Our Founder
Master Cheng Yen
Born in 1937 in the small town of Qingshui, Taiwan, Master Cheng Yen’s early life was marked by the harsh realities of the world. Because Master Cheng Yen's uncle was childless, Master Cheng Yen was offered to the uncle's family and adopted, perhaps planting the seed of Master Cheng Yen's desire to help others from the very start. Growing up during the brutal air raids of the Second World War, the reality of human violence left a deep impression on Master Cheng Yen's young mind. Master Cheng Yen later witnessed the intense suffering of sickness and pain firsthand while caring for Master Cheng Yen's ailing brother in the hospital for months.
When Master Cheng Yen's mother required a risky operation, Master Cheng Yen prayed deeply and offered to give up years of Master Cheng Yen's own life in exchange for the mother's health. The mother recovered without surgery, and in profound gratitude, Master Cheng Yen became a vegetarian.
Spiritual Calling Master Cheng Yen's spiritual calling intensified when Master Cheng Yen's father suddenly passed away within hours of falling ill. Left bereaved and full of questions about the meaning of life, Master Cheng Yen grappled with the fleeting nature of existence. Master Cheng Yen's auspicious first contact with Buddha Dharma at this critical moment offered the exact wisdom and guidance Master Cheng Yen was seeking.
Soon after the father’s death, Master Cheng Yen ran away from home to become a Buddhist nun, driven by a deep need to expand familial love to all of humanity. Although relatives found Master Cheng Yen and brought Master Cheng Yen back, Master Cheng Yen left again, this time traveling further away to Hualien. The conditions there were harsh, but Master Cheng Yen's commitment to the Dharma only grew stronger. Following a nontraditional path, Master Cheng Yen shaved Master Cheng Yen's own head to formally renounce lay life, unaware that tradition dictates one must do so under the tutelage of a teacher.
A Serendipitous Encounter In 1962, seeking formal ordination at the age of 25, serendipitous circumstances led Master Cheng Yen to cross paths with Venerable Master Yin Shun, who became Master Cheng Yen's spiritual mentor. Master Yin Shun formally ordained Master Cheng Yen as a Buddhist nun and provided concise, profound instructions to guide the rest of Master Cheng Yen's life: “Now that you are a Buddhist monastic, remember always to work for Buddhism and for all living beings.” A Foundation of Compassion This is precisely what Master Cheng Yen has been doing ever since, working with self-discipline, diligence, frugality, perseverance, and, at root, an expansive love for all.
Carrying Master Yin Shun's teachings, Master Cheng Yen dedicated Master Cheng Yen's life to active, concrete compassion. This deep spiritual foundation ultimately prepared Master Cheng Yen to establish the Tzu Chi Foundation in 1966. Today, Master Cheng Yen continues to lead by example, demonstrating how true spirituality is found by stepping into the suffering of others and bringing "Great Love" to life.