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International Disaster Relief
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Transcending political positions and racial
boundaries and guided by the principle of "compassion without
national boundaries and religion without politics," Master
Cheng Yen has been directing Tzu Chi members all over the world
to work on international disaster relief since 1991, offering
badly needed material and spiritual help to unfortunate victims
of disasters in many countries. Tzu Chi's first international
relief effort was conducted by the US Tzu Chi Foundation for flood
victims in Bangladesh; donations of more than US$157,000 were
collected and transferred to the American Red Cross.
Master Cheng Yen's concept of international
relief is that "from sincerity to Great Love and from Great
Love to courage," Tzu Chi members should devote themselves
to international relief with bravery and perseverance. This sincere
and non-demanding spirit of Great Love is that of Tzu Chi's Path
of the Bodhisattvas."
Tzu Chi's international relief efforts
have gradually developed an emphasis on using local resources
and volunteers. When we care for needy people without being constrained
by religion, geography, race, skin color, warfare or alienation,
we can "unite the world with Great Love."
