[eBook] The Story of Tzu Chi, Volume 1 Jing Si: The Journey Begins

[eBook] The Story of Tzu Chi, Volume 1 Jing Si: The Journey Begins

Introduction

In 1966, Dharma Master Cheng Yen inspired a few housewives to set aside a couple of cents of grocery money every day to establish a charity fund and led them into the dark corners of remote villages to comfort those in suffering.

This little lifeboat has its humble origins in Hualien, Taiwan. From the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century, it has expanded to become the Great Dharma Ship that sails to the furthest corners of the earth, reaching nearly a hundred countries worldwide.

What karmic conditions and faith led to the beginning of such a great journey?
What powerful vows and perseverance have enabled this operation to persist for over half a century?
What sort of hardships had to be overcome to cultivate such unwavering, courageous resolve?
Tzu Chi’s history of “one giving rise to infinity” is a precious testament to the practice of “faith, vows and practice” from the Buddha Dharma.

About Author

Dharma Master Cheng Yen was born in 1937 in a small town in Taichung County, Taiwan. When she was twenty-three years old, she left home to become a Buddhist nun, and was instructed by her mentor, Venerable Master Yin Shun, to work “for Buddha’s teachings, for sentient beings.” In 1966, she founded a charity, which later turned into the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, to “help the poor and educate the rich”—to give material aid to the needy and inspire love and humanity in both givers and recipients.


In recent years, Master Cheng Yen’s contributions have been increasingly recognized by the global community. In 2011, she was recognized with the Roosevelt Institute’s FDR Distinguished Public Service Award and was named to the 2011 TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people. In 2014, she was presented with Rotary International’s Award of Honor in recognition of her humanitarian efforts and contributions to world peace.