Being ‘fortune lights’
I recently came across an unexpected sight while taking the MRT: As passengers rushed into the car, I turned around and saw a couple of platform cleaners helping a homeless woman board.
The woman was in a wheelchair, surrounded by several bags of her belongings. Her lower legs were swollen and ulcerated, and her face was buried in her hands, as if she were ashamed about causing a fuss.
She need not have. Homeless people are ordinary people from all walks of life who once had dreams. It is only that somewhere on their journey, they slipped and fell off the edge of the path. There but for the grace of God go we.
Homeless people are part and parcel of the urban scenery, but it is as if they are wearing a Harry Potter invisibility cloak. Just as we thought that the two parallel lines would never intersect, a homeless person steps onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and appears in the world of Muggles.
On the occasion at the MRT, the reactions of others on the train came both as a surprise and no surprise at all.
During the Lunar New Year holiday, temples are crowded with people seeking to “pacify Tai Sui (太歲),” a deity that governs fortunes for the year, and “light fortune lanterns.”
We sometimes forget that when compassion arises within us, we ourselves become a fortune light for others. Rather than pacifying Tai Sui, we should instead look to do good for others or donate to a worthy cause. The volunteers in Hualien after a typhoon last year showed us the way, clearing not only the mud brought by floods, but potential calamity for themselves.
People do not have to be rich to be a fortune light for others. Just like the two cleaners who escorted the homeless woman onto the MRT, their kind act was worthy of admiration.
If you are unable to contribute through work, you can donate money instead. Many charity organizations have seen a sharp decline in donations. Maybe you can check online for reputable charities to help people in need survive the cold winter.
By being a light of fortune for others, you can illuminate their darkness and possibly brighten your own life, too.
Hsu Cheng-hsiung
Taipei
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