Master Cheng Yen's Jing Si Aphorisms
Master Cheng Yen’s Jing Si Aphorisms books transcend racial and religious barriers. They promote heart-to-heart dialogues. Through the efforts of Tzu Chi volunteers, they have reached schools, businesses, government agencies, armed barracks, stores and every corner of communities. They have become learning material for students’ moral education, running brooks that cleanse the minds of the business world, and the inspiration for self-examination and reflection for all human beings.
Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s Jing Si Aphorisms, Volume 1 was first published in 1989. Over 3.5 million copies have since been printed in 11 languages, including traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, English, Spanish, French and German. In addition, Jing Si Aphorisms have been published via different media such as in Jing Si books for children, Jing Si cartoons, bookmarks, small decorative items, and cards.
The Tzu Chi volunteers in Taipei first introduced Jing Si Aphorisms to the community in 2007 by promoting the “Good Words of Jing Si Aphorisms for the Entire Street” event. They created Jing Si Aphorisms posters for display at local businesses and stores and regularly replaced them with new ones. By so doing, the volunteers delivered the message of love and goodness to the public.
Master Cheng Yen stressed that spreading good words to the entire street is excellent behavior. Every step taken by the Tzu Chi volunteers to encourage benevolent thoughts leaves imprints in people’s hearts. Master Cheng Yen recognized that it was the devotion, dedication and determination of these Bodhisattvas that enables the spread of the spirit of goodness in the community.
Tzu Chi Dharma Teachings (Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings)
When Master Cheng Yen took her refuge, her teacher, Master Ying Shun, instructed her to dedicate herself to Buddhism and to all sentient beings. This simple dedication made a tremendous impression on Master Cheng Yen and she vowed to live up to them.
During the first six months after Master took her refuge, she studied the Lotus Sutra with all her heart. The teachings in the Lotus Sutra may be profound, but Master thought these teachings are very appropriate in guiding the bodhisattvas to reach out to all sentient beings. The Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings sums up the essence in the Lotus Sutra. It clearly explains how Buddhists should conduct themselves when dealing with people and it is with this same attitude that Master practices in her life.
For the past forty years and continuing today, from Taiwan to rest of the world, Tzu Chi disciples follow the teachings of this Sutra as they learn while working and work while learning. The saying “Our mind is clear and translucent, and our vows are as vast as the endless void. Our conviction is unwavering for countless eons.” is the foundation of the Tzu Chi dharma teachings. The saying “Innumerable dharma paths become clear to us. Great wisdom shall be ours, and we will penetrate the true reality of all things” validates Tzu Chi’s dharma path.
In the Sutra’s section that expounds the dharma, it explained the rotations of the four seasons, the passing of time, the changes of the natural environment, and the birth and death of sentient beings. Nature and the universe are always opening the dharma doors. Different combinations of karma produce different phenomenon, such as the man-made destruction of the earth that affects the climate and results in natural disasters.
In the Sutra’s section that expounds the Chapter Virtues, it inspired people to vow to unlock their intelligence, to attain purity in the chaotic life and to bring benefits to all sentient beings. The Sutra can enable bodhisattvas, using this immeasurable power, to unleash others’ good conscience and altruistic selves.
On May 12, 2007, 132 volunteers and commissioners performed the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings in sign language, at the Jing Si Hall in Hwalian. In a short 50-minute performance, they expressed the many changes of the universe. Their hand gestures, facial expressions and movements merged into the most beautiful interpretation of the Sutra. Everyone was awestruck and speechless.
At the end of the performance, Master Cheng Yen listened to the vows sung by this group of disciples: “Our hearts are connected to pass the Tzu Chi dharma teachings; our commitment to expand Tzu Chi’s dharma path is unwavering; we’ll treasure the Tzu Chi karma; Jing Si dharma teaching has immeasurable meanings.” Master was deeply moved and relieved as well. She was appreciative beyond words and encouraged everyone to continue maintaining this vow and to make the most of every second for the rest of their lives.
No Work, No Meal
Because of Tzu Chi, she broke her vow and accepted disciples. However, she wanted her disciples to be involved in the community and help those in need rather than pursue their own happiness. To help the poor, the Jing Si Abode distributed relief goods to the poor, the ill, and the solitary elderly people. At the same time, Master Cheng Yen taught the Medicine Buddha Sutra, in the hope that all poor and ill people can be freed from suffering and achieve happiness.
