The Tzu Chi Foundation was created as a result of the compassion felt by Dharma Master Cheng Yen for those suffering in the world. Its spirit is summed up in four terms: compassion, relief, joy, and release. It is a large reformist organization providing social assistance that combines spirituality, medicine, culture, and education.
慈濟在台灣的建立，始於證嚴法師對人間病痛苦楚的慈悲，於是以「慈」、「悲」、「喜」、「捨」四個精神，建立融合濟貧、醫療、文化、教育等多面向的社會援助與改造系統。