AMITA BUDDHISM SOCIETY
Meditation Center 行願禪淨文化協會 Classical Culture
President of the Xingyuan Association: Namo Great Vow Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Origin
The current acting president, Venerable Chuanmiao, is originally from Heshan, Guangdong. Born in Vietnam in 1958, she was frail and sickly from childhood, requiring constant acupuncture and medication. At the age of eleven, she took refuge in the Three Jewels, becoming the disciple of Abbot Shangfu Guang of Cide Temple. At thirteen, she studied Buddhism at the Chinese Buddhist Academy, under the tutelage of Abbot Shangchao Chen of Longhua Temple. Deeply moved by the bodhisattva conduct of her disciple, Venerable Chuanmiao conceived the desire to become a nun at the age of seventeen. However, due to the turmoil of war, the necessary conditions were not met, and she was unable to fulfill her vows. She continued to serve the Buddhist community as a layperson.
He immigrated to the United States in 1985. In 1986, he served as a pioneer in establishing Buddhist centers for organizations such as Jingguang Temple, Tzu Chi, and Fo Guang Shan in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1997, he led fellow practitioners to volunteer at the Chinese Nursing Home in Boston and Queens Hospital, introducing the Pure Land Buddhist practice to the elderly and patients. In 1998, with Bodhicitta, he founded a society dedicated to uniting lay Buddhists, upholding the Three Jewels, propagating the Dharma, benefiting all beings, rescuing them from suffering and attaining happiness, and practicing the Pure Land Buddhist practice. Deeply moved by the compassionate vows and practices of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Venerable Master Shang Quan Xia Hui, the abbot of the Shurangama Sutra Study Center in Hong Kong, bestowed upon the society the name "Xingyuan" (行愿). Therefore, in 1998, the Boston Pure Land Buddhist Association was officially approved by the Massachusetts state government as a non-profit Buddhist organization.
The Venerable Master embodied the philosophy that "the family is the place of practice, and everywhere is a place of practice." Finally, in 2008, with the consent of his parents and family, and the support of his fellow practitioners, he received his tonsure from Venerable Changyang of Xiangshan Mountain, Zhejiang Province, China, taking the Dharma name Yanzhao and the courtesy name Chuanmiao. He was ordained at Bodhi Temple in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China, receiving his precepts from Venerable Xinji and becoming a nun from Venerable Xinfa. In 2010, Venerable Chuanmiao devoted herself to the study of Vinaya (Buddhist monastic rules). She also promoted the Eight Precepts and the Pure Land Dharma, establishing an online training course for lay Buddhists. In 2011, the Venerable Master was selected as the abbot of Wanshan Temple in Jiangxi Province. On February 29, 2016, he was invited to participate as a guest speaker at the Macau International Forum on Learning and Obeying the Vinaya. On May 9, 2018, he served as the preceptor for the lay bodhisattva precepts at Wanshan Temple. In April 2019, he was appointed as the preceptor for the ordination of monks at Wanshan Temple in Lushan, Jiangxi, China. In 2023, he was appointed as the abbot of the 27th session of the ordination of monks at Wanshan Temple.
Over the years, the Venerable Master has studied and lectured on numerous Buddhist texts, including *The Treatise on Response and Retribution*, *Liao Fan's Four Lessons*, *The Amitabha Sutra*, *The Complete Collection of Zhongfeng's Three Periods of Mindfulness Dharma Services*, *The Heart Sutra*, *The Sutra on the Merits of Leaving Home*, *The Essence of Master Yin Guang's Writings*, *The Inspiration of Karma and Retribution for the Mind of Renunciation*, and *Ti*, a book of questions and answers on Buddhist practice. *Letting Go is the Skill* is a sutra title the Venerable Master has studied and lectured on in recent years. In July 2014, to enable people of different cultures around the world to learn Buddhism more widely, the association changed its name to the "Xingyuan Chan Jing Culture and Education Association".
The Venerable Master travels to the United States, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam to propagate the Dharma and study Buddhism, shouldering the mission of upholding the Buddha's true Dharma and continuing the Buddha's wisdom. In 2018, he was invited to serve as the Acharya (preceptor) of the Upasika Bodhisattva Precepts at Wanshan Temple. In 2019, he served as the preceptor for the three-stage ordination ceremony for monks at Wanshan Temple in Jiangxi Province. In April of the same year, he was personally transmitted the Dharma lineage of four schools by the Venerable Nengxing at Wanshan Temple in Jiangxi Province: the 46th generation of the Linji School, bestowed with the name Zen Master Jinian; the 13th generation of the Weiyang School, Zen Master Xingde; the 50th generation of the Dongyun School, Zen Master Jinkong; and the 48th generation of the Tiantai School, with the Dharma name Ranming.
