The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation celebrated its 60th anniversary on Sunday with ceremonies spanning the globe, as tens of thousands gathered at physical events in Taiwan and elsewhere around the world, as well as online, to mark a milestone that began with an act of remarkable simplicity: 30 housewives, 50 cents, and a selfless vow of compassion.
“Since 1966, what began with 30 housewives saving 50 Taiwan cents (about US$0.02) a day has grown into a global mission of relief,” Tzu Chi proclaimed in a recent announcement. “As we reach this 60-year milestone, we return to that ‘initial aspiration’—the simple belief that small acts of kindness, when gathered together, can heal the world.
“Every year, on the second Sunday of May, we come together to celebrate three meaningful occasions: Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Tzu Chi Day. . . . We believe that a sincere, unified thought of peace can bring comfort to those who are suffering.” (Tzu Chi Foundation)
The observances began at dawn yesterday at Jing Si Hall in Hualien County, on Taiwan’s eastern coast, the city where Dharma Master Cheng Yen first founded what would become Tzu Chi in 1966. Led by Master Cheng Yen and the monastics of the Jing Si Abode, the morning ceremony drew volunteers from across Tzu Chi’s Four Missions: charity, medicine, education, and humanistic culture. For Tzu Chi members, Hualien is a focal point of spiritual origination, and the ceremony there carried the particular weight of homecoming.
On Sunday evening, the focus shifted to Taipei, where more than 20,000 people converged on Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall for the main anniversary ceremony.
Dharma masters from multiple Buddhist traditions presided, alongside Buddhist monastics, lay volunteers, government officials, and diplomats for the “2026 Buddha’s Birthday Bathing Ceremony and Filial Gratitude Blessing Event.”
The gathering reflected the breadth of Tzu Chi’s reach and its long-standing commitment to civic engagement. A Buddha-bathing ceremony marking the Buddha’s birth anniversary was the focal point of the occasion, and prayers were offered for communities affected by climate-related disasters and armed conflicts, extending the ceremony’s scope beyond commemoration into an act of engaged compassion.
Tzu Chi’s anniversary marks six decades of volunteerism and compassionate community action worldwide. From its humble beginnings, Tzu Chi has evolved into a global humanitarian presence—a journey shaped by dedicated volunteers, donors, partner organizations, and community involvement.
“As we reflect on service in charity, medicine, education, and humanistic culture, we renew our commitment to serving all beings and protecting the Earth,” Tzu Chi remarked. “This meaningful gathering brings together volunteers, members, and friends from around the world in a shared spirit of gratitude, compassion, and unity, guided by the teachings of Dharma Master Cheng Yen.” (Tzu Chi Foundation)
Master Cheng Yen gathered 30 housewives in Hualien in 1966, and asked each of them to set aside 50 cents from their daily household budgets. The ideal was one of compassionate practice: a daily, embodied commitment to giving, regardless of circumstance.
That modest beginning has evolved in one of the largest Buddhist humanitarian organizations in the world, with a presence in more than 130 countries and an inspiring record of disaster response to earthquakes, floods, refugee crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation also operates hospitals, schools, and a television network, and its volunteer corps numbers in the millions.
Within the foundation’s spiritual framework, the triple occasion of Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Tzu Chi Day all point toward the same quality: the nurturing, self-giving compassion that Buddhist teaching identifies as the root of maternal love and the bodhisattva ideal. Ceremony participants were reminded of Tzu Chi’s threefold aspiration drawn from the foundation’s teaching:
May all heart be purified;
May all society live in harmony;
May the world be free of disasters. — Tzu Chi Foundation
After sixty years, the prayer remains the same.
As a global icon of socially engaged Buddhism, Master Cheng Yen has expressed a deeply held belief that all people are capable of manifesting the same great compassion as the Buddha. She has noted that true compassion is not simply feeling sympathy for the suffering of others, but is found in reaching out to relieve suffering with concrete action.
Master Cheng Yen is popularly known in Taiwan as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Buddhism, the others being: Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain; Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan; and Master Wei Chueh, founder of Chung Tai Shan. These four global Buddhist orders, correspondingly known as the “Four Great Mountains,” have grown to become among the most influential Chinese Buddhist organizations in the world.
See more
Tzu Chi Foundation
Vice President Hsiao speaks at Tzu Chi’s 60th anniversary in Taiwan (Taiwan News)
Tzu Chi holds 60th anniversary celebration in Taipei (Taiwan News)
Buddha’s Day (Taipei Times)
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