Hsing Yun
Encyclopedia
Hsing Yun is a well-known Buddhist monk, as well as an important figure in modern reformation of Mahayana
Buddhism
in Taiwan and China. Hsing Yun is the founder of the Fo Guang Shan
Buddhist order and the affiliated Buddha's Light International Association
, one of the largest international Buddhist organizations in the world. Hsing Yun is a forty-eighth generation lineage holder
of the Linji
Chan (Rinzai Zen
) school through Master Zhi Kai, his teacher. He served as the first, second and third term director and abbot of the order before voluntarily resigning his position in 1985 in favor of his disciple, Hsin Ping
.
Hsing Yun is known for his "Humanistic Buddhism
" philosophy employed by the Fo Guang Shan order, which utilizes Buddhism to fit the needs of a modern world. He is credited by Buddhist scholars as one of the forefront leaders in modern reformation of Buddhism by opening monasteries, universities and schools around the world, as well as engaging in religious dialogue amongst other Buddhist sects and religious faiths.
In Taiwan, Hsing Yun is also notable for his activity in politics, particularly on the One China Policy as well as government legislation, and is often criticized for his views by those in favor of Taiwanese independence, political pundits and conservative Buddhists and religious figures. He was a figure of interest during the 1996 United States finance scandal involving then-U.S. Vice President Al Gore
and a visit to Hsi Lai Temple
, the U.S. branch of Hsing Yun's organization.
(August 30 in Western standards), 1927 in Jiangsu
province in China
under the name Li Guoshen (李國深). He was the third of four children, with an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. His father left home to do business and was never heard from again. When his mother, who was a faithful Buddhist herself, was desperately searching for her husband, he went to Nanjing
. By chance, he came across a monk at Qixia Monastery. The host monastic asked young Li if he wanted to become a monastic, to which Li immediately answered "yes". At that time during Li's childhood, a civil war was ensuing and living conditions were harsh, which may have been a cursor for Li's tonsure at a young age. The host monastic requested that Li could be tonsured under Zhi Kai, the abbot of the monastery, therefore, Zhi Kai would be his master. At the age of twelve, young Li was tonsure
d. He was ordained under two dharma name
s, one to be used publicly and another for lineage purposes; Jinjue (今覺, to be enlightened today), and Wuche (悟徹, thorough realization of enlightenment).
In 1941, Jinjue was fully ordained and went on to formal monastic training at Qixia Vinaya
School and transferred to Chiao-Shan Buddhist College in 1945. One day, when Jinjue was still a student at Jiao-Shan Buddhist College, he happened to stumble onto the word "Nebula
" in the dictionary
, read as Xīngyún in Chinese. Jinjue admired the infiniteness and boundlessness of these nebulas and wished that he could shed light on darkness and be as free and unbound as clouds and stars. Out of necessity and for safety issues, when Jinjue needed a new identification card after China's victory over Japan, he gave himself the dharma name of Hsing Yun (spelled in Wade Giles pinyin).
He left the college at the age of twenty to become a principal at an elementary school in Yixing, a small town not far from Nanjing, where he learned about administration and interpersonal coordination skills. As mainland China was enmeshed in civil war
, he left his home in 1949 to head for Taiwan
. He began to propagate Dharma around the age of 31 to 40 at Ilan
, thus beginning his writing career. In 1949, Hsing Yun wrote his first book, "Singing in Silence", the first stepping stone in his writing career. In later years, he founded several Buddhist publications, was promoted as editor-in-chief for many Buddhist periodicals and newsletters for various temples, wrote articles for major Taiwanese newsletters, and composed scripts for radio broadcast stations. In 1955, he published one of the first hardback biographies of the Buddha. Sometime later during the Cultural Revolution
, his master Zhi Kai was killed. After his success in founding Fo Guang Shan, Hsing Yun would return to the Mainland in the 1980s to help fund for the college and monastery where he studied that was nearly destroyed from the revolution.
of Mo Jia (摩迦), the Chinese name for Mahakasyapa
, a senior disciple of the Buddha. He called himself this because he made a strenuous effort in promoting the Dharma and writing. Some time later, he called himself Jiao Fu (腳夫), meaning porter
. He called himself this because he served people, carried loads and labored.
