Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

Every year at the time of Mid-Autumn Festival, Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) members from various corners of the world gather at Hualien Jing Si Hall to spend this meaningful holiday with Dharma Master Cheng Yen. This has been a well kept tradition as it is not only a family reunion for all the TIMA members andvolunteers around the world to be back at “home” with Master Cheng Yen, it's also a precious time for learning and exchanging experiences with each other.

This year, over 300 TIMA members coming from 17 different countries/regions continued this tradition. With increasingly number of calamities struck all over globe, TIMA members have followed the teachings of Master Cheng Yen in response with resounding passion and humanity. Together, volunteers have helped to ease unbearable sufferings as well to bring cures and hopes to the victims.

The 2011 TIMA Annual Conference is unique for it coincides with the 45th anniversary of the inception of Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation and the 25th anniversary of Hualien Tzu Chi General Hospital in Taiwan, marking the beginning of Tzu Chi Medicine - a vision of humanistic medicine motivated by reverence for life. This year's seminars are further enhanced to include stem cell and regenerative medicine, humanistic nursing education seminars, and the simulation surgical operation at the Medical Simulation Center, Tzu Chi University. The world renowned AIDS treatment expert Dr. David D. Ho and spinal injury treatment expert Professor Wise Yang will also hold special sessions to deliver latest medical discovery.

Lin Chin-lon, CEO of Tzu Chi Medical Mission, held the opening ceremony on September 10th. Dr. Lin brought up this year's theme “Love and Gratitude, Inheritance and Awakening”, he encouraged TIMA members to stay true to the TIMA common motto of “safe guard health, safe guard live, and safe guard love”.

Tzu Chi Foundation has an extensive medical service network that consisting of six general hospitals in Taiwan, and with the dedication from more than 100 thousands of TIMA members and Tzu Chi medical volunteers around the globe who bring into action of very unique Tzu Chi philosophy of incorporates "gratitude, respect, and selfless love” in everything they do. Dr. Lin Chin-lon believes TIMA model and philosophy is the healthy dose to modern medicine practice and the whole society as well.