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Quarter Century of Compassion
Words of Blessing
Tzu Chi in the USA
1989 – 2014

admire her wisdom and dedication to insist how to seize time and took advantage of the
on making her living separate from Tzu Chi. opportunity to help people in need.
From tilling fields, growing vegetables, and Not long after Tzu Chi was founded,
making textiles by hand at the very beginning, Taiwan’s economy gradually began to improve,
to coordinating international disaster relief and and Master’s missions grew as people had more
drawing up blueprints for hospitals and schools, to donate. Her compassion is rooted in her
Master has always been personally involved. Buddha mind, and her wisdom is founded in
From tiny baby shoes to vibrant campuses, she the Buddha’s wisdom. She understands how
lights the way with her own hard work and to seize an opportunity. Master often talks
dedication. about always being present in the moment. She

If Tzu Chi were a more traditional Buddhist doesn’t need to go around wondering what
organization, perhaps she would have just built time will be the right time. When you are always
a little temple where people could chant the present in the moment, right now is always the
sutras. Instead, she chose charity, medicine, right time. In 1991, she carried out a Tzu Chi
education, and humanistic culture. Are these so disaster relief mission in Mainland China. Had
easy to accomplish? Even today, almost three she waited instead and then tried to go now,
decades after Tzu Chi’s first hospital opened, it would have been too late because of China’s
Master still agonizes over each and every one. restrictive policies. This is just one example of
Back in the beginning, she had nothing. Then Master’s foresight and wisdom. Seeing how she
she made a great vow and brought it to life. grasps time so precisely, you cannot help but
Now there are six hospitals, a university, and a admire her.
television station. Master always chooses the As Tzu Chi nears its half-century birthday
most difficult projects, and she does not give in Taiwan, it has reached its quarter-century
up. milestone in the United States. Twenty-five years

Master Cheng Yen’s courage, compassion, is not a very long time, but neither is it short. In
and wisdom are the pillars of Tzu Chi’s recent years, Master has often said, “If the United
achievements and the draw that has brought States does not awaken, the world cannot be
so many people into the Tzu Chi family. But peaceful.” Living in such a large and influential
Tzu Chi has also benefitted from the incredible country, US Tzu Chi volunteers especially need
affinity of time. Master founded Tzu Chi in 1966, to put Master’s teachings behind our actions
not long after the government fled to Taiwan in and break through whatever difficulties may
1949 at the end of the Chinese Civil War. It was arise in order to achieve our mission. Only in this
a difficult time. Two wars had just ended, the way can we fully repay the grace of the Buddha
economy was struggling, and the people were and our teacher.
forced to rely on foreign aid from the United
Stephen Huang
States. But Master Cheng Yen understood

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