本文選擇從「人情」的角度探討慈濟志工的行善動力，分兩方面進行分析，一是許多志工從倫理親情出發，為家人植福行善，或將倫禮親情投射到服務對象上，而這些與女性的家庭角色情感有關，包括女性延伸養兒育女的愛，以及找到家庭或婚姻外的情感出路。二是慈濟擴展的基礎在於師徒關係為主軸的「情感社群」，其中顯現對克利斯瑪領袖權威的崇拜，成員之間透過團體儀式和語言的情感表達，一方面強調行善是「菩薩」行為，另一方面對領導法師的忠誠愛戴揉合了孝親情懷，志工信眾並以擬親屬關係形容彼此間的法親情誼，而凸顯「宗教大家庭」的特色。研究顯示善行是在宗教與文化，或僧俗互動下所生情感促成而得以持續。

This article explores the motives of volunteers of Buddhist Tzuchi Foundation in charity work from the standpoint of jen-ch'ing (human sentiments). The analyses are twofold. First, many people join Tzuchi for the purpose of accumulating merits for their family members, in particular, their parents. Or they tend to project their attachment for their parents and children onto their benevolent services. Women's familial roles and sentiments play a key role in this respect. Female members either extend their motherly love to their socio-religious services or define such services as their emotional outlet. Secondly, Tzuchi has developed on the basis of the emotional community formed by Master Chen-yen and her followers. The community features a charismatic cult. Members show their devotion to the group by virtue of group rituals and verbal expressions. On the one hand, they emphasize charitable behavior as Bodhisatteva's deeds. On the other hand, their commitment to the leading master is mixed up with the sentiments of filial piety. Also, members analogize their mutual relations as pseudo-relative ones. In this vein, Tzuchi can be characterized as “a big religous family.” The research demonstrates that charitable behavior is carried out, and persist, under the interplay between religion and culture, and that between the sangha and the laity with an emotional overtone.