The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

48 2019 • 12 Master Xue Cheng: Can you tell me how Tzu Chi Foundation started? What was your vision? Can you also talk about the direction and goals of a monastic practitioner? Master Cheng Yen: I established Tzu Chi by following a teaching that my mentor, the Venerable Master Yin Shun gave me, which was to do everything “for Buddhism and for all sentient beings”. The goal of Tzu Chi is to educate the rich to help the poor. The spirit of the Buddha’s teachings is to love all sentient beings in the world. Tzu Chi’s philosophy is to respect life. Now, the world suffers from what I call, “love deficiency syndrome”. The monastic community’s role is to lead sentient beings into a world of love. In the past, monastic practitioners aimed to eliminate feelings of love and affection when in fact they should have stressed Great Love instead. All Buddhist groups should have this same concept: In the present century, the monastic community should interact with people because people need guidance. Only then will Buddhism prevail and prosper. Master Xue Cheng: The compassionate missions of Tzu Chi are carrying out the fundamental teachings of Mahayana Buddhism and the original goal of Sakyamuni Buddha to save all beings, which should be rigorously promoted. Our curriculum in the Buddhist College is based on the “Miao Yun Collection” written by the Venerable Master Yin Shun. Over the years, we have accrued quite a few questions. Therefore, we decided to pay a special visit to Venerable Master Yin Shun. Tzu Chi’s Great Love and compassionate actions in China have helped countless people and have had a huge impact. Even people as far away as Australia come to visit because they care about Tzu Chi and have been moved by its work. May I know how much influence Venerable Master Yin Shun had in the course Serene Reflection Between Master Cheng Yen and Master Xue Cheng on the Direction and Goal of Cultivation October 2, 1995 Question & Answer Dharma Master Xue Cheng, Headmaster of Guan Hua Temple in Nan San, Pu Tien, and Deputy Dean of the Fujian Buddhist College in China, came to visit the Jing Si Abode and Tzu Chi Foundation along with Dharma Master Xin Hai, Dharma Master Xing Ming and other followers. They were accompanied by Buddhist practitioners, such as Ms Lian Hui-yan of the Buddhist Youth Association in Taiwan. Dharma Master Xue Cheng asked how to realize the religious spirit of “applying the Buddhadharma in daily life and encouraging everyone to become a bodhisattva”.