Tzu Chi Foundation

The Tzu Chi Foundation was founded as a charity organization with Buddhist origins by the Buddhist nun Master Cheng Yen on 14 May 1966 in Hualien, Taiwan. She was inspired by her master and mentor, the late Venerable Master Yin Shun (印順導師, Yìn Shùn dǎoshī) a proponent of Humanistic Buddhism, who exhorted her to "work for Buddhism and for all sentient beings". The organization began with a motto of "instructing the rich and saving the poor" as a group of thirty housewives who saved fifty cents (US$0.02) every day and stored them in bamboo savings banks to donate to needy families.

Tzu Chi experienced modest growth in the first two decades of its establishment, it grew to 293 members in 1968 and by 1986 had just 8,000 members. However, with the surge in popularity of Humanistic Buddhism in Taiwan in the late 1980s and 1990s, Tzu Chi enjoyed a rapid expansion in membership alongside several other major Taiwanese Buddhist organizations. 

Tzu Chi Foundation

From 1987 to 1991, Tzu Chi membership doubled in size each year, by 1994, it boasted a membership of 4 million members. Tzu Chi has grown to become a significant actor in civil society, Tzu Chi is not only the largest Buddhist organization in Taiwan, but also Taiwan's largest owner of private land. As of 2013, the organization was estimated to have approximately 10 million members worldwide, and chapters in 47 countries.

The four major causes of Tzu Chi are Charity, Medicine, Education, and Humanity, as highlighted by the official motto, or concept of "Four endeavors, eight footprints" (Chinese: 四大志業，八大腳印). The eight footprints are charity causes, medical contributions, education development, humanities, international disaster assistance, bone-marrow donation, community volunteerism, and environmental protection.

Tzu Chi Foundation

The official website for the organization states that the organization started with Charity, and then extended its aims to include Medicine, Education and Culture. Its stated goal is to promote "sincerity, integrity, trust, and honesty".

Tzu Chi is notably distinct from the other "Four Great Mountains" and the other major Buddhist organizations of Taiwan in respect to three main unique characteristics. First of all, the founder of the organization is a female. Secondly, the founder is not a Buddhist scholar who promotes a specific interpretation of Buddhism nor started any kind of religious movement. And finally, the organization is officially a charitable organization and Tzu Chi itself focuses primarily on humanitarianism and community service rather than Buddhist spiritual development.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Logo

Consisting of a ship that also simultaneously bears the lotus fruit and flower, the Tzu Chi logo symbolizes that the world can be made a better place by planting good karmic seeds. Followers believe that these seeds are required for flowers bloom and bear fruit, which is a metaphor for their beliefs that a better society can be created with good actions and pure thoughts. The ship represents Tzu Chi steering a ship of compassion, representing their goal in saving all beings that suffer, while the Eight Petals represent the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism, which Tzu Chi uses as their guide.

The Noble Eightfold Path consists of: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Focus.

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Tzu Chi's Ten Precepts

Tzu Chi also has its own customized version of the Buddhist Precepts as formulated by Master Cheng-Yen. The Ten Precepts of Tzu Chi are No killing, No stealing, No fornication, No lying, No drinking, No smoking or use of narcotics or betel nuts, No gambling, Practice filial piety and develop pleasant manners and speech, Abide by traffic laws, No participation in political activities or demonstrations.

Master Cheng-Yen has stated that she developed these rules based on the new needs of modern society.

Tzu Chi Foundation

One of the first major initiatives Tzu Chi took part in was the "Tzu Chi Medical Mission". This effort was inspired in 1970 after Cheng Yen noticed a link between poverty and illness after spending six years among the poor of eastern Taiwan. Tzu Chi's first medical outreach occurred in 1972 when a free clinic was opened in Hualien. The Foundation established its first Tzu Chi Hospital in Hualien in 1986. A 600-bed general hospital had been planned in 1979 to service the impoverished eastern coast of Taiwan. A primary concern for Cheng Yen was that the area was isolated and the people in the area were cut off from aid during disasters. Despite setbacks both in funding for the hospital and finding an acceptable site. Ground was broken on the site eventually chosen on 5 February 1983 at a ceremony officiated by then Provincial Governor (later President) Lee Teng-Hui. However, two weeks after ground was broken, Cheng Yen received a notice from the military telling her that the property was needed by the military and that construction would have to stop.

