The Vow of Tzu Chi Commissioners
Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation carries out the missions aiming to help the poor and educate the rich by reverently accepting Buddha’s teaching of "expressing great kindness to all sentient beings, and taking their suffering as our own", and bearing in mind Venerable Master Yin Shun’s aspiration of "being committed to Buddhism and to all living beings". With loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, we dedicate ourselves to helping the afflicted by bringing them happiness and relieving their suffering, as well as creating a pure and clear world of Tzu Chi. With well-rounded wisdom in handling everything and facing everyone, we invite people around the world to cultivate a field of blessings, and to plant tens of thousands of lotus heart to build a loving society. Our work is to carry out charity, medical care, education and humanities concurrently.
Our spirit is sincerity, integrity, faith, and honesty. We believe that all beings are equal and everyone has an innate Buddha-nature. Practicing kindness and compassion, one can see Buddhism clearly; carrying out the missions, the rich gives and feels joyful from giving, the poor receives and experiences relief from receiving.The world is impermanent and the life dwindles every day, we shall cherish the life to plant good seeds and enjoy the harvest, thus, we won’t be feeling void with our lives.
Tzu Chi commissioners are united by wisdom and support each other with love, and we walk on the Bodhisattva path hand in hand. The commissioners constantly keep in mind to take the Buddha's compassion, thus, our thousand eyes can see the sufferings; we dedicate ourselves to the Master’s commitment as to our own, therefore, the thousand hands can reach out and help. We hear the cries of all sufferings and provide the aids with peace and joy, and it is no difference from Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
We take part in four missions with pure hearts and clear minds. Buddha sees all beings with kindness and teaches everyone the Dharma; thus, everyone is inspired to bring out the best. What a compassion and wisdom it is! All commissioners shall carry out the missions of Tzu Chi with right belief and right mindfulness. We will serve others, come to realize the essence of birth, aging, illness, and death, and understand the meaning of formation, continuation, destruction, and extinction. Working together to carry out the missions and pass on the tradition, we are going to leave our footprints today and our coming generations will be proud of what we are doing.
“What was done in the past dictates the present, and what is done in the present determines the future.” We are most blessed to be born human, and we shall proceed vigorously with courage on the Bodhisattva path. May our society be filled with love and cycled with virtues. It is our responsibility to have the right belief and the right mindfulness, and to continuously cultivate the blessings and wisdoms.
I wish to share these beliefs with all Tzu Chi commissioners.