On May 2, a new chapter began for the residents of Lumbini, Nepal, with the formal opening of the Lumbini Tzu Chi Campus and Buddhist Tzu Chi School. More than 1,000 guests and volunteers from Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, China, India, and Nepal gathered on-site, while thousands more across 16 countries joined online to witness this commitment to the community’s future.
The completion of the campus represents a long-held vision to bring sustainable aid back to the Buddha's birthplace. By establishing permanent facilities for education, medicine, and charity, the initiative aims to provide the local population with the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty and improve their quality of life.
A legacy of hope
The ceremony concluded with a message from Dharma Master Cheng Yen, who thanked the international volunteers for their dedication over the past 16 months. She highlighted that while the construction of the buildings is complete, the true work—growing the mission and supporting the local people—is just beginning.
I'm so moved that all these living bodhisattvas, including the volunteers from Singapore and Malaysia, have traveled such a long way there for this occasion. I see that, in Nepal, Tzu Chi volunteers have spent several years making this moment possible.
It has been my wish to give back to the Buddha’s homeland. Prince Siddhartha became a monastic, attained Buddhahood, and began to deliver living beings in the world; this is the Buddha’s spirit. Tzu Chi can do what it does today, and having Tzu Chi in the world, all of these have to do with that aspiration of the Buddha, which is to physically serve the world.
And now, the construction is finished, our cultivation ground is in order, and we see the education mission there. All these children are the hope for the future of Nepal, and they will carry on the hope that the Buddha had for Nepal from over 2,000 years ago. This hope was built by the mindfulness and efforts of many of the volunteers who are presently there. Having these buildings is only the start; for the future, we will see our missions grow and see our missions be carried out to bridge the hope that the Buddha had for Nepal since his time. May we also pass on this hope to the local volunteers there, hoping they will be diligent and continue passing on this hope. I’m grateful to everyone for passing on the light.
— Dharma Master Cheng Yen
Empowering the local community
The 4.4-hectare campus will serve as a permanent center for transformation, integrating three major pillars of service. At its heart is the Jing Si Hall, a space for spiritual cultivation and humanistic culture. Adjacent to it is the school, built to provide quality education for the region’s youth, and a clinic designed to offer much-needed medical services to those who previously had little access to healthcare.
For local residents, the infrastructure represents a promise of stability. Swasfika Chaudhary, a student from the local sewing class in Lumbini Cultural Municipality’s Ward 9, arrived at the ceremony wearing traditional cultural dress to mark the importance of the day.
I feel very happy to see this. From a small office in the beginning to this large campus now, everything makes me feel very comforted. We have teachers from abroad, but we also have many people from our own villages involved. I am grateful for the effort put in to give us such a grand school building.
— Swasfika Chaudhary, Student
The campus has already begun to foster a sense of shared purpose among the villagers. Padma Bhattarai, one of the first local volunteers to join the efforts in Lumbini, expressed her joy at the impact the new infrastructure will have on her neighbors. Currently undergoing training to become a formal Tzu Chi commissioner, she sees the campus as a starting point for transforming lives.
Today is a great day for us in Lumbini. It makes us happy to have this connection. We will carry this mission forward so that the spirit of love continues to grow here.
— Padma Bhattarai, Local Volunteer
LEFT: Sewing class student, Swasfika Chaudhary, wears traditional attire for the campus opening. She thanked Dharma Master Cheng Yen for the environment where international teachers and local villagers learn together. RIGHT: Local volunteer, Padma Bhattarai, believes the new campus is a major milestone for Lumbini that will bring hope and change to the residents.
Planting seeds for the next generation
Education is a central pillar of the new campus. Pen-jung Wang (王本榮), CEO of Tzu Chi’s education mission in Taiwan, emphasized that while the organization has built or supported hundreds of schools globally, establishing a dedicated presence in Nepal is significant. He noted that resources in the region are still limited, and the goal is to ensure that education "takes root" rather than just providing temporary assistance.
The educational team has already begun working closely with local students and faculty. Principals and teachers from Nepal have traveled to Taiwan for training to help elevate the quality of instruction.
As the campus begins its operations, it stands as a bridge between a historic past and a sustainable future, driven by the participation and empowerment of the Lumbini community itself.
LEFT: Children and their parents from the Lumbini Buddhist Tzu Chi School perform during the ceremony, symbolizing a hopeful future for the local youth. RIGHT: The first group of students at the Lumbini Buddhist Tzu Chi School practice writing Jing Si Aphorisms in Chinese, blending cultural exchange with character education.
Written by Mei-hung Lin (林美宏) and Pai-chiu Tsai (蔡白球)
Photos by Mei-hung Lin (林美宏), Rong-fong Chen (陳榮豐) and Chi-chan Lin (林濟展)
