Tzu Chi Foundation

Home
Taiwan
Hualien County
Tzu Chi Foundation

Tzu Chi is an NGO dedicated to the missions of Charity, Medicine, Education, and Humanistic Culture.

Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen in 1966, is an international non-profit organization devoted to spreading Great Love through its work in the fields of charity, medicine, education, and humanistic culture. These comprise Tzu Chi’s Four Missions, and they have subsequently extended to include Bone Marrow Donation, International Relief, Environmental Protection

, and Community Volunteerism. Tzu Chi is a volunteer-based organization headquartered in Hualien, Taiwan, funded by donations from the public. Today, millions of supporters and tens of thousands of certified volunteers carrying out Tzu Chi’s missions around the world, Tzu Chi's love has reached 133 countries and regions through the effort of volunteers located in 67 countries and regions.

12/06/2026

The "First Turning of the Dharma Wheel" happened 2,500 years ago. Here is how it's still turning today:

Our second stop on this journey takes us to Sarnath, India—the historical starting point of the Dharma in our world.

In the ancient Deer Park, the Buddha delivered his first public discourse on the Four Noble Truths to five ascetics. Revered as the "First Turning of the Dharma Wheel," this moment initiated the spread of the teachings to humanity and set a compassionate vow into motion.

More than two millennia later, history found a beautiful mirror. In 1960, Master Cheng Yen lived in a quiet spiritual retreat in Luye, Taiwan. Coincidentally, "Luye" literally translates to "Deer Park". Beneath a tree, without any grand hall or formal altar, she sat with local villagers to share the teachings and relieve their doubts.

Across time and space, these two "Deer Parks" bridge the past and the present. The first initiated the teachings; the second became the cradle of Tzu Chi’s Dharma lineage, anchoring a modern Humanistic Buddhist practice.

As Master Cheng Yen observed: "The Dharma is not just to be spoken, but lived; if no one carries the teachings to the people, they remain mere concepts." The true power of the Dharma lies not in language, but in awakening and action.

📍 Exhibition Tour Details
▪️Harvard University (US) | May – October 2026 Harvard FAS CAMLab
▪️Tzu Chi Jing Si Hall, Hualien (Taiwan) | May 10 – December 15, 2026
▪️National Science and Technology Museum, Kaohsiung (Taiwan) | August 1 – November 1, 2026

06/06/2026

In one of her most moving reflections, Master Cheng Yen openly shares the physical realities of aging and pushing her limits. Yet, amidst these challenges, she finds profound peace. Why? Because the mission of Tzu Chi does not rely on one person—it is carried on the shoulders of dedicated leaders and volunteers worldwide who serve with selfless Great Love.

When capable, compassionate hands step up to carry the Dharma lineage, the mission becomes eternal. To every volunteer walking the Tzu Chi Path: your dedication brings ease to Master's heart and light to the world. 💙🌱

Let us diligently walk this path together, ensuring the mission of Great Love is truly everlong.

Source: YT - 大愛電視 Tzu Chi DaAiVideo [Life Wisdom - Cherishing and Creating Blessings 20260526]

04/06/2026

How seeing human suffering sparked a global humanitarian mission.🌏 Our first stop on this journey takes us to Bodh Gaya, the true origin of awakening. 📍

Sitting beneath the Bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Temple, the Buddha awakened to the true nature of reality. This journey began by simply "seeing" the world. Encountering the "Four Sights"—the undeniable truths of aging, illness, and death—sparked his ultimate vow to deliver all sentient beings and established the core spirit of Humanistic Buddhism.

This ancient awakening mirrors a powerful modern reality. In her youth, Master Cheng Yen was deeply shocked by the sudden passing of her father, prompting her to question the transience and true meaning of life. Years later, in the spring of 1966, she experienced another profound turning point.

While visiting a local clinic, she saw a pool of blood on the floor. It belonged to an indigenous woman suffering from labor complications whose family had carried her for eight hours from a mountain village, only to be turned away because they could not afford the NT$8,000 deposit fee.

Overwhelmed with sorrow, Master Cheng Yen asked herself what she could do to help these impoverished people. Just as the Buddha responded to the reality of suffering, Master Cheng Yen translated her realization into contemporary action, vowing to "serve the suffering" and officially founding the Tzu Chi Foundation.

