LOHAS Ah Kang

Life can be rich and colorful, or as ephemeral as dawn.When facing with crippling adversities and irreversible destiny,

The gardener harrows forward with renewed effort and energy.Every seed of life is sown with dedication,

And land plowed with determination and intrepidity,Earthy smiles and delicate songs,

Sings a harvest and glorious reap.

Written by Wan-Lin Wu

Wen-Kang Yang’s Life with Spinocerebellar Ataxia

LIFE-CONQUERING PROFILE

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I n a f r ig id w in t ry morn ing, the

temperature outside was below fifteen

degrees centigrade. Wen-Kang Yang

(nicknamed Uncle Ah Kang) spends half-

an-hour stretching on the bed, then

managed to standup by holding the sides

of the bed. He wears little except his usual

raincoat to stay warm. Supporting himself

with a walker in one hand, he uses his

other hand to sweep with a broom. Over

the last six months, his body’s involuntary

spasm has worsened to a point he could

hardly make his own breakfast. But Yang’s

preference for cleanliness never waned.

His early morning sweeping is the ritual to

start a new day.

Difficulties Foster Perseverance: A Life Reclaimed on the Farm

The 59 year old Yang lives by himself

on a small farm in Hualien’s foothills of

Ji’an, affectionately known as “Uncle

Ah Kang.” His Hakka parents brought

him and nine siblings to Hualien from

western Taiwan to work as laborers for

the Japanese occupation force. Despite

his large family’s poverty, Ah Kang often

remembers his parents’ loving attention to

the children.

At the age of eight, Ah Kang first

developed a persistent high fever. His

parents did their best to get him treatment

but were too poor to get him regular shots

or even examinations. The young Ah Kang

was frequently losing his balance and

falling as he walked. What was flat ground

to other people looked hilly and uneven to

him. Although movement was increasingly

difficult for him, Ah Kang never avoided

responsibility; he took care for the family

cows and collected firewood from the hills

even while falling and stumbling along the

way.

Uncle Ah Kang said, “In fact, I knew

I was ill from an early age...” His tilts

and shakes prevented him from riding

a bike even as a teenager. His oldest

brother thought it was Ah Kang’s ploy to

avoid doing chores and beat him with a

dustpan. When Tzu Chi established its

first Buddhist hospital in Hualien in 1986,

Ah Kang was in his thirties and visited

Tzu Chi Hospital for his first ever check

up. A physician explained for the first time

why he had been losing his balance and

shaking for all those years: a rare disorder

called “spinocerebellar ataxia.”

Although the doctor did not tel l

him the disease is incurable, Ah Kang

understood that years of hardship lay

ahead of him. But at least he had a name

for his condition. Back home, he looked

over the green farmland he worked hard to

cultivate. It was so real; so he immediately

forgot about the physician’s explanation of

spinocerebellar ataxia.

Ah Kang moved out of the family

house seven years ago to avoid making

trouble for his brothers and sisters. He

sold a small piece of land his father had

left him, raised some money and built a

small house on the remaining land. Always

passionate about growing f lowering

plants, he then began to grow roses to

support himself, and taking advantage of

the clean air and water in the Ji’an area

of the Central Mountain range. Ah Kang’s

rose garden business eventually became

successful.

The young Uncle Ah Kang is wearing rain boots and standing next to the fields in high spirits, he is proud to be a farmer.

Snapshot of Uncle Ah Kang’s life – crawling and planting in the verdant field.

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The Stumbling Gardener

Unc le Ah Kang, who had on ly

graduated from primary school, has

become a professional farmer through

self study and hard work. Although Uncle

Ah Kang has to take at least half a day to

complete work that others could finish in

an hour, but his vegetables and flowers

grow better than other farms. Uncle Ah

Kang’s constant falling and standing has

gained him the nicknames “Roly-Poly

Farmer”, and “Stumbling Gardener”, yet

he never gives up. In his belief, “I cannot

compete with others in physique, energy

and personal strength, but I can win with

through perseverance and diligence.”

Uncle Ah Kang had always grown

roses. However, through his contacts

with Tzu Chi members and volunteers, he

learned about the idea that healthy food

comes from healthy soil. Five years ago,

he decided to grow organic products and

had his land lay fallow for two years. Then

he grew rice on all the land to improve the

quality of the soil. In order to transform his

land for planting vegetables, he did not

have any income for three years. Uncle Ah

Kang said, “I am a farmer. I know growing

rice will lose money. But because I am

going to grow vegetables, I have to grow

rice to improve the quality of the soil. The

roots of the rice plants will absorb the

harmful impurities from the soil.”

Having decided to cultivate organic

products, Uncle Ah Kang threw himself

into harnessing the art of organic farming.

But it took lots of time and effort to master

this new way of farming. No longer using

herbicides and chemical fertilizers, he

had to manually weed, remove pests,

and make compost. So much extra

work was a huge new burden on his

already handicapped body. The workload

even made Uncle Ah Kang, who was

accustomed to the back-breaking work,

complained a little about the hardships of

organic farming.

