| Kindness,
Compassion, Joy and Giving |
 |
| (Translated by Ted Hwang,
Northern California) |
|
Kindness, Compassion, Joy and Giving are the
Four Immeasurable Minds Buddha spoke of. Kindness, Compassion,
Joy and Giving are also the fundamental spirits behind Tzu Chi's
missions.
Master Cheng Yen said: "Kindness"
means great mercy even to strangers; it is the giving of happiness
to others. Kindness is the basis of our Charity Mission. In practice
this means internationalizing our charity work with the conviction
of "Great Kindness has no regrets."
"Compassion" means sharing in the
unhappiness of others; it is the alleviation of others' suffering.
Compassion is the driving force behind the Medicine Mission. In
practice this means making medical care accessible to all and
doing so with the spirit of "Great Compassion is without
complaint."
"Joy" means the delight of the heart
that comes from upholding the right spirit; it is the feeling
of being at ease. Joy is the goal of our Culture Mission. In practice
this means increasing the depth of culture and bringing everyone
the serenity of "Great Joy gives no worries."
"Giving" means the altruism
that rises out of clear and thorough wisdom; it includes benevolence
of all forms. Unselfish Giving is the self-expectation of the
Education Mission. In practice this means providing completeness
of education with the heart of "Great Giving asks for no
return."
