（The following text is the preface from the book The Story of Kuan-Yuan Tai Educational Building)
Dear Teacher Kuan-Yuan,
Happy reading! I sit here writing you this letter with a copy of the samples of the book we wrote about you. Before me are two versions printed from Taiwan - one hard-cover and the other a paperback version. The publisher sent them mainly for us to approve the paper used. The content of the stories in the book is excellent. If one day you should see this book, I believe you would like it very much.
I first arrived in Irvine at the end of fall 2012. You had passed several years before; therefore, I never had the opportunity to meet you. At the time, I saw the huge letterings outside the main building---Kuan-Yuan Tai Educational Building---and was very much intrigued by what kind of a person you were. Time flies. At the blink of an eye, I have been at this job for over ten years. If you were to ask me, “What motivated you to write this book?” I would say it originated with my curiosity about you.
This educational building, named after you, is located on the 3.88-acre Irvine Chinese School/South Coast Chinese Cultural Center campus. As one enters the high-ceilinged main hall, one would see on its massive wall engraved with so many names of kind benefactors who have contributed over the years that the eye seeks a pause. Many first-time visitors have been awe-struck when they learned that each tile and each brick came from the loving donation of the community. They exclaim, “This is not a church, nor a temple, yet so many ethnic Chinese community members have been willing to offer up their resources and their services!” Come to think of it, I have often asked myself the same question.
Once, while meeting with your son, I asked him the same question. He pointed out that if everyone would first start with improving the little things around them, while also caring for others as they do themselves, we could look forward to living in a harmonious society. Over the years I have had several exchanges with your son. I have learned two things from him: One, no matter the amount of a contribution, the love for which it stands is indistinguishable. The other is that the importance of volunteer service to non-profit organizations is no less meaningful than a donor of funds, sometimes it is to be more respected, because one’s time and wisdom are priceless. These lessons are not merely talking points to him. Over the years I have seen him put them into action. Although the indisputable big boss, he always treats others like a brotherly neighbor. This made me even more curious about you. What kind of a mother and her home education is responsible for nourishing the special qualities of a kind heart and altruism? I found my answer when I came across your calligraphy: “When cultivating yourself, help others cultivate themselves; when working toward success, help others succeed.”
A while back, I learned that I had been nominated for the Irvine City Permanent Honor Wall along with others, including Irvineʹs former Chief of Police and the Chief Operations Director of Hoag Hospital. You might be surprised that the first thing that crossed my mind was, ̏Itʹs a good thing I am not making you ʽlose faceʹ.ʺ This woke me to the fact that I had always been mindful of you. I hope you do not find me, your junior, to be too chatty. Beginning with the Covid Pandemic in winter 2019, and now with a war at the other end of the globe, the world has undergone unprecedented upheavals. Since the Pandemic I have been thinking more often of you and all those who have emerged from the ruins of war devastation. I once read an article reporting that, during the war against the Japanese, your brother bravely piloted a pursuit aircraft. Unfortunately, he lost his life in the fight. Lately, whenever I think of these historical events, my heart is filled with emotions. How did your brother feel when he stepped into the cockpit? How deeply tragic was it when the family received news of his decease? Silently, the tears fall. I ask myself: “How is it that the cruel war did not snatch away your earnest desire for life? It did not make you abandon your pursuit of the true, the good and the beautiful in humanity? What force or belief had been supporting you in your principles? While looking for an answer, I sincerely thank you, that even in this pandemic era when values are being corrupted, that we still get to see the beautiful and good in humanity.
It has been 17 years since the Kuan-Yuan Tai Educational Building was opened in 2005, and the ethnic Chinese population in Irvine has more than doubled, the open fields have been replaced by residential and commercial buildings, and peak hour traffic is part of our day. On campus, the small trees have grown tall, birds have chosen trees in which to build their nests, and rabbits scurry into the bushes. The distant hills can still be clearly seen. I like getting in early in the morning to enjoy its serenity. This campus exists because of the kind-heartedness of you and many others. It was born of many dreams and it has sprouted and grown bit by bit.
At this point, I raised my eyes to look out the window. The day is breaking. I once read something that generally said that the older generation believed in predestined affinity. What predestined affinity means is that it is the result of a combination of incidences that cannot be subjectively foreseen or controlled, subjective willed, or due to character disposition. Perhaps only Eastern culture can appreciate both the mystical and romantic connotation. What exactly is ̏predestined affinityʺ ? I think, you and I perhaps have predestined affinity. Every day when I walk into this educational building named for you, my heart is always at ease and filled with gratitude.
I hope when you and I meet in Heaven, we can smile at each other, hold hands and enjoy a good chat. I would also love to give you a great big embrace, all right?
