Back Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation German Tzu Chi Finnish Tzu Chi ID 慈済基金会 Japanese Tzu Chi Dutch Тцу Чи Russian සූ චි Singhalese Tzu Chi Swedish Tzu Chi Tagalog 慈濟基金會 Chinese
慈濟基金會 | |
 Tzu Chi's lotus Logo. | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation |
| Order | Mahayana |
| Established | 1966 |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Shih Cheng Yen |
| Abbot | Shih Cheng Yen |
| Site | |
| Location | Hualien, Taiwan |
| Website | global |
| Part of a series on |
| Buddhism |
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The Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation (Chinese: 佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會; 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 1966 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.[1][2][3]
Tzu Chi has a special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.[4] 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.[5] 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.
- ^ "Come to Taiwan, Return with good memories". Info.taiwan.net.tw. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ Shuai, J. J.; Chen, H. C.; Chang, C. H. (1 December 2010). "Visualization of the Taiwaness Buddhism web based on social network analysis". 2010 International Computer Symposium (ICS2010). pp. 187–191. doi:10.1109/COMPSYM.2010.5685523. ISBN 978-1-4244-7639-8. S2CID 18858823.
- ^ Abeynayake, Oliver; Tilakaratne, Asanga (1 January 2011). 2600 Years of Sambuddhatva: Global Journey of Awakening. Ministry of Buddhasasana and Religious Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka. p. 282. ISBN 9789559349334. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ O'Neill, Mark (2010), Tzu Chi: Serving With Compassion, John Wiley & Sons
- ^ Foundation, Tzu Chi. "Tzu Chi Becomes the Co-chair of the Multi-Faith Advisory Committee". www.tzuchi.org.tw. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
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