Compassionate Teacher
Master Cheng Yen was born in a small town called Chingshui in Central of Taiwan in 1937. Master Cheng Yen started her life becoming a vegetarian when his prayers were answered for his mother's recovery. Her father's death in 1960 causing Master to realize that life is impermanent and constantly changing.
When her father died, Master Cheng Yen asked herself, what is the true nature of life? Where do you come from and where do you go after you die? It was this question that opened the life-changing point she was looking for.
For her, true happiness is expanding compassion, caring for society, and loving all beings. At the age of 23, she left home to become a nun.
Master Cheng Yen has always practiced a simple and pious way of life. In order to live independently, she and her students make candles and cereal flour made from nuts to sustain life. She upholds the spirit of independence with the principle of “one day not working, one day not eating”.
In 1966, Master Cheng Yen founded the Tzu Chi Buddhist Humanitarian Foundation. All humanitarian activities carried out by Tzu Chi do not look at differences in religion, race, ethnicity, and country.
For her concern in spreading universal love, she was awarded the following awards: Ramon Magsaysay Award, Philippines (1991), Taiwan's Second Most Influential Person Award (2003), Asian American Heritage Award for Humanitarian Service (2004), and Peace Award from Niwano Peace Foundation, Japan (2007).
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