Skip to content 
On the morning of February 1, 2026, Montreal faced polar-like cold, with temperatures dropping to minus 14°C and biting winds making the wind chill closer to minus 20°C. Yet, despite the freezing conditions outside, the atmosphere inside the Tzu Chi Montreal Office was as warm and welcoming as a spring breeze.
With limited local manpower, Tzu Chi volunteers arrived early to work non-stop on final preparations and checks. Busy as they were, when community members and guests arrived one after another, everyone still offered their most sincere smiles and a heartfelt “Welcome home!” They guided people to their seats so that every person who braved the bitter cold immediately felt the warmth of home.
This warmth came not only from local volunteers, but also from Dharma family who traveled from afar. To support this auspicious gathering, Andersen Chu, Executive Director of the Tzu Chi Eastern Canada, led four volunteers from Toronto on the long trip to Montreal. The arrival of these five family members greatly boosted the strength of the short-staffed Montreal Office and allowed every attendee to deeply feel the profound friendship of the Tzu Chi family, where “distance cannot separate true friends.”
Reflecting on Community Footprints; Deepening the Roots of Good Thoughts
As the Year-End Blessing Ceremony began, amidst the solemn music of the “Sutra Opening Verse,” the audience respectfully joined their palms and chanted in unison. The lyrics praising the “supreme, profound, and subtle Dharma,” accompanied by the steady sound of bells and drums, instantly settled minds once stirred by worldly distractions.
Across Tzu Chi’s Jing Si Halls and liaison offices, these places are not only harbors for the spirit, but also community practice centers that guide people to become living bodhisattvas in the human world. The screen played the “2025 Tzu Chi Montreal Year in Review” (Tzu Chi Yearbook), a video documenting the heartwarming, step-by-step efforts of Montreal volunteers over the past year. These footprints walked with love were like winter sunshine, bringing peace and moving the hearts of all present, and bearing witness to how the power of goodness takes root locally.
In his speech, Executive Director Andersen Chu held a bamboo bank and earnestly led everyone to revisit the spirit of the “Bamboo Bank Era” spirit from the early days, when thirty housewives saved fifty cents a day. He encouraged everyone that the bamboo bank represents not just donations, but the daily arising of a good intention to help others. He expressed the hope that everyone present would practice “saving good intentions every day,” allowing this steady, lasting stream of love to become the most solid force guarding the world.
Subsequently, Shu-Rong Chen, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Montreal, took the stage to speak. She gave high praise to the Tzu Chi volunteers for their long-term dedication to the community and expressed hope that this love would continue to expand.
Passing Tenderness Through Hands; Witnessing Universal Great Love Together
Although love is intangible, it can be seen and passed on through our hands. Before reviewing Tzu Chi’s global footprints, the atmosphere turned gentle and heartfelt. Three volunteers went on stage to perform “Love and Care,” guiding everyone to settle their minds.
Amidst the melodious music, guests and attendees also extended their hands, following the movements on stage to express the love in their hearts. Despite different backgrounds, in that moment, through rhythmic gestures and sincere eye contact, the silent teaching transformed into tenderness flowing through fingertips. Through hands, everyone saw love; through sincere gazes, they felt the most beautiful compassion, reflecting the common language of mutual aid and love shared by the global Tzu Chi family.
Immediately following, the audience extended their vision from Montreal to the whole world through the “Global Tzu Chi Year in Review” video. As Tzu Chi approaches its 60th anniversary, its charitable footprints have reached 139 countries and regions. From emergency relief for the Hualien earthquake in Taiwan to aid initiatives amidst international conflicts, the figures clad in blue and white shown in the video allowed everyone to witness how, over the past year, Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide have put “Love and Care” into practice around the world.
Towards the end of the event, Executive Director Andersen Chu, on behalf of Master Cheng Yen, personally presented the “Red Envelope of Blessings and Wisdom”—a symbol of blessing—to each attendee. The rice grain embedded on the red envelope symbolizes the diligent cultivation of the field of blessings and passing down virtue to the family. Many received this blessing with both hands, treasuring it as a precious family heirloom of the Lunar New Year.
Everyone then listened respectfully to the Master’s New Year teachings and blessings, and at the moment the heart lamps were lit, sang “Prayer” together. As the indoor lights dimmed, points of candlelight shone in the darkness like a warm sea of spiritual lamps. Everyone closed their eyes and sincerely prayed for purified minds, a harmonious society, and a world free from disasters and hardships.
Gathering Around the Hearth to Bond; Resonating with the Benevolent Hearts of Healers
After the ceremony concluded, culinary volunteers brought out dishes of carefully prepared vegetarian delicacies, kicking off a warm “Year-End Hot Pot” gathering. For many living far from home, this meal carried a strong flavor of “home.” Seated together; volunteers from Toronto and attendees from Montreal mingled, chatting about daily life, their laughter dispelling the bitter cold outside.
Notably, Dr. Chin-Fu Kung, a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) currently residing in Montreal, participated throughout the event. During the meal, he interacted warmly with the volunteers, and the conversations flowed joyfully. This rare and wholesome connection also infused new anticipation into Tzu Chi’s work in Montreal, with hopes to leverage collective strengths, gather more professional support, and help Great Love take deeper root and flourish in the community.
From the solemn Year-End Blessings to the lively hot pot gathering, and from the support of Toronto volunteers to the warm connection with the local medical professional, Tzu Chi members in Montreal, through sincerity and action, became an ever-burning lamp amidst the northern nation’s wind and snow. Though the light is small, it can pierce the cold night, illuminating the firm yet gentle protection shared among family.
