Pure Heart

A Young Boy’s Spiritual Journey

By: Shu-Yi Chiu

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

This is a story about a young boy and his mother’s journey between two worlds: one with conflicting life values and one that fosters compassion and alleviates suffering. Despite their differences, the mother-son pair, through abundant love and respect, finally came to embrace a new vision together. Born and raised in Northern California, Christopher Yang, nicknamed Xiao Niu(Little Calf), is gentle, kind-hearted, and soft-spoken. His mother, Jessica Su, worried that her son’s innocence would not fare well with the individualistic values of society, and she hoped to shape him into a more well-rounded and “street smart” person. At the age of four, Christopher attended Tzu Chi Academy in San Jose, California, to begin his Mandarin lessons; in class, he became fascinated by Tzu Chi’s charity missions, and he found his place at the Jing Si Abode, the spiritual home of all Tzu Chi volunteers. Twelve-year-old Christopher, inspired by the teachings of Master Cheng Yen, grew determined to carry out Master’s great vow as his own lifelong mission—to work “for Buddha’s teachings, for sentient beings.”