📍 Exhibition Tour Details
・Harvard University (US) | May – October 2026 Harvard CAMLab
・Tzu Chi Jing Si Hall, Hualien (Taiwan) | May 10 – December 15, 2026
・National Science and Technology Museum, Kaohsiung (Taiwan) | August 1 – November 1, 2026

03/06/2026

In 1998, local Tzu Chi volunteers entered a remote village in Jordan to support a mother raising three severely disabled daughters alone. They never left.

For 28 years, volunteers didn't just drop off monthly medical supplies and groceries to keep the family afloat. They became actual family. They noticed the youngest daughter, Aya, was growing up healthy but deeply isolated, so they brought her small gifts like hair clips, which she treasured for decades in a small biscuit tin.

When Aya turned 18, her biological father refused to pay her tuition and demanded she drop out for an arranged marriage. Volunteers stepped in with a university scholarship, securing her independent future. Years later, when she married on her own terms, those same volunteers wore their finest clothes to stand in as her proud family representatives.

Today, Aya has a stable life and four healthy children. Every summer, she returns to her hometown to sew and repair second-hand school bags for poor local students.

Long-term companionship does more than relieve a crisis; it heals old wounds. By walking alongside one child for 28 years, the cycle of love comes full circle—turning a lonely little girl into a resilient woman who now mends her own community.

佛教慈濟Buddhist Tzu Chi in Jordan

01/06/2026

We are thrilled to introduce Journey to Enlightenment: A Multimedia Exhibition on Buddhist Cultural Heritage, an immersive, research-driven collaboration between Harvard FAS CAMLab and the Tzu Chi Foundation.

This exhibition traces over 2,500 years of Buddhist history, from its origins in early South Asian sacred sites to its continued expression in contemporary humanitarian practice.

Over the next few weeks, we will be taking you on an exclusive 8-part social media journey to explore 8 monumental sites. We will uncover their ancient stories and show exactly how they parallel Tzu Chi’s modern humanitarian actions:

1️⃣ Bodh Gaya: The Origin of Awakening
2️⃣ Sarnath: The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma
3️⃣ Xiangtangshan: The Spirit of the Lotus Sutra
4️⃣ Dunhuang: Self-Sacrifice and the Ethics of Giving
5️⃣ Guanyin Pavilion: Compassion as Embodied Practice
6️⃣ Borobudur: Pilgrimage, Pedagogy, and Cosmology
7️⃣ Yingxian Wooden Pagoda: Interdependence and the Dharma Realm
8️⃣ Vulture Peak: Cosmological Vision and Future Orientation

This series is an invitation to not just "observe" Buddhism, but to step into the Dharma and walk the Bodhisattva path.

The exhibition is currently ongoing! Be sure to experience this incredible blend of art, technology, and spirituality in person:

📍 Exhibition Tour Details
▪️Harvard FAS CAMLab (US) | May – October
🔗 Reserve Tickets: https://secure.touchnet.net/C20832_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=134&SINGLESTORE=true -right-button

▪️Tzu Chi Jing Si Hall, Hualien (Taiwan) | May 10 – December 15, 2026
🔗 Reserve Tickets: https://tzuchi.fonticket.com

▪️National Science and Technology Museum, Kaohsiung (Taiwan) | August 1 – November 1, 2026

30/05/2026

Master Cheng Yen shares a deeply personal and humbling reflection on aging and the physical challenges that come with it. Even when simply standing up or walking requires great effort, she reminds us to find profound gratitude in the little things—like a smooth floor to step on.

This gratitude extends to how we treat others. When faced with harsh words or unfriendly faces, an awakened heart chooses understanding over anger. As long as our senses are functioning, we have the opportunity to see, hear, and connect with the world around us.

Let us practice cultivating a heart of gratitude and understanding in every situation we face today. 🌱💙

Source: YT - 大愛電視 Tzu Chi DaAiVideo [Life Wisdom 20260524]

29/05/2026

Sixty years ago, the "Bamboo Bank" started with a simple idea: save just 50 cents a day from your grocery money to help someone else.

As this idea traveled across the globe, it adapted to the realities of local communities. When saving money isn't possible, people always find other ways to give.

In Myanmar, families save a single handful of rice before cooking their daily meals—which added up to over 7,000 kilos of donated rice last year. In Zambia, neighbors bring scoops of cornmeal to community kitchens to feed orphans. In India, tuk-tuk drivers turn their vehicles into mobile charity boxes. And in Cambodia, families living near landfills turn discarded plastic bottles into piggy banks, saving whatever pennies they can find.

