Dharma Master Cheng Yen was born in 1937 in a small town in Taichung County, Taiwan. When she was twenty-three years old, she left home to become a Buddhist nun, and was instructed by her mentor, Venerable Master Yin Shun, to work “for Buddhism and for all living beings.”

 

In 1966, she founded a charity, which later turned into the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, to “help the poor and educate the rich”—to give material aid to the needy and inspire love and humanity in both givers and recipients.

 

In recent years, Master Cheng Yen’s contributions have been increasingly recognized by the global community. In 2011, she was recognized with the Roosevelt Institute’s FDR Distinguished Public Service Award and was named to the 2011 TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people.

Master Cheng Yen translates the essence of the Buddha’s teachings into simple and easy- to- understand language to exemplify life lessons. Her exquisite words and caring thoughts inspire wisdom and provide direction amidst delusional thinking. When all of us diligently practice her teachings, cherish ourselves and others, and respect and love Mother Nature, all things can coexist in harmony, the climate will be temperate, and the world will be peaceful and free from disasters.

 

In the world, there are natural disasters caused by the disequilibrium of the Four Elements (earth, water, fire, and air) as well as man-made conflicts caused by uncontrollable human desires. Actually, the disharmony in people's minds is even more dangerous than the disequilibrium of the climate. With their disquieted minds, people disrupt the order of Nature's laws, throwing the entire environment into disarray.

 

Filial piety is the foundation of human decency. A filial and respectful person is blessed. We should start with ourselves to revive filial piety, which is the original goodness of human nature. Like waves, our actions will ripple out to influence our family members, our community, and then the world. When all of us diligently practice filial piety, cherish ourselves and others, and respect and love Mother Nature, all things can coexist in harmony, the climate will be temperate, and the world will be peaceful and free from disasters.

 

Dharma Master Cheng Yen expects everyone to influence a classmate, colleague, friend, or relative to become a bodhisattva. She hopes that each person can even resolve to inspire one bodhisattva every day. If everyone can do this, the energy of love will fill all places and the strength to purify human minds will be enhanced. Only then can we gather enough committed people in this troubled world and this era of declining Dharma to promulgate the Dharma, benefit all beings, and promote Buddhism in the human realm. If we do not act immediately, it will soon be too late.

證嚴上人於一九三七年，出生於臺灣省臺中縣清水鎮。在一九六三年，證嚴上人依印順導師為親教師出家，師訓「為佛教，為眾生」，證嚴上人奉持不懈。

 

一九六六年，證嚴上人創辦佛教克難慈濟功德會。慈濟世界在法師慈悲呵護下，數十年來，一步一步地堅實茁壯；發展為慈善、醫療、教育、人文四大志業，以及國際賑災、環保、社區志 工、骨髓捐贈八大腳印，透過親手拔除眾生的苦痛，以善與大愛膚慰人間。

 

近年來，證嚴上人的貢獻獲得國際間一致推崇；於2011年獲美國羅斯福基金會頒贈「傑出公共服務獎」， 並被時代雜誌列為2011年全球百大最具影響力人物。

證嚴上人透過靜思語將佛陀的教誨，以深入淺出的話語，講述生命倫理的課題，能將人們的思想帶離世俗的煩惱與錯誤，引導出人生的智慧與方向，破除虛幻的妄想。若人人都潛心修習上人的法，珍惜自我與他人，尊重愛護大自然之母，則所有的事物都能和諧圓滿，萬物調和，臻至世界大同天下無災無難。

 

宏觀天下乾坤開闊，我們越深入瞭解天下事，卻常常益加煩惱憂慮。普天之下，有因為四大不調 (地水火風)引起的災難，也有造因於人心欲念無法控制，導致的爭端。事實上，心靈的不調較氣候的不調更是危機重重；心靈的紛亂使得自然法則亂序，以致整體大環境步入危險處境。

 

之本在於孝，能孝敬就有福，從個人回歸善性之孝行做起，如漣漪圈圈擴大，及於小家庭的家人之間、中家庭的人倫之間以至大家庭的天地之間，人人力行孝道進而自愛愛人、敬天愛地，萬物才能共生息，天下才能風調雨順，世界才能和平無災難。

 

證嚴上人提倡「一人一菩薩」的行動理念，鼓勵每個人都去影響一個人，用心渡化近在身邊的同學、同事與親友；讓愛的能量生生不息，淨化人心的力量增加，才來得及在五濁惡世的末法時代，匯聚有心人，共同繼承弘法利生的精神，推動佛法在人間，用善念法出溫柔堅定的力量，追趕末法時代的惡化。再不加快腳步，就要來不及了。