The farm work and handcrafts, which have been continuously in production in the past forty years, include rice growing; infant shoes and cotton gloves making; clothes processing; wood board carving; gloves sewing; Chrysanthemum planting; pottery making; and the current stable source of income ─ making Job’s Tears Bean Powder, candles, etc., totaling more than twenty-one kinds of work. The living expenses of the residents in the Abode are clearly separated from the donations received from donors all over the world. All donations are remitted to the Tzu Chi Foundation to help the poor and the suffering people.
Today, the Tzu Chi Jing Si Abode is the spiritual home for all Tzu Chi members. Tzu Chi volunteers all over the world return to this spiritual hometown annually to seek for advancement in spiritual cultivation as well as purification of the soul.
Source: Tzu Chi and the Buddhism for the Human Realm Practice by Rey-Sheng Her
Be a Well-rounded Person
Beware that the path of service is no bed of roses. Once you have decided to serve mankind, you will encounter personnel problems. In order to be well rounded you must be able to get along well with others.
Master Cheng Yen said that when confronted with interpersonal conflicts, one has to transcend spiritually while engaging in the mundane activities. Only by doing so would we be able to live our lives without being weighed down by unnecessary worries. Without this other-worldly spirit, our minds would be easily polluted. An “Other-worldly spirit” is the state of non-contentiousness with people over matters and towards the world. We should treat interpersonal conflicts and difficult situations as opportunities that benefit our spiritual developments. Master Cheng Yen also said “If a task is not difficult, we do not handle it; let others take over. What we want to handle are problems that others find too difficult, are unwilling to take on, or unable to resolve. Therefore, we should bravely take on challenges and face difficult tasks.” Having a “non-contentious” mindset when dealing with people and handling situations will allow us to avoid unnecessary discord and problems. Communication, understanding and discussion help resolve disagreements and reach a consensus. Master Cheng Yen’s expectations can be sum up in one word: “Harmony.” Where there is harmony, there are successes and achievements.
“Harmony is greatly prized” is the cornerstone of the Tzu Chi Missions. The key to group harmony is whether everyone follows Tzu Chi’s humanity. Simply, Tzu Chi’s humanity is “great love & gratefulness.” That is, when one gives their great love, both the giver and receiver will feel grateful. Humanity is not a slogan. It is an expression that can be felt as well as seen by others. In Tzu Chi’s community, people care for, encourage and spur-on each other . This is Tzu Chi’s humanity. Lacking this spirit, there will be criticism and gossip, resulting in a tense work atmosphere where people can not be at peace.
Although the Tzu Chi Foundation is a big organization, it is not a complicated entity. It is “simple, natural and has great love and gratitude.” Tzu Chi’s members express their natural love simply. When they are giving love, their hearts are also filled with gratitude. This love is like water: clear and untainted. When you embrace Tzu Chi’s great love, you will give without expecting returns. Only then would you be able to love people equally with no discrimination.
Three Resolutions
Dharma Master Cheng Yen announces three general resolutions every year: May all minds be purified, may there be peace in the community, and may there be no disasters in this world. Right before the ground-breaking ceremony of Hualien Tzu Chi General Hospital in January of 1983, Master Cheng Yen delivered three more resolutions for herself: I will not pray for health, I only hope to have a spirit filled with wisdom and acuity. I will not seek to have everything to go as I want, I only wish for perseverance and courage. I will not look for fewer responsibilities, I will only ask for greater strength. Master Cheng Yen has said that she has never asked for anything in her life. If she talks about “asking”, the “asking” is in the sense of these three resolutions.
Asking not for good health, but for wisdom and acuity:
With wisdom and acuity, one is able to know right from wrong, to understand the reasoning of things, to do certain things and not to do other things. That is why we seek wisdom so that we can really understand the truth. Otherwise, we may have good health but our mind is confused – then we cannot distinguish between right and wrong, virtue and non-virtue. What we do may harm others and ourselves.