These stories prove a beautiful truth: charity is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy. It is simply a sincere expression of the heart. 💖

27/05/2026

When 8-year-old Wint Me Me Ko Ko saw her classmates’ parents bringing them packed lunches, she gently asked her grandfather if he could do the same. He told her no—he was working tirelessly making leather bags just to afford their basic survival. Orphaned since she was eight (losing her father at two months old and her mother years later), she swallowed her sadness. Living in a cramped workshop in Yangon, Myanmar, she was haunted by one quiet panic: What happens to me if Grandpa passes away?

Her life began to change in 2013. Tzu Chi volunteers, who had been conducting long-term relief in Myanmar since Cyclone Nargis, visited her school looking for students in need. Recognizing her family's dire financial struggle, they stepped in. But they provided more than just tuition, tutoring, and rice subsidies. They gave Wint Me Me Ko Ko a second family. At the Tzu Chi center, she finally had a safe space to express the fears she hid from her grandfather so she wouldn't burden him.

Surrounded by love, the once timid girl blossomed. She began participating in volunteer activities, from visiting nursing homes to helping other families in poverty. Driven by a desire to deeply understand Master Cheng Yen's teachings, she mastered Chinese alongside English and her native Burmese. In 2025, she proudly graduated from university.

When an 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay, Wint Me Me Ko Ko didn't hesitate to give back. She rushed to the disaster zone with the Tzu Chi relief team. There, she found six abandoned children—the youngest only two years old—living in the rubble in filthy clothes. She bathed them, dressed them, and cleaned their living space. Looking into their terrified eyes, she saw her own childhood, and she knew exactly why she had survived her past: to be the person who shows up for others.

Though her grandfather has since passed away, his hard work and Tzu Chi's continuous support have borne beautiful fruit. In late 2025, Wint Me Me Ko Ko traveled to Hualien, Taiwan, to be officially certified as a Tzu Chi Commissioner by Master Cheng Yen.

Her transformation from a frightened, impoverished orphan to a dedicated frontline volunteer is the living embodiment of the Jing Si Aphorism she holds dearest: "Do not underestimate yourself, for human beings have infinite possibilities." 🌱

25/05/2026

On May 8, 2026, the Tzu Chi Hospital in the Philippines officially broke ground. This milestone serves as a direct response to the healthcare gap that leaves marginalized families with nowhere to turn when illness strikes.

Back in 1995, volunteers provided care using simple folding beds. Since that first mission, Tzu Chi Philippines has organized nearly 300 free clinics nationwide to bring critical care directly to underserved communities.

Now, those early efforts have grown, and Tzu Chi Philippines is building a complete, modern hospital. Local leaders, medical professionals, and volunteers gathered to lay the foundation pillar.

Healthcare is a fundamental right, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy. This new facility stands as a firm promise by Tzu Chi Philippines to treat every incoming patient with equal dignity, proving that true medical humanism heals both the physical body and the anxious mind.

Tzu Chi Philippines

21/05/2026

Celebrating Buddha Day exactly where the Buddha once preached. 🌄
On May 10, as dawn broke over India's Vulture Peak, a profound connection was made between the historic originating land of Buddhism and the rest of the world.

To commemorate a unique convergence of Buddha Day, Mother's Day, and Tzu Chi's 60th Anniversary, 26 Dharma masters and our Bodh Gaya team gathered on the very mountain where the Buddha once taught the Dharma. At 4:25 a.m., they connected live with the Jing Si Hall in Taiwan, syncing their prayers with thousands globally.

The beauty of the morning extended beyond the live broadcast. Over 300 villagers and local youths from Badripur and surrounding areas made the early trek up the mountain to reverently bathe the Buddha. For these locals, participating wasn't just a formality. Years of deep, continuous care in their communities regarding charity, medicine, and education have turned volunteers into family.

Just as the Buddha's teachings spread from this very peak 2,500 years ago, it is a poignant reminder of how Tzu Chi began. The simple act of saving just 50 cents a day in a bamboo bank created a ripple of kindness, proving that small, daily drops of goodwill can eventually reach every corner of the world.

Address

No. 1, Lane 88, Jingshe St. Xincheng Township
Hualien County
971

Website

https://global.tzuchi.org/, https://tcit3.tzuchi.net/OCCD/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tzu Chi Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Hualien County?