Cheng Yen Biography

Master Cheng Yen (Chinese: 證嚴法師; pinyin: Zhèngyán Fǎshī; born 11 May 1937) is a Taiwanese Buddhist nun (bhikkhuni), teacher, and philanthropist. She was a student and follower of Master Ying Shun, a major figure in the development of Humanistic Buddhism in Taiwan. In 1966, Cheng Yen founded the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, ordinarily referred to as Tzu Chi. Cheng Yen started Tzu Chi as a group of thirty housewives who saved money to help needy families. The organization later became one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world, eventually becoming the largest Buddhist organization in Taiwan.