Jiao Fu was also the pen name for a romantic novel Hsing Yun wrote called "National Master Yulin" (玉琳國師), which was later turned into a television soap opera, Continued Fate of Love.
an movement against communist suppression, and organized the first float parade in celebration of Wesak in Taiwan.
Hsing Yun was one of eight venerables who proposed the semiannual World Buddhist Forum
in China in 2004, a suggestion that won support from Buddhist circles in countries like Japan and the Republic of Korea.
. Under the invitation of the Roman Catholic Church
at the Vatican
, Hsing Yun met with the Pope to promote inter-religious exchange between the two parties and to pray for world peace
. On June 21, 2006, Hsing Yun met John Paul II's successor, Pope Benedict XVI
, in a general audience at St. Peter's Basilica
. During the meeting, Benedict XVI expressed his best regards for the Taiwanese and said he will pray for them. The Pope
also expressed the hope of meeting the Taiwanese people.
In 1967, Hsing Yun purchased more than 30 hectares in Ta Shu Township, Kaohsiung
County as the site for the construction of a monastery. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 16. He began by building the colleges and their dormitories, and working slowly towards building the shrines.
(USA), Nan Tien Temple
(Australia), and Nan Hua Temple
(South Africa) are among the biggest branch temples. Fo Guang Shan branch temples can be found in the United States
, Canada
, Brazil
, Japan
, Hong Kong
, Thailand
, Malaysia, Australia
(Brisbane
, Perth
and Wollongong), France
, the Netherlands
, South Africa
, New Zealand
(Auckland
and Christchurch
) and the United Kingdom
.
on September 22, 1985. He handed not only the abbotship, but also gave dharma transmission
to his most senior disciple, Hsin Ping
.
and government officials from Kaohsiung
visited Fo Guang Shan bringing with them the wish from their constituents that Fo Guang Shan reopen its gates. Fo Guang Shan acceded and partially reopened the monastery a year later.
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in Taiwan and China. Hsing Yun is the founder of the Fo Guang Shan
Fo Guang Shan
Fo Guang Shan is an international Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order based in the Republic of China , and one of the largest Buddhist organizations. The headquarters of Fo Guang Shan, located in Kaohsiung, is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. The organization itself is also one of...
Buddhist order and the affiliated Buddha's Light International Association
Buddha's Light International Association
The Buddha's Light International Association , commonly known as BLIA, is a Buddhist monastic and lay organization. BLIA was established by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in 1992...
, one of the largest international Buddhist organizations in the world. Hsing Yun is a forty-eighth generation lineage holder
Lineage (Buddhism)
An authentic lineage in Buddhism is the uninterrupted transmission of the Buddha's Dharma from teacher to disciple.The transmission itself can be for example oral, scriptural, through signs, or directly from one mind to another....
of the Linji
Linji
Línjì Yìxuán was the founder of the Linji school of Chán Buddhism during Tang Dynasty China. Linji was born into a family named Xing in Caozhou , which he left at a young age to study Buddhism in many places....
Chan (Rinzai Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
) school through Master Zhi Kai, his teacher. He served as the first, second and third term director and abbot of the order before voluntarily resigning his position in 1985 in favor of his disciple, Hsin Ping
Hsin Ping
Hsin Ping was the fourth and fifth abbot of Fo Guang Shan and the dharma heir to Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan. Hsin Ping was the forty-ninth lineage-holder of the Linji Ch'an school through Hsing Yun....
.
Hsing Yun is known for his "Humanistic Buddhism
Humanistic Buddhism
Humanistic Buddhism is a modern Buddhist philosophy practiced mostly by Mahayana Buddhists. It is the integration of people's spiritual practice into all aspects of their daily lives...
" philosophy employed by the Fo Guang Shan order, which utilizes Buddhism to fit the needs of a modern world. He is credited by Buddhist scholars as one of the forefront leaders in modern reformation of Buddhism by opening monasteries, universities and schools around the world, as well as engaging in religious dialogue amongst other Buddhist sects and religious faiths.
In Taiwan, Hsing Yun is also notable for his activity in politics, particularly on the One China Policy as well as government legislation, and is often criticized for his views by those in favor of Taiwanese independence, political pundits and conservative Buddhists and religious figures. He was a figure of interest during the 1996 United States finance scandal involving then-U.S. Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and a visit to Hsi Lai Temple
Hsi Lai Temple
Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple is a traditional Chinese Buddhist mountain monastery in the United States. It is located on the foothill region of Hacienda Heights, California, USA, a suburb of Los Angeles County...