Asking not for everything to go as one wants, but for perseverance and courage:
In our lives, things may not work out 80-90% of the time. How can we ask for everything to go as we want? Difficulties are inevitable. Instead, we must have perseverance and courage to overcome all the obstacles. Life will then be meaningful. Tzu Chi has come a long way. But each step has not been easy. If we did not have perseverance and courage, we will not have the Tzu Chi that we see today. Therefore, if compassion and sacrifice can have forms, every inch of the Tzu Chi path has been paved with everyone’s compassion and sacrifice.
Asking not for fewer responsibilities, but for greater strength:
Everyone comes to this world with a mission. If this weren’t so, how are we different from animals? Master Cheng Yen renounced the lay life to carry out the Buddha’s mission, and she is committed to do so. Master Cheng Yen does not ask for fewer responsibilities. Instead she asks to combine everyone’s energy and effort, so that we can carry out together whatever heavy responsibilities come our way.
Dharma Master Cheng Yen said that her strength comes from everyone’s support. When the support increases, we will be able to help more people who are suffering and to take on the responsibility to build the future community. These two sets of new year resolutions are not only Master’s personal resolutions, but she hopes these resolutions will also encourage and guide all Tzu Chi volunteers to carry out Tzu Chi’s activities and overcome difficulties with perseverance and resilience. These resolutions also demonstrate that the strength of Tzu Chi’s compassion is now well established in Taiwan and can now extend to the rest of the world.
Renewal of the Spirit of the Bamboo Bank Era
Great virtue is accumulated from doing small good deeds
The people of Taiwan in 1966 were generally poor. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation was founded by Master Cheng Yen with five monastic disciples and thirty house wives. In order to raise money to help the poor, the dharma masters at the Jing Si Adobe made baby shoes to sell four dollars each. With an additional twenty-four dollars each day, they were able to save seven hundred and twenty dollars more per month. The medical expense of first care recipient cost more than six hundred dollars.
Later on, the number of care recipients increased but the charity fund did not increase. With the wish to save even more lives, Master Cheng Yen asked the thirty housewives to save fifty cents (NTD) a day from their daily grocery money. This money was saved as emergency fund.
Fifty cents seemed small but the principle behind the gesture was very significant. Master Cheng Yen used the bamboo in the space behind the Jing Si Abode and cut them into thirty tubes to use as piggy banks. She gave every follower one bamboo bank and asked them to deposit fifty cents a day. Someone asked Master Cheng Yen, "Why don't we just donate fifteen dollars a month?” The Master replied with, "I hope when you pick up the grocery shopping basket everyday, you will deposit fifty cents to the bamboo saving bank. Before leaving the house, you have already made a commitment to help other people. Saving fifty cents each day raises a thrifty and loving heart. When these feelings are put in the bamboo bank, the effect is tremendous.” The thirty housewives went grocery shopping everyday and saved fifty cents. They also told other people that they were saving fifty cents every day to save lives.
Creating a peaceful society with good thoughts
As Tzu Chi entered its 41st year of operations, its four missions had been fully developed and established. Even so, with a string of natural disasters such as the South Asia tsunami, the Chinese Sichuan Earthquake, the Central American hurricanes and the European forest fires, the power of compassion and kindness is still not strong enough. As such, with the renewal of the spirit of the ‘bamboo bank’, everybody can nurture a loving heart each day. This daily accumulation of well wishes has the power to prevent natural disasters.
Tzu Chi volunteers all over the world are spreading the message. The “New Bamboo Bank Era” takes small amounts of money and turns it into great love. It is not just one action but is an ongoing campaign. “It takes many drops of water to make a river; it takes many grains of rice to make a bushel.” With good thoughts all the time, one would make good wishes constantly and do good deeds daily.
In life, we cannot ignore a single act of kindness and not to do them, because every small act counts and contributes to the force of compassion, which ultimately will nurture peace in the world. More importantly, the happiness that we feel in doing good deeds is immeasurable.