Tzu Chi Foundation

A new site was obtained for the hospital with help from Minister of the Interior Lin Yang-kang. A second groundbreaking occurred on 2 April 1984 at the new site. The publicity of the project to build the hospital led to a significant increase in the number of Tzu Chi volunteers, with Tzu Chi membership increasing six-fold by the time of the second groundbreaking since the announcement of the project in 1979. Construction was completed and the hospital opened on 17 August 1986. Tzu Chi has since built hospitals in Yuli, Hualien County; Dalin, Jiayi County; Guanshan, Taidong County; Tanzi District, Taichung City; and Xindian, New Taipei City. In addition to building hospitals the Tzu Chi College of Nursing was founded on 17 September 1989 in Hualien in order to address the shortage of nurses on Taiwan's east coast, with a focus on serving the poor.[24][25] It was the first private nursing college in Taiwan to waive tuition for selected courses, in addition to providing full scholarships for qualified Taiwan aborigine students.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Bone Marrow registry

Tzu Chi created a bone marrow registry, the Tzu Chi Bone Marrow Bank, in 1993 after a young follower of Cheng Yen was diagnosed with Leukemia. Cheng Yen referred to the concept of bone marrow donation as a way to "save a life without harming yourself." This effort to register bone marrow donors from an organization with such massive membership like Tzu Chi caused Taiwan to change its laws regarding organ donations. This registry became a division of the new Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center, which was founded to improve research and treatment capabilities. By 2007 the program had saved the lives of almost 1,500 people in 25 different countries. By 2008, Tzu Chi had registered more than 307,657 bone marrow donors.

Tzu Chi Foundation

College of Medicine

Tzu Chi established the Tzu Chi College of Medicine in 1994. This college became Tzu Chi University in 2000. In the meantime Cheng-Yen appealed to the Taiwanese public to donate their bodies for medical training, attempting to dispel traditional taboos in the process. As a result of this appeal, public support for body donations surged nationwide. Consequently, at the Tzu Chi College of Medicine, there is one body for every four students to study as opposed to one body for every two hundred students at one school, the ratio is the lowest in the country.

In 1995, the Athletic Drug Testing Center was established at the request of the Ministry of Education and went into operation in 1996 during a national sporting event when gold medal winners were tested for banned drugs.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Disaster relief

Tzu Chi is most well known for its disaster relief efforts worldwide. In carrying out these projects, Tzu Chi has a policy that forbids public gatherings for the sole purpose of specific political, economic, and religious groups. Tzu Chi volunteers are not to discuss business, politics, or preach religion while giving aid. One of the most iconic attributes of Tzu Chi disaster relief efforts is that volunteers not only provide short term aid but also partake in long term projects to rebuild the communities affected. Tzu Chi often builds new homes, schools, hospitals, and places of worship (including churches and mosques for non-Buddhists) for victims following a disaster.

