A New Home in Chinatown:
Tzu Chi USA’s Chicago Service Center Opens Its Doors
Part 2
Written by Jennifer Chien
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Adriana DiBenedetto
Published #77 | Summer 2025 Issue
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The Office That Preaches Dharma Without a Word
The interior of the new four-story Chicago Service Center boasts approximately 9,300 square feet. The ingenuity of the new Tzu Chi home is evident all throughout the space, from fully equipped bathrooms with showers to the elevators and multi-functional spaces.
The floor plan is as follows: On the first floor, there is a Jing Si Bookstore, a small prayer room, and a dining space, forming a senior center where older adults can pray, dine together, and socialize with one another. The education center is located on the second floor, encompassing four multi-functional classrooms that can be utilized for community education classes, Tzu Chi Academy, and after-school programs. The third floor houses the Jing Si Hall, a large prayer space with a ceiling similar to that of the Jing Si Abode in Hualien. On the fourth floor is an office space, two consulting rooms that can be used for free medical outreach, and a sound control room that controls the audio-visual equipment of the entire building. Additionally, a storage space is located in the basement.
The team that designed the main hall at the Jing Si Abode, led by architect Chuante Kao, was responsible for the interior design of the entire building. Kao personally visited the U.S. in 2019 and 2023, and invited senior interior designers Lichuan Wang and Wanchen Lin, as well as florist Shuchen Chou, to Chicago two weeks prior to the grand opening to oversee the final touches and organize the floral arrangements, ensuring the interior design of the new office could fully represent Tzu Chi’s humanistic philosophy.
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Kao not only revised the design of the new office’s exterior and was the mastermind behind the interior design free of charge, but also paid for customized floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, display shelves, cabinets, and other furniture, as well as the first crystal Jing Si Abode sculpture in the United States.
“In 2019, I went to Chicago and attended a tea gathering when Tzu Chi USA celebrated its 30th anniversary. The office was packed that day,” recalled Kao. “I was inspired, standing on the sidewalk, by the feeling that the space would become a shining pagoda in the future. We’re not pursuing beauty when it comes to building religious architecture. We want to experience the wisdom and wonderful Dharma in the Master’s heart. That is the most important heart and soul of architecture.”
Master Cheng Yen has always said that a building should be able to preach Dharma without a word. This is the highest level of Tzu Chi’s humanistic thought — to be able to see and hear the wonderful Dharma hidden in the building with our eyes and ears, as well as the Master’s virtue and majesty.
“Master Cheng Yen once said that Tzu Chi’s architecture is not to make people feel how grand the Tzu Chi world is but to enable them to feel gratitude, respect, and love. It must be simple and elegant without ostentation. Our space of enlightenment is not a temple, but a home. We want everyone to feel the warmth of returning home. This is Tzu Chi’s humanistic thought,” Kao continued.
The design concept for the new office building was “simple and bright,” Kao explained. “Master Cheng Yen said that simplicity is the greatest beauty. Only two main textures are used here: Pebbled gray and natural wood. Gray represents the kasaya robes worn by Buddhist monks and nuns. We are all cultivating ourselves by becoming part of Tzu Chi and doing good in the world. This office building represents a Tzu Chi member wearing a kasaya who awakens everyone with the crystal Jing Si Abode to achieve the purity of crystals in Chicago’s Chinatown, the center of North America. In addition, the bright colors give the office a youthful appearance, attracting young people to come in and join Tzu Chi.”
A Wait of More Than 20 Years
“We need to take care of our seniors and pull together the young,” Master Cheng Yen directed. And so, while looking forward to welcoming the new generation into the world of Tzu Chi, the senior center on the building’s first floor was designed with the utmost care for older adults who wish to seek peaceful company with their Tzu Chi family.
The small prayer hall is located on the first floor of the Service Center, offering older Tzu Chi members convenient access.
There is a story behind the milky-white Shakyamuni Buddha statue as well:
“The service center in Chicago’s Chinatown needed a Buddha statue. On March 31, when I went to the Wilmington Medical Center [in Southern California] with the delegation from the Jing Si Abode, I saw this Buddha statue in front of a picture titled ‘Buddha Treats the Ill’ in a very crowded place. That day, I said the picture alone was enough for the medical center.” This Buddha statue was one of the three statues that Stephen Huang had custom-made by a famous master in the early days. They were modeled after the three statues enshrined in the Jing Si Abode in Hualien.
Huang had called Amy immediately to discuss the matter. After carefully confirming the packaging and shipping procedures, the statue, carrying the blessings of Tzu Chi volunteers for the Midwest, arrived in Chicago five days later.
“I knew that senior members would want to see the Buddha statue. Although Tzu Chi has the Great Enlightened One, they still prefer traditional Buddha statues,” said Huang. “A new Buddha statue was moved here to the first floor, where it’s very convenient for everyone. Our neighbors, seniors, and members can all come here to worship the Buddha and cultivate themselves.”
It would have been difficult to gather without a physical venue, without a home. After over 20 years, I feel that everything has come together over the past few days. We have a Buddha statue here; everyone is diligently studying Dharma. Two Masters are here, and I also happen to be in the U.S. to attend the opening ceremony. I have waited for years for this, and finally, it has happened.
