- Tzu Chi
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Tzu Chi 
Tzu Chi's lotus-shaped logo. Traditional Chinese 慈濟基金會 Simplified Chinese 慈济基金会 Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Cíjì Jījīnhuì Min - Hokkien POJ Chû-chè ki-kim-hōe 
The Hall of Still Thoughts. The Tzu Chi General Hospital is on the right
The Tzu Chi Foundation, whose name means "compassionate relief," is an international humanitarian organization and the largest non-governmental organization (NGO) in the Chinese-speaking world.[1]
The organization was founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun, on May 14, 1966 in Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China. She was inspired by her master and mentor, the late Venerable Master Yin Shun (印順導師, Yìn Shùn dǎoshī), a significant proponent of Humanistic Buddhism, who exhorted her to: "work for Buddhism and for all sentient beings."
In mountainous Hualien, Master Cheng Yen was moved to act by the poverty and lack of services, and decided to set up a charity organization. The endeavor began as a group of thirty housewives who set aside a small amount of their grocery money each day to care for needy families. From these humble beginnings, the group has grown to become a major civil society actor, with approximately 10 million members, and chapters in 47 countries. The group's core activities span Charity, Medicine, Education and Humanistic Culture, and it provides aid to all people regardless of race, religion or nationality. With particularly deep roots in Asia, Tzu Chi is considered one of the most effective aid agencies in the region.
Tzu Chi conducts its mission via an international network of volunteers. They are easily recognized by their blue and white uniforms, and Tzu Chi relief workers have been called "blue angels" for this distinctive appearance. Tzu Chi volunteers often refer to their uniforms as 藍天白雲 (lántiān báiyún, lit. 'blue sky, white clouds').
Tzu Chi has several sub-organizations, such as the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA), composed of doctors and nurses who travel overseas to volunteer their services in poor communities without access to medical care. The Tzu Chi Collegiate Association (慈濟大專青年聯誼會) is the Foundation's youth organization. With chapters at universities worldwide, it allows university students (known as "Tzu Ching 慈青") to be involved with Tzu Chi's work in their own communities and internationally.
As a non-profit organization, Tzu Chi has built many hospitals and schools worldwide, including a network of world-class medical facilities in Taiwan and a comprehensive education system spanning from kindergarten through university and medical school. Schools were also rebuilt in the aftermath of earthquakes in Iran, China and Haiti. The organization maintains a small number of nuns, who are self-sufficient, including growing their own food.
A mosaic in the main lobby of the Tzu-Chi Hospital in Hualien (Hualian), Taiwan showing the Buddha tending to the sick.Contents
Activities
Tzu Chi has built and operates many hospitals and schools. The organization's outreach efforts range from visits to nursing homes to providing bone marrow surgery, as well as offering items such as washing machines to struggling single mothers. Tzu Chi operates its own television channel, "Da Ai" network, along with its own news and television programming. It has also established Chinese schools abroad, such as in Australia and the US, which teach not only Chinese and sign language, but also the ways of compassion and community service.
Mission
While the Tzu Chi Foundation has Buddhist origins and beliefs, the organization is also popularly known for its selfless contributions to society in numerous ways in the areas of Charity, Medicine, Education, and Culture. The official motto, or concept behind Tzu Chi Foundation is the (四大志業,八大腳印), which means, "Four endeavors, eight footprints". The eight footprints are charity causes, medical contributions, education development, humanities, international disaster assistance, bone-marrow donation, community volunteerism, and recycling.
An excerpt from the Official Tzu Chi Global Website,[1], says the following:
We work in missions of Charity, Medicine, Education and Culture with the spirit of sincerity, integrity, trust, and honesty. We believe in the equality of all beings and the Buddha-nature potential in every person. Through charitable hearts, the privileged obtain blessings and joy, and the impoverished receive security and peace.
Tzu Chi logo
Simultaneously bearing the lotus fruit and flower, the Tzu Chi logo symbolizes that we can make the world a better place by planting good seeds. Only with these seeds can the flowers bloom and bear fruit. A better society can be created with good actions and pure thoughts.
Ship: Tzu Chi steers a ship of compassion to save all beings that suffer.
Eight Petals: The petals represent the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism that Tzu Chi members use as their guide.
The Noble Eightfold Path:
- Right View
- Right Thought
- Right Speech
- Right Behavior
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Concentration
Public opinion
The organization was criticized by some Taiwanese for being involved in relief efforts in mainland China, but criticism has since subsided during the 921 earthquake in Taiwan, when the organization was able to draw on its logistics experience to provide disaster relief. In contrast to the official government efforts to deal with the disaster, which were considered uncoordinated and haphazard, Tzu-Chi was widely praised for its efforts.[2]
Work in China
Due to the organization's apolitical stance, Tzu Chi has been carrying out charity work in China. Tzu Chi's involvement in the People's Republic of China began in 1991, when it undertook relief operations after severe floods hit central and eastern China. Since then, the group has built schools, nursing homes and entire villages, including infrastructure in poor inland areas, such as Guizhou province.[3] In carrying out these projects, Tzu Chi volunteers abide by the rules of "No politics, no propaganda, and no religion."[4]
Over the past twenty years, 28 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China have received aid from Tzu Chi. This aid has taken many forms, including infrastructure projects (such as rebuilding schools and villages after the Sichuan earthquake and installing water cisterns in Gansu and Guizhou provinces); relief work in poverty-stricken areas and winter-time distributions of rice, cooking oil, blankets and jackets; social programs, such as home visits to the needy and providing scholarships to low-income students; medical missions, such as bone marrow donation and free clinics; and promotion of environmental protection and recycling.[5]
In March 2008, Tzu Chi became the first organization represented by a non-Mainland resident to be registered with the Chinese government.[6] That year also marked a watershed moment for humanitarian work in China. In the aftermath of the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Tzu Chi immediately sent food, blankets and medical aid to survivors, while volunteers in China set out for the disaster zone.[7] Tzu Chi was also one of the few organizations the Chinese government allowed to bring in aid workers from overseas to join the relief effort.[8][9] With the motto "First to arrive, last to leave," the organization has continued with long-term reconstruction work in Sichuan, and by 2010, had rebuilt thirteen schools in the region.
