Tzu Chi's Master Cheng Yen wins Niwano award

Compiled by Tipitaka Network Newsdesk, Saturday, March 10, 2007

The Niwano Peace Foundation announced on February 27 it will award the 24th Niwano Peace Prize to Taiwan's Dharma Master Cheng Yen (證嚴法師), founder of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, in recognition of her contribution to serving needy people.

Master Cheng Yen is the first Taiwanese recipient of the Niwano Peace Prize since it was established 24 years ago to honor individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to inter-religious cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace, and making their achievements known as widely as possible.

Wang Tuan-cheng (王端正), deputy chief executive of the Tzu Chi Foundation, said the Niwano Peace Foundation had already held news conferences in Britain, Switzerland, the Vatican and Japan on Feb. 27 to announce its decision to award this year's peace prize to Master Cheng Yen.

The presentation ceremony will be held in Tokyo on May 10. Mr. Rei-Sheng Her (何日生), spokesman for Master Cheng Yen and the Tzu Chi Foundation, will represent her at the event.

In addition to a certificate, the winner will also receive a medal and ¥20 million (US$171,450) in prize money.

According to Wang, the Niwano Foundation president is scheduled to visit the Tzu Chi Foundation headquarters in Hualien County in May before the presentation ceremony.

Ven. Cheng Yen was quoted as having said that she would share the award with the large army of Tzu Chi volunteers scattered around the globe to express her heartfelt gratitude for their long-term support and assistance in carrying out her three vows to "purify minds, harmonize society and free the world from disaster."

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. The venerable nun founded Tzu Chi in 1966, with "instructing the rich and saving the poor" as its motto in carrying out four great missions -- in charity, medicine, education and culture. Under her leadership, the Tzu Chi Foundation has been involved in international disaster relief, bone marrow donation, environmental protection and community volunteer work.

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 Buddha'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."

Ven. Cheng Yen was previously awarded the Eisenhower Medallion for her contribution to world peace and was once nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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 established by the Japanese lay Buddhist organization Rissho Kosei-kai 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. It began to present an annual Niwano Peace Prize in 1983. To date, 23 individuals and groups of the Catholic, Christian, Islamic, Jewish and Buddhist faiths from more than 10 countries have received the prize.

source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/taiwan/200739/104183.htm
source: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl? ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-27-2007/0004535007&EDATE=