Wei Chueh
Encyclopedia
Wei Chueh (1928-) is a Chinese Buddhist monk situated in Taiwan
. He is the founder of the Chung Tai Shan
Monastery and Buddhist order. Wei Chueh is often credited for reviving the traditional teachings of Ch'an (or Zen
) Buddhism.
Born in 1928 in Sichuan
, China, he was fully ordained as a monk in 1967 at Daijue Temple in Keelung
. In his first years of monastichood, Grand Master Wei Chueh started his secluded, austere practice in the Yang Ming mountains close to the Wanli
area of Taipei County
(now New Taipei City). He lived under extremely poor and primitive conditions, but continued to practice the Dharma. In 1982, he founded Lin Quan Temple in Taipei County and became known for his teaching on Ch'an practices by offering many lectures and seven day Ch'an retreats. As his popularity increased, his temple was unable to fit more people.
Due to the continuing growth of both lay disciples and monastic disciples, He was requested to build a larger monastery in Puli in Central Taiwan; planning started in 1987. After more than a decade of careful planning and construction, the new Chung Tai Chan Monastery 中台禪寺 was finally inaugurated on the first day of September, 2001.
Ven. Wei Chueh was one of eight venerables who proposed the World Buddhist Forum
in China in 2004, a suggestion that won support from Buddhist circles in countries like Japan and the Republic of Korea.
During the presidential election
in 2004, Wei Chueh endorsed Kuomintang
opposition candidate Lien Chan
, and also urged his supporters to boycott an election-day referendum organised by President Chen Shui-bian
, after he and his running mate James Soong
visited Chung Tai Chan Monastery.
In 2005, the Grand Master appointed Ven. Master Jian Deng, his disciple, to be the abbot of Chung Tai.
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 is the founder of the Chung Tai Shan
Chung Tai Shan
Chung Tai Chan is a Taiwan-based Buddhist monastic order founded by the Venerable Master Wei Chueh in 1987. The headquarters monastery itself, Chung Tai Chan Monastery , completed in September 2001 in Puli, Nantou County, is the tallest and one of largest temple and monastery in Taiwan and the...
Monastery and Buddhist order. Wei Chueh is often credited for reviving the traditional teachings of Ch'an (or 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...
) Buddhism.
Born in 1928 in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, China, he was fully ordained as a monk in 1967 at Daijue Temple in Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
. In his first years of monastichood, Grand Master Wei Chueh started his secluded, austere practice in the Yang Ming mountains close to the Wanli
Wanli District
Wanli District , is a district of Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province, China. It covers over 254 square kilometers in the northwestern part of Nanchang, within the West Mountains. More than 70% is forest-covered and the majority of the economy is natural resource based, with forestry and...
area of Taipei County
Taipei County
New Taipei City is the most populous city of Taiwan. The area includes a substantial stretch of Taiwan's northern coastline and surrounds the Taipei Basin...
(now New Taipei City). He lived under extremely poor and primitive conditions, but continued to practice the Dharma. In 1982, he founded Lin Quan Temple in Taipei County and became known for his teaching on Ch'an practices by offering many lectures and seven day Ch'an retreats. As his popularity increased, his temple was unable to fit more people.
Due to the continuing growth of both lay disciples and monastic disciples, He was requested to build a larger monastery in Puli in Central Taiwan; planning started in 1987. After more than a decade of careful planning and construction, the new Chung Tai Chan Monastery 中台禪寺 was finally inaugurated on the first day of September, 2001.
Ven. Wei Chueh was one of eight venerables who proposed the 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.
During the presidential election
ROC presidential election, 2004
The Election for the 11th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China , the third direct presidential election in Taiwan's history and the 11th presidential election overall under the 1947 Chinese Constitution, was held on March 20, 2004...
in 2004, Wei Chueh endorsed Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
opposition candidate Lien Chan
Lien Chan
Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005...
, and also urged his supporters to boycott an election-day referendum organised by President Chen Shui-bian
Chen 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...
, after he and his running mate James Soong
James Soong
James Soong Chu-yu , is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party, a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
visited Chung Tai Chan Monastery.
In 2005, the Grand Master appointed Ven. Master Jian Deng, his disciple, to be the abbot of Chung Tai.