Dear Tzu Chi Bodhisattvas, 

Tzu Chi has now been established for fifty-nine years. Over the course  of nearly six decades, we have witnessed Tzu Chi’s journey from  thirty housewives saving fifty cents a day in bamboo banks to leaving  charitable footprints across 136 countries and regions worldwide,  bringing hope to suffering sentient beings and vitality to our wounded  Earth. 

In May, the Buddha’s birthday, Mother’s Day, and Tzu Chi Day converged  as one. The Buddha Day Ceremony began at the Jing Si Hall in Hualien  and was held simultaneously across forty-five countries and regions  worldwide, with nearly two hundred thousand people celebrating  together. This spirit of gratitude—remembering the source of the well  we drink from—honors the Fourfold Grace: the grace of the Buddha,  our parents, teachers, and all sentient beings. This transcends religious,  national, and racial barriers, as everyone sincerely remembers the  Fourfold Grace with reverent hearts. At Lumbini Garden, the Buddha’s  birthplace, and Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment,  Tzu Chi volunteers from Singapore and Malaysia overcame all  difficulties to lead local volunteers in reverently paying respect to the  Buddha and purifying their hearts. These magnificent Buddha Bathing  scenes demonstrated our firm commitment to “spreading the Dharma  and benefiting sentient beings” as an offering back to the Buddha’s  homeland. 

In particular, at the Buddha Day Ceremony at Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek  Memorial Hall, central and local government leaders and distinguished  guests from home and abroad attended, led by over five hundred  monastics. More than twenty thousand people, undaunted by wind  and rain, united in remembering the Fourfold Grace with steadfast  hearts, praying for themselves, society, and the world. Through the  global livestream, we witnessed the monastics’ unified and dignified  bearing, which touched people’s hearts. I was deeply moved and  grateful for this convergence of conditions, praying that everyone can  appreciate the Buddha’s virtues, understand the Buddha’s heart, and  join together in blessing the entire world. 

I am grateful that this year, nineteen countries and regions from around  Asia and the Pacific, along with twenty-six countries and regions  from Europe, the Americas, and Africa, held Buddha Day Ceremonies,  together creating these solemn and magnificent gatherings. In some  outdoor locations, despite light rain falling from the sky, people of all  ages wore raincoats and respectfully chanted the Buddha’s name in  unison. Each gentle rainfall was like sweet Dharma rain, nourishing  hearts and washing away dust. In Africa, volunteers arranged simple  Buddha bathing altars using locally available fresh flowers, fruits, and  eco-friendly bowls. Volunteers guided participants in proper ceremony  procedures, and beyond bathing the Buddha, they also washed the feet  of elders as an act of filial piety, united in remembering the Fourfold  Grace. 

As we reverently pay respect to the Buddha and remember the Fourfold  Grace, we must also face the natural disasters caused by imbalances in  the four elements with vigilance and piety. Since the beginning of this  year, the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Los Angeles destroyed over  sixteen thousand buildings, becoming the most devastating natural  disaster in U.S. history. On March 28, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in  Myanmar nearly destroyed the country’s second-largest city, with  nearly four thousand people losing their lives. In the face of nature’s  power, humans are so small. At this moment, we must unite our  strength and manifest the spirit of great love, with the determination  of small ants climbing Mount Sumeru. By gathering everyone’s kind  thoughts and good deeds, accompanied by great love, we can relieve  people’s suffering. 

The global Buddha Day Ceremonies also featured chanting from the  Sutra of Infinite Meanings, with everyone reciting in unison: “The  Dharma is like water, which can wash away defilements. Whether  water comes from a well, a pond, a stream, a river, a brook, a channel,  or a great ocean, it can wash away all defilements.” We hope this will  inspire everyone to cleanse the dust from their hearts. Only when we  bring purity to people’s hearts can society be harmonious. With this  auspicious energy, favorable weather and a stable climate will prevail,  and the world can be free from disasters. 

“For Buddha’s teachings, for sentient beings”–this is the direction I  have faithfully followed throughout my life, dedicating my entire life  to my master’s teachings. I am grateful to all of you bodhisattvas for  gathering the energy of love and walking the Bodhisattva Path together.  I hope that everyone will embody the spirit of fireflies, seizing karmic  conditions to recruit more bodhisattvas. Through love and kindness,  we can bring harmony to the world and illuminate the dark corners of  our planet, praying that the true Buddha Dharma will abide forever in  this world. 

I sincerely bless all of you bodhisattva-volunteers: may everyone be  safe and peaceful, may each day be auspicious, may you always be filled  with Dharma joy, and may you cultivate both blessings and wisdom!