Tzu Chi Foundation

International Disaster Relief: Tzu Chi has participated in numerous other relief projects around the world, including sending teams to Indonesia and Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake as well as to Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake in their northern mountains. The later was done despite poor relations between the governments of the two countries. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the organization announced on 18 November 2012 a donation of undefined million in the form of undefined and undefined Visa debit cards to those affected in the New Yorkand New Jersey area. Volunteers handed out these cards in parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Tzu Chi was also active in providing aid following the 2015 Nepal Earthquake. Tzu Chi was also active in relief efforts during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the group provided aid, as well as cash gifts for those who helped the community during the disaster. In 2016, the organization distributed in the United States over undefined million in cash cards to disaster victims. As of 2015, Tzu Chi has provided disaster relief aid to over 85 countries worldwide.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Global presence includes Tzu Chi's headquarters is in Hualien County, Taiwan, Jing Si Abode (静思精舍) of Tzu Chi Foundation, The Hall of Still Thoughts. The Tzu Chi General Hospital is on the right, Tzu-Chi Foundation in Hong Kong, The Great Awakened of the Universe (宇宙大覺著) is the Tzu Chi Foundation's depiction of the Buddha. In the statue, Buddha is letting the world witness his enlightenment and The usual set up for the Tzu Chi 3-in-1 Celebration (浴佛典禮). The organization builds and operates many hospitals and schools, with outreach efforts that range from visits to nursing homes to providing bone marrow surgery, as well as offering items such as washing machines to struggling single mothers. The television "Da Ai" network operates with its own news and television programming. Chinese schools have also been established abroad, such as in Australia and the United States, which apart from teaching Chinese and sign language also guides students in ways of compassion and community service.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Recycling: A significant fraction of funds raised by Tzu Chi revolves around environmentally friendly goals in encouraging the recycling of items such as water bottles as well as using reusable items or reusing items to reduce waste. As of 2014, the foundation operates over 5,600 recycling stations. One of the foundation's projects is the recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles for the production of textiles. The project, which was started in 2006, collects PET plastic bottles and recycles them into cloth. The project is handled by the Tzu Chi sponsored non-profit Da Ai Technology Co. The products are all designed by members of the paid staff and recycled plastic bottles make up about half of the raw materials for the products. The project collects about 2,000 tons of plastic bottles each year. Since 2007, the foundation has produced over 460,000 polyester blankets out of recycled plastic bottles, many of which have been distributed as part of Tzu Chi's disaster relief programs throughout the world. Other items made with the recycled resins include thermal underwear, T-shirts, hospital bed sheets, medical gowns, suitcases, stuffed animals and uniforms for Tzu Chi volunteers. While the project relies on recycled plastic bottles for the production of its products, its leaders have stated that it is still best for people to not use plastic bottles at all.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Dharma: The teachings of the Buddha and founder Master Cheng Yen play a core role in the workings of the organization. "Tzu Chi Day" is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May which generally coincides with the Buddha's birthday (Vesak Day), and Mother's Day (as recognised in Taiwan). Celebrations during Tzu Chi Day include the bathing of the Buddha ceremony, the tradition's message is that it is the people that need cleansing before they become better individuals. Tzu Chi promotes many of the teachings of Buddhism, in particular the Lotus Sutra, and also has sutra adaptations through the use of sign language on the Sutra of the Innumerable Meanings, which teaches that sentient existence is challenging and filled with disasters in the absence of observations of virtue, as well as the Sutra of the Water Repentance, which advocates and symbolizes the need to repent karmic transgressions. Despite these activities, Tzu Chi has a policy of not proselytizing religion directly at its public activities. Apart from being non-proselytist, Tzu Chi's adaptation of Buddhist principles is apolitical.

Tzu Chi Foundation

International branches: Tzu Chi has branches in 47 countries and regions including USA, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and various locations in Asia, Europe and Africa. Television and Satellite Network: On 17 August 1999, a television network was formed in Taiwan under the Tzu Chi Foundation of the Culture of Communication, Inc with the slogan "Love to make the world light up". Formally known as Da Ai Television, the network grew into a global broadcasting presence with offerings of a radio service, Tzu Chi Channel 1, Tzu Chi Channel 2, Da Ai TV Indonesia, Da Ai TV Thailand, and Da Ai TV Egypt. Live streaming of Channel 1 and 2 can also be found on YouTube. Jing Si Books & Café: Jing Si Books & Café is a chain of non-profit bookstores and cafes operated by Tzu Chi offering Tzu Chi merchandise and publications by Cheng Yen.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Youth

The Tzu Chi Collegiate Association (慈濟大專青年聯誼會) is the Foundation's college youth organization, and was officially established in Taiwan on 31 May 1992. With chapters at universities worldwide, its goal is to allow university students (known as Tzu Ching or 慈青, literally "compassionate youth") to be involved with Tzu Chi's activities. Tzu Ching volunteers are given the opportunity to participate in large-scale events such as disaster relief and international NGO conferences such as the annual UN Youth Assembly. Master Cheng Yen encourages the Tzu Ching volunteers to actively communicate with each other, with the goals of learning and improving. Each year an international Tzu Ching officer training retreat camp is held at the foundation headquarters in Hualien. Tzu Shao (慈少) is the Tzu Chi branch for youths under the age of 18.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Year End Ceremonies

Each year Tzu Chi conducts a Year End Ceremony attended by Tzu Chi workers, volunteers and members in December where Master Cheng Yen distributes blessings in the form of red packets that embosses a coin in Taiwanese currency together with auspicious words for the coming year.