Pagoda of Compassion
On the opening day, more than 100 guests gathered in the Jing Si Hall on the third floor to celebrate the opening of the Chicago Service Center. During the opening ceremony, Dharma Master De Yue read a heartfelt congratulatory letter from Master Cheng Yen, and presented the Master’s blessings to the Hsiehs and Chicago volunteers.
“The completion of the Chicago Service Center is an important milestone for Tzu Chi to reach out to the people, get close to the community, and take root in education,” Master De Yue read aloud. “Today, the grand opening of this important hub with convenient transportation for seniors and community residents to participate in events not only symbolizes the stable foundation of Tzu Chi in the Midwest but also represents a compassionate venue for the recruitment of Bodhisattvas. In the future, it will host free clinics, a Jing Si Bookstore, after-school classes, humanities lectures, and a care program designed specifically for seniors.”
I believe that with the joint efforts of all Tzu Chi members, and with the joint promotion of all guests and residents, Chicago’s Chinatown will lift up a warm and beautiful community, and Tzu Chi will bring peace and power to this community as well as energy and blessings to the residents.
Master De Wei, who praised the new office building for its Jing Si Abode-like feel, shared, “When I see the crystal Jing Si Abode statue, I feel like I’m back home. This pagoda has given me a glimpse of a bright future. Many Bodhisattvas will appear here.”
Stephen Huang, who had often aided the Hsiehs in their work in the Midwest, was deeply moved when he saw the newly finished building standing tall in the Windy City’s Chinatown community. “‘Rely on yourselves and source locally’ are the words that Master gave me 36 years ago. The Midwest has achieved that. That’s why we have built such a majestic office. We are truly grateful to Master Cheng Yen for her integrity, character, and the love and commitment of Tzu Chi volunteers.”
We are very lucky to have Tzu Chi here. The volunteers have experience and can provide services to people in need. They will use love and compassion to change lives and make this community a better place. I am very grateful to Tzu Chi.
A second-generation Chinese American and alderwoman of the 11th Ward of Chicago, Nicole Lee, was deeply impressed by the impact of Tzu Chi on the community. “When the pandemic was at its worst in 2020, it was Tzu Chi that took the lead in delivering masks and disinfection supplies to community centers and senior homes,” shared Lee. “It was not just supplies but also care. Tzu Chi and other organizations are partners that the city government urgently needs. Tzu Chi not only solves surface problems but also goes deep into people’s hearts. This new office is a seed of hope that is taking root in Chinatown.”
One Big Happy Family
Alongside the opening ceremony, the Chicago Chapter also held a Diligence Day event on April 6. During this occasion, nearly 150 volunteers from various chapters, branches, and offices in the Midwest and across the United States gathered to reflect on their individual intentions within Tzu Chi, exchanged ideas with one another, and strengthened their spirits and aspirations.
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This momentous event was planned and executed by a team of young volunteers with an average age of 30, and Hueyshann Sue, a Deputy Executive Director of the Midwest Region, was responsible for coordinating the overall visit of the Dharma Masters. Sue and a group of young volunteers, including Yifang Lin, Jim Hsu, Dennis Lee, Kuanhung Lin, and Abe Chien, also handled all logistics, from airport pick-up and drop-off to arranging participants’ accommodations, office setup, and meal arrangements for both the grand opening and Diligence Day.
“Most of our team members have jobs, so we met on weekends to move things, organize the office, discuss the process, and rehearse the sign language performance for the opening ceremony,” said Sue after the tasks were successfully completed. “During the last week, we came to the office after work every day and stayed to help until midnight. We were busy with this project almost throughout March.”
When I first graduated and moved to Chicago 12 years ago, Amy invited me to join the scholarship committee. I feel very blessed that I came to Chicago and was guided by more experienced volunteers, who gave us the opportunity to take on more responsibilities. Over the years, we have become accustomed and skilled at working together.
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Dennis Lee and Kuanhung Lin, both second-generation Tzu Chi volunteers, took the initiative to design the audio-visual and security systems for the entire building. Almost every space in the building features a large screen and sound equipment, allowing events in the Jing Si Hall on the third floor to be viewed in real-time. Although the two volunteers were not audio professionals, they taught themselves by searching the internet and successfully assembled the systems, which ultimately won the praise of the guests.
“I majored in biomedical engineering. In 2016, I returned to the Jing Si Abode to participate in a camp and learned audio control skills. Kuanhung and I started working on the audio-visual and security systems for the new office building last year. We confirmed the equipment we needed to purchase online or by learning from professionals, and worked with the construction team to finish the wiring,” said Lee. “We invite people to the event and give everyone an important job. We don’t just ask them to move things but give everyone the opportunity to work with veteran volunteers to plan and respond.”
I am very grateful that we have been given many opportunities to take on tasks in different specialties so that we can try and learn more things we’re interested in. We have not only learned Dharma but also many other skills.
Tzu Chi volunteers from different generations have assembled in Chicago’s historic Chinatown, like one big family, from near and far. Together, they are putting Master Cheng Yen’s lessons into practice to help carry forth the responsibilities of this work while caring for one another, and sowing seeds of kindness wherever their path leads. Moving onward, they aim to inspire more people across the Midwest to join in the cycle of love.
