Secular Public Presence and Religious Private Practice: The Localization of the Tzu Chi Foundation in Mainland China

ABSTRACT: Founded by Venerable Cheng Yen with headquarters in Taiwan, Tzu Chi is a global Humanistic Buddhist organization known for its expansive charity. Based on twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork at Tzu Chi's Xiamen branch (2017–2018), this article examines how religious meanings are produced within Tzu Chi through vegetarianism, environmentalism, and philanthropy in mainland China. While publicly framed as contributions to health, sustainability, and social welfare, followers interpret these initiatives through a Buddhist lens: vegetarianism fosters compassion and moral discipline; environmental work serves as spiritual cultivation; and charitable service enacts the bodhisattva path to accumulate merit. Drawing on lived religion and the "practice turn," I argue that Tzu Chi transmits religious values primarily through everyday praxis rather than doctrinal instruction. This case demonstrates how a contemporary Buddhist movement navigates mainland China's regulatory environment while sustaining its distinct religious identity.