However, whenver the workload

piles on, Uncle Ah Kang’s Hakka nature

of fortitude would sustain him. As a

conventional farmer he has to compete

with the mass-production farms. Plus, he

could not bring his crops to the farmer’s

market by himself, so it would be hard

to make ends meet. Growing organic

produce, on the other hand, would

connect him to a group of customers and

friends who share his ideology, opening

up a new and less developed market.

Eventually, through plowing and rotational Uncle Ah Kang said, “Every day is a workday. Sunny days are good for fertilizing. Rainy days are good for weeding. When I am working, I love to wear my Tzu Chi University jacket that I bought at a fund raising campaign.”

Uncle Ah Kang irrigates his fields with love. The vegetables and flowers in the farmland responds with lush growth.

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farming, he has mastered the inter-

relationships between crops and insects.

“I affectionately look after my flowers and

vegetables, I let them drink mountain

spring water flowing from Tungmunlung

Creek, while talking and singing to them in

the fields.”

Uncle Ah Kang has lived by himself

for so long, his plants have become his

best friends. His efforts paid off when

crops f lourish. Uncle Ah Kang said,

“Planting flowers and vegetables is like

the relationship between a husband and

wife in a marriage. If we love them a little,

they will repay us a little. If we are good

to them, they will be true. If we do not

feed them properly, they will not prosper.”

These few sentences summarizes the

wisdom Uncle Ah Kang gained from his

farming experience.

Living Simply yet Giving Generously

Even though his spinocerebellar ataxia

is medically incurable, Uncle Ah Kang

remains optimistic, kind and enduring. He

works hard and maintains his own lifestyle

without any help. He uses his own hands

to plow the fields. He is sincere with his

friends. For the same price of NT$25 for a

cauliflower, he always chooses the largest

one for his customers. Since his health

has deteriorated in the last six months, he

could only sell one-third of his vegetables.

He starts to worry he would not be able

to pay back the money he has borrowed

to purchase the vegetable seedlings.

But he still refuses to accept offers from

kind customers for excess changes. He

insists on treating everyone equally and is

unwilling to accept anything extra.

Most of Uncle Ah Kang’s customers

willingly come to buy vegetables because

they admire his sincerity and integrity.

He is able to lead a frugal life, although

barely on the little income he has made

in selling vegetables. He considers his

routine dish – simmered luffa gourd with

rice – the most delicious meal. He is very

grateful for the help he has received from

his friends. The kind Uncle Ah Kang also

realizes that there are many other people

who need help. Sometimes, he would

donate all the proceeds from sale of his

flowers. Sometimes he would regularly

give his meager income to Tzu Chi

Foundation, Pitts School and other charity

organizations. When he is in good health,

he also volunteers in nursing homes.

“People looked after me before, now

I will look after others who are in need”

he said. When he works in the fields, he

usually wears a secondhand jacket with

“Tzu Chi University” embroidered on the

back. The jacket was the gift he bought

for himself during a charitable fund raising

campaign.

His difficulty in moving around and

slow speech leads some people to think

he is also mentally challenged. But this

primary school graduate actually enjoys

reading the chapters of “Great Learning”

and “Doctrine of the Mean” in the ancient

Chinese classics – The Four Books.

“I didn’t understand a bit at the

beginning. The words are so difficult

to comprehend but after two or three

readings, I was able to make sense of it.”

Uncle Ah Kang said.

The books contain wisdom of words

that enlightened Uncle Ah Kang who

learned from it to improve his people

skills. When people make fun of him or

take advantage of his slow responses, he

applies the wisdom of words found in the

books without hurting anyone or making

himself feel bad.

Uncle Ah Kang’s Unyielding Attitude – Draws Admirations from Doctors and Teachers

Despite his best effort, the disease

has progressed slowly. Two years ago

while he was doing laundry one morning,

he fainted and fell next to the washing

machine. No one knew or noticed his

fall ing. After some time, he regained

consciousness and crawled to call for

assistance.

At the hospital, doctors found blood

Dr. An-Bang Liu and Uncle Ah Kang – A doctor and a patient, an amateur farmer and the professional farmer.

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clots in his brain and put him into the

intensive care unit for several days. But

after being discharged, he was troubled

by dizziness and headache, making daily

tasks difficult. So he sought treatment

from Dr. An-Bang Liu at Hualien Tzu Chi

Hospital’s neurology department.

Dr. Liu told him that his case is very

unusual, having occurred early in life yet

developing slowly. Later, Tzu Chi Hospital

sponsored an internat ional medical

forum that included presentations from

professors from Utah University in Salt

Lake City. The professors are known for

their spinocerebellar ataxia research.

Doctor Liu arranged to have Uncle Ah

Kang examined but the Utah team could

not offer any new treatment options.

