This blog post is a revised version of a post published in 2009 in which I argued that the best way to translate "Tzu Chi" is "compassion relief".
There is a long-standing debate within Tzu Chi on the best way to translate the organization's name "Tzu Chi" into English. This debate arises from the ongoing challenges within the organization in figuring out how to talk about the organization in English, because so much of its organizational and volunteer culture is in Chinese. People like me who are second generation Chinese and who know both Chinese and English can help to address this challenge.
Over the years, I have come to believe that "Compassion Relief" is in fact the most accurate translation of "Tzu Chi".
Some have, incorrectly I believe, argued that "compassion relief" is grammatically incorrect (I will show that this doesn't apply here), and that it means "compassionate relief" or "compassion and relief". I disagree with the former alternative and the latter alternative has some limitations. "Compassionate relief" focuses on the way in which relief is given, i.e., "compassionately", which I argue is incorrect. The latter focuses on the distinctness of compassion and relief, which I show is not necessarily better than "compassion relief" from an organizational or branding perspective.
There is a third alternative (and which instigated this blog in 2009). Some believe that Tzu Chi actually means "Serving with Compassion." For me, this is possibly the worst choice of slogan or name. It is focused on two things: the Agent/do-er, that is, he or she who serves, and the Object, that is, what the agent serves, which they purport to be compassion.
However, this slogan is not only inconsistent with Buddhist teachings on the Emptiness of the Three Spheres -- Empty of Giver, Receiver, and Gift; it is also extremely presumptuous. How can we be sure that what we serve "with" is compassion? In addition, it is less about "service" and more about "relief". Does service eliminate pain or does relief eliminate it? Unfortunately, USA and Canada Headquarters had adopted, for a period of time, "Serving with Compassion" as its slogan. But I believe that they got it wrong.
Compassion is not a way or a kind of behavior per se. In Buddhism compassion is actually an intention; it is a motivation. It is the basis of our actions, not the quality of it. As Venerable Yin Shun instructed his student Venerable Cheng Yen, "Work tirelessly for Buddhism, for all sentient beings"; that basis, that motivation is pinned on compassion.
Fortunately, since 2009 Tzu Chi USA, for the most part, seems to have dropped this slogan. Still, some residual brochures and documents and pages have that older slogan "serving with compassion"; so if you see this phrase, please cross it out. It is incorrect!
Today Tzu Chi USA emphasizes "compassion and relief", a moderately better but still insufficient name. Why is "Compassion Relief" preferable to "Compassion and Relief"? Because this is an organization's name we are talking about, and not a grammatically correct sentence. Take, for example, CARE, Oxfam, Red Cross, or Mercy Corps. These non-profits have memorable names that are easy to remember. Tzu Chi is short, but not necessarily easy to remember for foreigners.
One implicit argument until now that I have been making is that we should be using English names in an American setting (just as the Americans use Doctors Without Borders rather than Medicines San Frontieres). Another comparison would be to point out that Tzu Chi's name is not "慈悲和救濟"; instead it is simply 慈濟. Similarly, by abbreviating "Compassion and Relief" to "Compassion Relief", there is a concision and brevity in the latter that the former does not have.
Moreover, in the case of Mercy Corps, it is memorable even though it is probably grammatically incorrect for the same reason that Compassion Relief is grammatically incorrect.
As for the meaning of Compassion Relief, it is the relief that arises from compassion, and compassion that arises from relief. It goes both ways. From a simple thought of unconditional compassion -- that others who are in pain may be free from it -- we act, we offer relief, we give. Moreover, when one offers relief, compassion also arises. These are merely two sides of the same coin.
So, if you have a choice, pick Compassion Relief. It was the first translation back in the day when whoever it was gave Tzu Chi its English name (Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation), and it's still the best choice.
There is a long-standing debate within Tzu Chi on the best way to translate the organization's name "Tzu Chi" into English. This debate arises from the ongoing challenges within the organization in figuring out how to talk about the organization in English, because so much of its organizational and volunteer culture is in Chinese. People like me who are second generation Chinese and who know both Chinese and English can help to address this challenge.
Over the years, I have come to believe that "Compassion Relief" is in fact the most accurate translation of "Tzu Chi".
Some have, incorrectly I believe, argued that "compassion relief" is grammatically incorrect (I will show that this doesn't apply here), and that it means "compassionate relief" or "compassion and relief". I disagree with the former alternative and the latter alternative has some limitations. "Compassionate relief" focuses on the way in which relief is given, i.e., "compassionately", which I argue is incorrect. The latter focuses on the distinctness of compassion and relief, which I show is not necessarily better than "compassion relief" from an organizational or branding perspective.
There is a third alternative (and which instigated this blog in 2009). Some believe that Tzu Chi actually means "Serving with Compassion." For me, this is possibly the worst choice of slogan or name. It is focused on two things: the Agent/do-er, that is, he or she who serves, and the Object, that is, what the agent serves, which they purport to be compassion.
However, this slogan is not only inconsistent with Buddhist teachings on the Emptiness of the Three Spheres -- Empty of Giver, Receiver, and Gift; it is also extremely presumptuous. How can we be sure that what we serve "with" is compassion? In addition, it is less about "service" and more about "relief". Does service eliminate pain or does relief eliminate it? Unfortunately, USA and Canada Headquarters had adopted, for a period of time, "Serving with Compassion" as its slogan. But I believe that they got it wrong.
Compassion is not a way or a kind of behavior per se. In Buddhism compassion is actually an intention; it is a motivation. It is the basis of our actions, not the quality of it. As Venerable Yin Shun instructed his student Venerable Cheng Yen, "Work tirelessly for Buddhism, for all sentient beings"; that basis, that motivation is pinned on compassion.
Fortunately, since 2009 Tzu Chi USA, for the most part, seems to have dropped this slogan. Still, some residual brochures and documents and pages have that older slogan "serving with compassion"; so if you see this phrase, please cross it out. It is incorrect!
Today Tzu Chi USA emphasizes "compassion and relief", a moderately better but still insufficient name. Why is "Compassion Relief" preferable to "Compassion and Relief"? Because this is an organization's name we are talking about, and not a grammatically correct sentence. Take, for example, CARE, Oxfam, Red Cross, or Mercy Corps. These non-profits have memorable names that are easy to remember. Tzu Chi is short, but not necessarily easy to remember for foreigners.
One implicit argument until now that I have been making is that we should be using English names in an American setting (just as the Americans use Doctors Without Borders rather than Medicines San Frontieres). Another comparison would be to point out that Tzu Chi's name is not "慈悲和救濟"; instead it is simply 慈濟. Similarly, by abbreviating "Compassion and Relief" to "Compassion Relief", there is a concision and brevity in the latter that the former does not have.
Moreover, in the case of Mercy Corps, it is memorable even though it is probably grammatically incorrect for the same reason that Compassion Relief is grammatically incorrect.
As for the meaning of Compassion Relief, it is the relief that arises from compassion, and compassion that arises from relief. It goes both ways. From a simple thought of unconditional compassion -- that others who are in pain may be free from it -- we act, we offer relief, we give. Moreover, when one offers relief, compassion also arises. These are merely two sides of the same coin.
So, if you have a choice, pick Compassion Relief. It was the first translation back in the day when whoever it was gave Tzu Chi its English name (Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation), and it's still the best choice.
