慈濟基金會 | |||||||
![]() Tzu Chi's lotus Logo. | |||||||
Monastery information | |||||||
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Full name | Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation | ||||||
Order | Mahayana | ||||||
Established | May 14, 1966 [1] | ||||||
People | |||||||
Founder(s) | Shih Cheng Yen | ||||||
Abbot | Shih Cheng Yen | ||||||
Site | |||||||
Location | Hualien, Taiwan | ||||||
Website | global | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 慈濟基金會 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 慈济基金会 | ||||||
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The Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation (Chinese: 佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會[citation needed]; lit. 'Buddhist Compassionate Relief Charity Foundation'), is a Taiwanese international humanitarian and nongovernmental organization. Its work includes medical aid, disaster relief, and environmental work.
The foundation was founded in May 14, 1966[1] by Cheng Yen, a Taiwanese Buddhist nun, as a Buddhist humanitarian organization, initially funded by housewives. Tzu Chi expanded its services over time, opening a free medical clinic in 1972 and building its first hospital in 1986. The organization underwent rapid expansion in the late 1980s and early 1990s, coinciding with a surge of popularity in Humanistic Buddhism in Taiwan. In the 1990s, the organization started major international disaster relief efforts, including the construction of new homes, schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
Today, Tzu Chi has a policy of being secular in its humanitarian work, with Buddhist teachings being integrated into its practices for volunteers. Cheng Yen is also considered to be one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Taiwanese Buddhism, with Tzu Chi itself being considered to be one of the "Four Great Mountains", of Taiwanese Buddhist organizations, along with Fo Guang Shan, Dharma Drum Mountain, and Chung Tai Shan.[2][3][4]
Tzu Chi has a special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.[5] It is also a co-chair of the UN Inter-agency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development Multi-Faith Advisory Council for 2022-2023.[6] The foundation has several sub-organizations, such as the Tzu Chi International Medical Association and the Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association (Tzu Ching). Tzu Chi volunteers and relief workers are known for their blue and white uniforms, which are known as "blue sky, white clouds" in Chinese: 藍天白雲. As of May 2024, the organization had over 10 million members worldwide across 68 countries and regions with relief efforts reaching 136 countries and regions around the world.[citation needed]
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