Chang Yen was born in 1937 in Taiwan. Growing up, she was witness to the horrors of war as Japan occupied Taiwan. When she was 8, she began physical and emotional care for her brother. It was her father’s death, that lead her to become more engaged with her Buddhist faith.
In 1963, she became a Buddhist nun. In 1966, she experienced two events that changed her life. The first was a visit to a hospital when she saw a pool of blood on the floor. When she asked about the blood, she discovered it was the result of a miscarriage. The woman lived in the mountains where there was no hospital. As the birth of her child was eminent, other women in her village carried her down the mountain to the nearest hospital. She was denied care because she didn’t have the money to be admitted. She had a miscarriage waiting for help. After the miscarriage, the woman carried her back up the mountain where she later died.
The second event was an encounter with three Roman Catholic nuns. While the nuns were impressed with the Buddhist teachings, they challenged Cheng Yen when they asked her what Buddhism had done for the betterment of society. That got Cheng Yen to begin thinking about what Buddhism might do to encourage greater support for those in need.
She created the Tzu Chi Foundation in 1966 to provide compassionate care for others in distress. She asked 30 women to save the U.S. equivalent of two cents per day to care for those in need. In the first year, they were able to support 15 families.
In the years that followed, Tzu Chi has grown in membership and their support. The 2024 Annual Report reports that Tzu Chi is involved in charitable efforts in 136 countries. They have constructed 259 schools in 17 countries. They have provided over 4,500,000 instances of medical care. They have built nearly 23,000 homes in 18 countries. They have distributed nearly 160,000 tons of rice in 20 countries. They have also built 34 temples, churches, and mosques. In addition, they provide disaster relief, refugee care, and environmental sustainability support.
All of this support began with donations of $.02/day from 30 women. Tzu Chi has grown to a funding level in the billions, but 61% of its support still remains from modest individual support.
How often do we delay worthy efforts because the task seems too immense to envision. We get bogged down in planning. We don’t want to begin without an end in mind. Wouldn’t it be better to just start and let our efforts unfold naturally?
* * *
“Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.” – Simon Sinek