In the face of natural disasters around the globe—especially this year’s earthquakes in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City, Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture and Kyushu Island, as well as South American nation Ecuador—Prayer, Gratitude was selected as the theme of the ceremonies.
A total of 450 sessions were attended by an estimated 270,000 worshippers in 35 countries and territories. The first, led by founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen, took place early in the morning at Tzu Chi headquarters in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County with participants singing prayers and sprinkling Buddha statues in scented water.
President Ma Ying-jeou, Vice President Wu Den-yih and Legislative Yuan President Su Jia-chyuan were some of the many high-profile attendees at the events in Taipei. In remarks made April 30 by Ma at Tzu Chi’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Hualien, Ma praised the group’s half century of selfless, consistent devotions to Taiwan society and the international community.
For five decades, Dharma Master Cheng Yen has led these “volunteering social workers with the highest creativity, vision and average age in the history of Taiwan to travel all round country and the world,” he said.
Established in Hualien in 1966 as a religious sect based on traditional Buddhist teachings by Cheng Yen, revered as Asia’s Mother Teresa, Tzu Chi has developed into a widely respected international organization offering spiritual guidance and devoted to charity, environmental protection and disaster relief works.
Through its more than 50 branches or offices around the world, Tzu Chi has extended services to over 90 countries and territories. In the event of major catastrophes, Tzu Chi is always one of the first responders carrying out relief work. It also operates schools and hospitals to provide educational and medical services.
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