| Tzu
Chi Charity Mission |
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"We should respect all life equally.
We are willing to provide humanitarian assistance wherever disasters
occur. Overseas Tzu Chi people are always grateful for the chance
to live in foreign lands. They use the money that they earn
locally to do charity work for their local communities. Thus,
they earn love and respect from their neighbors." Master
Cheng Yen
Aid the poor and educate the rich
In 1966, Tzu Chi began to reach out to others
with charity work. Now, after more than 30 years, Taiwanese
society has moved from poverty to prosperity. Tzu Chi has
also expanded from 30 members in Hualien to hundreds of thousands
of members all over the world.
In the beginning, Master Cheng Yen started
in an impoverished Hualien, relying on housewives who saved
50 cents or a dollar from their grocery money to contribute
to helping the poor. At that time, all the donations were
solicited publicly so more and more members begin to join
the group. And as the standards of living rose in Taiwan,
the emphasis shifted from providing material needs to providing
spiritual support. At the same time, in 1985, the mission
of charity extended from Taiwan to overseas. Tzu Chi members
overseas used the money that they learned locally to do charity
work in their local communities.
In the spring of 1991, Tzu Chi took its
first steps toward international relief work when it provided
assistance in the aftermath of a major typhoon in Bangladesh.
In the summer of the same year, with the guidelines of directly
providing relief to those in need and holding on to the right
principles, Tzu Chi assisted with flood recovery in China.
These actions cemented Tzu Chi's path into providing international
relief.
In the most advanced and prosperous
society, there will still be people suffering in the dark
corners. Someone said "Tzu Chi is Taiwan's way of giving
back to the society after accumulating its wealth. Tzu Chi's compassion
toward others has never wavered, and their compassionate actions
continuously grow without diminishing. If this continues over
a long period of time, then the goal of bringing peace to
society won't be that far off."
Here is a complete history of how
Tzu Chi Charity Mission came
about:
