On May 10, 2026, Tzu Chi’s Buddha Day celebration in Chicago, Illinois, unites Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Global Tzu Chi Day while also commemorating the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s 60th anniversary. Photo/Dennis Lee
Across continents and coastlines, Tzu Chi volunteers and community members joined hands and hearts beneath one shared spring sky on May 10, 2026, to celebrate Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Global Tzu Chi Day.
At Tzu Chi offices from California to New York, participants breathed in the scent of fresh flowers placed upon altars, hands together in prayer as thousands of miles away in Taiwan, the same aspirations for peace and unconditional compassion rose into the air.
Through synchronized ceremonies, and joined by Tzu Chi’s founder, Dharma Master Cheng Yen, from the Jing Si Abode in Hualien, communities bridged oceans in shared reflection. Though separated by distance, participants moved together in gratitude, uniting individuals across the world as one global family. This year’s observance carried particular significance, too, as it marked not only Tzu Chi’s annual triple celebration, but a diamond jubilee commemorating the global Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s 60th anniversary, alongside Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s 90th birthday.
Long before the first attendees arrived, volunteers had already prepared the spaces with meticulous care. Some arranged flowers around crystalline altars, while others prepared vegetarian meals, rehearsed performances, or gently polished ceremonial vessels until every surface reflected light. In the peace before these ceremonies began, the day’s meaning revealed itself not only through prayer but also through countless small acts of love.
And indeed, beyond ceremonial formality, the gatherings also illuminated something deeply profound. In each location, volunteers, families, faith leaders, and community members alike lifted up a vision rooted not only in contemplation but in compassionate action. Again and again throughout the weekend, reflections on inner purification intertwined with conversations surrounding disaster relief, environmental stewardship, genuine service to vulnerable communities, and care for one another. The ceremonies offered not only opportunities for reflection, but reminders that spiritual practice must ultimately manifest through compassionate engagement with the world. As Dharma Master Cheng Yen has long emphasized, cultivating kindness begins within the heart, but it does not end there.
That spirit extended far beyond the grounds themselves. From humanitarian partnerships and cultural exchanges to academic symposia and musical offerings inspired by Buddhist teachings, Tzu Chi’s 60th anniversary peered into the past while inviting all to imagine how compassion can continue to shape the future.
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS REGION
On May 9, more than 700 attendees gathered at Tzu Chi USA’s National Headquarters in San Dimas, California, for the heartfelt celebration honoring Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Global Tzu Chi Day. The ceremony was held simultaneously with Tzu Chi’s headquarters in Taiwan, uniting participants worldwide in prayer, gratitude, and compassion as part of Tzu Chi’s 60th anniversary celebration. Together, attendees reflected on the Buddha’s teachings, expressed gratitude to mother figures, and celebrated the spirit of unity and kindness that connects communities worldwide.
Faith leaders also united for the triple celebration. Venerable Chao Chu spoke about his 40-year history with Tzu Chi, remarking upon the foundation’s ability to combine compassion with wisdom in the fields of charity and education. Master Hong Zheng of Dharma Seal Temple also emphasized that the Buddha Day Ceremony is not just a ritual but a vital means of purifying the mind, inspiring compassion, and encouraging everyone to uplift others in their own way. Ritchie Cajulis, Mayor of the City of Walnut, California, also attended the day’s event to offer his appreciation for Tzu Chi’s long-standing community service.
The spirit of compassion bloomed beyond Buddha Day Ceremonies and into future action, too, as the Panda Restaurant Group donated a new “Kindness In Motion” food truck to Tzu Chi USA, expanding the foundation’s capacity to provide timely, hot, nutritious meals during disaster relief operations and community outreach efforts. The fully equipped mobile kitchen can serve up to 2,000 people and meet urgent needs amid crises.
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Tina Hsing, Director of Panda Cares at the Panda Restaurant Group, shared that the bond between Panda Restaurant Group and Tzu Chi traced back to 2013. Andrew Cherng, the chairman and co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group, once met Dharma Master Cheng Yen in Hualien, an encounter that ultimately sparked a profound friendship with Tzu Chi. Since then, many Panda associates, including Hsing, have traveled to Hualien to participate in the Tzu Chi Entrepreneurs’ Camp, gaining a deep understanding of Tzu Chi’s humanistic spirit and philanthropic philosophy. Over the years, the partnership has grown through shared efforts serving communities affected by disasters across the United States. Hsing then symbolically handed the vehicle keys to Tzu Chi USA CEO Debbie Lee, marking another milestone in a relationship rooted in compassion, service, and hope.
