慈濟國際化=Tzu Chi internationalization; 女性與宗教傳播=women and religious dissemination; 慈濟女性賦權=empowerment of Tzu Chi women; 華人移民宗教=Chinese diaspora and religious practices; 女性宗教經驗=female religious experience
The driving force behind the transnational movement of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation stems from the highly mobilized capabilities in various regions. Despite regional differences, the actions and patterns are very similar. This article will analyze the international development of Tzu Chi from a female perspective. The case studies selected for comparison are Grandma Lin at Silicon Valley in North America, Liu Sumei from Yayasan Buddha Tzu Chi Indonesia, and Cai Dailin from Mozambique. The study focuses on the significant roles played by women in Tzu Chi's internationalization process. The timeframe is primarily centered around the first decade of establishing Tzu Chi branches in these three regions, representing three stages of Tzu Chi's development. These women also represent the spectrum of identities among overseas female Tzu Chi members: female dependents of Taiwanese immigrants in the United States, collaboration between Taiwanese businesspeople and Indonesian Chinese entrepreneurs, and Taiwanese women who married abroad. The research is conducted within the past nine months (from October 2022 to June 2023), utilizing online sources and meetings held at the Jing Si Abode upon their return. The life transformations experienced by the three women in Tzu Chi contribute to our understanding of the agency and empowerment of women in the transnational dissemination of Buddhism. Furthermore, this article will utilize the theory of self-created co-construction through media communication to analyze the diversification and cohesion of Tzu Chi international organizations in the mentioned regions. It will explore how they, by emulating Master Cheng Yen's image of the "weak woman," transplant Tzu Chi into new contexts, expanding the scope of Tzu Chi's Great Love initiatives.
