them because of their affections for Chinese culture.
While the Ugandans were preparing for their performance, I talked to their executive director, Pamela. Throughout the whole conversation, I only remembered the times when we held onto each other hands and keep on saying thank you to each other. We didn’t know how we could express our “thanks” to each other. But at that time, I thought of the song “we are the world”. We, like what it is said in Buddhism, are ONE. We are ONE when we were all working toward a meaningful event, and the love in us became stronger. Once the people around us felt that power of love, they automatically will pass the care and love down to more people.
The beginning of the program was the spectacular performances given by the Boys school and Girls school students. While enjoying in their performances, I looked at the Ugandan people’s faces. In their eyes, I saw a different world. BoysSchool’s twenty four season drumming, dragon dance, lion dace, andGirlsSchool’s Guanyin dance, Chinese sword dance, and tai chi dance were all such novel things in the Ugandan people’s eyes. After the intermission, it was the Ugandan people’s time to perform. When the dancers started to walk onto the stage, my eyes became teary. I remembered that my first acquaintance with them was because of their unfortunate background and heartbreaking stories. But that that moment, I saw the most confident, beautiful side of them on the stage. I was so touched by it. The way they present themselves was so brave and powerful. They were willing to put the “self” aside, and gave the audience the best performance they can.
To me, I was just a normal high school student. I was so honored to see the confident side of them; I was so honored to have everyone to enjoy their performance with me. And at that instant, I told myself that I would devote my life to people who need me despite what kind of person I become or where I will be. Because, for me, my world will only have peace and harmony when I am helping the people around me.
As the performances came to an end, the Ugandans along with our students gather together to sing the final song “Seed to Sow.” The song was mainly describing how each one of us have a seed waiting for us to nurture, to care for, and to plant. This song also reminded me of the teaching of the Buddha; the dharma seed we all have in us. True, we all had a seed waiting for us to plant and to nurture it. At that time, I thought my seed has smiled and blossomed, because my seed is to let everyone to be together happily. And so I looked at my friends around me dancing along with the music as I also immerse myself into their music and dance moves.
After the whole program ended, I ran up to their artistic director hugged him and said, “you guys were SOOOO great!!” Then, he held onto my hand without saying a word. The silence from him, at this moment, became a kind of encouragement to me, an encouragement along with the smile on his face told me that “I have done something right”. I looked into his eyes and thought, despite the hands in my hand were from a different races, we were able to make everything goes smoothly today was because of the team work from these different hands and different compassionate hearts.
Until today, I still thought that everything seemed to be like a dream. And in this dream, everyone was able to walk toward a same goal, and to enjoy in the process due to everyone’s hard work and wills. I want to thank Heng Zhen Shr, Heng Yin Shr, Heng Zong Shr, Heng Dzu Shr, Jin Hong Shr, Jin Jr Shr, Jin Jing Shr, Dr. Yeh, Mrs. Yeh, Mr. Setera, and all other teachers who have helped in this event. Thank you teachers for the effort, support, and how you all inspire us to do good. It was the teachers who made this event happened. Thanks to all theGirlsSchoolstudents andBoysSchoolstudents for their good heart and hard work. This event will not be able to be so successful without everyone’s compassionate heart.
At last, I would want to thank Venerable Master Hua, who has always been the person who I looked up to. It is because of Venerable master hua’s vision of being selfless and the urge to promote education that make all this happen—he is the person who helped the most in the backstage. Because of Venerable Master Hua’s teaching, every one of us was able to put our little self aside, and put our best effort into something that is meaningful to all human beings; we were able to apply his teachings into our daily lives.