The day was further illuminated by a “Meeting Friends Through Tea” cultural exchange, inviting people of diverse backgrounds to join hands and touch upon the heart of Buddhist humanistic culture. Among those gathered were local dignitaries, including Attorney Long Liu, representing California State Assemblyman Phillip Chen, who paused to offer a certificate of recognition. “The core spirit conveyed by Tzu Chi is ‘love and compassion,’” Liu remarked. “If love and compassion were a language, then Tzu Chi would be the teacher who instructs us in that language.” Dr. Chia Yu Teng, a Diamond Bar City Councilmember, echoed these sentiments, expressing a wish that Tzu Chi’s mission can ripple forward far beyond the next 60 years.
Perhaps the most moving presence amid the campus grounds was that of disaster survivors who returned to what many now consider their extended Tzu Chi family. Among them was Jennie Bridges of Altadena, a survivor of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, who recalled the kindness she encountered when Tzu Chi volunteers provided emergency financial aid in El Monte. Even amid the fatigue of hotel stays and the slow work of healing, she emphasized that Tzu Chi’s ongoing companionship became a tangible source of hope, reminding her that she did not have to walk the journey alone.
Nearby were Roberto Covarrubia and his wife, Karina, Los Angeles wildfire survivors who received help with mortgage payments and window replacements in a time of uncertainty. After 18 weeks of navigating hotels, temporary rentals, and a winding road of permits, they came to offer their blessings for Tzu Chi’s 60th anniversary.
Elsewhere within the U.S. Headquarters Region, Tzu Chi’s Buddha Day Ceremony brought quiet moments even to cities perhaps best known for their constant momentum. At Tzu Chi USA’s Las Vegas Service Center, where May temperatures often climb beyond 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the city pulses with perpetual motion, the Buddha Day Ceremony provided a moment of calm. Volunteers described the gathering as “A stabilizing force to soothe people’s hearts.”
Amid the day’s heat, more than 100 volunteers and community members entered the Las Vegas Service Center in small groups throughout the morning, stepping from the velocity of the Strip into an atmosphere transformed by prayer and the scent of flowers. As attendees joined palms and approached the altar one by one, a ladle of fragrant water symbolized the purification of inner burdens, fear, distraction, and sorrow.
Throughout the day, bamboo banks circulated among attendees as volunteers shared the enduring lesson of Tzu Chi’s origins: that even small daily acts of compassion can accumulate into lasting relief for those in need.
For first-time Las Vegas attendee Ella Lok, the experience was unexpectedly emotional. “When I heard the sound of the chanting, I was deeply moved, and tears flowed uncontrollably,” she shared. “I felt a very quiet and peaceful power that allowed my mind to slowly settle down.”
The Tzu Chi Phoenix Service Center in Arizona also held a grand “three-in-one” celebration, marking a significant milestone as the Phoenix office celebrates 30 years of service. To commemorate this double anniversary, volunteers organized an initiative offering their blessings to seniors while highlighting the humanistic spirit of Great Love that has taken root in the local community.
To honor the 30th anniversary, Phoenix volunteers additionally set several days aside to hand-make Longevity Peaches. From kneading the dough to the final artistic touches, each bun was crafted with sincerity for those assembled.
For 30 years, Tzu Chi Phoenix volunteers have acted on the teachings of Dharma Master Cheng Yen by “speaking good words, doing good deeds, and thinking good thoughts.” As they look toward the next three decades, they remain committed to ensuring that this same spirit of care continues to shine across Arizona, warming the hearts of all who seek help.
GREATER WASHINGTON D.C. REGION
At Tzu Chi USA’s Greater Washington D.C. Region Office in Reston, Virginia, volunteers and community members joined hearts as prayers from Taiwan filled the hall. Floral offerings framed the altars as participants moved forward with measured steps, bowing before presenting water, flowers, and their sincere prayers for the future.
Though the atmosphere was quiet, the ceremony carried a profound sense of togetherness. Across generations and backgrounds, attendees participated side by side in a tradition that links communities across oceans through shared aspirations and gratitude. In the stillness of the ceremony, many participants reflected not only on personal peace, but on the collective hope for harmony in the world.
CENTRAL REGION
At Tzu Chi USA’s Central Region Office in Dallas, Texas, attendees gathered for a ceremony marked by serenity and collective devotion. In total, 49 participants moved together through a synchronized tradition as prayers from Hualien connected the Texas community with Tzu Chi members around the globe.
Fresh, carefully arranged flowers lined the ceremonial space while participants continued through each movement. Throughout the morning, prayers rose and fell in unison as attendees approached the Buddha, and cleansed their hearts. The observance also reflected Tzu Chi’s enduring emphasis on service rooted in gratitude as volunteers prepared vegetarian meals, welcomed new faces, and created a space where reflection and human connection could unfold naturally.
