Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

The Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany. There are prize categories for product design, communication design and design concepts. The Red Dot Design Award is internationally recognized, like Germany’s iF Award and the American IDEA Award. Every year the Red Dot Design Award receives more than 10,000 submissions from over 60 countries.

In 2014, out of 4,815 submissions from 1,816 manufacturers, the Jing Si multi-purpose folding bed was selected by the competition’s 40-member jury as the winner of the top quality award.

Behind the joy of winning the award there is a moving story of warmth and love.

Timely Help For Disaster Survivors

In the summer of 2010, Pakistan was devastated by severe floods. One of the videos of disaster relief taken by Tzu Chi volunteers showed footage of a baby girl wrapped in a thin piece of cloth lying on the cold, wet ground. Seeing the image, Master Cheng Yen felt deeply for the infant and the many others who suffer from natural disasters. She discussed disaster relief solutions with Tzu Chi volunteers and thought of designing a portable bed for disaster survivors. So the volunteers designed and produced such a bed; nearly 10,000 such portable beds were given out at aid distributions in Pakistan for the flood survivors. They provided the survivors with a safe and secure place to sleep. Under Master Cheng Yen’s guidance, Tzu Chi’s design team made further improvements on the design of the portable bed and finally came out with the Jing Si collapsible multi-purpose folding bed. 

The multi-purpose folding bed is 30 centimeters high, so it can stay dry on wet ground. Its fretwork top and sides make it lightweight and allow for good ventilation. Made of skin-friendly polypropylene, the folding bed can be used for sitting and sleeping; it can be easily folded and transported. 

In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines in November 2013, the Jing Si collapsible multi-purpose folding bed provided much relief for countless typhoon survivors who were rendered homeless by the disaster; it also helped to prevent the spread of flood-related diseases. As Tzu Chi helped to bring dignity and hope to the survivors, they in turn learnt to be grateful and give of themselves to help others in need. 

A Bed of Blessing and Wisdom

It was with the aim of providing relief to the suffering that the Jing Si collapsible multi-purpose folding bed was invented. When they witness suffering, members of Tzu Chi aspire to help those in need. Combining the strength and wisdom of many Tzu Chi members, the Jing Si collapsible multi-purpose folding bed is designed to serve as an indispensable disaster relief item with many functions. In times of disaster, it provides benefits that make people feel settled and secure. After relieving people of their suffering, it is important to guide them to understand that human greed is the cause of many disasters and help them realize that purifying people’s hearts and minds is the ultimate solution. With this in mind, Master Cheng Yen named the folding bed “Bed of Blessing and Wisdom”.

The Red Dot Award gives international recognition to the Jing Si product as the best in quality and design. It also symbolizes the Buddha’s universal compassion behind Jing Si products for disaster relief.