A junior who very much is looking forward to meeting you,
Yulan Chung
Fall 2022
(以下文字摘錄自《戴廣源文教大樓的故事》前言)
敬愛的廣源老師，
展信悅! 前天剛收到台灣寄來的樣書，精裝和平裝各一，出版社寄來的主要目的是讓我們確認書本的樣張。寫這封信的時候，您的故事繪本草稿和樣書就在我的面前，故事內容是玉華口述，英文譯稿由怡薇協助完成，故事內容特別棒! 如果有一天 您看到這本書，相信您一定會非常喜歡的。2012年秋末我初到爾灣，您已仙遊多年，沒機會與您見面。當時看到大樓外牆上的 題字: 「戴廣源文教大樓」，我就非常好奇您到底是個什麼樣的人。時光飛逝，一轉眼，我到爾灣入職已經十年了。 如果您問我， 「為甚麼想做這本書呢? 」 我想，也許源自於我對您的好奇和念想吧。
這棟以您命名的教學大樓， 座落在3.88英畝爾灣中文學校及南海岸中華文化中心的園區裡。走進大樓，挑高的大廳牆面上，刻劃著歷年來捐助的善心人士姓名，洋洋灑灑一大片，令人目不暇給。許多第一次走進大樓的訪客，得知一磚一瓦皆來自 社區的愛心捐獻，莫不肅然起敬，並驚嘆: 「這裡不是教會，也不是寺廟，居然有這麼多華裔願意出錢出力來奉獻!」 嗯，不瞞 您說，我自己也經常在想這個問題。
有一回與您的長公子見面時，我問了他相同的問題。長公子表示，如果人人都能由自己出發，從身邊小事做起，將心比心，推己及人，有一份想幫助、成就別人的心意，社會和諧便指日可待。這些年來我有若干機會與長公子交流，從他身上我學到兩件事:第一件是，捐款的金額無論多寡，愛心是無分軒輊。另一件是，義工的重要性之於慈善非營利團體並不亞於與捐款者，有些時候甚或更值得被敬重，因為人的時間和智慧是無價的。 這兩個觀點長公子不只說說而已，多年來我看他身體力行， 明明就是個大老闆，卻總像鄰家大哥一樣誠懇待人，我從沒看過他擺架子。這讓我對您更加好奇。究竟是什麼樣的母親和家庭教育可以培養出仁心博愛的特質？直到有一回看到您寫的墨寶「己立立人，己達達人」，我的好奇找到答案了。
不怕您見笑，前些日子獲知我被提名登錄爾灣市永久榮譽牆，同時被提名的還有爾灣市前警察局長和霍格醫院的首席營運長等多人，我得知時心中心閃過的第一個念頭居然是「還好沒給您丟臉」，這才驚覺原來自己總在心裡叨唸您，希望您不會嫌我這個小輩叨叨絮絮太煩人才好，呵呵。始於2019年冬天的全球疫情，以及近來地球另一端興起的戰事，世界起了翻天覆地的改變。疫情以來，我更頻繁地想起您，以及那些和您一起從戰爭廢墟走出來的祖輩。以前讀過一篇文章，記錄當年抗日戰爭中，您的兄長駕駛驅逐機英勇作戰，但不幸殉國。近來每每想起這些過往歷史，心中有無限的感慨。當兄長踏上機座時，是什麼樣的心情? 當家人收到陣亡訊息時，是多麼深切的悲慟? 淚無言落下。我問自己: 「為什麼殘酷的戰爭沒有奪走您們對生命熱切的渴望，沒有讓您們放棄對人性真善美的追求? 究竟是什麼力量或信念支撐著您們做人的本質?」在尋求解答的同時，我衷心感謝有您，讓我們在這樣一個價值崩壞潰散的疫情時代裡，仍然可以看到人性的美好與良善。
自2005年落成啟用，十七年過去了，「戴廣源文教大樓」所在的爾灣市華裔人口倍增，周邊空曠的田野被櫛次鱗比的住 商建築取代，車水馬龍的景象在尖峰時段不時可見。園區內小樹長高了，有些樹上鳥兒來築巢，偶見野兔沒入樹叢，遠處的山 稜依然清晰可見。我喜歡清晨到達，安安靜靜， 這一片園區因著您以及許許多多人的善心才得以存在，很多夢想一滴一點慢慢 發芽成長。
信寫到這裡，抬頭看窗外，天漸漸亮了。想起以前讀到一段話，大意是說老一輩的人相信緣份，而所謂緣份，就是許多非主觀所能預見或控制的偶然性，與主觀意志、性格等等的必然性，相結合而產生的結果。大概也只有東方文化才能夠領略這 種兼具神秘性及浪漫性的意涵。究竟什麼是緣份呢？我想，我和您也許挺有緣份的。每天走進這棟以您命名的教學大樓，我的 心裡都是踏實和感恩的。
希望未來與您在天上見面時，我們可以相視一笑，握手言歡，我還想給您一個大大的擁抱，好嗎？
非常期待與您相見的晚輩
幼蘭 敬上
2022 初秋