2024-05-13   | Department Literature and History, Tzu Chi Foundation

On May 12th, President Chi-Hung Lin (left) of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University conferred an honorary dual Doctorate in Philosophy and Medicine upon Master Cheng Yen (right). | Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation | Hualien Jing Si Hall, Taiwan | 2024/05/12


In recognition and deep appreciation of Master Cheng Yen's exemplary conduct and her profound contributions to purifying the mind and respecting life, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) conferred an honorary dual Doctorate in Philosophy and Medicine on the morning of May 12th.


Master Cheng Yen attributed this honor to the staff of Tzu Chi’s Four Missions and all Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide, expressing gratitude for the encouragement provided by NYCU to Tzu Chi volunteers globally. | Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation | Hualien Jing Si Hall, Taiwan | 2024/05/12


Dedicated to All Tzu Chi Volunteers

The award ceremony took place at the Jing Si Hall in Hualien after the Buddha Day Ceremony, where President Chi-Hung Lin of NYCU personally presented the honorary doctoral certificate to Master Cheng Yen. President Lin represented National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in expressing gratitude for Master Cheng Yen's global efforts in promoting Tzu Chi’s missions of charity, medicine, education, and humanistic culture — greatly contributing to purifying people’s hearts and minds, protecting the environment through technology, treating the ill through medical innovation, and more. In accepting this award, Master Cheng Yen humbly attributed this honor to the staff of Tzu Chi’s Four Missions and all Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide, expressing profound gratitude for the encouragement given by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University to Tzu Chi volunteers. Touched by this recognition, Master Cheng Yen expressed, "I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all those working in Tzu Chi’s Four Missions. No words can express my gratitude at this moment."

Encouraging a Loving Society for All

Master Cheng Yen emphasized that Tzu Chi's journey over the past decades has relied on the innate purity of human nature and selfless great love between individuals, accumulating goodness bit by bit. However, with changing times, advancements in technology have led to greater ease in accessing information for the masses, making life more complex than before. In today’s world, there needs to be a common direction for society, fostering universal compassion and instilling hope in humanity. Education should strive towards goodness, healthcare should safeguard life, and charity should actively spread love to all. Master Cheng Yen expressed sincere gratitude for the encouragement provided by NYCU, stating that it would enable her to walk more steadfastly on this path.


President Chi-Hung Lin delivered the citation for the honorary dual Doctorate in Philosophy and Medicine. | Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation | Hualien Jing Si Hall, Taiwan | 2024/05/12




A Paradigm for Contemporary Civilization

President Lin highlighted that Master Cheng Yen has merged the Buddhist principles of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and modern societal needs, making Buddhist teachings more relevant to contemporary life. This cycle of goodness and love has gradually become a new paradigm of contemporary civilization.


Dean Wen-Chi Wang of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences reading the degree certificate for the honorary doctorates. | Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation | Hualien Jing Si Hall, Taiwan | 2024/05/12


Master Cheng Yen's actions and philosophy are not only revered domestically but have also garnered international recognition. She was selected as one of the "BBC News 100 Women" in 2022 and became a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in the United States. Additionally, she has been honored with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in the Philippines, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize, and the 24th Niwano Peace Prize by the Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan. Moreover, she was recognized as one of the "TIME 100 Most Influential People" in 2011.

Po-Wen Yen, CEO of Tzu Chi Foundation, emphasized that Master Cheng Yen is a practitioner who promotes contemporary Buddhist teachings by integrating Buddhist principles into daily life and embodying the Bodhisattva spirit. | Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation | Hualien Jing Si Hall, Taiwan | 2024/05/12

Embodying Compassion and Altruism through Tzu Chi's Four Missions


Po-Wen Yen, CEO of Tzu Chi Foundation, expressed that Master Cheng Yen is not only a religious leader, philanthropist, educator, and inventor but also a Buddhist practitioner. She has made Buddhism a way of life and infused the Bodhisattva's compassionate and altruistic mindset into various professional fields, realizing it through Tzu Chi's Four Missions. This has spread the practice of compassion and altruism across all five continents globally.

Chin Lon Lin, CEO of Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, pointed out that Master Cheng Yen teaches us to prioritize people and respect life. | Photo provided by Tzu Chi Foundation | Hualien Jing Si Hall, Taiwan | 2024/05/12

Chin Lon Lin, CEO of Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, expressed gratitude for Master Cheng Yen's pioneering efforts in establishing the path for healthcare in the Hualien region. He emphasized that medicine encompasses both technological and humanistic dimensions as Master Cheng Yen recognized the close relationship between poverty and illness. In 1972, she established a free clinic on Ren'ai Street in Hualien City, marking the beginning of Tzu Chi's medical mission to alleviate poverty and suffering. To address the insufficient medical resources in the Hualien area, Master Cheng Yen subsequently founded the Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, guiding disciples to prioritize a patient-centered approach and respect for life, principles integral to shaping the development of Tzu Chi’s Medical Mission.

The Tzu Chi Foundation stated that Master Cheng Yen has dedicated her life to purifying hearts, fostering social harmony, and advocating for a world free of disasters, leading Tzu Chi volunteers from 68 countries and regions to engage in humanitarian activities and bringing relief to 136 countries and regions around the world.  

Listen to Master Cheng Yen's speech at the ceremony.