The Venerable Master is dedicated to promoting Buddhist education, enlightening people's wisdom, upholding the teachings of his teacher, diligently studying scriptures and doctrines, and spreading the Dharma in various places. The Association's mission is to uphold faith and aspiration in reciting the Buddha's name, practicing both Chan and Pure Land Buddhism, following conditions without clinging to them, and maintaining a sincere and equal mind as the ethos and learning style of the temple.
Permanent Mentor
Brief Introduction of Venerable Master Quan Hui (1926-2014)
Venerable Quan Hui was born in 1926 (the year of Bingyin), originally from Chashan, Dongguan, Guangdong Province. His secular surname was Luo. He was ordained as a monk at the age of sixteen and received full ordination at Nanhua Temple in Caoxi, Shaoguan at the age of twenty, under the tutelage of the eminent Chan master, Venerable Master Xuyun. After receiving full ordination, he studied under Venerable Master Yingci, Venerable Master Nenghai, Venerable Master Yuanying, Venerable Master Tanxu, Venerable Master Dingxi, Venerable Master Leguo, and Venerable Master Hairen. In Hong Kong, he served as the abbot of the Lengyan Study Center and was the president of the Macau Buddhist Association at its inception, as well as a director of the Cross-Strait Dharma Propagation Association. In mainland China, he served as the head monk of Biechuan Temple on Danxia Mountain, Tianxin Yongle Chan Temple on Wuyi Mountain in Fujian, Lingbo Qita Temple, and Hongfa Temple in Shenzhen. He was a Dharma heir of Venerable Benhuan.
Throughout his life, the Master was invited from all over the world to ascend the throne and preach the Dharma, spreading the Dharma far and wide. The Master distributed Cantonese sermon recordings to all parts of the world, and led the broadcasting of the Dharma, pioneering the practice of spreading the Dharma online.
The Venerable Master devoted himself to propagating the Dharma and expounding the sutras, and recited the Buddha's name seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. Throughout his life, at the invitation of Dharma protectors from all over the world, as well as Hong Kong and Macau, the Venerable Master ascended the Dharma seat to expound the sutras, spreading the Dharma rain to all sentient beings in the ten directions, so that they may all share in the benefits of the Dharma. He also distributed Cantonese sutra lecture recordings to various places.
Our association respectfully regards Venerable Master Hui as our permanent mentor. The mentor passed away peacefully at 2:00 AM on October 21, 2014, at Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong, at the age of 88 and the age of 68.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
A Brief Introduction to Master Chin Kung (1927-2022)
Honorary Professor, Griffith University and University of Queensland, Australia; Visiting Professor, Renmin University of China; Honorary Doctor, Griffith University and University of Southern Queensland; Honorary Doctor, Siri Siddhartha Adulyadej Islamic University, Indonesia; President, Pure Land Buddhist Academy of Australia; Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hong Kong Buddhist Education Association.
Master Chin Kung, Dharma name Juejing, courtesy name Chin Kung, was born in 1927 in Lujiang County, Anhui Province, China. His secular name was Xu Yehong. He moved to Taiwan in 1949. In 1954, he studied under the great philosopher Professor Fang Dongmei of Tongcheng, the Tibetan high monk Changkya Khutuktu, and the Confucian and Buddhist master Professor Li Bingnan of Jinan for thirteen years, learning classics, history, philosophy, and Buddhism, with the greatest focus on the Pure Land School of Buddhism.
In 1959, the Master was ordained at Linji Temple in Yuanshan, Taipei, taking it upon himself to restore the moral and ethical education of sages and to promote the compassionate spirit of Mahayana Buddhism. He has been lecturing and teaching for over fifty years without interruption. He was the first to advocate that "Buddhism" should be correctly named "Buddha's Education," and pioneered the printing and distribution of scriptures, as well as the use of audiovisual equipment, the internet, and satellite television to popularize education on benevolence and universal love among the general public. To date, he has printed and purchased over 6,500 sets of the Tripitaka, which have been donated to universities, national libraries, and religious organizations worldwide. He has served as a teacher at the Sanzang Academy of Taipei's Shipu Temple, a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Chinese Culture University, and the dean of the Chinese Inner Learning Academy. He founded the Huazang Audiovisual Library, the Buddha Education Foundation, and the Pure Land Academy in Australia. He guided the Singapore Pure Land Buddhist Association in establishing the "Dharma Propagation Talent Training Program." Currently, over a hundred Buddhist education institutions worldwide have appointed the Dharma Master as a permanent instructor; tens of thousands of listeners learn from the Dharma Master through distance learning.
