When Tzu Chi was first founded, thirty housewives provided money to help the poor and do good works by putting 50 cents (US$0.02) into bamboo savings banks each morning before they went to market. Following this spirit, over 120 senior commissioners joyfully gathered at the Abode of Still Thoughts in the early morning of April 25, each carrying a bamboo bank filled with piety and devotion to present to Master Cheng Yen.

The Master addressed the commissioners. "The time when Tzu Chi was founded was 'the age of the bamboo banks.' I remember that at this time 30 years ago, I made an appeal with the motto, 'People have unlimited goodness.' By 'goodness,' I meant that each person, young or old, had a heart of pure love, and this love was the same as Buddha's love. By doing our best to develop this love, we shared Buddha's nature." The Master encouraged the commissioners to continue to value every little bit of the love which formed Tzu Chi over the last thirty years.

Other than emulating the bygone commissioners' spirit of "even fifty cents can do good," the commissioners also called on everyone to persevere on the Path of the Bodhisattvas in the coming ages.

Three Tzu Chi brothers made these bamboo banks for all Tzu Chi members to use. For the last year, everyone put a dollar, five dollars, ten dollars of pocket money in the banks every day. At this time, just before Tzu Chi's 30th anniversary, they were presented to show everyone's gratitude to Master Cheng Yen and support of Tzu Chi.

Sung-mei Wu, a 74-year-old bodhisattva, has been a commissioner for 15 years. Talking about those times, her eyes grew red as though she had both inexpressibly sad and beautiful memories. She said that even now she still misses "the age of the bamboo banks." Every time she thinks of how hard Master Cheng Yen struggled to establish the Tzu Chi General Hospital, she wants to cry.