Fo Guang University

Venerable Master Hsing Yun was born in Jiangsu Province, China in 1927. At age 12, he was tonsured by Venerable Master Zhi Kai in Qixia Temple, Nanjing, with Dajue Temple in Yixing, Jiangsu, as his ancestral temple. He studied at various renowned Buddhist institutions such as Qixia Vinaya College and Jiaoshan Buddhist College, and later on became the 48th generation lineage holder of the Linji Chan school. The Venerable Master had also served as the principal of Baita (White Pagoda) Elementary School, the chief editor of Raging Billows Monthly, and the abbot of Huazang Monastery, in Nanjing. 

Venerable Master Hsing Yun arrived in Taiwan in 1949. In 1953, he founded organizations such as the Buddhist Chanting Association of Yilan at Leiyin Temple, in Yilan, and the Dharma Promotion Team. His efforts established the foundation for his subsequent endeavors in the promotion of the Dharma. He founded Fo Guang Shan Monastery in 1967, with the primary goal of promoting Humanistic Buddhism through Buddhist education, culture, charity, and propagation of the Dharma. In order to foster Buddhist professionals, the Venerable Master founded 16 Buddhist Colleges, namely Shou Shan Buddhist College, Chinese Buddhist Research Institute, and Fo Guang Shan Tsung Lin University, as well as Buddhist Colleges in Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Africa, to name a few. Moreover, the Venerable Master had founded Chih- Kwang Vocational School, Pu-Men High School, Jun Tou Elementary and Junior High School, the Institute of Indian Cultural Studies at the Chinese Cultural University, University of the West in the United States, Fo Guang University in Yilan, Nanhua University in Chiayi, Nan Tien Institute in Australia, and Guang Ming College in the Philippines. Furthermore, 300 branch temples have been established worldwide, with Hsi Lai Temple, Nan Tien Temple, and Nan Hua Temple as continental headquarters for North America, Oceania, and Africa respectively.

In 1957, the Buddhist Cultural Service Center (later renamed Fo Guang Publishing House) was founded. It published various Buddhist collections and audio-visual educational material. In 1977, the Fo Guang Tripitaka Editorial Committee was formed to compile the Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism and the Fo Guang Buddhist Canon. To date, the Agama Canon, Chan Canon, Prajna Canon, Pure Land Canon, Lotus Canon, Yogacara Canon, and Jataka Canon have already been published. The Universal Gate Magazine was founded in 1979. In 2001, the Universal Gate Magazine, in publication for over twenty years, was transformed into the bimonthly Universal Gate Buddhist Journal (revived and renamed as Humanistic Buddhism: Journal, Arts, and Culture in 2016). In 1995, the Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery and Water Drop Teahouse were founded, heralding the fusion of art, culture, and leisure. This inaugural establishment was the prelude to the establishment of an additional 25 art galleries worldwide. 

Venerable Master’s writing career has culminated in a colossal published total word count of nearly 30 million words, with the most quintessential works being: The Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha, Hundred Saying Series, Humanistic Buddhism Series, Buddhist Affinities Across 100 Years, Hear Me Out: Messages from a Humble Monk, and Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intents of Buddha, and the 365-volume Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun published on May 16, 2017. An expanded edition in 395 volumes was published on February 19, 2023. 

Venerable Master’s pioneering broadcasting career began in 1957, with the airing of “The Voice of Buddhism” through Yilan Peoples’ Broadcasting Station, and continued with the first television program “Nectar” being aired in 1979 through Chinese Television Station. Later on, the “Hsing Yun’s Ch’an Talk” program was aired through North American satellite television. In 1998, Fo Guang Shan’s own television station, Beautiful Life Television, was founded and in 2000, the Merit Times newspaper began circulation. 

After retiring from the post as Head Abbot of Fo Guang Shan in 1985, Venerable Master continued promoting the Dharma worldwide. In 1995, he founded the Chunghua Fo Guang Buddhist Association, and on May 16, 1992, he inaugurated the Buddha’s Light International Association World Headquarters in Los Angeles, taking the helm as its inaugural president. By 1995, over 100 association chapters have been established across the five continents, realizing Humanistic Buddhism’s ideal of “letting the Buddha’s light shining throughout the three thousand realms, and the Dharma water flowing across the five continents.” 

Venerable Master Hsing Yun passed away on February 5, 2023 (the 15th day of the first lunar month). His life’s work was a testament to the poem he wrote himself: 

A mind with the compassionate vow to deliver sentient beings, 

A body like a boat on the Dharma ocean, unbound. 

Should you ask what I have achieved in this lifetime? 

Peace and happiness shine upon the five continents. 

Throughout his life, the Venerable Master’s compassionate vows were vast and far-reaching. He dedicated himself to promoting Humanistic Buddhism with the attitude of “regarding the multitude as oneself.” He gave teachings on countless topics and guided many toward enlightenment. He also worked relentlessly to institutionalize, modernize, and internationalize Buddhism, significantly contributing to its positive development. The Venerable Master was truly a great teacher and an eminent monk of our time, with his legacy continuing to inspire millions of people.