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fter seeds are sown, they begin to sprout, grow, and
branch out. The branches rely on nutrition supplied
Asteadily by the roots, otherwise they will be unable to
grow tall and strong. Twenty-five years ago, the seeds of Tzu
Chi were sown on American soil. As Tzu Chi blossomed, it has
been continuously fed by the nutritious Dharma of the Jing
Si Dharma Lineage. Over a quarter of a century, it has grown
steadily without deviation.
Since 2003, Tzu Chi volunteers in the United States have
diligently followed the lead of Global Headquarters in Hualien
to hold an annual three-in-one celebration of Buddha Day,
Mother’s Day, and Tzu Chi Day each May. Whether indoors
or outside, the solemn Buddha Bathing Ceremony and
heartwarming Mother’s Day celebrations provide a perfect
occasion for volunteers and community members to gather
together to pray for a better world and express their gratitude
to the Buddha, their parents, and all living beings.
In 2002, Tzu Chi Global Headquarters in Hualien developed
a musical adaptation of the Sutra of Profound Gratitude toward
Parents to express the spirit of the Buddhist sutra through
music, sign language, and dramatic performance. Tzu Chi
volunteers in several cities across the United States brought
this adaptation to their local communities to help more people
realize the depth of parents’ love. In 2006, the Sutra of Infinite
Meanings was similarly adapted for music and sign-language
as more than two hundred volunteers and staff in Southern
California brought the sutra to life on two occasions.
For Tzu Chi’s forty-fifth anniversary in 2011, Dharma
Master Cheng Yen called on Tzu Chi volunteers to study the
Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance and learn to carry
out the Buddha’s teachings in daily living, cleanse filth from
their hearts and minds, and eliminate habitual tendencies.
Volunteers across Taiwan brought the Dharma as Water musical
adaptation to life in twenty-six performances, while volunteers
in the United States began weekly study groups to more deeply
explore the meaning of the text. After two years of study groups
focused on the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance,

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