Founding of Tzu Chi
To meet the needs of the poor in eastern Taiwan, Cheng Yen founded the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association on 14 April 1966. Cheng Yan encouraged her thirty followers to save fifty cents (US$0.02) from their grocery money every day. They would put this money into little savings banks made from bamboo. When posed with the question, “Why can't we give once a week?” Master Cheng Yen replied, “Because giving is a practice and we need to give every day. If we have a yearning or a positive desire in us, we must nourish it and bring it to fulfillment. Just as Buddha was guided by a noble desire to help others, we too can listen to those who are sad or help those who are in pain.” Tzu Chi’s beginnings were humble. In the first year, fifteen families were helped by thirty followers.
Unlike most Buddhist orders, Tzu Chi nuns (bhikkhunis) do not take donations for themselves. Rather, in the early days, they worked for their food by farming, weaving gloves, making diapers and electrical circuit breakers, among other products.
Read more about this topic: Cheng Yen
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