NORTHEAST REGION
In Flushing, a neighborhood in Queens, New York, light shone on outdoor altars and floral arrangements as attendees joined their palms in reverence and gratitude. As participants from across generations stepped forward one by one to bathe the Buddha, a physical reminder to wash away greed, hatred, and ignorance, the gathering highlighted the diversity and interconnectedness of New York itself. Volunteers, longtime supporters, families, and first-time attendees each stood shoulder to shoulder in shared mindfulness, united by aspirations for peace, kindness, and harmony. For many, the ceremony offered not only spiritual grounding but a meaningful reminder that compassion transcends language, culture, and geography, indeed.
MIDWEST REGION
In Illinois, hundreds gathered across ceremonies and community events throughout the weekend, including walking meditation and a vegetarian charity sale.
Amid the rhythm of sincere prayer, longtime participant Jiang Caiping reflected on returning year after year for more than a decade: “I feel very good, very happy, and very warm,” she shared. “I truly love paying respects to the Buddha.” Though years have flown by, she expressed that the deeper feeling has remained unchanged: gratitude, peace, and a wish for harmony within both family and society. As Tzu Chi volunteers guided attendees through the procession, participants closed their eyes in prayer, as others quietly bowed to the gleaming altars framed by flowers.
SOUTHERN REGION
In Houston, Texas, volunteers arrived in their signature Tzu Chi uniforms, and rows of fresh flowers framed Buddha-bathing altars as they guided attendees through each stage of the event.
Throughout the ceremony, prayers flowed through the Tzu Chi USA Southern Region Office as participants paused in reflection before the altar, families attending together across generations, with grandparents, parents, and children standing side by side in the warm, inviting space. Beyond the tradition itself, the gathering carried a truly unique sense of belonging as volunteers welcomed guests attentively, and created spaces for conversation at the ceremony’s conclusion. Amid the rapid pace of daily life, many attendees expressed gratitude for the opportunity to pause, reconnect inwardly, and gather together in peace.
NORTHWEST REGION
In San Jose, California, this year’s Buddha Day Ceremony unfolded with graceful simplicity and quiet harmony. Families attended together, with younger participants observing the rituals beside longtime volunteers who have supported Tzu Chi’s mission for decades.
Further north in Oakland, California, Tzu Chi USA’s Oakland Service Center held its annual Buddha Day Ceremony on May 17. Community leaders and partner organizations joined volunteers and local families in celebration, including representatives from the Oakland Police Department, the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, and the American Red Cross. Together, attendees shared in an atmosphere centered upon gratitude, compassion, and peace.
During the gathering, the Oakland Service Center also received two commendations from the Oakland City Council recognizing both the center’s longstanding dedication to humanitarian care and community service, as well as Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s six decades of compassionate leadership and global humanitarian contributions.
The recognitions reflected not only Tzu Chi’s enduring local presence within the Bay Area, but also the broader spirit woven throughout this year’s ceremonies nationwide: that compassion is most meaningful when carried outward into the communities we serve.
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
At the Jing Si Hall inside Tzu Chi USA’s Mid-Atlantic Region Office in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, volunteers, students, families, and Dharma Masters united for the Buddha Day Ceremony, the hall gradually filling with prayer and musical offerings as participants prepared inwardly for reflection. Students from the local Tzu Chi Academy participated alongside teachers and volunteers, while sign language presentations added layers of emotional resonance to the day’s observance.
For many families, the ceremony also served as an opportunity to pass values forward. Youth stood beside parents and grandparents, learning rituals shaped not only by tradition but also by mindfulness, gratitude, and service.
Together, Under One Sky
While Buddha Day ceremonies unfolded across the globe, another gathering inspired by the same aspirations for peace and interconnectedness emerged on the East Coast.
On the evening of May 9, the Under One Sky concert took place at the Harvard Art Museums, marking the closing of the 2026 Tzu Chi Global Symposium for Common Goodness jointly organized by the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation and the Cognitive Aesthetics Media Lab at Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Opening with Tzu Chi’s song, Aspiration, the concert echoed Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s enduring wishes for purified hearts, social harmony, and a world free from disasters.
The performance brought together internationally renowned musicians, including Grammy Award-winning artists and members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble, in celebration of Tzu Chi’s 60th anniversary and Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s 90th birthday. Ancient Buddhist traditions converged with contemporary interpretation through works such as New Voices of Dunhuang, inspired by Tang Dynasty musical scores discovered along the Silk Road, alongside Indian sacred music, Japanese instrumentation, and meditative compositions rooted in Buddhist philosophy.
Together with the symposium and Journey to Enlightenment exhibition that opened alongside it, the concert reflected how Buddhist teachings continue to resonate across cultures, disciplines, and generations. Beneath one shared sky, music became yet another bridge across distance, language, and time.
Sixty years ago, a movement began with small change and an abundance of faith; today, that same spirit continues to ripple across oceans, cultures, and generations. With each milestone reached, each partnership strengthened, and a shared global pulse of sincerity, this momentum can unfold ever onward, from horizon to horizon. May this love continue to light the path as we each walk mindfully toward a brighter, more compassionate tomorrow.
