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Life Stories
The stories of our patients, whether they are in their final moments or in the process of recovery. Each patient has a touching story with valuable lessons for us to learn. By reading their stories, we can send them deep blessings and encouragement.
When One Life Touches Another
How long is a human life? Only as long as a breath.
All things are impermanent. In every fleeting moment,
life arises and passes away.
What has passed is constantly reminding us that everything, too, must one day say goodbye.
And you—are you ready? Mdm Low Lian Choo and Suntha are a powerful testament to how one life can touch and transform another.
Life Story 1：Low Lian Choo~A Beautiful Testament to How One Life Can Touch Another
Low Lian Choo (second from left), moved by the selfless spirit of the Silent Mentors, pledged to donate her body to medical education and become a Silent Mentor, with the warm companionship and support of Jing Yuan ’s volunteers.
Professor Chin Kin Fah (fourth from left), founder of Academy for Silent Mentor, explained that “Silent Mentor” is a respectful title given to those who donate their whole bodies to medical education.
Death is a lesson we must all learn—the final farewell at the end of life’s journey. How can we say goodbye with peace in our hearts, free from lingering worries? Low Lian Choo, who turned 61 this year, has already decided what will happen to her body after her passing.
Living with terminal cancer has made her keenly aware of life’s fragility and led her to reflect deeply on what gives life meaning. These reflections brought her to Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, where she became a volunteer.
When Mdm Yong Poh Bee, the principal of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, introduced the i-Silent Mentor Programme to Mdm.Low Lian Choo, she immediately said, “Yes! I want to take part too!”
“Medical students learn so much from books, but they need actual human bodies to gain practical experience in dissection. If I donate my body after I die, they will have a real body to learn from, gaining hands-on experience that books alone cannot provide and understanding what happens inside our bodies.
“If this can help medical students advance their knowledge and find ways to cure diseases when they become doctors, why wouldn’t I do it?” Moved by the selfless spirit of the Silent Mentors, and with the warm companionship and support of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion’s volunteers, Low Lian Choo signed a pledge to donate her body and become a Silent Mentor.
“Silent Mentor” is a respectful title given to those who donate their whole bodies to medical education. When life comes to an end, we can do more than return to the earth—we can become Silent Mentors, contributing to the education of future doctors and to society. By donating their bodies, these individuals allow medical students to make their first surgical incisions, embodying the spirit: “I would rather you make a thousand cuts on my body than a single wrong incision on a patient.”
As part of the programme, the Academy for Silent Mentor arranges for students to visit donors’ families and participate in activities with them, allowing students to learn about their Silent Mentors’ life stories and final wishes. Explaining the procedures for preserving donated bodies. The founder of i-Silent Mentor Academy, Prof Chin said that a donor’s body must be brought to the Academy within eight hours of death so that preservation can begin promptly.
Donors Choose How Their Bodies Are Preserved
“When signing the consent form, donors may choose how their bodies will be preserved—either by freezing or embalming. For frozen preservation, the body is rapidly frozen at minus 30 degrees Celsius and kept in cold storage until the scheduled course. For embalming, a mixture of formalin and glycerol is injected through the arteries, and the body is then stored at between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius for six months to a year.”
He explained that frozen bodies are more suitable for surgical simulation, while embalmed bodies are better suited to anatomical dissection. Before each course begins, the Academy holds an opening ceremony, during which volunteers and students offer silent prayers and blessings, and family members have an opportunity to pay their respects.
At the end of the four-day course, students carefully suture their Silent Mentors’ bodies and respectfully dress and prepare them for placement in their coffins. The Academy then holds a thanksgiving ceremony, where an overview of the course is presented and students share their learning experiences and reflections. They also accompany their Silent Mentors on their final journey to Xiao En Memorial Park for the farewell ceremony and cremation.
Life Story 2: Sunthanadas — An Unwavering Smile
Sunthanadas devoted himself to learning various arts and crafts, such as stringing prayer beads and painting stones.
Volunteers from Jing Yuan Home of Compassion arranged a simple farewell for Sunthanadas
Life and death are lessons we all must learn. Some learn through their own experiences, while others learn through those of their loved ones. Each brings a profound understanding of life.