Beginning in 1997, he resided in Singapore for three years, dedicating himself to uniting the nine major religions of Singapore. He subsequently received honorary citizenship from Texas, USA; Dallas, USA; Toowoomba, Australia; the highest honor from the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs; and honorary doctorates and honorary professorships from Griffith University, Australia; the University of Queensland, Australia; the University of Southern Queensland, Australia; and the Islamic University Siddhartha Gautama, Indonesia. In 2005, he was awarded the Order of the American Merit by Queen Elizabeth II, further recognizing his outstanding contributions to multicultural education and religious unity. For half a century, he has traveled to all five continents.
The Venerable Master's teachings are disseminated worldwide in six languages: Chinese, English, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, and French. Utilizing the internet and satellite television, the teachings are broadcast repeatedly 24 hours a day around the world. This provides global audiences with an education in sacred, perfect, and complete ethics, morality, cause and effect, and religion. Recognizing the gradual decline of various religions in modern times, and their emphasis on form over substance, the Venerable Master actively advocates for the establishment of "Religious Universities" or "Multicultural Universities" to cultivate teachers and preachers of various religions, deepen their understanding of doctrines, and improve their professional qualities. In 2006, he purchased land in Queensland, Australia, to build a school that trains teachers for various religions and outstanding traditional cultures worldwide. Adhering to the principle of "setting a good example without being a teacher," the monk established a "Cultural Education Center" in his hometown, Tangchi Town, Lujiang County, Anhui Province. This center trained teachers in ethics and morality, and implemented ethics education for all residents of the town. It has helped the town's 48,000 residents, resulting in a significant improvement in their moral standards, a more simple and honest way of life, and a greater appreciation for courtesy and righteousness. Local leaders and residents have deeply realized that "a harmonious society and a harmonious world" are not just slogans!
The Venerable Master, who dedicated his life to promoting sacred ethical and moral education, deeply moved countless people of noble character from all walks of life around the world with his ideal that "unity among religions and ethnic groups is the foundation of world peace." In recognition of this, UNESCO, in October 2006, invited the Venerable Master to its headquarters in Paris, France, for a three-day "2550 Vesak Day Celebration," emphasizing the importance of education and peace, and promoting the important concepts that "religions can unite," "people can be taught well," and "traditional cultural education remains highly relevant in modern society." This celebration was attended by ambassadors and representatives of organizations from 192 countries around the world, the Secretary-General of UNESCO, and important French officials. It was a significant event of profound importance for religious figures and peace lovers worldwide.
In February 2009, with the support and praise of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the Pure Land Buddhist Academy, led by the Venerable Master, and Griffith University jointly held a three-day "Multi-Religious Summit for Promoting Peace and Harmony in Australia and the Asia-Pacific Region" at Brisbane City Hall, Australia, with the theme "World Religions are One Family".
"Sincerity, purity, equality, right understanding, and compassion; seeing through illusions, letting go, freedom, following conditions, and reciting the Buddha's name" are the unchanging principles by which Master Chin Kung conducts himself in life. "Benevolence and universal love," and "cultivating oneself as the foundation and teaching as the priority" are the pure themes of his teaching. "Sincerity, respect, humility, and harmony," and "universally enabling all sentient beings to break through delusion and attain enlightenment, and to be free from suffering and attain happiness" are the true meaning of his life.
Venerable Master Chin Kung passed away in Tainan on July 26, 2022, at 2:00 AM Taipei time, and was reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the age of 96.
The Venerable Master dedicated his life to the education of sages and the ideals of peace. He was a solitary helmsman, often walking alone, yet those who had attained enlightenment would join him on the path of awakening.
With a heart devoted to Buddhism and a spirit inherited from my teacher, I diligently turn the wheel of Dharma to save all sentient beings. My mind, like a clear mirror, reflects my boundless compassion, extending love to all beings across the universe. I serve as a teacher, setting an example for the world, and my vow to end all suffering will never waver.
Study Guide ✲ Master Chin Kung's Collection ✲ Australian Pure Land Academy ✲ Buddha Education Network Academy ✲ Dafangguang Cultural Public Welfare Network ✲ Huazang Pure Land Propagation Network Digital Library ＊ What is Buddhism?
The rise and fall of Buddhism is the responsibility of monks and nuns. As long as the precepts are in place, the Dharma is in place. To uphold the true Dharma, one should learn from the Buddha's precepts, which benefit both oneself and others, and serve as the standard for severing defilements and attaining liberation.