, the U.S. branch of Hsing Yun's organization.
Early life
Hsing Yun was born on the 22nd day of the seventh lunar monthLunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
(August 30 in Western standards), 1927 in Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
province in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
under the name Li Guoshen (李國深). He was the third of four children, with an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. His father left home to do business and was never heard from again. When his mother, who was a faithful Buddhist herself, was desperately searching for her husband, he went to Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. By chance, he came across a monk at Qixia Monastery. The host monastic asked young Li if he wanted to become a monastic, to which Li immediately answered "yes". At that time during Li's childhood, a civil war was ensuing and living conditions were harsh, which may have been a cursor for Li's tonsure at a young age. The host monastic requested that Li could be tonsured under Zhi Kai, the abbot of the monastery, therefore, Zhi Kai would be his master. At the age of twelve, young Li was tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
d. He was ordained under two dharma name
Dharma name
A Dharma name is a new name acquired during a Buddhist initiation ritual in Mahayana Buddhism and monk ordination in Theravada Buddhism. The name is traditionally given by a Buddhist monastic, but is also given to newly ordained monks, nuns and laity....
s, one to be used publicly and another for lineage purposes; Jinjue (今覺, to be enlightened today), and Wuche (悟徹, thorough realization of enlightenment).
In 1941, Jinjue was fully ordained and went on to formal monastic training at Qixia Vinaya
Vinaya
The Vinaya is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha, based in the canonical texts called Vinaya Pitaka. The teachings of the Buddha, or Buddhadharma can be divided into two broad categories: 'Dharma' or doctrine, and 'Vinaya', or discipline...
School and transferred to Chiao-Shan Buddhist College in 1945. One day, when Jinjue was still a student at Jiao-Shan Buddhist College, he happened to stumble onto the word "Nebula
Nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
" in the dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
, read as Xīngyún in Chinese. Jinjue admired the infiniteness and boundlessness of these nebulas and wished that he could shed light on darkness and be as free and unbound as clouds and stars. Out of necessity and for safety issues, when Jinjue needed a new identification card after China's victory over Japan, he gave himself the dharma name of Hsing Yun (spelled in Wade Giles pinyin).
He left the college at the age of twenty to become a principal at an elementary school in Yixing, a small town not far from Nanjing, where he learned about administration and interpersonal coordination skills. As mainland China was enmeshed in civil war
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, he left his home in 1949 to head for Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. He began to propagate Dharma around the age of 31 to 40 at Ilan
Ilan
Ilan may refer to:* Eli Ilan , an Israeli sculptor* Ilan, a town in Taiwan*Ilan Berman, Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council* Ilan Araujo Dall'Igna, a Brazilian footballer* Ilan Eshkeri, a British music composer...
, thus beginning his writing career. In 1949, Hsing Yun wrote his first book, "Singing in Silence", the first stepping stone in his writing career. In later years, he founded several Buddhist publications, was promoted as editor-in-chief for many Buddhist periodicals and newsletters for various temples, wrote articles for major Taiwanese newsletters, and composed scripts for radio broadcast stations. In 1955, he published one of the first hardback biographies of the Buddha. Sometime later during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, his master Zhi Kai was killed. After his success in founding Fo Guang Shan, Hsing Yun would return to the Mainland in the 1980s to help fund for the college and monastery where he studied that was nearly destroyed from the revolution.
Pen names
When Hsing Yun was a writer for a local Taiwanese newsletters, magazines, and radio stations, he chose the pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Mo Jia (摩迦), the Chinese name for Mahakasyapa
Mahakasyapa
Mahākāśyapa or Kāśyapa was a brahman of Magadha, who became one of the principal disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha and who convened and directed the first council. Mahākāśyapa is one of the most revered of the Buddha's early disciples, foremost in ascetic practices...
, a senior disciple of the Buddha. He called himself this because he made a strenuous effort in promoting the Dharma and writing. Some time later, he called himself Jiao Fu (腳夫), meaning porter
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
. He called himself this because he served people, carried loads and labored.
Jiao Fu was also the pen name for a romantic novel Hsing Yun wrote called "National Master Yulin" (玉琳國師), which was later turned into a television soap opera, Continued Fate of Love.