Throughout everything, Uncle Ah

Kang continues to face the world with

a smile. His positive

a t t i t ude impresses

Dr. Liu to a point that

the doctor fee ls he

has to do something

to help Ah Kang. Dr.

Liu’s whole family has

assisted Uncle Ah Kang

with the planting of the

vegetables. He also

helps to sell vegetables

online. Eventually many

s t a f f f ro m T z u C h i

University, Da-Ai TV station (news center

of the eastern division), and Hualien Tzu

Chi Hospital has bought their vegetables

from Uncle Ah Kang.

Knowing some city-dwellers’ interests

in farming, Uncle Ah Kang announced

that he was willing to lease his fertile fields

to friends who would like to experience

farming. He would like everyone to enjoy

the happiness associated with getting

close to the land. Dr. Liu took him up on

the offer and often visits his fields to learn

transplanting and how to make compost.

Dr. Liu said he is amazed by the fact that

although Uncle An Kang unwell, and

knows his days are numbered, he can still

be positive, smile and never complain. He

works hard to cope with life as if he is not

a martyr to the disorder. Sometimes Dr. Liu

would like to suggest some of the patients

who whined about minor discomfort to

come and visit Uncle Ah Kang.

Switching from conventional to organic farming, Uncle Ah Kang does not mind losing money so as to have healthy land and share healthy food. Many teachers, doctors, and Tzu Chi members enjoy picking their own vegetables.

With only primary school education, the talented Uncle Ah Kang always devotes in whatever he is doing. He won a photography contest. He also asked his friends to write notations in the “Great Learning” and “Doctrine of the Mean” chapters so that he could understand them better.

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Happy to Work Every Single Day

Uncle Ah Kang’s handicap makes it

difficult for him to leave his house, unless

he has to go to the doctor. His imobility

has compelled him to keep all his money

at home. During the 2009 Typhoon

Morakot disaster, Uncle Ah Kang lost his

balance, broke his arm and had to be

hospitalized. When he had returned from

the hospital, he discovered that all his

savings, almost NT$200,000 were stolen,

along with all the fishes from his backyard

pond. Even his flower pots and bonsais

disappeared.

Despite losing his life savings and

the fields devastated by typhoon, Uncle

Ah Kang managed to regain his positive

attitude. As soon as the arm began to

heal, he put on his poncho hanging on the

door and started cleaning up the fields.

He said,“It was really heartbreaking to

lose all my savings. But as a farmer, I have

to be able to manage myself before I can

manage my fields. There is work for rainy

days, and there is work for sunny days.”

Uncle Ah Kang stated his feelings as if the

misfortune never occurred to him.

Once again he laboriously plowed the

land, carefully irrigated it, and sang to the

vegetable seedlings. He started at dawn

and worked until dusk. He still faces every

day with a smile, and does not give up his

trust and confidence in people.

Live Life to the Fullest

Uncle Ah Kang’s hard work and

optimism touched many hearts. Dr. Liu still

helps him to sell the vegetables, and Hui-

Hsin Lu, a Tzu Chi University professor of

Religious and Cultural Studies, gives him

rides to the hospital when she has time.

Tzu Chi University teachers and students

help to make organic bacteria in the lab to

help his organic farming. Uncle Ah Kang

is a strong believer that “a drop of favor

from others should be repaid with wells of

thankfulness.” Uncle Ah Kang is touched

with so many people who care about him

and repeatedly said he could ever repay

so much kindness.

Having been born into a poor family,

Uncle Ah Kang’s life itself was almost a

miracle. He has remained single because

of his disorder, giving all his love to

his fields in the foothills of the Central

Mountains. When Dr. Liu finally frankly

told him that his disease is terminal,

Uncle Ah Kang acknowledged that he

had long known this disease since joining

the patient support group – the “Penguin

Family” – for spinocerebel lar ataxia

patients.

Knowing he is nearing the end of his

life, every morning the optimistic Uncle Ah

Kang steadfastly crawls to tend his fields.

He said, “I can only think that this is God’s

wish. My parents did not intend me to be

sick my whole life. Even suffering from

this disease, I must take good advantage

of this colorful world while I have the

opportunity.”

Picking up the ragged poncho, Uncle

Ah Kang crawls, one foot at a time, to

his fields so he could fertilize the lilies and

prepare them for blooming season. The

doctor has told him not to crawl anymore

because it would further aggravate his

damaged knee ligaments. But to Uncle Ah

Kang, the land is his haven and the source

of his life and energy.

“I have lived this long but I am not

afraid of death. If I have any regrets in

my life, I am only sorry that I have never

once experienced true love.” When he see

the lilies, tulips, and irises which he has

planted blooming one after another, he

smiles with total satisfaction. He knows

that plants and flowers also have feelings

that could warm his heart.

A l though h is hea l th and l i fe i s

diminishing, a new flower blossoms in his

heart every single day. Smiles without sadness. Uncle Ah Kang diligently adds colors to his life. His heart is like a spring, always blooming with flowers.

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