(Source: Master Cheng Yen’s talks at volunteer’s morning assembly, 2006)
The Vow of Tzu Chi Commissioners
The Vow of Tzu Chi Commissioners
Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation carries out the missions aiming to help the poor and educate the rich by reverently accepting Buddha’s teaching of "expressing great kindness to all sentient beings, and taking their suffering as our own", and bearing in mind Venerable Master Yin Shun’s aspiration of "being committed to Buddhism and to all living beings". With loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, we dedicate ourselves to helping the afflicted by bringing them happiness and relieving their suffering, as well as creating a pure and clear world of Tzu Chi. With well-rounded wisdom in handling everything and facing everyone, we invite people around the world to cultivate a field of blessings, and to plant tens of thousands of lotus heart to build a loving society. Our work is to carry out charity, medical care, education and humanities concurrently.
Our spirit is sincerity, integrity, faith, and honesty. We believe that all beings are equal and everyone has an innate Buddha-nature. Practicing kindness and compassion, one can see Buddhism clearly; carrying out the missions, the rich gives and feels joyful from giving, the poor receives and experiences relief from receiving.
The world is impermanent and the life dwindles every day, we shall cherish the life to plant good seeds and enjoy the harvest, thus, we won’t be feeling void with our lives.
Tzu Chi commissioners are united by wisdom and support each other with love, and we walk on the Bodhisattva path hand in hand. The commissioners constantly keep in mind to take the Buddha's compassion, thus, our thousand eyes can see the sufferings; we dedicate ourselves to the Master’s commitment as to our own, therefore, the thousand hands can reach out and help. We hear the cries of all sufferings and provide the aids with peace and joy, and it is no difference from Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
“What was done in the past dictates the present, and what is done in the present determines the future.” We are most blessed to be born human, and we shall proceed vigorously with courage on the Bodhisattva path. May our society be filled with love and cycled with virtues. It is our responsibility to have the right belief and the right mindfulness, and to continuously cultivate the blessings and wisdoms.
I wish to share these beliefs with all Tzu Chi commissioners.
History
Master Cheng Yen firmly believes that suffering in this world is caused not only by material deprivation but, more importantly, also by spiritual poverty. She feels that the lack of altruistic love for others has been the root of many problems in this world. Thus, the foundation’s guiding principle on charity is to “help the poor and educate the rich.”
Tzu Chi’s missions focus on giving material aid to the needy and inspiring love and humanity to both givers and receivers. In addition to charity, the foundation dedicates itself in the fields of medicine, education, environmental protection, international relief work and the establishment a marrow donor registry. It also promotes humanistic values and community volunteerism. Through helping those in need, Tzu Chi volunteers take on the path of bodhisattva practices, the way to Buddhahood.
The Tzu Chi Story
Spreading Love Around the World
Tzu Chi Canada
WHO WE ARE
Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, Canada (also known "Tzu Chi Canada" for short) is founded by its CEO, Mr. Gary Ho, in 1992 under the inspiration of Dharma Master Cheng Yen to inaugurate Tzu Chi’s good works in Canada. From the national head office in Vancouver, BC, Tzu Chi Foundation Canada’s regular donors and volunteers have expanded their unconditional love and contributions across the nation through the missions of charity, medicine, education, culture, international relief, and environmental care. Currently, Tzu Chi Canada has over 40,000 regular donors and over 2200 volunteers with 9 offices coast to coast including Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, Calgary, Toronto, Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Montreal, and Ottawa.
WHAT WE DO
In the past 22 years, volunteers of Tzu Chi Foundation Canada have brought the essence of Buddhism into practice by delivering charitable and humanitarian services to 81 distinct projects. By cooperating with local community organizations and service facilities, such as the Food Bank, Salvation Army, senior residences, shelters, and Emergent Social Service programs, Tzu Chi volunteers have been dedicated to the constant and active service for seniors and other people with disadvantages. In British Columbia alone an average of 108 Tzu Chi volunteers provide services every single day.
In addition, by donating to hospital fundraising projects, bursary programs and breakfast programs in school districts, Tzu Chi Foundation Canada brings support to hospital patients and underprivileged students. Protecting our Mother Earth, Tzu Chi volunteers in local communities across Canada have applied the core value of universal compassion to all living beings by acting as “green ambassadors” helping with recycling, site clean-up, and advocating environmentally-friendly initiatives.
Impressed by the constant and dedicated involvement in the community events and services, Tzu Chi volunteers have been recognized by local governments in Canada as responsible and compassionate citizens throughout the country.