Achievements
In the 1950s, Hsing Yun taught numerous classes, built many schools for children, recorded the first Buddhist hymns, and was promoted as an executive in many Buddhist associations. In 1957, Hsing Yun established a Buddhist cultural center in which a variety of Buddhist books are published with training tools such as audio and visual aids. In 1959, Hsing Yun also supported the TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an movement against communist suppression, and organized the first float parade in celebration of Wesak in Taiwan.
Hsing Yun was one of eight venerables who proposed the semiannual World Buddhist Forum
First World Buddhist Forum, 2006
The World Buddhist Forum was held in Hangzhou City and Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China, from April 13 to April 16, 2006. It was the first major international religious conference in China since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949....
in China in 2004, a suggestion that won support from Buddhist circles in countries like Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Roman Catholic Church
In 1997, Hsing Yun was invited to a Cross-century Religious Dialogue with Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. Under the invitation of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
at the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, Hsing Yun met with the Pope to promote inter-religious exchange between the two parties and to pray for world peace
World peace
World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to...
. On June 21, 2006, Hsing Yun met John Paul II's successor, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, in a general audience at St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
. During the meeting, Benedict XVI expressed his best regards for the Taiwanese and said he will pray for them. The Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
also expressed the hope of meeting the Taiwanese people.
Fo Guang Shan
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
County as the site for the construction of a monastery. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 16. He began by building the colleges and their dormitories, and working slowly towards building the shrines.
Branch Temples
Soon after the building of Fo Guang Shan, many countries, including most parts of Taiwan, each had their own Fo Guang Shan branch temple. Hsi Lai TempleHsi Lai Temple
Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple is a traditional Chinese Buddhist mountain monastery in the United States. It is located on the foothill region of Hacienda Heights, California, USA, a suburb of Los Angeles County...
(USA), Nan Tien Temple
Nan Tien Temple
Nan Tien Temple is a Buddhist temple complex located in the industrial suburb of Berkeley, on the southern outskirts of the Australian city of Wollongong, approximately 80 km south of Sydney...
(Australia), and Nan Hua Temple
Nan Hua Temple
Nan Hua Temple is the largest Buddhist temple and seminary in Africa, and is situated in the Cultura Park suburb of Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa. It is the African headquarters of the Fo Guang Shan Order, covering over...
(South Africa) are among the biggest branch temples. Fo Guang Shan branch temples can be found in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaysia, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Wollongong), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
) and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Abbotship: 1967-1985
Beginning in 1967, Hsing Yun served as the abbot of Fo Guang Shan for the first three terms, working to promote Humanistic Buddhism. Master Hsing Yun announced his abdicationAbdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
on September 22, 1985. He handed not only the abbotship, but also gave dharma transmission
Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission refers to "the manner in which the teaching, or Dharma, is passed from a Zen master to their disciple and heir...
to his most senior disciple, Hsin Ping
Hsin Ping
Hsin Ping was the fourth and fifth abbot of Fo Guang Shan and the dharma heir to Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan. Hsin Ping was the forty-ninth lineage-holder of the Linji Ch'an school through Hsing Yun....
.
Closing Fo Guang Shan
In May 1997, Master Hsing Yun announced that he would close the mountain gate of Fo Guang Shan to the general public, in part of his wish for himself and his disciples (lay and monastic) the cloistered atmosphere they need for their Buddhist practice. In Chinese Buddhism, it is common for most mountain monasteries to remain in retreat periodically for months, and sometimes years. At the end of 2000, ROC President Chen Shui-bianChen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
and government officials from Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
visited Fo Guang Shan bringing with them the wish from their constituents that Fo Guang Shan reopen its gates. Fo Guang Shan acceded and partially reopened the monastery a year later.
Involvement in Politics
Hsing Yun has openly involved himself with Taiwanese and Chinese politics, and is a prominent supporter of the One China policy. For example, in 2009 Hsing Yun exclaimed that there are "no Taiwanese" and that Taiwanese "are Chinese." during the second World Buddhist Forum. He has also encouraged reconciliation between China and the Dalai Lama.External links
- Booklets
- Fo Guang Shan
- BLIA World Headquarters
- Hsi Lai Temple United States FGS Headquarters
- Nan Tien Temple Australia FGS Headquarters
- Nan Hua Temple Africa FGS Headquarters
- Buddha's Light Publishing Books written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
- Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto
- University of the West
- Zu Lai Temple Brazil, South America Headquarters