Asia PR News

TOKYO, Feb.27/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/–

The Niwano Peace Foundation announced today it will award the 24th Niwano
Peace Prize to Dharma Master Cheng Yen of Taiwan, the founder of the Buddhist
Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation and the head of one of the largest
philanthropic organizations in the world. She is also the founder of the Tzu
Chi Buddhist General Hospital and several educational institutions.

A prize presentation ceremony will take place in Tokyo on……..Besides the
award certificate, she will receive a medal and 20 million yen.

Master Cheng Yen has put traditional Buddhist teachings and spirit into the
practice of helping the poor in a contemporary context. Raising relief funds
and doing volunteer work are being reinterpreted as core spiritual practices of
Mahayana Buddhism.

She founded the Tzu Chi Foundation in 1966 at Pu Ming Temple on the east
coast of Taiwan. It is primarily a women’s organization supported by more than
5 million people, a majority of them volunteer nuns and laywomen. It is active
mainly in four areas: international disaster relief, a bone-marrow bank,
protection of the natural environment, and community volunteer work. People in
at least 57 countries have received aid from Tzu Chi.

The organization has sought to provide emergency relief and hope to victims
of war, flood, drought, earthquakes and other disasters. An ultimate goal is
said to be “to inspire disaster victims to contribute to others when they have
the ability to do so, thus creating a global village of Great Love.”

While the organization’s mission has to do primarily with disaster relief
and medical care, Master Cheng Yen feels that “lack of love for others" has
been the root of many problems in this world. Her ideas and compassion and the
work of the Tzu Chi Foundation make a great contribution toward world peace.

The Niwano Peace Prize was established in 1983 to honor and encourage
individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to
inter-religious understanding and cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of
world peace. It is also designed to make such achievements known as widely as
possible, and encourage the emergence of still more people devoted to working
for world peace.

Source: Niwano Peace Foundation

Contact:
Mr.Tadashi Takatani
Niwano Peace Foundation
Tel: +81-3-3226-4371
Fax: +81-3-3226-1835
E-mail: peaceprize@npf.or.jp
URL: www.npf.or.jp

TOKYO, Feb.27/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/–

The Niwano Peace Foundation announced today it will award the 24th Niwano Peace
Prize to Dharma Master Cheng Yen of Taiwan, the founder of the Buddhist
Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation.

An award presentation ceremony will take place in Tokyo, Japan, on May 10. Mr.
Rei-Sheng Her, spokesman for Master Cheng Yen and the Tzu Chi Foundation, will
represent her at the event. In addition to an award certificate, Master Cheng
Yen will receive a medal and 20 million yen.

Master Cheng Yen was born in 1937 in a small town in central Taiwan. In 1963,
the most venerable Master Yin Shun accepted her as his disciple, teaching her
to be committed to Buddhism and to all living beings. In 1966, she established
the Tzu Chi Foundation. With a mission of "humanizing Buddhism and bringing
bodhisattvas into this world," Master Cheng Yen and the Tzu Chi Foundation have
worked in four major areas - charity, medicine, education and culture. The
Foundation, starting with just 30 members, has now recruited millions of
volunteers in 231 offices in 40 countries. Every day close to 100,000
volunteers carry out the Master’s teaching to help the poor and spread
compassion to every dark corner of the world.

In selecting Master Cheng Yen as an awardee, the Niwano Peace Prize Committee
commented: "As a woman and spiritual leader, who despite her very modest
beginnings, has improved the quality of life of thousands of people through her
integration of spirit and action, Master Cheng Yen is a worthy recipient of the
NPP."

Niwano Peace Prize

The Niwano Peace Prize was established in 1983 to honor individuals and
organizations that have contributed significantly to inter-religious
understanding and cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace. To
avoid undue emphasis on any particular religion or region, nominations are
solicited from people of recognized intellectual stature around the world.

Niwano Peace Foundation

The Niwano Peace Foundation was chartered in 1978 to contribute to the
realization of world peace and the enhancement of a culture of peace. The
Foundation promotes research and other activities based on a religious spirit
and serves the cause of peace in such fields as education, science, religion
and philosophy.

Source: Niwano Peace Foundation

Contact:
Mr.Tadashi Takatani
Niwano Peace Foundation
Tel: +81-3-3226-4371
Fax: +81-3-3226-1835
E-mail: peaceprize@npf.or.jp
URL: www.npf.or.jp