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Dharma Roots
Tzu Chi in the USA
1989 – 2014

volunteers throughout the United States began weekly group study
of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, hoping to reach Master’s goal of
“awakening self and others while cultivating both blessings and wisdom.”
Throughout the twenty-five hundred year history of Buddhism,
numerous historical figures have provided virtuous models worthy of
study. In the mid-2000s, Tzu Chi undertook major projects to profile two
of these individuals and share their stories with modern society. Rhythms
Monthly magazine spent five years tracing the steps of Xuanzang, a
seventh-century monk who journeyed to India to gather Buddhist
sutras for translation, and created a stunning photographic exhibition
portraying both his historic journey and the modern state of the areas
he visited. Meanwhile, Da Ai Television also spent five years developing
the animated film Ven. Jian Zhen to retell the inspirational epic tale of an
eighth-century monk who overcame incredible obstacles and five failed
voyages to successfully cross the sea and share the Dharma with Japan.

United States Tzu Chi volunteers not only studied the two Dharma
masters’ spirit, but also energetically introduced them to the Western
world. Rhythms Monthly’s photographic exhibition, Journey to the West,
was displayed in several cities, including at United Nations Headquarters
in New York. In 2011, when the animated film Ven. Jian Zhen premiered in
Los Angeles, volunteers prefaced it with a performance choreographed to
the film’s song “From Vow to Action,” which symbolized the titular monk’s
hazardous journey through turbulent waters to reach Japan. Through this
performance, they brought the audience to understand his steadfast and
fearless conviction. Since then, the performance of “From Vow to Action”
has not only accompanied showings of Ven. Jian Zhen from coast to coast,
but even been carried back to Taiwan and all across the globe.
As United States Tzu Chi volunteers have transcended space to carry
on the Dharma lineage, so have Tzu Ching (members of the Tzu Chi
Collegiate Association, or TCCA) transcended time to share the Dharma
with all ages. In 1998, a group of college students began holding annual
retreats to study and share their experiences with one another. In May
2002, Tzu Chi USA Headquarters officially established a team to centralize
and support all the student-members. After graduating college, many Tzu
Ching volunteers have continued on to become deeply involved in Tzu
Chi’s missions as adults. As the first generation of Tzu Chi volunteers in
the United States grows older, this group of motivated young people now
provides the backbone of Tzu Chi in the United States as they continue to
carry on the mission of purifying hearts.

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