For many years, Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, a non-profit organization, has cared for stroke patients. Besides covering their medical and daily living expenses, the Home also provides compassionate care and companionship as they approach the end of life.
Sunthanadas lived at Jing Yuan Home of Compassion's Stroke Centre for nearly four years, having arrived at the age of 68. Like a roly-poly toy that always rights itself, he met life’s challenges with a smile. His stroke did not break his spirit. Instead, he showed those around him what it meant to keep going.
At the Home, he devoted himself to arts and crafts, including stringing prayer beads and painting stones. He approached each activity with wholehearted concentration. Finding meaning in the people, activities and things we care about can help ease anxiety and worry. Through these connections, patients can rediscover their abilities and sense of self-worth, finding greater peace as they undergo treatment and face the end of life.
Sadly, at the age of 71, Sunthanadas eventually succumbed to his illness. As the end drew near, he expressed his gratitude for the care and companionship of Jing Yuan’s volunteers and shared his wish for a Buddhist farewell.
Following Buddhist traditions, volunteers from Jing Yuan Home of Compassion arranged a simple farewell for Sunthanadas, with offerings of fresh flowers and fruit, sutra chanting and cremation.
“Our patients are all bodhisattvas who teach us to think positively and cherish life,” said Yong Poh Bee, Director of Jing Yuan Charity Home.
This article is reproduced from Guang Ming Daily, published on 16 December 2024.
A Heartfelt Commitment Reunites Mother and Son After Three Years Apart
Text：Jiangzi Photo: Jing Yuan Home of Compassion
Ah Beh and his mother hugged each other again and again, expressing how deeply they had missed one another and their joy at being reunited.
Most patients have family members or caregivers to look after them during treatment. For Beh Wai Aik (Ah Beh) at Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, however, it was the Home’s volunteers who stood by him throughout his journey—from his initial denial of his illness to acceptance and treatment. He relied on their companionship and care for all his daily needs, medical care and emotional support.
At Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, conversations between patients and those who accompany them create opportunities to listen to one another’s deepest feelings, helping patients understand that they are not alone. For Ah Beh, this love and perseverance led to a reunion with his mother after three years apart. Guided by a heartfelt commitment to care, they discovered the strength of supporting one another, helping to leave no regrets in life.
Originally from Teluk Intan, Ah Beh moved to Kuala Lumpur alone many years ago to work. Sadly, a stroke three years ago left the once strongly built man severely debilitated. He suffered an intracranial haemorrhage and underwent emergency brain surgery, during which a portion of the left side of his skull was removed. After he had spent nearly three months in hospital, hospital staff were still unable to contact his family to arrange for him to return home. The hospital’s medical social work team therefore referred him to Jing Yuan Home of Compassion in Setapak for continued care.
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When Ah Beh first arrived at Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, he was bedridden and paralysed, unable to speak or care for himself, and needed to be fed through a nasogastric tube. With swallowing exercises, he gradually regained his ability to swallow, progressing from liquids to solid food until he no longer needed the feeding tube.
In 2021, Jing Yuan Home of Compassion appealed through the newspapers for information about Ah Beh’s family, but received no response.
Jing Yuan Volunteers’ Dedicated Search for Ah Beh’s Family
As Ah Beh was still young, Jing Yuan transferred him to its Stroke Centre in Pandan Indah, where physiotherapy and acupuncture could support his recovery. He worked diligently on his rehabilitation every day. Today, he can manage some basic daily activities independently and is even learning to write with his non-dominant left hand. His perseverance has touched those around him. Yet beneath his determination lay a deep longing to find his family and be reunited with them.
Throughout this difficult journey, Ah Beh was never alone. Jing Yuan Home of Compassion stood firmly by his side. Despite efforts to trace his family through the media and other channels, there was still no news of their whereabouts. The volunteers, however, refused to give up and continued pursuing every possible lead.
Eventually, the volunteers approached the National Registration Department and obtained some basic information. With these details in hand, they drove Ah Beh to Teluk Intan to search for his family.
Following the available leads, they went from door to door. Some people did not recognize him, while others said his family had moved away and that they did not know where they had gone.