After many years of quiet but sustained work, in August 2010, Tzu Chi became the first overseas NGO to receive permission from the Ministry of Civil Affairs to set up a nationwide charity foundation. (Normally, overseas organizations must register with the Ministry of Commerce as businesses).[10] The foundation received the China Charity Award from the Ministry of Civil Affairs for its work in promoting the well-being of society and relieving the suffering of the needy in 2006 and again in 2008.
Master Cheng Yen has continued calling for building a "Bridge of Love" between China and Taiwan, believing that Great Love transcends all national, religious and racial boundaries.
Recycling
The foundation operates over 4,500 recycling stations throughout Taiwan. One of the foundation's projects is the recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles for textiles. The project, which was started in 2006, collects PET plastic bottles, rinses and shreds them, and then converts the shreddings into polyester resin, which is spun into yarn and woven into cloth.[11]
As of September 2008, some 11,856,000 bottles were used to make more than 152,000 polyester blankets, many of which have been distributed as part of Tzu Chi's disaster relief programs. Other items made with the recycled resins include thermal underwear, t-shirts, hospital bed sheets, medical gowns and uniforms for Tzu Chi volunteers.
References
- ^ O'Neill, Mark (2010), Tzu Chi: Serving With Compassion, John Wiley & Sons
- ^ Chen, Defu. "一個探索性研究之組織學習，知識管理及全球化策略在非營利組織NPO：以佛教慈濟基金會為例 An exploratory study of Organizational Learning, Knowledge Management and globalization strategy in NPO: the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation". http://www.nhu.edu.tw/~society/e-j/19/19-03.htm. Retrieved 10/30/2011.
- ^ "Outline of assistance given to Chinese provinces". May 2000. http://taipei.tzuchi.org.tw/tzquart/book/book1/book1.htm.
- ^ Tzu Chi FAQ, http://www.us.tzuchi.org/usa/images/other/TzuChiFAQ-global.pdf
- ^ . 23 August 2010. http://tw.tzuchi.org/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=647%3Atzu-chi-opens-chinas-dirst-overseas-ngo-office&catid=77%3Amissionofcharity&Itemid=177&lang=en.
- ^ "Atheist China gives nod to Taiwan Buddhist group". Reuters. 11 March 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/03/11/us-china-taiwan-religion-idUSPEK23024220080311.
- ^ . http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2008/05/16/156647/p2/Jets-lift.htm.
- ^ "Mainland authorities give approval to Tzu Chi -- Tzu Chi team scheduled to depart tomorrow or the day after to join the relief effort" (in Chinese). TVBS. 2008-05-13. http://www.tvbs.com.tw/NEWS/NEWS_LIST.asp?no=aj100920080513231527. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ French, Howard & Wong, Edward (16 May 2008). The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/world/asia/16china.html.
- ^ ""Taiwan Buddhist Charity Tzu Chi Sets Up Shop in Atheist China". Reuters. 20 August 2010. http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2010/08/20/taiwan-buddhist-charity-tzu-chi-sets-up-shop-in-atheist-china/.
- ^ Tzu Chi Quarterly, Winter 2008
External links
- Official site (Global site)
- Tzu Chi USA
- Tzu Chi Hospital (Main Site)
- Tzu Chi University, Taiwan
- Tzu Chi Foundation Malaysia Branch (Chinese)
- Tzu Chi Foundation Malaysia Branch (English)
- Tzu Chi Foundation Singapore Branch (Chinese)
- Tzu Chi Foundation Singapore Branch (English)
- Tzu Chi Foundation Indonesia Branch
- Tzu Chi Continuing Education Centre
- TIMA - Tzu Chi International Medical Association
- Da Ai (Great Love): A television station owned by Tzu-Chi
- Jing-si Books & Cafe Online Shop (English)
- Tzu Chi Publications
- UN ReliefWeb Tzu Chi humanitarian missions around the world
- Tzu Chi Malaysia News (Video)
- 慈濟Tzu Chi Glossary
Other locations
Australia, Thailand, America, Indonesia, Malaysia, Various locations in Asia, Europe and Africa
Buddhism Taiwanese Buddhist Organizations Categories:- Buddhist organizations
- Non-profit organizations based in Taiwan
- Buddhist orders
- Religion in Taiwan
- Buddhism in Taiwan
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
