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The Tzu Cheng Faith Corps
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| (Translated by Mike Lee, Northern
CA) |
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In 1989, at the opening of the Tzu Chi Nursing
College, the male disciples voluntarily organized themselves to
coordinate the task of ensuring order at this major celebration,
which twenty thousand guests attended. At that time, they were
called the "Safety Assurance Unit." On July 25, 1990,
Master Cheng Yen formally gave them the name of "Tzu Cheng
Faith Corps." "Tzu" means compassion and "Cheng"
refers to the earnest nature of men. The Master also set forth
the Eight Precepts of the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps. The Eight Precepts
were later extended to become the Ten Precepts of Tzu Chi, the
rules of conduct to be upheld by all Tzu Chi members.
The members of the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps are
men from all levels of society. They can be thought of as the
Vajra (Diamond), the resolute and strong heroes that protect Buddhism.
The formation of the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps also created an environment
in which husband and wife can engage in spiritual cultivation
together.
The mission of the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps is
as follows: The Tzu Cheng Faith Corps sincerely upholds Master
Cheng Yen's spirit of "great mercy even to strangers and
great compassion for all." They exercise the Four Immeasurables
of great kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great giving.
"Tzu" means to give out happiness: to serve humanity
so that the recipients feel joy and a sense of fulfillment. "Cheng"
means sincerity: to follow the rules of conduct and properly carry
out the role of a fine husband and good father, as well as commit
oneself from the bottom of one's heart. Husband and wife practice
their spiritual cultivation together and encourage each other,
so that the spirits of Still Thoughts, kind sincerity, and helping
others are fully exercised.
To join the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps, one must
faithfully uphold the Precepts Ten of Tzu Chi and break all evil
habits. Master Cheng Yen said, "The Tzu Cheng Faith Corps
was not founded simply to take care of tasks like maintaining
order and directing traffic. Instead, everyone should follow the
Ten Precepts, be fine husbands and good fathers, and use the spirit
of cultivating yourselves as a team to guide and support each
other in your personal conduct. I expect the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps
to be the core of society."