The volunteers refused to give up and remained determined to continue the search. The founder of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion Mr Liew Swee Seng suggested taking Ah Beh around the neighbourhood in his wheelchair, letting him guide them as they asked whether anyone recognized him. As the volunteer Brother Lay Teng pushed him past a coffee shop, Ah Beh repeatedly pointed towards it, making sounds as he tried to express himself.
Brother Lay Teng asked whether he used to visit the coffee shop, and Ah Beh nodded. When the volunteers spoke to the woman running it, they learnt that she had only recently taken over the business and did not know him. Thankfully, she suggested seeking out the previous owner, who had run the shop for decades and might be able to help.
This lead offered a glimmer of hope, and the volunteers continued pushing Ah Beh in his wheelchair until they found the former owner. Upon seeing him, Ah Beh pointed first at the man and then at himself, indicating that he knew him. After looking at Ah Beh for a while, the former owner said that he seemed familiar. He also recalled that one of Ah Beh’s relatives ran a coffee shop elsewhere. Following the directions he provided, the volunteers found that coffee shop.
As Ah Beh and his mother reunited at her doorstep, time seemed to stand still the moment their eyes met.
At last, the volunteers found Ah Beh’s uncle at the coffee shop. After hearing what had happened to Ah Beh, he recognized his nephew. He said Ah Beh’s parents had divorced, and his father was working out of town that day. His uncle therefore helped contact Ah Beh’s mother and led the volunteers to her home.
Jing Yuan Home of Compassion’s wheelchair-accessible van made its way along a narrow lane in a neighbourhood of wooden houses. A modestly dressed woman stepped out of one of the homes. As the wheelchair lift slowly lowered Ah Beh from the van, mother and son saw each other at her doorstep. The moment their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.
They hugged each other again and again, expressing how deeply they had missed one another and their joy at being reunited. Although the stroke had left Ah Beh unable to speak, he expressed his love for his mother through gestures and managed to utter “Ah Bu”—“Mum”.
The volunteers spoke with Ah Beh’s mother about her circumstances and learnt that her health and living conditions prevented her from caring for him. For the time being, Ah Beh would remain in the care of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion. His family also promised to arrange visits during special festive occasions.
Jing Yuan’s volunteers arranged for mother and son to share a reunion lunch before they said goodbye.
Before returning to Kuala Lumpur, Jing Yuan’s volunteers arranged for Ah Beh and his mother to share lunch with his uncle and family, giving them more time together.
This deeply moving life story is a beautiful testament to love and perseverance. Our heartfelt thanks go to every kind person who provided information along the way. You were guiding lights in AhaBeh’s search for his family, helping him find warmth, comfort and a sense of belonging.
Jing Yuan Home of Compassion printed photos of the joyful reunion between Ah Beh and his mother, which he lovingly pasted into a notebook as treasured keepsakes.
Watching mother and son embrace in tears after three years apart, Yong Poh Bee, Principal of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, was deeply moved.
“I was reminded of the Buddha’s teaching that ‘benefiting others also benefits oneself’. One person’s selflessness can bring so much help and warmth to another. This has given me the courage to continue serving society through the teachings of Buddhism. To have such a reassuring presence beside us during life’s most difficult moments—what a beautiful and inspiring sight!”
At Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, we listen closely to what patients are feeling in the present moment and follow their lead as they try to express themselves. Even in silence, there is no need to feel at a loss. We can quietly hold their hand, offer a gentle embrace, or chant sutras and recite the Buddha’s name together.
Through accompanying patients, volunteers come to recognise the experiences and lessons that all of us will encounter in life. More importantly, this companionship can help us mature and grow, allowing what we learn to become part of our outlook on life. In this way, volunteers and patients alike gain a deeper understanding of the truths taught by the Buddha through their own lived experiences, taking another step together along the path towards awakening and enlightenment.
This article is reproduced from https://cibei.org.my/postnews128
Turning Regret into Fertile Soil That Nourishes Life
Text：Jiangzi Photo: Jing Yuan Home of Compassion
In saying goodbye, we practise letting go of attachment, cultivating compassion and wisdom, and transforming the pain of parting into a heartfelt wish to benefit others. Mdm Yong Kwai Ying, a Silent Mentor, was the first resident of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion to be laid to rest through ash burial—turning regret into fertile soil that nourishes life.
Yong Poh Bee, Principal of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, and Professor Chin, founder of the ISilent Mentor Academy, placed Mdm Yong Kwai Ying’s cremated ashes into a burial pit in a designated area, then covered it with turf to complete the ash burial.
Ash Burial is a method of eco burial, referring to the process where the deceased’s remains are cremated, and the ashes are finely processed. These ashes are then planted into a designated area, covered with topsoil and allowed to return to the earth.
Death is a lesson we must all learn and the final farewell of a lifetime. How can we face that farewell with a heart free from attachments?
Mdm Yong Kwai Ying, who had donated her body to medical education, was the first Silent Mentor from Jing Yuan Home of Compassion to be laid to rest through ash burial.
Ash burial is an environmentally friendly burial method in which cremated ashes are finely ground, placed directly into the earth and covered with topsoil. No permanent structures or markers are installed, no ashes are placed in a columbarium, and no tombstones or other memorials are erected. The aim is to allow the ashes to become part of nature while protecting the environment, conserving land and honouring the dignity of the deceased.
In the presence of Yong Poh Bee, Principal of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, and volunteers from the Silent Mentor Academy, Mdm Yong’s finely processed cremated ashes were placed in a designated burial area and covered with topsoil, allowing them to return to the earth.
In saying goodbye, we practise letting go of attachment while nurturing compassion and wisdom. By transforming the pain of parting into a heartfelt wish to benefit others, we can move beyond the suffering of separation from those we love.
With encouragement from Volunteer from Jing Yuan Home of Compassion and the support of her siblings, Mdm. Yong Kwai Ying decided to donate her body to medical education and become a Silent Mentor.
Yong Poh Bee, Principal of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, described Mdm Yong Kwai Ying as friendly yet reserved. She had previously worked as a domestic helper. Although she remained unmarried throughout her life and preferred to keep a low profile, she shared a close bond with her family. Among her most cherished memories were helping to care for her younger brother’s two children and her cousin’s three children, which brought her immense joy.
Following a fall at home, Mdm Yong was diagnosed with stage four Breast cancer. After being discharged from the National Cancer Institute in Putrajaya, she was admitted to Jing Yuan Home of Compassion for care.
A review of her medical history revealed no other significant conditions apart from breast cancer, which had eventually spread to her bones and caused a pathological fracture. There was also a family history of cancer: her father had passed away from stomach cancer.
With the companionship and gentle guidance of Jing Yuan’s volunteers, she gradually embraced the Buddha’s teachings, transforming her regret over farewells left unsaid into motivation to practise more diligently.
Each year, the Home arranges for residents to participate in the Buddha-bathing ceremony during Wesak celebrations. She found great joy in the ceremony and was deeply grateful for the opportunity. She later took refuge in the Triple Gem and became a devoted Buddhist.
With encouragement from Jing Yuan Home of Compassion and the support of her siblings, Mdm Yong Kwai Ying decided to donate her body and become a Silent Mentor. Meeting medical students and members of the Silent Mentor Academy, and seeing the care shown to other donors, gave her reassurance. She also came to understand the important role Silent Mentors play in medical students’ learning. Although she still needed encouragement and comfort along the way, she eventually found peace in her decision and embraced the opportunity to contribute to the education of future medical professionals.
Mdm Yong passed away on 15 June 2024 at the age of 77. Yong Poh Bee, Principal of Jing Yuan Home of Compassion, said this was the first time the Home had arranged an ash burial for a resident who had passed away from terminal cancer. Mdm Yong’s final wish was for her body to be cremated after fulfilling her role as a Silent Mentor, and for her ashes to be buried in the earth. This return to nature reflected her quiet generosity and the fond memories she hoped to leave in people’s hearts—transforming regret into fertile soil that nourishes life. Dust to dust, earth to earth, returning to the embrace of the land.
The Silent Mentor Academy held a memorial service in honour of Mdm Yong Kwai Ying, expressing gratitude for her selfless contribution.
In addition to conventional burial, cremation and burial at sea, the Silent Mentor Academy now offers another option for its Silent Mentors: ash burial, allowing their ashes to return to the earth.
This article is reproduced from https://cibei.org.my/postnews128